| OCR Text |
Show STANDARD. ANTI-POLYGAM- Y 34 A Heart History. BY ELEANOR LOVELL. Chapter YII. Maggie was utterly miserable. - But in joy or sorrow the days pass some how. It was with feelings of joy she welcomed her friend Mrs. Parker, one afternoon about a week following the visit of those fiends lieve it, although against their better judgement and all their womanly instincts revolt against the system. Then there are so many ignorant ones whom it is easy to make believe. So the evil grows and thrives taking deeper rootdaily, its fibers spreading wider and wider until it has taken so firm a hold, that only the strongest remedies can root it out. Surely said Maggie if these' principles and doctrines were preached by missionaries among their converts before coming to Utah there which she mentally called the high Priests, who had honored her with their presence. To this dear friend she felt she could pour out her troubles and find relief in the sympathy would not be many dupes. of her loving heart. As Maggie They know that themselves and kissed the dear kind face she burst are therefore on their guard. Many into tears. The old lady took her good men and women come to these in her arms, soothing her with lov- valleys to enjoy their religion thinking words as she would a little child, ing it a peaceful, favored spotwhere but did not strive to check the flow evil and crime are unknown. reof tears, too well she knew the relief joined Mrs. Parker. Well why do they not return they bring to an aching heart, for The eyes that cannot weep are the when they learn the true state of saddest eyes of all. Presently, affairs. asked Maggie. For many reasons. You know when the storm of grief had spent itself she said I knew you were in the fatigue of the journey overland, trouble dear friend, but could not as well as the expense. Another realeave home sooner to offer you my son is, it often happens that men of wealth, at the instigation of the Elsympathy. Maggie told her all that had hap- ders who have converted them, turn pened on that never to be forgotten their ready cash over to the night, adding Can you blame me Church for safe keeping, expectMrs. Parker. had I not cause to ing of course to receive it all again on their arrival in Utah, but the speak as I did? The old lady shook her head say- lope has proved a false one. Iu deing, You were rash my child, al- manding their money, they have though I cannot blame you, yet it )een told, The Chvrch is not in a may bring more trouble on your condition to pay it, all at once. head. It is as Brother Ellis said, They may take their choice of certhe Mormon Church considers tain peices of property, at the . So many dol-ar- s mfin the master, woman should have Churchs own price in an order on the Church store, no will of her own, she is an inferior being. Sometimes I think it were and so forth, until the poor man better for us if such were the case, turns away in despair, coming to the conclusion in his own mind that we would then suffer less. I cannot think remarked Mag- he has been . Swindled. Maggie I see, but if I were a gie how women of intelligence can interposed. submit to such indignities as they man, and free to come and go as I are subjected to in the Mormon please, I would leave the country Church. some how, before they swindled me Iler listener smiled sadly as she out of body and Soul, and denounce replied To some it comes so gradu- thee creatures, to the world as' a ally, the links of the chain are fet- set of theives and tyrants. tered so silently they are scarcely No doubt my dear, but you aware of their condition until they might be forestalled in your intenfind the chain so securely fastened tion. You might not reach your that it cannot be broken. destination. do Cannot, you say Maggie Why not pray Maggie began, asked in surprise. Areyou women then she remembered something then slaves in this religion? she heard hinted before. A lpok of Again the smile that was sadder horror stole into her eyes, blanchthan tears shone on the wrinkled ing her cheek as well, and she addface of this good woman. She did ed in a whisper surely you do not not answer the question directlv, mean they would be foully dealt but went on to say It is not an ea- with. sy matter for woman to break the I cannot say, my dear, but I do ties of married life, she has her lit- know, that some who have made the tle children to think of, if she left attempt, have never been heard of. her husband who would provide for Then Heaven help me. How them? The world is not kind to a can escape from their toils. Magwoman who struggles alone for exgie exclaimed fervently. she if but beara istence, mans name, Do not attempt it, submit with no matter how heavy the yoke she what grace you can, believe me it is carries with it, she is seem- best. ingly not unprotected or friendless. But I would be living a lie. It And here in Utah it is next to im- would be only an outward acquiepossible to sever those ties. scence, against which my heart But why do women enter Poly- would constantly rebel. would if be firm, gamy, surely they Nevertheless I say you will be iu refusing, it would soon die out, wiser to obey counsel in this case. replied Maggie. After all it is the first step that is In every religion there are fan- the hardest, in grief as in sin the and more I think among the heart becomes callous, and ceases atics, Latter day Saints than any other. to feel the pain of each new dart, They are taught that polygamy is that peirces it. their only way of salvation and I Would you advise me in all know there are many who firmly be good faith, to profess a belief in the - V'sit teachings of a church, for which I feel nothing but perfect contempt? Maggie asked earnestly. For a moment there was silence between them. Maggie watching herfriends face, saw it work with emotion. When she spoke her voice trembled and her eyes glistened with unshed tears God forgive me if I advise you wrongfully, but I think you would be happier were you to join the Church. Why asked Maggie? It is not likely that your husband will leave the Church, and a man likes his wife to yield to his wishes, not set herself in opposition to them. No Maggie sighed in answer I understand vour reluc-tancbut I realize all you feel, and if you were not in Utah, I would not give you this advice, but since you are here I say join the Church, take no notice of what does not concern you, and ask no questions. Then you will not be persecuted. For a little while Maggie sat wrapped in thought, then turning to her companion said slowly, I will think of it seriously, but my better e. nature revolts at the sacrifice. It they show that although his heart was hard and rebellious attimes, yet when he repented and turned unto the Lord, his transgressions were remembered no more, save in the case of Uriah, and in that condition he was spoken of as free from iniq. uity. But we would be foolish, to class all the acts of his life as righteous, and sins among the highest virtues. Yet polygamists are guilty of this folly in order to gild over their own corruption. In all Davids polygamy I find not the least pretention to the divine sanction, which sanction certainly would have been written if polygamy was so important in the economy of God as some people claim it is. The Lord would never have permitted so important a law as they claim it is, to have rested for evidence of its divinity upon the merely supposed fact that God never reproved them for it. That God blessed or even communicated through eternal and indispensable laws must rest upon something stronger than this. God commanded with Adam, but he fell, although prior to his fall he was' not troubled with the evils that now afflict our in-dee- d, ! i is disgracing my woman-hood- , and I niture. From this we may well defear I am sinning in Gods sight. spair of finding perfection in poor Yet he will know that I am trying to humanity. Noah communed with act for the best. God, yet he was weak enough to to be contiuved.) The History of. Polygamy as foil ml ia the Bible ai.d Book of Mormon, with Comments, BY ELDER CHARLES DERBY. (Continued.) Polygamists also harp upon the statement found in the Old TranslaDavid did Kings, io:5. that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, and turned not aside from anything he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. This is not strictly true. David sinned in numbering Israel; 1st Chron. 21:7,8. And in the 24th Psalm, 7th verse, he says, Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; and in the lltli verse, 0 Lord pardon mine iniqIn verse 18, uity, for it is great. In Psalm Forgive all my sins. 40:12, he says, Innumerable evils have compassed me about. Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me. They are more than the hairs of mine head. In Psalm 51, .Blot duo my transgressions. Indeed, Psalm this he bewails throughout his iniquities. I will give the rendering of the Inspired Translation as found in 1st Kings, 15:5. Because David did right in the eyes of the Lord, and turned not aside from all that he commanded him to sin against the Lord, but 'repented of the evil all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite, wherein the Lord cursed him. In the 11th chapter, 38th verse, of 1st. Kings, God says of Jeroboam, His heart is become as David his father; and he repented not as did David his father that I may forgive him. Again to the same Jeroboam, Thou hast not been as my servant David when he followed me with all his heart only to do right in mine eyes. All these passages agree with Davids confession, and 1 tion, , fall into the sin of drunkeness. Lot was visited by angels, and miraculously saved from the destruction of Sodom, yet he added incest to drunkenness; and we read of no reproach. Does it therefor follow that drunkenness and incest are of God? A polygamist in Ogden told me that Lots incest was of God. Did he echo the sentiment of his teachers? He was one of the professedly anointed ones. To what groveling depths the human mind can sink when once started on the downward road of sin! But right here we refer the reader to the testimony of the Almighty as found in the truth which sprang out of when righteousness the earth in these last days looked down from Heaven. From that you will get a proper estimate of Davids polygamy. (See Book of Mormon. Book of Jacob, 1:5, also 2:0,9.) There is condemnation of polygamy as strong as Iloly Writ can make it. And from this we learn unmistake-blthat God did not, and could not sanction the abomination and be true to his own eternal nature. . y, (to be continued.) He who wishes to exert a useful influence must be careful to insult nothing. Let him not be troubled by what seems absurd, but let him consecrate his energies to the creation of what is good. He must not demolish, but build. He must raise temples where mankind may come and partake of the purest pleasure. Gozthe. I t ii n 1 ii t: o a rr to II W c 0 c a si c h V p C: Si t ii n s d 1 n a n P v h I a I v b n t ii t t t I fJ r v a ii f t i u t a v P ii li n a t t t P ( r f4 u Send 50 cents to Mrs. Alice H. e Birch, Lindsborg, Kansas, for the Chatauqua game of English History. It is interesting and instructive to both young and old. t Ladies, do not forget to look over our advertising columns each month. You will find no better places where to purchase your necessities. f i g i; f s c f |
