Show AN lant HONORABLE WAY OUT WANTED WE WY have heard some of the reasoning of those who are solicitous that the latter day saints should save them pelves ives from disaster by a renunciation of religious principle we are not in love with these special pleadings however a man who Is placed in jeopardy for the sake of conscience and principle who would decline to avail himself of any honorable opportunity of evading 11 imprisonment the alun plunging of his bis family into sorrow and distress the probable breaking up of his business and other conc cone concomitants omi tants of the situation would be more than senseless but if there be an honorable loophole iti itt snot yet discernable discernible discern able to the tile naked eye the judicial policy thus farin far tar in ge the crusade has been where the law appeared to have left lef t an honorable door to shut it securely and fasten it with a legai legal bar it if an honorable mode of exit were suggested and that kind of a way out were e not completely hedged up almost as soon goon as discovered there would be a revolution in the tactics of the tho raiders the Th person eperson placed in jeopardy thus far has hay been given his choice of t two wo alternatives the one is the abandonment of family and practical apostasy this insures immunity irom min punishment the other is adherence to principle the concomitants of this latter position are imprisonment in a foul den denunno for the conveniences of animal to say sav nothing of human life with other circumstances equally uninviting as before betone enumerated ano kno man of intelligence and an appreciative precia tive sense of right no matter what his religious faith may be or whether he is devoid of any religious us adlie adlle adherence rence could honestly state that the acceptation of the first alternative for tile the sake bake of immunity would be bean an honorable step men on the outside support the position as a matter of 8 course and advise their A mormon lormon friends accordingly but that it can be done on conscientious grounds Is impossible therefore when when a man is advised in that direction all the appeals are made to his big fears li ii he ne nave have extensive non nou mormon business and social connections he is told that if he be goes to jail as a convict his former friends will desert him they will shun him as one who is affected with a contagious disease con shier ing lug g him unfit for association with them ile he is told that his bis children in aitery altery alter years ears will look upon the circumstance of his having been a convict with shame considering themselves disgraced by his action even it this picture were not overdrawn the sophistry does not only fail to reach down to the rot root of the matter but scarcely skims the surface the question must be decided from the standpoint of the man who Is placed in the predicament Is he an honest moan roan atso if so be he entered into the family relationship for which he be is jeopardized d iced li honestly onesti 1 as a part of his religion the wives es with whom he entered into the marriage contract are equally liouns to him each by the hame same sacred obligations then he be cannot one aside any more than thau another he understands that god revealed the principle under which he lie entered upon the relationship cheref ine ice lc ie is bound to take the around chat that no human agency should cause him to t renounce what whit god has enjoined knowing that his disadvantageous position is the result of an infringement of his privilege of the free exercise of religious principle be he will perceive that to recede under pressure is not only a renunciation of the right to incie Incle independent pendent worship but a departure from the true genius of liberty he will comprehend that his hopes in relation to eternity are based upon his adherence to what god has commanded in this life and he will not sacrifice so important a prospect on account of any earthly consideration on the other handi handlin hand handl lif lf a man is insincere and unfaithful he will listen to tile the plausible theories of false friends and the principles which lie at the root of the whole matter will wui not have the overwhelming weight to which they are entitled A person who would act upon their special pleadings would probably wake up too late fate to the grand fact that his only true friends were god and the faithful part of the community with whose fortunes he formerly cast ais his ils lot but this would not be a very happy reflection when indulged in after the connection which should have been as eternal as the heavens had been abruptly and effectually severed if the principle which on the surface appears to be the leading point of attack should be receded from by the saints we are of opinion that the almighty would repudiate them and they would have no more claim upon him but suppose for the sake ot argument that this would not be his consequent action what advantage would there be even so far as relief from oppression is concerned if the retrogressive step were taken would it remove the difficulty no ane who understands the divine character of the work in which the saints are eue eug engaged waged can en bertain such an idea for a moment it would be contrary not only to what the tile almighty has said on the subject but out of harmony with every historical precedent it would simply change the line of attack adopted by the enemies of the community there never could be a better exemplification of one of christs beautiful and appropriate parables than the present crisis affords the storm clouds have arisen the winds and waves will in course of time beat against every house those which are built on the shifting ting sands of worldly gain popularity and fear of consequences will be wrecked those built I 1 upon the rock of immovable integrity ty and eternal truth will stand the ter tei t of the strongest blast and when the overcast sky is cleared the kunof sun of peace will shine upon zion wion athe the pure in heart beart 91 if th there ere Is an honorable shelter from the gathering storm other than thal thai which whig whit will be ultimately provided by the lord of hosts perhaps some clear headed individual will be kind enough to indicate it il |