| Show I 1 communicated I 1 MARRIAGE QUESTION the rhe plan of salvation is so broad and comprehensive that all human interests inte reste we are identified with and controlled by its if pervading erva ding spirit no revelation worthy of divinity could simply pro n vide I 1 for or the religious sentiment and ac flon and incontinently overlook neglect or ignore the varied attributes of man and the great essentials of his well being upon the tarth if you grant that religious concep akas and religious truth constitute the ba faaee of the superstructure lupei structure the afferent floors stories or depart mento of that building are equally important as progress in duty and responsibility increases it p bowd be a libel on divine wisdom to F or assert that revelation was in in one s section and valueless in fu the me other hence after the ament of the first principles of the 0 et el by the prophet joseph smith it id have been incompatible with claims and pretensions with his on and destiny had he failed in el 4 karing orang to throw light upon those an relationships those customs ordinances Wf and covenants upon which ultimately ultima tel depends and rests philosophers students in economics all agree that much ro or ill depends e upon the ideas in regard to the marriage eo covenant vant its responsibility its stability 1 ana its perpetuity few indeed are they belleve in promiscuous intercourse I 1 TO jn irregular pa dional gratification I 1 aee laws have been made to control ysaul aa regulate the is association of the Z wate 7 and penalties are prescribed for ra and violators of legal regula SW fu t TO religionist of course looks upon relation ke lation as of divine origin to marriage is ordained of god at dat back even to the beginning of time lations zat ions religious and civil have tided this idea for ages by working aher ther ever asserting and maintain sacred character har acter of so import p u we the U W xa W assent essential tal a relation one which vwe formed was as not to he be easily set by either church or state tto dern infidelity and the modern have made inroads balme raze for liberty these conse conservative conclusions of I 1 OW roe toast lat its religious or divine character haa gas been disputed the sanction of or minister mk nister has been looked upon 4 and entry upon that can be secured today by vat I 1 to styled a civil contract oab iff tob be created or dissolved at pleasure vw tate contractors as caprice or the I 1 him of the moment might determine att refe courts of our nation testify 16 t slight hold so serious compact y sw upon angl a large section of the bile not a few deem the demands i an infringement on personal lib and d go BO private arrangement is ia I 1 upon as the only prerequisite pre pro requisite a convenience which accepts of wf ree and carries out its by avoiding increase even at bense of health and life of body WOOL adous a condition could nevet never 6 tw eye W of deity or be excluded anaf revelation which aimed at ril verance nee of mankind from error ance and death consequently rea i and philosophy pUll could do no less a expect vert in a so balled new despen that correction instruction commandment tt an dment should be among fart communications on this sub fi fully y divorced from the original uffit intent and blessing of the itne t ase wor revelation in regard to the of war was a gigantic of religious thought as vw in the mother church Ch urah to succession on this forms a commentary upon the asserted sealing or binding and loosing of its priesthood when the erroneous conclusion was drawn from the statement of the savior that in the life to come they neither marry nor are given in mau maj I 1 aage it was aas easily Y manifest to the prophet that hat as sex is eternal procreation pro creation must follow under better and highee conditions the same as in the lower though divested no doubt of all the evils which belong to the corruptive corrupt lve conditions and excesses culminating among men through disobedience from age to age this continuance of the marriage and family relation also involved by the actions of the sealing power of the priesthood reaching behind the vall vail the positive existence of plural marriage that is where two or more have been consecutively allied to one man and where living issue or otherwise has followed this relation sanctioned by th this is authority and it needs but little reflection to conclude that a relation so ap probated and abol necessarily existent on the other side cannot under proper regulation be so highly criminal and sinful in this probation if this sealing power is denied if marriage Is not a sacrament if it is not a divine institution to be regulated by divine authority if it is always and everywhere limited by death then the logic falls fails men are justified in legislation against a hitherto conceded religious tenet and human wisdom may be superseded by suppressing an order as aged as the eternities and coeternal co eternal with the god it is well known that a tremendous pressure was brought years ago to bear upon hundreds of the members of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints for accepting these ideas of marriage that it to say its sacred character its existence by virtue of divine appointment its regulation by revelation and its continuance in the eternities because sex is eternal and because of the authorized sealing of the holy priesthood it is a necessity in unnumbered cases that it its plural character must be eternal also and that that order cannot possibly or should not be considered a flagrant crime on earth which Is sanctioned sanc and ap probated by being eternal in the heavens among those who then and now bitterly sanctioned the persecutions lm prison ments and fines inflicted upon at least a well meaning if erring people was that faction of religious renegades rene gades called the josephites Josephl tes or the reorganized church their leader his right hand man and followers denounced ridiculed and nearly hated those who claimed that the prophet had by divine revelation given the key to the marriage relation in this broad and amplified sense they applauded legis tion for its suppression they proclaimed to the nation and to the world that joseph never received this revelation that it was a fabrication they went further when the proof was brought home to them by assuming that their progenitor was a fallen prophet if be did so teach and act i now there is no quarrel here with lamont no desire to restrict personal right or privilege under the law none with this nation none with public sentiment there to is no advocacy of a return to the ancient practice any more than there are regrets for past experiences the overruling providence of god will surely reward the sufferers he will honor those who gave their lives to vindicate an eternal principle if the suppression was violent if it called for sacrifice the responsibility is not on the believers or upholders of that system it must rest wherever divine justice will place ft it if there were unworthy men or women in that order there are thousands of the unworthy in monogamous marriage in this proud nation and it will pay her statesmen to buttress by and in connection with legislation that not yet quite extinguished faith in sacred marriage as pr dalbed of god for the perpetuation of the human race if this is done the sad tragedy of sodom and gomorrah will not need to be duplicated in this the most favored nation found beneath the sun |
