The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-08-29
ANNIVERSARY OF. MORMON
s'POLYGAMY'' REVELATION

Today is an important anniversary
in the history Of Mormonisrn, for it
was on Aug. 20, 1852, that the doc
trine of pofygamXs was openly an
nounced as a tenet Of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
brigham Young, then president of
the church, declared on that date
that the doctrine of plurality OF
wives had been revealed to him by
God. He pointed out that most of
the heroic figures of Old Testament
days, the men latter Gods own
heart" had. been polygamists. Orig
ham Young died exactly rs years
after his divine revelation" on Aug.
20, 1877, and he had practiced what
he had preached SO effectively that
II widows. 20 daughters and 16 sons
were left to mourn his passing.
Joseph Smith, the founder, of Nor
monism, began privately to preach
and practice the doctrine of plurality
of wives as early as 1853, when the
church had its headquarters in Mis-
souri, AS a result of this and other.
practices the Mormons were driven
from Missouri and settled in Illinois.
Smith had a lawful wife to whom he
had been married for several years,
and she quite naturally became jeal-
Gus of her husbands attentions to his
Spiritual Wives 1t was probably
to placate the lady that Smith in 1S43
received a revelation from heaven
authorizing men to have more than
one wife each.
This revelation, however, was for
home use. and the Apostles strenu-
ously denied that polygamy was prac-
ticed by the Mormons. The Illinois
headquarters Of the church was
scandahzed and Smith was denounc-
ed as a icorruptor of virtue. Sixteen
women made affidavits, which were
widely published, that Smith had
tried to persuade them to become
"spiritual'' wives. In 1874 the pop
uIar excitement became so great that
mob attacked the jail in which
Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum
had been lodged. and the two men
were shot and killed.
With the death of Smith Brigham
Young became the leader of the sect.
At the head Of chosen band of the
faithful he crossed the Rockies to
spy out a Zion" for IAN everlasting
habitation." Salt Lake CITY was
chosen as the capital of the promised
land, which they called Deseret, the
land Of the honey bee For years
the leaders of the church had denied
polygamous teachings or practices.
but in Salt Lake City they consider
ed themselves safe from 4'persecu-
tion.'' and on Aug. 20. 1852, Young
boldly proclaimed the doctrine, and
defended it on the authority of
Smiths revelation in 1843.
Ten years later the United States
Congress passed an act prohibiting
polygamy in the territories. The Nor
mons denied it's constitutionality
and carried on the fight SO effectively
that 1t was not until 1879 that the
Supreme Court declared the act
valid. Plural marriages continued,
and in 1882 the Edmunds act was
passed, providing penalties for those
guilty Of polyganny and making them
Ineligible to vote or hold office. This
act was not effective, and in 1887
Congress passed the Edmunds-
Tucker act, under which more than a
thousand Mormons, including many
leaders, were fined and imprisoned.
The Supreme Court upheld this act.
and in 1890 President MILFORD Wood
ruff issued manifesto in which he
solemnly denied that the church was
then practicing polygamy. Since
then polygamy has been officially un-
der the ban of the church, although
in 1898 Brigham H. Roberts was de-
MED a seat in Congress on the ground
that he was still living in polygamous
relations.