Show VOICES FROM THE I PEOPLE it presents the tile principles of phi pill ml ral marriage EDITOR of the most prominent features of the mormon 11 faith havo attracted national attention arc are subjects of national importance import lince and now nov a matter of controversy presidents in messages to con congro rc secretaries of state in fo foreign reign correa correspondence pon denoe senators and congressmen amen of every grade statesmen and politicians and last but by no means least the bi hireling relina Priest priests of every sect throughout the land all unite unito as one to inspire a worldwide world wide prejudice against the latter day saints some leading men eng engaged ag ged in this fierce opposition tell us mormonism must be extirpated total totally i uprooted P and destroyed in their ignorant gant nor fanaticism they sec see bothi nothing ig good in the cormons mormons Mor 11 ormom mons their ent entire re system of faith and practice must be overthrown it is represent represented eil as only consisting of monstrosities and barbarism opposed to all civilized and christian institution institutions resulting in rebellion and treason to the government and thus the flame of hate and indignation dig nation is fi fanned among the populace throughout the land others more moderate tell us they can call only sec see two very serious serious errors in the mormons Mor mons and the they y are arc dec declared to be polygamy an and implicit icat obedience C icline to the Mormon ormon priesthood priesthood riest hood or church authority as opposed to civil government we arc are told there is to bo no compromise naise all barriers arc are to be thrown down to tie entire annihilation of this fanatical religion this ious heresy legislation legislation lias has already commenced to Js justify i fy the most severe v ere tests known to history for the extinction of that faith and those practices which constitute the life of the ai mormon people for their belief only in polygamy they arc are to bo be deprived of many of their rights as citizens and for their acts they arc are to be dis franchised entirely they are to have no fio voice in the ballot no place in the government but so far as can caw be done by bv unscrupulous OUs legislation rigidly enforced they arc are to bo be made sub subjects r acts of and taxpayers taxpayer sto to their ene enemies a prey to their avarice and tyranny misrule and despotism now this ali is proposition seems very startling g made in a free government whery there arc are supposed to be constitutional rights civil and religious liberty in this fearful strife fearful in in its consequences many will ask who is in tho right for the right will triumph truth will prevail as sure as there thero is i a god of truth and justice to defend the right the nation objects to a system of f faith aith which approves of a plurality of wives the cormons mormons Mor Morn mons ions or latter day saints do not here is the poin point t of diffie difference rence but where is the right let truth reason and the revelations of god answer the latter laiter day sainta saints arc are human social beings and as such have social rights among them the rights of marriage marriage as ordained and revealed by GOT god fejt the eg government ern ment or state lias has no legitimate i at e power to deprive ive i any of its citizens of the full enjoyment nent of these rights the constitution by which the government is formed prohibits very properly the making of any law t that at shall prevent he free exercise of reli religious r ious liberty this mormon formon system of marriage is the great prominent feature of their religion it is derived entirely from the revelations of god and their faith in god as the divine source of the revealed law in fact these latter day saints arc are the only people in the nation who do recognize nize marri marriage a ge as entirely a religious institution and solemnize it strictly after the order of gods law we do not hesitate ate we arc are positive in this statement the proof 11 i apparent arent their enemies enemies say they eave have adopted it for sensual pur purposes poles the ceremony itself as performed by t them h em gives tho the lieto lie to such a statement their Tar marriage ringe u union is is formed and th their cir covenant made for time and for all eternity I an and is so expressed and accepted in their marriage ceremony nothing can be more sacred more aeji religious than bious a covenant made expressly in view consequences in view of eternal rewards as punishments as may follow the keeping keep t in gor or breaking of such covenants the experience of ages proves to us that nothing short of this eternal consideration is sufficient to preserve that relation pure sacred and inviolate among the children of men bivil governments have lent their aid to destroy aie virtue and force of th this is marriage relation they have changed the ordinance and broken this everlasting covenant by making marria marriage e merely a civil contract between the parties this is the door which has been thrown wide open onen for die the introduction of divorce divo violation of moral rights and all the consequent social evils Is of our time including pros prostitution t i and debauchery in all its forms governments have lent their aid did to throw down the safe safeguards c guards to this holy institution of gods order by removing thi this consideration of eternal consequences belonging to that relation when this law of marri marriage jage was first reve revealed aleI bogod by god to manlie manlic was an immortal eternal being 11 he could have received it under no 10 other considerations than that of its eternal consequences and durations there was no death there and consequently no covenant made to continue only till death should se separate parate them as is now the universal practice to divest this law of its force this union of the sexes of its sacred nesa has been ft a coll constant tant feature of mans degeneracy with ninny many iii marriage arriage is only a civil contract influenced more b by the consideration of dollars anz and cents than by any moral or holier purpose in view many live together in this relation with the reserved arved i light ight in their contract to dise dissolve the relation at the option of either As oilier other civil contracts it is made today to day lived to for a day week month or year and then abandoned in this there is no family consideration tho the relation is entirely changed from front what god ordained it it is used to gratify the lusts the carnal and sensual passions of men thus have they verily transgressed the laws changed the ordinances and broken the everlasting r covenant of gods order of marriage marr rh a e r alie lie latter day saints claim it is their right and mission to restore this holi oy order of marriage as it was in the beginning that the alicy y have the knowledge by direct revelation that is ne necessary cessare ces sary and the authority from cod to d do it who can object to the accomplishment of so good and holy a purpose but bu t S says ays the opp oscr we do not object to marriage and all the secret ways you may attach to it but we object to polygamy this plurality of wives cannot be tolerated in a christian land then wo we say if plurality of wives cannot bo be tolerated gods order of marriage cannot be tolerated and you ott arc are found fighting against god how so F from rom the fact that when and where gods order or the celestial order of marriage cx cults aas plurality follows as a consequence and upon as consistent and reasonable principle principles as that children sli command come and follow as its the natural result of marriage god has framed his laws to meet the wants and conditions of men according to bible history this part of polygamy was nearly always found existing among gods people especially ally with the prophets and patriarchs a plurality of wives wives but not a plurality of husbands to one wife death is a serious condition to man is now subject but it cannot change the nature of the relation and ind covenant of marri marriage I this is entered into by the man mail and woman they become husband and wife for time and eternity death may spon claim that dear one thus choson chosen as a life comp companion ti lion and man is left alone in the world perhaps with young arid add tender children who need a mothers care 11 in such a case more than ever the fact is still a fact that it is not good for man to be alone he marries marries again his bis needs demand it and gods law approves of it but lie becomes a polygamist to all eternity this covenant with both is of that duration thus plurality of wives is good enough for god angels and the el eternities terni ties but our di christian ristian friends here on earth cannot endure it but reverse this case suppose the man dies and leaves the wo woman man is is gods provision as ample for tier her as for the man fully so the law is suited to the case bho she may not marry for time and for eternity but L she lie ma may y accept her husbands brother and still make her li life fe a blessing by raising up seed to her husband lius band who is dead such was the mosaic law to israel that brother may and should have a wife of liis his own and this relation with his brothers wife f for or time only would make him a polygamist here in time if not in eternity what law of min shall prevent him from thus fulfilling the law of god from being a polygamist that must be left for our legislature to gay say they seemingly feel competent to out w almighty fight is not with the I mormons cormons Mor mons alone god has bas I commanded them to restore the ancient order tho the eternal order of marriage it has now as in all other dispensations est established ablis lied the fact that polygamy or plurality of wives is not only in in unison unison with but a necessity growing out of the order the legitimate relation of the sexes TO BE GEN GRANT since liis his trip around tile world lias has descended to the wordiness of a washerwoman washer woman and his right and left bowers president arthur and roscoe conkling have had to assume the part of silent sphinxes to keep up the reputation of the third term firm it is over a week ago ago that tho the forehead cu curled apollo of utica has been appointed to the U S supreme court and the country was left in doubt whether he be would accept or not until this afternoon all of this is is playing football with the executive and legislative of the nation an and d making light of the s sovereign ove reign people |