The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1917-10-31
THE MANNING TIMES.

OF the social life of the inhabitants.
The home is the fountain from which
|eminate the currents Of influence that
determine the life of the nation. Here
are put in motion the forces that
make or mar civilization. In 1906 the
United States Senate appointed a
committee to investigate the real
character of the Mormon Church and
the teaching in regard to the home
and the nation. The following ex-
cerpt from that report will show the
social peril of this sect:
Polygamy.
"The first presidency and twelve
apostles of the Mormon Church are a
self-perpetuating body Of fifteen men.
"The first presidency and twelve
apostles govern the church by means
of so-called revelations from God,
which revelations are given to the
membership of the church as emanat-
ing from divine authority.
"Those members of, the Mormon
Church who refuse to obey the rcve-
lations so communicated by the
priesthood thereby become out of har-
mony with the church and are thus
practically excluded from the bless
ings,. benefits, and privileges of men,
bership in the church.
"rhis authority of the first presi-
dency and twelve apostles is so ex-
erciscd over the members of the Nor
mon Church as to inculcate belief
in the divine origin of polygamy and
it's rightfulncss as practice, and
also to encourage the membership of
that church in the practice of poly
gamy and polygamous cohabitation.
"It is proved without denial that
the Book of Doctrine and Covenants,
one of the leading authorities of the
Mormon Church and still circulated
by that church as book equal in
authority to the Bible and the Book
of Mormon, contains the revelation
regarding polygamy, of which the fol-
lowing is a part:
Section 1872.
81. And again, as pertaining to
the law of the priesthood: If any
man espouse a virgin and desires 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
he can not commit adultery, for
they are given unto him; for he can
not commit adultery with that that
belongeth to him and to no one else.
62. And if he have ten virgins
given unto him by this law he can
not commit adultry, for they belong
to him and they are given unto him;
therefore is he justified.
Cd. And again, verify, verify,
say unto you, if any man hath a wife
who holds the keys of this power and
he teaches unto her the law of my
priesthood, as pertaining to these
things, then shall she believe and adj
minister (plural wives) unto him or
she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord
your God, for I will destroy her; for
l will magnify my name upon all
those who receive and abide in my
law
"Other publications of the Mormon
Church are still circulated among the
members of that church with the
knowledge and by the authority Of
the church officials, which contain
arguments in favor of polygamy.
"The leaders in this church, the
first presidency and the twelve apos-
ties, connive at the practice of taking
plural wives, and have done so ever
since the manifesto was issued which
purported to put an end to the prac-
tice.
"Thc list Of those who are thus
guilty of violating the laws of the
State and the rules of public decency
is headed by Joseph F. Smith, the
first president, prophet, seer and
revelator' of the Mormon Church, who
testified in regard to that subject as
follows:
MIR. Smith. l have had born to me
eleven children since 1890, each of
my wives being the mother of from
one to two of those children.
The Chairman. Mr.. Smith, I will
not press it, but l will ask if you
have any objection to stating how
many children you have in all.
Mr. Smith. l have had born to me,