Show PROOF FROM THE OTHER SIDE some years ago representatives of what Is 18 known as an the church asserted and la in some of their publications continue to assert that the prophet joseph smith was not responsible for the doctrine of plurality of wives but bui that it was instituted by nt DI brigham young after the martyrdom of the prophet and patriarch this thip allegation of the reorganization representatives was readily disproved by living witnesses some of them the plural wives of the prophet himself of late the assertion has been repeated again and again especially in the missionary field ld notwithstanding it the incontrovertible evidence showing bowing the claim of we tee reorganizations representatives to be incorrect of late a discussion has been in ress between the Ita turn organ of the followers of david whitmer arid and the saints herald of the reorganized nurek in which the return corn com plemely asmo demolishes lishes its opponent we have bove no DO part in the dispute die nor have we beany any to engage therein toot but toi for the sake of preserving matters of 01 history sina ana giving information to those hose who may need needle it lt we republish some come ol of the return a proofs establishing that the prophet joseph smith not oui only y taught baught and practiced plural marriage marri axe but bat that the reorganized Reorganize cl church re were fully aware of the toot tact afterwards sought to be denied the evide nob of the truth among the latter day saints to Is of common knowledge and leaves no possibility of doub the discussion referred to brings out oui proof roof from the other side in ane same A fine ne the return made a statement that it could not fact see bow the reorganization could expect to prosper in its utah mission so long as li il made the basis of its attack the that the prophet joseph smith was not responsible for the revelation on plural marriage which basis be people ot of utah knew to be untrue and know knew that the joseph ties know knew it also to this thin the saints 1 herald responded that abe the first leadore leaders of the josephites assumed no position in regard to joseph smithy smith responsibility tor for the he peculiar peo ullar doc trine of the utah church plural Mi marriage arriage that has ban been denied or changed ged not a man among them knew that bat be was responsible and said ald that acme individuals believed that joseph smith was in some wo way y connected with it and way may have ho fco admitted to in speech or that the leaders either first or capt so hold fald is not true upon this the return cites several instances of denial denia on the part of the reorganized preachers and publications of the prophets responsibility for the doctrine and then turns to toe first leaders 0 the reorganization jason briggs wm marks and ami isaac She sheen effi for evidence contradicting atu herald on its second point it quotes from the first issue of the herald in 1860 on page 24 where isaac ebeid says regarding plural marriage reprinting printing fe te what he bad formerly pub dished caned in the be saturday evening posto post ol 01 oct ab 1852 joseph smith repented of his connection with this doctrine spiritual lifery and said it was of the devil he caused the revelation on the subject to be burned and when he voluntarily came to nauvoo and resigned himelr into the arms armi of his enemies he said that he was going to carthage to die at that time he also said that if it had not been for that accursed spiritual wife doctrine doci he would not have come to that william marks Is then quoted f frona on page 22 of the same herald issue he af eumes to tell of a bad with the prophet in 1844 on tho the subject of polygamy and isalt joseph however became convinced before hits his death that he had bad done wrong for about three weeks before his death I 1 met him one morning in the street and he said to me bro marks I 1 have something to communicate to you 99 we retired to a by place and sat down together when he belaik said weare a ruined people I 1 asked how so he said emid this doctrine of polygamy or spiritual wife system that thai has ha been taught and practiced among us wilt will prove our destruction truc tion and overthrow I 1 have been deceived in reference to its practice it is wrong it is a curse to mankind and we ishall have to leave the united S ates soon unless it can be put down and its practice stop stopped in the church sheen and marks like others here tre are seer seen to place iv IP the mouth of the prophet joseph words anti ana sentiment be never uttered and in displaying their enmity to a doctrine he be primul gated Rated they furnish proof from the their irown own lips of a knowledge of the practice of plural marriage I 1 lu u the ch church arob previous to the martyrdom in 1844 ing on its quotation or of we have given only a portion to illustrate their character the return retura says baye we think when mr marks published this he look a position and we think he knew what he was writing about too and think that I 1 I 1 we young joseph and the rest of the later leaders of the joseph ite church knew of these evidences when they denied the position taken by their P predecessors A sharp lawyerlike lawyer like dodge has been taken on this testimony I 1 it t has been argued that as joseph said 1 I have been deceived A it is wrong I 1 will go into the stand and preach against it it goes to prove rove that he was not responsible for its us introduction but how about sheens statement that joeph jo eph had bad the revelation on the subject burned what about the sworn testimony to the effect that hyrum smith brought the revelation to the council from joeeph as was his custom what about the testimony of E robinson Roo inson that hyrum stood out against the doctrine lor for a long time but finally came to said robinsons house and taught the doe doc rine to him and his bis wife aaning joseph was right and hyrum was wag wrong that there was such a doctrine practice and revelation in the church as early as 1813 is beyond the possibility of question did any of the men who testified of it ii ever dream of that revelation coming from any other than joseph smith and in th the early sixties six iea E robinson then a member mem her of the Josep hiie bite church and pained to observe the fale position taken by young joseph took look occasion to tell him your father never per taught me the doctrine doctrina doc doe trina but bu your uncle hyrum did yet the herald berald boldly says not a man among them knew that he joseph was vas responsible f j that the leaders either first or last so held is not true measured by such crafty technical dodging of common standards as we see here does anybody know anything As to jason briggs we publish elsewhere in this number copies of two au an letters from him to elder john joh TC larkin which may be found his hia opan op ion and position on this subject we have treated this matter on the chosen ground ot of the josephites vil via ignoring all testimony that is iu interested teresta by reason of complicity in the do dogma grAsi we wish it distinct distinctly iv understood that we are makin making no war upon joseph smith from the jason briggs brigga letters lettera r referred tr to we quote the following fro from the be letter ot of dec 8 1887 to J p clark clarh you are quite correct in your inference upon what whai hinges the reorganized church the called revelation calling out joseph smith as an aft heir to the presidency through lineal priesthood etc was wals given me and bears the date dale ot of nov 18 1851 at which t tifft man the bro deam beam mentioned was an active Str so you yon see brand is wrong 9 a he generally is either through ignorance or something corkle and in a letter or of fob feb 13 mr briggs brigge writes I 1 was at nauvoo in 1843 the year it w found necessary to 10 legalize polygamy by a revelation no I 1 have no doubt asto the authorship of that so called revelation of july 12 1843 it has all the earmarks necea necesis aary ary tj ch identify it as the product of thet mouthpiece of those days williana william tho the only surviving brother got up a similar one at palestine near amboy irk in 1851 1851 when the twelve assumed wed the leadership in 1844 we gave a nominal adherence to them until the spiking of 1846 when we as a branch rejected thelfa and accepted james J strang as the true successor on the authority of the letter lettel of appointment from joseph smith but polygamy and other kindred teachings I 1 and practices cropping out we dropped f strang and in 1850 51 accepted acce P aed william smith as the successor so so but th in less than one year he exhibited the cloven foot and boomed polygamy afrew afresh in the name of god and his brother joseph he clai claimed lineal rights and taught lineal priesthood and had bee been n endorsed endorse k through the gilts gifts abundantly lut W I 1 I 1 was in this condition of things that the manifestations of november received it contained nothing not th theal 9 61 believed upon the strength of this thin ah ahe branch rejected joseph smith and fumed the watery attitude for the h hehl little joseph in june following 1 I we called a conference to meet at th place beloit at the conference H april 1853 we began to fill all up the q boo rums arums the reorganization dates from f that time 1863 in 1856 as reque requested sAted by the gifts a communication wrt written on behalf of the church addressed U toa joseph smith and delivered by mess gers E 0 briggs and brother gurl gurley ey 9 A copy of this document is printed in taj saints biography of joseph smith I 1 gift history I 1 have the 0 ori nal A it will be seen from these that leaders of the reorganization ak ki ful fu 1 well 0 of the doutri ae of plural n laga as an taught by the prophet i although some of them att erwi tried to make people believe be renel reke introducing it the evidence t he be made no such renunciation to Is a ly given in the attempts of others who laid claim to be his successors to continue its practice in their organizations the quotations we have republished indicate the bitterness in the hearts of trie founders of 0 the reorganized church toward the prophet joseph they also establish that hose same founier foun jer and leader ls kow know of the revelation on plural blural mar briage notwithstanding withstanding pot subsequent denials by others othera oo on their behalf As before stated we refer to this matter merely to make a record at this time of an established historical fact fac and to note some of the testimony from the other side to the existence of plurality of wives in the church during the presidency anti by the instruction of the prophet joseph smith as directed in a revelation from the lord which appears as section of the doctrine and covenants |