The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-05-23
Baltimore Methodist Conference

ference at Baltimore, spoke with wisdom and with
Christian patriotism, against the crime of poygamy
1t was a noble and timely step for the Methodsts
to take for the advance of pure religious righteous
ness Genuinely God-fearing and holy Christian or
carnations can we'll afford to stand unitedly and
firmly against polygamy. The Presbyterian church
has been the most pronounced in its declaration of
warming until the meeting of the Baltimore confer
ence of Methodists the fore part of this month.
The Salt Lake Tribune is so close to the Mormon
menace that what it has to offer on the attitude of
the Methodists and the ridiculous criticism of the
Deseret News (The Mormon Organ) of Salt Lake
City, as to the resolutions of the Baltimore confer
ence becomes at once relevant and reproduce the
Tribune's editorial comment in full below, under title
of "By What Authority"
Inasmuch as the Methodist conference at Bati-
more expressed belief that the polygamous prac-
tees of the past are still found in the state and ter
ritories occupied in part by representatives OF the
Mormon body, it was inevitable that the organ OF the
Mormon church would utter protesting roar. That
organ stated Friday evening that the belief so
expressed chad absolutely warrant in facts" And
this in spite of the admission made by the address
adopted at the April conference of 1907 expressly ad
uniting such new marriages. and in the face of the
fact that living IN poygamy is open notorious, ma
grant and common, in Utah, Idaho Wyoming, Color
ado, Arizona, Nevada, and Oregon; the organ itself
persistently and falsely claims that it the gen
era understanding that the living in poygamy where
the polygamous relations had already been entered
into prior to the manifesto of 1890 should be con-
tinued. AS matter of fact, the express under
standing was, the true meaning of the manifesto
could not be otherwise, testified to by successive
presidents of the Mormon church, including Pres1-
dent Woodruff, who issued the manifesto, and Joseph
F. Smith, the present president of the church, that
the manifesto applied to and forbade unlawful CO.
habitaton as we'll polygamous marriages;
and both had to stop. The organ further says:
"The fact as to the church is that it has faithfully
~1aIor do Plural 1CaH
with the manifesto, and ecclesiastical interference IN
politics became thing of the past with the division
party lines whatever may have been the case pc
fore that time "Unlawfu1 cohabitation" has also
gradually dwind1ed away since the manifesto, the
understanding that it would do and this is one
of the most striking evidences of the faithful fulfill
ment the part of the church Of any pledges or
promises to plural marriages. For IT those prom
Uses had not been kept the conditions would have
been different from what they are"
If the church has faithfully kept every pledge and
it being the admitted fact that of the pledges
that plural marrying should cease, how does it
happen that plural marriages have been celebrated
since, as admitted in the address of the 1907 April
conference? Is there any other organization reveIa-
tion or priesthood existing in this region other than
that of the Mormon church, which practices plural
marriage and claims authority for that practice?
There is not. The authority for all of these plural
marriages is the Mormon revelation on poygamy
the ce1ebrants of such marriages the priests of
the Mormon church, the ceremonies themselves are
according to the ritual adopted by that church
The revelation on polygamy has not been Withdrawn
On the contrary, it is printed right along in the
successive editions of the acknowledged law book of
the church. The authority to perform such mar
riages has not been revoked Ii had been, no one
would be authorized to perform the polygamous mar
riages which it is admitted have been performed.
The ceremony ritual for such marriages has not
been annu1ed because if it had been there would be
no procedure under which these polygamOus
riages could be performed. Undoubtedly, since the
church has not withdrawn its authority for these
since the revelation commanding them
is still carried in the Doctrine and Covenants since
the priesthood of the Mormon church still considers
itself authorized to perform such marriages, and