The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-01-17
ROBERTS DEFENDS
PLURAL MARRIAGE
Says That Man With More Than
One Wife Can BE
Saved.
REPLIES To CHURCH
CRITICS, AND HIS OWN
Dcfes Christianity to Show That
MOrmOns Lack Respect of
WOmanhOOd.

lnVt LoNh tte'BSNh w
WOmanhOod.
Brigham II. Roberts. in a discourse OF
one hour and n half duration ~ tho tab
onacle Sunday afternoon. replied 10 ms
personal critics, Ia the critics OF tic
church. rushed 70 the defense OF the
purity and nobility Of womanhood, and
almost IN The same breath gave his m
,lorsomcnt TO polygamy. In passing he
did not omit TO mildly chastisc the press
ri the city for It's alleged bitterness IN
the discussion OF Mormon'sn- rev H.
5. Eowcrmen, pastor OF irnnanucl rap
ti3t church. also received attention from
tho ccclrsiaSt Mr.. Roberts did not mcn-
ton Mr.. Bowerman's name. out he quot
od from ono Of his sermons; IN which
respect OF The Mormon church for WON
snhood This raised tho slGcr's wrath
ard he chnracterized ii as the unkindest
ding that could be said about the
Saints.
The question oi womanhood having
been opened. Mr.. Roberts g!ided or 10
he believed man or woman can be
saved without marriage; man WIN
onc wife be saved. and, asking them
10 be patient enough 10 let him say Il,
III Is possible Tor man to be saved
81 he should happen 10 have more t9an
one wife A ripple OF laughter went
over part ct the congregation as, as MT;
course, IL was perfectly acceptable 10
everyone And no orc interrupted Mr..
Roberts on this occasion: AS was done
al the last coc!e; ;eace. end the eloer pro-
cceded with his arguments.
The occasion OF the services Sunday
was the quarterly conference Of the fio-
ncer stake. presided over by President
William Mclaughlin. Mr.. Roberts VAS
The only speaker. The congregation was
large ono and af,cr the usual open
ing exercises, MT, Roberts took the roS-
trum.
Bitterness of the Press,
Mr. gooerts said: Il have been some
what Su-priScd u not amazcG, at the
bitterness shat has been manifest IN the
discussion OF late in our local prints on
some OF the doctrines and some ~ the
history of this great movement known
as Mormonism Ih.ro has been % late 1
lalslng up of old, past controversies un-
I'll orc would think tlInt we would pe
under tho necessity OF hshting aS;in the
old battles of sixty and seventy y"ofS
ago. for this raking up OF old controVer-
sizes extends that far back With reference
TO this great later DAY noncnngih,: ,o,i
IN this discussion from the standpoint
OF this text. or course. y is said ina.
tho truth mus. be judged by lis fruits
and that must adui!tted TO be q Iight-
eous judgment because in all moral ma
chinory the effectiveness OF IL must IL
nally be Judged by moral results and we
could not IL we would escape the JudSs
Tnent that Will be pronounced upon our
work" Is tho fountain whence IL springs
pure2 j. 80. IT, were indeed that the
streams flowing out OF it like the fountain
Mir Roberts then called their attention
To The spirit IN which this thing Mormon
ism had its inception. He then proceeced
to a review Of his chur,lr. He referred
10 joseph Smiths vision OF God and inc
Son and the new disocnSltion tnrouSh
him. After three years. he said. God
sent a messenger tina Jos gph would bc
acceptable TO the Lord. Notwithstanding
his boyhood to!lies; aud he became the
instrument Of the Losd in the new dis
pcnSation, others began TO take part
in the development Of the work. includ-
ing the prophets father. Mr.. Roberts
then read from the Doctrine and Cove
nants the message received t!om tne
Lord 10 the father.
Do Not Seek Riches.
Oliver Cowdery also received tho will
o! the Lord. which Elder Roberts read
from the Doctrine and Covenants IN
GUIDED in this was the Injunction nun so SSek
mcntcd Mr.. Roberts, we were told In
n great magazine that the lust OF gold.
not love OF God, was the cardinal prin-
ciple of Mormonism." Cowdcry was also
told to admonsh the prophet In his
faults. What a prophet have faults? An;
yes" said Mr.. Roberts. we are told
and il Is charged in the old anti Mormon
hooks of sixty and seventy years ago
that these men woro liars, idlers. dig
gers after money. that tney were ut
tcrly untrustworthy; but look behind the
scenes from whence tho word OF God
comes TO them and. 10. the purity Of
the fountain is seen, and this was, the
growing volume Of Gods legislation
Elder Roberts next read the message
10 HyruIn Smith from the Lord contained
in the Doctrine and Covenants. in which
the prophet was told not to seek riches,
but TO do good. II did not mean living
i'm luxury said Mr.. Roberts, and not
earning your bread with the sweat OF
your brow and earning the applause and
honor of the world but 70 do 5000. And
the same instructions. held good when
others came dropping into tho work
Plea for Rigdon.
Referring TO Sidney Risdon. Mr.. Rob
eris continued: 1t is generally held forth
Smith neither in his general information
surely not in his cducatlon-wss equal
10 the task of bringing forth the Book
OF Mormon. and they assume that somo
more skilIIul man. some. man better
versed in scripture and history and with
some literary ability. was somewhere be-
bring forth the Book Of Mormon and the
church But Sidney Rgdon did not como
20 the. prophet until December. 1870.
When he came he was. appointed the
scribe 10 the prophet and forever after
wards nc held that subordinate position
10 Joseph the pr9G,het G,tS H, He was maj, man
25 We might ask our anti-Mormon
friends how it came, II Sidney Rigdon
was the master spirit in bringing forth
real Mephistopheles oi the great drama
that was being cnacted-how comes II
that after playing this part for a num-
Der Of years. when he comes out into the
public work with all his advantage of cd
ucation and experience he now consents
10 take second place in tho great drama;
not even second place. for that has bccn
conferred upon Oliver Cowdery who had
been ordained as second elder. and Sid
ney Ricdon becomes the prophets scribe
Is there any consistency In claims of
that sort%"
Joseph Not Libertine.
After reading many quotations from
the prophet Joscphs journal while he
was on a mission in Canada. and extracts
from other records to llustra lie the pray
erful spirit of the prophet. Mr.. Roberts
said: Tell Inc Is the spirit In which this
man labored evil OF good? Is this the
course Of libertine and a liar or is
it tho course Of q righteous man? TO
me there was tremendous consequences
In these experiences OF tho prophet
When you see this man, 50 constantly In
communion with his God for help IL
God did not come TO his help then what
hope has man that God viii hear prayer
al all? Ii thought God did not come
10 him I would say 10 all the world, Your
prayers are mockcros. your heaven is
brass. your earth is iron, seek moi tboEc