The Columbus journal., 1909-10-20
THIS TO A. GOOD MAN.

$50 far rs the resolutions passed by
Methodists and Baptists are concerned,
1 have nothing to say" said Rev.
james Huff, chaplain of the peniten-
tary, Monday morning. "They must
be responsible for what is done with
out investigation and if they wish to
take the responsibility for the resolu.
tons that have appeared over their
names 1 hope they can stand it Is we'll
~ can.
"At the same time that have moth
ing to say in regard to theseresolutions
you might say for me that on the Sun
day before the resolutions were passed
by the Kearney conference, Rev. +.
NJ. Sisson of Nebraska City, . Method
list minister, preached in my place
here at the prison and that at the close
of his sermon he said to the convicts,
as I was preparing to close the service,
This is q good man, you can trust
him." He has known me for thirty
fiye years.
Though do not care to say any
thing directly ON the. resolutions I am
not afraid to defend the teaching of
the church to which I belong, the Re-
organized Church of Jesus Christ Of
the Latter Day Saints. Here 1 will
show you what our church teaches and
what is taught by the Utah church. y
Then Rev. Huff pointed out the
sections of the covenants and com.
mandments of the church to which he
belongs that refer marriage. This
is what the sections contain:
"For there shall not be any man
among youlhave save it be one wife,
and concubines he shall have none.
"Wherefore it is lawful that he
IMAM shall have one wife and they
twain shall be one flesh.
LET no man break the laws Of the
land, for he that keepeth the laws Of
God hath no need to break the laws
of the land"
Then the chaplain who has been the
target of the Methodist and Baptist
conferences got the blue'bound COW
enants and commandments of the
Utah church. This is the licentious
section under which polygamy is prac-
| tised in Utah. 1t comprises para
graphs 60 and 81 of section !32.
"And again as pertaining to the law
of the priesthood: If any man es
pouse a virgin and desire to espouse
another, and the first give her consent;
and if he espouse the second and they
are virgins and have vowed to no
other man then he is justified, and he
cannot commit adultery, for they are
given unto him; for he cannot commit
adultery with that that belongeth to
him and to no one else.
"And if he have ten virgins given
unto him, by this law he cannot COM
NIT adultery for they belong to him
and they are given him. therefore is
he justified"
81 want you to make it clear" said
the chaplain, that these words are not
the words We teach. That section pur-
ports to be a part of the revelation Of
Joseph Smith when he was in Nauvoo
in 1913. That is the claim Of Brig.
ham Young. The section Of the Utah
commandments that legitimatizes poly
gamy never appeared in printed form
until 1876. Polygamy was preached
by the followers of Young after 1882
but the words never put in print until
1876.
The wife of the original Joseph
Smith, who translated the book of
Mormon, said that this section was
fraudulent and that there was no such
revelation. His son, who is president
of the recognized church, says there
is no such revelation and that the sec.
ton is the work of Brigham Young.
Polygamy is utterly at variance with
the doctrines of our church"
"Wherein does you church differ
from any of a half dozen other promi.
nent in Nebraska" was asked Rev.
Huff.
"Our teachings are Eot much differ
emit. In the pulpit We use the King
James version of the Bible, not the
book of Mormon. The book of Nor.
mon refers to the history off people in
q different time and in Q diferant part
of the world from that in which the
Bible treats of. We believe in and
We teach the new testament"
As . matter of fact Rev. Huff is
probably rs we'll grounded in the Bible