The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-01
THE CONTINUOUS PoLYoAMY.

Now. Il any OF you will deny the plu-
l promise that you viii be damned.-Ser-
mon Of Brigham Young In Provo bowery,
July II. 1855; Journal OF Discourses, vol
| ume .. page 2S6.
| The principle OF plurality OF wives never
| VIII be done away. although some sisters
have revelations that, when time passes
away and they go through the veil. every
woman will have husband TO herself
Sermon OF Heber C. Kimball In Salt Lake
bowery. October 8, 1866 Journal Of Dis
courses, volume 8. page 125,
The Mormons claim plural marriage as
| an essential part Of their religious faith,
and maintain that 1t is practiced under the
take steps to destroy any part OF our d.
vlnely revealed creed, we should hold our
selves up TO the world as liars and hypo-
| critics. or to the Being whom we worship
| as defiant apostates. We did not originate
the doctrine of celestial marriage" we
have no right and no power TO abolish it,
Elder Charles w. Penruse In Ogden
Junction, December II, 1875.
| I understand the law OF celestial mar
| riaee TO mean that every man iu the
| church, who has the ability TO obey and
| practice II In righteousness and will not
shall be damned. ! say / understand IL
70 mean this and nothing less. and tes-
| tify In the name OF Jesus that IL does
mean that--Sernon of Joseph F. Smith
J In Salt Lake tabernacle. July Z. 1878:
Desoret News. September Z. 1878.
II the whole people chose 20 repudiate
| polysamy they would have had TO take
! the consequences Of rejecting a cardinal
part OF their religious belief. The
question Of their monogamy or plurality
within the purview of the state, but pure
" an ecclesiastical matter governed by
divine law and administered and regulated
! III. nrif
! editorial. January Is, 1873.
We feel determined to do the will OF
| God and keep His commandment 20 the
best OF our ability The doctrine came
! from God. The matter or stopping II
came from our Goverpment-Deseret
( News report Of sermon OF Joseph +. Smith
AT East Bount!ful March 20, 1899.
am only telling you that IT [polygamyl
! Is principle revealed by God TO Joseph
! Saint who denies and rejects that truth
| in his heart might as well reject every
other truth connected with his mission
| Speech OF Joseph F. Smith at banquet
( OF minor ecceslasts in ogden, June l2,
1903. Deseret News, June 20. 1903.
Ibelieve in that principle today as much
os ever believed In it-Testlmony OF Jo-
| seph i. Smith at Washington, March 8,
1900; Government report volume !, page
! 195,
| For behold, reveal unto you a nsw and
an everlasting covenant; and II ye abide
! not that covenant. then are ye damned !:
Tor no one can reject this covenant, and
| be permitted TO enter into my glory
And II he have ten virgins given
unto him by this law. he cannot commit
adultery. for they belong TO him. and
they are given unto him, therefore is he
| justifed.-Revelatlon commanding the
practice OF polygamy: Doctrine and Cove
nantss, pages i6a and a7a. edition sold
iSos'. ~ 'ne M0T"0" church on October H.
In explanation OF that conduct I wish
TO say that from my buyhood ] had been
| taught the riGhtfulness OF plural mar
rtage. / believed that doctrine and be-
lievod II TO be commandment OF God.
] knew that the law OF God was in con-
filct with the statutes enacted by Con-
gress. regarded II as binding upon my
conscience to obey God rather than man.
and hence | accepted that doctrine and
practiced H. that is all.-Testlmony Of
Brigham II. Roberts in Smoot case,
March II, 1904: Government report, VOL
ume /, page III
The wonder Is, not that there have been
sporadic cases OF plural marriage. but
that such cases have been SO few.--Dec-
laraton Of first presidency. adopted by
the general conference OF the Mormon
church, April 8, 1907.
This matter is submitted To Tr:b-
une readers for the purpose OF inviting
them TO draw their own conclusions.
This paper desires to make no COM
ment, but requests citizens to study the
chain of evidence as heroin given. and
then TO determine ii there has not been
and now is continuous teaching of
polygamy within the Mormon church;
10 note the results Of that teaching;
to decide whether or not they are
justified in continuing s fight against
the constantly'promoted evil, and to
resolve in. their own minds whether or
not Elder Brigham Roberts was right
when he declared on last Sunday that
it was time for the Latter-day Saints
TO ''leave the old trails and strike out
for progress. The matter is left with
any and every Gentle and honest Nor