The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-06-04

.'di9 was not Tie IOIcIdIiOu Ol cnOlce,
but the endurance Of n reprobated con-
dition while there were no adequate
means at hand to correct it, And, in
the next place, when the church insists
upon the doctrine Of polygamy. as dl-
vinely revealed and enjoined; when the
governing body of the church publicly
honors those who practice il; when its
chief officials openly, and with mutual
appreciation therefor, live in it; when
the officials studiously refrain from any
public act in restraint of It-when all
this is true, we must hold il as doubt
full whether the practice Of polygamous
living ever will die out under any sys-
TEN of tolcration. And thoughtful peo-
pie conclude, in the light of these facts,
is logical is that which will, with
strong hand defend society at large
from the taint of such flagititous pre-
cepts, examples and practices Utah
cannot afford to tolerate polygamy
Wisdom does not prescribe liberation
toward other unlawful conduct; nor
does experience show that such
method of dealing with offenders is so
conspicuously successful in restraining
crime as to encourage that policy. In
addition to this, when we consider the
fact that men have lived in polygamous
relations here for years without the fact
being generally acknowledged, or even
known; when the church teaches the
doctrine of polygamy as dlvincly-re-
vealed Hprinciplc, such precept being
supplemented by the powerful example
OF its highest officials; and when. the
president of the church makes virtue
Of his contumacy in this regard, we
must be pardoned if we declare that no
sufficient evidence that polygamous liv-
ing is dying out, or is likely to die out,
has yet been produced
Polygamy as Principle Not Repudiated.
For II l will, saith the Lord OF
Hosts. raise UP seed unto Me. / VIII
command My people; otherwise they shall
hearkcn unto these things THAT Is reVe-
lations forbidding polygamyl: Thus we
see that man among the Nephites, by
the law OF God had no right 10 take
more than one wife unless the Lord
ing UP seed unto himself. Without such
command they were strictly limited TO
the one wife doctrine. SO II is
in this Church Of Latter-day Saints:
unless the Lord through the President
and Prophet OF the Church gives reve-
lation permitting him TO take more. -
Orson Pratt In The Seer, p. 80
For behold I reveal unto you new
and an everlasting covenant and II you
abide not that covenant then are you
damned: for no one can reject this
nv glory, And again, as per-
tanning to the law OF the Priesthood, IL
any man espouse a virgin and desire, to
espouse another. and the first give her
consent and If he espouse the second
and they arc virgins and have vowed
to no other man. then he is justified; for
he cannot commit adultery with that
that bclongcth unto him and 10 none
else and II he have ten virgins given
unto him by this law. he cannot commit
adultery, for they belong unto him; and
l, tr
justified. '-DoctrIne and Covenants.
chap. 132.
"From the foregoing revelation given
through Joseph the Seer. 1t will be seen
that God has actually commanded some
of Hin. servants TO take more wives.
Showing still further that, If they
refuse TO obey his command after having
the law revealed TO them, they should
be damned, This revelation. then, makes
it matter of conscience among ali the
Latter day Saints; and they embrace it
as a part and portion OF their religion,
saved and reject iC"-Orson Pratt In
The Seer. January, 1853, p. ii.
"Who would suppose that any man
In this land OF religious liberty would
presume TO say TO his felowman that he
had no right TO take such steps as he
thought necessary to escape damnatlon'
Or that Congress would enact law that
believers OF being consigned to a peni-
tentiary II they should attempt 10 obey
a law OF God which would deliver them
from damuatlon "-Epistle OF the First
Presidency 10 Mormon Church, October
6. 1855
The Righteousness Of Polygamy Still
Defended.
In signed article written by Brig
ham H. Roberts, one Of the first seven
,rncilnntS of tbp SpNpntjpS nf rho Nor
mon church, for the Improvement Era
of May, 1898, are found the following
statements as the conclusion of an argu-
mcnt on the righteousness of polygamy:
Therefore I conclude that since God
did approve of the plural marriage Gus
tom OF the ancient patriarchs. prophets
and kiugs Of Israel, II is not at all TO be
wondered at that, In the dlspenSation of
the fulucss of time, in which He has
promised restitution of all things God
should again establish that system of
plural marriage. And the fact OF Gods
approval OF plural marriage in ancient
times is a complete defense OF the
righteousness of the marriage system in
troduCed by revelation through the
Prophet. Joseph Smith.
"Polygamy Is not adultery for were It
so considered. then Abraham. Jacob
and the Prophets who practiccd 1T would
not be allowed an inheritance in the
kingdom of heaven, and II polysamy is
not adultery then it cannot be cassed
as a sin At all,
1T appears to the writer that mod
ern Christians must either learn to toll
crate polygamy or give up forever the
glorious hope OF resting in Abraham's
bosom, That which he approves. and so
srukingly approves, must he not only
not bad but positively good pure and
holy, improvement Era, May, 1895, PIP.
427. i55. i7S 4S2.
We quote from a poem written by
Apostle Orson Whitney TO the Women
of the Everlasting Covenant:
up with the guardian OF social purity.
The marriage system of futurlty-
ASYLUM OF reform and penitenCe;
Coo given home TO homeless innocence;
And down with wayward Rome's econ
omy-
Parent OF namclcss ills-monosamY.
Concomitant of empire -crumbling vice,
Virtue at the shrine OF Price.
Let Innocence no more be child of Shame;
Let Natures needs the laws of Nature
frame;
Let marriage vows be honorable IN all,
by monogamic wall
OF selfshuess and rank hypocrisy,
The gift Of Pagan aristocracy"
-Whtneys Poems,
The declaration made by B. II. Rob
erts concerning his determination to
1. =