The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-01-20
HIS PLEA WAS FOR PoLYGAMY.

President Brigham II, Roberts is
among the highest of the evangels oi
the Mormon church. Next to the apos
ties, the seventies have the most i'm
portant duty, and are most actively en-.
gagged, in the matter Of carrying the
teachings of the Mormon creed to the
world. And of these seventies, the
first seven presidents occupy the most
exalted position. And Elder Roberts
is one of these. SO that anything which
Mr.. Roberts might say along lines of
Mormon doctrine and belief should at
least command respectful if not scri.
ous attention, In his sermon in the
tabernacle last Sunday he said:
We believe. believe at least. in the
principle that we teach that il is possible
Tor man or woman to be saved with
out marriage at all. II Is possible for
them TO he saved with one wife. and
Just he patient enough to let me say IL,
II We may here regard the teaching OF
the scriptures Of the Old Testament. IL
speaks OF Abraham in the kingdom OF
God and his bosom being the goal TO
which all eyes arc turned. It Is possible
for man to be saved II he should hap
pen 10 have more than one wife (hcre
there was ripple of laughter In the
conGregation). and We so absolutely be-
lieve In honorlng womanhood that we
hold that neither man nor woman can
attain TO the heights OF exaltation and
united. in holy wedlock. For in that
state is the power OF eternal life. glory,
dominion and cNaltation. and no man can
attain unto Il only as he is united In
holy marriage.
So that, according to President Rob-
erts, glory and cxaltation are cumula.
tive-that is, if degree of glory at
taches TO the condition of marriage
with one woman, added glory follows
with two, and so on Indefinite
ly. But there is not the least doubt
in the world that Mr.. Roberts would
publicly disclaim that on Sunday last
he publicly taught polygamy. IL taxed
with an accusation Of that nature he
would doubtless say as Joseph 4. Smith.
his superior ecclesiastical officer. said
at banquet given in Ogden TO off
cial priests of the Weber stake on June
IL, 1908. Mr., Smith had gone on TO
tell the assembled minor preceptors of
the Mormon people that the doctrine of
had been revealed bv God TO
Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormon.
ism. He was exalting the doctrine TO
the best Of his ability But he pro.
tested that he was not advocating fhc
practice, and wound up his protest in
the grotesquely inconsistent utterancc.
81 am only telling you that il is
revealed by God to Josepb
smith the prophet, and the Latter. day
SAINT who denies and rejects that truth
IN his heart might as well reject every
,thcr truth connected with his mis-.
SION - Let us illustrate the official
position in that matter by asking if a
man would be considered TO be meet.
ng the requirements Of Mormonism IL
he should express a belief in baptism
oy immersion, for instance, and vet
would not be baptized? If polygamv
De divine institution, authorized and
commanded by the Almighty, can a
man be rcckoned Mormon who ex.
presses belief to that effect and vet
refuses to obey. the law, And if in
advocating baptism as one of the prin-
'iples of the Mormon gospel, revealed
rom heaven. one is teaching its right |
and advocating its practice as
necessary TO salvation, does not similar |