The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-06-27
MISSIONARY DECEPTION.

Our attention has been called to a
paragraph in the London correspond
ence Of the New York Sun of June 5th,
concerning the work of Mormon mission.
aries in the Sunderland region of Eng
land. That paragraph reads as fol-
lows:
The Mormons are conducting an active
propaganda here. Three hundred mis-
slonaries are working in Sunderland:
They protest that they have not preached
or practiced polygamy since the United
missionaries are seeking TO induce girls
TO emgrate to Utah under their auspices.
The Sunderland newspapers are warning
them.
Of course, those Mormon missionaries
knew right well that they were telling
MS absolute falsrbood when they said
that the Mormons had not preached or
practiced polygamy since polygamy was
prohibited.
First of all. the Mormons openly de.
fed the Federal statute which prohib-
tied polygamy. Next, they have disre'
garded to very serious extent the pro
hibition of polygamy carried in the Con
stitution of this State and in the laws
enacted pursuant thereto. Third, they
have defed the manifesto issued In 1890
and ratified by the church general con-
ference of October of that year, All
of these measures cited were absolutely
prohibitive of polygamy and polygamous
living, The present president of the
church testified that the manifesto could
mean nothing else than the stoppage
of unlawful cohabitation rs well as OF
new polygamous marriages. And yet
there has scarcely been a pretense OF
giving up polygamous living, which is
called in the law unlawful cohabitatlon.
President Joseph F, Smith himself tes'
tilted in the Smoot hearing that he had
never conformed to the law, and did
not intend to, President Francis M. Ly'
man of the Twelve, testified that he
was living and intended to continue to
live, In defiance of the laws of God
and man, the same as President Smith
had testified. but Smith s declaration
was not couched in the same outspoken
terms The city and State are full OF
those who continue to live in the old
polygamous relations.
Besides this, The Tribune has printed
list of more than one hundred new
polygamists, men who have entered into
polygamous relations since the anti
polygamy manifesto was indorsed by
the church. These new polygamists
do not represent. of course, one-tentf
of those who have entered into new
polygamous relations since the mani
festo, for such absolute secrecy is main
tanned with regard to those relation:
that it is not to be either hoped or ex
pected that we could give even one
tenth of those new offenders.
All these things are perfectly vel
known to the elders who stated thai
scandalous falsehood to the people IL
and about Sunderland in England, There
| is no possible excuse for the disreputablt
falsehood that the elders tell In thi:
connection. They know the facts, they
doubtless know Of far greater numbe
of polypamists than The Tribune vii
ever be able to expose. And yet, will
scared consciences and false and callou
minds. they willfully promulgate thei
falsehoods, well knowing them to b.
such, to innocent people in England
They do this through love of deception
deceit and untruth. 1t is a situation
that Mormon elders seem to delight ant
revel into spew out their falsehood
on an innocent people, where there i
no one at hand able to show up thei
lies.