Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1907-04-18
THE CRAFTY MORMONS.

THE CRAFTY MORMONS.
At . conference OF Mormons bel,
ct Salt Lake City last week, the,
declared their loyalty to the gov
eminent and through q series O
meaningless words, couched il
evasive sentences, laid down som,
principles which are supposed I,
convey to the world the impression
that polygamy is . thing Of th'
past. But to the people Of the in
tested regions this farcial action
means nothing. Iusincerity marked
the entire proceeding and to those
who believe that polygamy is at an
end we point to the declaration oil
President Snow, who in 1890 stated
that the church had abandoned
the practice Of polygamy and the
solemnization Of plural marriages
and did not advise or encourage
unlawful cohsbitation.
The declaration of last week is
but the same old cloak resur-
rected to cover the immortality and
base practices Of these sanity hypo.
critics who are a. barren OF intents
Of doing good as is his satanic ms
jesty. The devil himself doubtless
has more good points than the
president Of the Mormon church
and his apostles.
Seventeen years ago the Nor.
mons and the head Of their church
Ito call II such is libel on the name)
were just a. loud in their talk Of
the discontinuauce Of polygamy
and in gaining for this statement .
worldwide circulation, as they are
today. But during the 6moot in.
vestigation it was admitted, not
once but many times, that numer.
Gus plural marriages had taken
place since the issuance Of this
manifesto. It's the same old game, |
same old crafty, bull-neoked Nor.
mon elders, who in one breath
deny the existence Of polygamy
and In the next advise and insist
that oil good Mormons deviate not
nom the principles Of the church
which advocate in the strongest
terms the practice Of plural mar
riages. Tho Doctrine and Cove.
nsnts, which is 70 this day . part
Of the faith Of the sect, and which
q Published and distributed every
year, states in regard to plural
marriages a. follows:
III any man espouses Q virgin
Ind desires to espouse another, and
HE first virgin gives her consent,
and Il he espouses them and they
Are virgins, and have vowed to no
'ther man, then he IL justified; he
'snnot commit adultery, for they
No given unto him; for he cannot
'ommit adultery with that which |
Belongs to him and to NO one else. ,
And il he have ten virgins given
into him BY this law, he cannot
ommit adultery, for they belong to
nm, and they are given unto him, {
therefore, he is jueti6ed."
As another illustration OF the ,
ontinued teaching Of polygamy,
cad this from the supposed reve-
ltions commanding plural mar .
lagos:
"For beholdl I reveal unto you q
new and everlasting covenant,
nd II you abide not that covenant, !.
aen are ye damned; for no man
an reject this covenant and be 9
ermitted to enter into my glory" ,
The logical deduction from this
stement must be thas there 10 no B
Tentative course for the good +
|ormon to pursue. The practice b
polygamy is compulsory if a n
ormon is ambitious to attain the o
CHEST salvation guaranteed by .
70 church. At the same time of v
lie convention last week, the v
ords from the mouth of the b
'ophet, Joseph Smith, are sharply Il
gnifcant: Il
1--WE refuse to be bound by the Il
terpretations others place upon Il
II beliefs; or by what they alieee =,
ust be the practical consequences !,
our doctrines. Men have no u
ght to impute to US what they Il
ink may be the logical deduc- Il
,ns from our beliefs" t.
This alleged protestation of the E
actice Of polygamy and discontin. ri
'nce Of law-defying practices Of the T
'urch, is not worthy of the slight n
: consideration by the American T
'opls. Lip loyalty is the only .,