,blood ,atonement and the ,origin of ,plural ,marriage ,a ,,discussion ,correspondence between ,,elder ,,joseph ,f4 ,,smith1 ,,jr4 of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints ,,and ,,mr4 ,,richard ,g4 ,,evans1 ,second ,counselor in the ,presidency of the ,reorganized ,church 99 99 99 99 99 ,to correct misrepresentation1 we adopt self representation4 --,john ,taylor4 ,correspondence between ,,elder ,,joseph ,f4 ,,smith1 7,,jr417 of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints1 and ,,mr4 ,,richard ,c4 ,,evans1 second counselor 7#aije7 in the ,presidency of the ,reorganized ,church4 ,a conclusive refutation of the false charges persistently made by ministers of the ,reorganized ,church against the ,latter-day ,saints and their belief4 ,also a supplement containing a number of affidavits and other matters bearing on the subjects4 ,,salt ,,lake ,,city1 ,,utah ,,printed ,,in ,u4,s4,a4 ,,introduction ,the correspondence in this pamphlet was brought about through the wilful misrepresentation of the doctrines of the ,latter-day ,saints and the unwarranted abuse of the authorities of the ,church by ,mr4 ,richard ,c4 ,evans1 in an interview which appeared in the ,toronto 7,canada7 ,daily ,star of ,january #bh1 #aije4 ,a copy of the interview was placed in the hands of the writer1 who1 on ,february #aith following1 replied to ,mr4 ,evans in an open letter which was published in the ,toronto ,star on or about the #beth of the month4#a ,this open letter was answered by ,mr4 ,evans in a personal letter1 and on the #bcrd of ,may1 a rejoinder to his reply was sent to ,mr4 ,evans at his home in ,london1 ,ontario1 ,canada4 ,in all1 four communications--including the interview--have passed between us1 and all of these four communications are here reproduced in full4 ,a copy of the open letter which appeared in the ,star1 was also sent to ,mr4 ,evans who acknowledged its receipt4 ,nothing more was done in regard to this correspondence until ,august #agth and #bdth1 when an article containing a portion of it appeared in the ,zion's ,ensign1 published by the ,reorganized church at ,independence1 ,jackson ,county1 ,missouri1 under the title3 ,statements ,authenticated1 in which it was made to appear that the full and complete communications were reproduced4 ,but this1 however1 was not the case4 ,in a letter from ,mr4 ,evans to the editor of the ,ensign which accompanied the above mentioned article1 he said3 ,believing that good will be accomplished by the publication of the entire matter1 ,i herewith mail you the referred to matter4 ,from this it would naturally be supposed that the complete correspondence would be given4 ,however ,i was not surprised to see that ,mr4 ,evans' side of the controversy was in full1 while a large portion of my first communication had been purposely suppressed2 and that my second letter did not appear at all6 ,and thus was the entire matter given to the readers of the ,ensign that good might be accomplished4 787 ,the parts that were purposely left out of my communication by ,mr4 ,evans1 were most vital to the subject and have been indicated as they appear in the body of this work by being placed in italics1 excepting a few minor matters which he omitted that ,i have not mentioned1 nevertheless matters that throw light upon the subject4 ,one of these quotations was in relation to two articles in the first volume of the ,saints' ,herald which were important1 coming1 as they did from the enemy's camp4 ,here is the omitted part3 ,if you believe your statement to be true1 will you kindly explain the following passage in the ,saints' ,herald1 your official organ1 volume ,i1 page #i1--;it would be well for you to read the entire chapter1 which is entitled ,polygamy4 ,the quotation is as follows3 ,the death of the ,prophet is one fact that has been realized1 although he abhorred and repented of this iniquity 7meaning polygamy7 before his death4 ,this branch of the subject we shall leave to some of our brethren1 who are qualified to explain it satisfactorily4 ,in the same volume1 page #bg1 what is meant by the following3 ,he1 7,joseph ,smith7 caused the revelation on the subject 7polygamy7 to be burned1 and when he voluntarily came to ,nauvoo and resigned himself into the arms of his enemies he said that he was going to ,carthage to die4 ,at that time he also said that if it had not been for that accursed spiritual wife doctrine he would not have come to that4 ,kindly read the context4 ,there is more evidence that can be produced1 but if you will explain this it may suffice4 ,the first half of the succeeding paragraph was quoted but the second half was omitted4 ,i quote in full with the part suppressed in italics3 ,in the light of the knowledge ,i have received and the evidence at my command1 ,i know that the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith made no such statement as the above1 and that he did not have the revelation burned4 ,there is1 however1 value in the above statements from your ,herald1 for they bear witness to the origin and introduction of the principle of plural marriage and revelation concerning the same4 ,it is easy to perceive that ,mr4 ,evans felt that good will be accomplished by the publication of the 'entire matter'2 and for that reason he omitted this evidence which the leaders of the ,reorganization have been trying so successfully to destroy for lo these many years4 ,the two articles in the ,saints' ,herald have caused the leaders of that sect no end of trouble1 and today they are in the same fix in regard to plural marriage that the first editor of that paper was when he wrote1 for they cannot explain the ,prophet's connection with the principle satisfactorily1 and never will be able to until they acknowledge the truth4 ,another of ,mr4 ,evans' ommissions that good might be accomplished 787 is the following paragraph in reference to ,president ,brigham ,young3 ,it is true that ,president ,young was elected president at ,kanesville2 but on what grounds do you charge him with holding the office in trust for the dead president's son8 ,do you not know that such a statement --contrary to the written word--was antagonistic to the teachings of ,president ,young1 as recorded in the ,times and ,seasons1 as well as since that time8 ,will you please explain on what grounds you charge ,president ,young with being under suspicion at the time of ,joseph ,smith's death8 ,am ,i to infer by this that you mean to convey the idea that ,brigham ,young was in any way responsible for the death of ,joseph ,smith8 ,the ,prophet never had a truer friend4 ,you know that at the time of the martyrdom ,brigham ,young was on a mission away from home4 ,if this is the inference you wish to convey1 it is not only contemptible but viciously false4 ,it appears from the actions of many of those who fight the ,latter-day ,saints1 that they fully realize their inability to successfully oppose the doctrines of the ,church with truth as a weapon of attack1 and1 therefore1 resort to falsehood1 vilification and abuse1 attempting to blind those who are not acquainted with the facts4 ,the doctrine of the ,church has survived all such onslaughts and continues to spread throughout the earth1 as a witness against those who have adopted such base methods for its overthrow4 ,it will continue to spread1 bless mankind and prepare all who accept it1 and follow its teachings in righteousness1 for an inheritance in the kingdom of ,god4 ,the ,reorganite ministers are generally in the front rank among those who oppose the ,church and resort to tactics of a doubtful character4 ,they travel from place to place1 never losing an opportunity in private1 on the rostrum or through the press1 to explain the radical difference between their organization and that of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints1 and in denouncing the ,utah ,mormon and his iniquities4 ,on such occasions they will quote garbled and isolated extracts from sermons and from writings by ,elders of the ,church1 taking particular pains to cover up the context in order to prejudice the uninformed mind4 ,in this way many a harmless1 inoffensive passage has been made to do great execution in some quarters and among a certain class4 ,nor is this all4 ,nearly every crime that was committed within a thousand miles of ,utah in early days and many that were invented out of whole cloth1 are brought to bear against the dreadful ,mormons1 the ,church and the ,gospel1 that they may be stigmatized and made to appear vile and hateful before the world4 ,so much of their time is spent in this way that they can surely have but little left in which to tell the world what they themselves believe4 ,no reason except that of misrepresentation and jealousy can be assigned for actions of this kind4 ,these men oppose the truth in a spirit of jealousy and to cover up their own false position1 and by such an attitude prove that they are ashamed of their own faith1 being conscious of its weakness4 ,the supplement following the correspondence is composed of a number of affidavits and other testimony bearing on the subjects under discussion1 which1 it is hoped1 will be of interest and perhaps of value to the reader4 ,,joseph ,f4 ,,smith1 ,,jr4 ,salt ,lake ,city1 ,utah1 ,september #e1 #aije4 ,footnotes #a4 ,as ,i did not receive a copy of the ,toronto ,star ,i cannot positively say that my article appeared in full1 but if it did not ,mr4 ,evans is still without excuse for not considering the entire matter for he received personally a duplicate copy of the article sent the ,star which contained those portions he has failed to include in his entire matter in the ,zion's ,ensign4 ,,mr4 ,r4 ,c4 ,,evans' ,,interview ,,in ,,the ,,toronto1 ,,canada1 ,,daily ,,star1 ,,jan4 #bh1 #aije ,,latter-,,day ,,saint ,,visiting ,,toronto--,,mr4 ,r4 ,c4 ,,evans1 ,,who ,,is ,,promoting ,,the ,,growth ,,of ,,his ,,church ,,in ,,canada1 ,,not ,a ,,believer ,,in ,,polygamy--,,denounces ,,the ,,utah ,,mormons4 ,the name ,mormon does not please ,toronto's six hundred baptized ,latter-day ,saints1 not to mention the fifty thousand others scattered over the globe4 ,this fact was emphasized today1 when ,r4 ,c4 ,evans1 one of the three members of the ,presidency1 explained the radical difference between the two denominations4 ,mr4 ,evans1 who reached ,toronto a few days ago to spend a month here1 denounces the ,utah ,mormon and his iniquities4 ,we do not believe in polygamy1 blood atonement1 and kindred evils1 he said to the ,star last night at #adb ,peter street1 where he is visiting1 ,they are an abomination to the ,lord4 ,the term ,mormon is offensive to us1 because it is associated in the public mind with the practices that ,i have specified4 ,the other night1 while ,i was holding a service here1 four ,utah ,elders came to me4 ,i referred to polygamy1 and they defended it4 ',we endorse it1' they told me1 'but we don't practice it4' ,three women were with them1 and ,i said to one1 ',do you believe in polygamy8' ',i do1' she replied1 'and ,i know that ,god will punish the ,united ,states for prohibiting it4' ,i understand that there are five ,utah elders in ,toronto at the present time1 and in addresses here ,i will expose polygamy and blood atonement4 ,,born ,,near ,,montreal ,mr4 ,evans is forty-three years old1 but doesn't look his age4 ,he is rather below medium height1 strongly built1 wears his black hair short1 and his round1 slightly olive face is clean shaven4 ,he is animated in manner1 and though his ,english is occasionally at fault1 he speaks fluently and well4 ,he was born at ,st4 ,andrew's near ,montreal1 but his ancestry is not confined to any one country1 ,irish1 ,welsh and ,german blood flows in his veins and his somewhat nasal voice is typically ,american4 ,i was baptized in #ahgf1 he said1 ordained a priest in #ahhb1 became an elder in #ahhd1 entered the quorum of seventy in #ahhf1 was chosen one of the twelve apostles in #ahig2 and in #aijb1 was selected one of ,president ,joseph ,smith's two counselors1 the other being his eldest son1 ,frederick ,m4 ,smith4 ,i was the pastor of the ,london1 ,ontario1 church from #ahhb to #ahhf1 and have given particular attention to ,canada4 ,we occupy a rented church on the corner of ,sumac and ,st4 ,david streets1 a new church on ,camden street1 and another at ,humber ,bay1 practically three congregations in ,toronto4 ,the ,latter-day ,saints and the ,utah ,mormons1 according to ,mr4 ,evans1 are frequently confused1 greatly to his regret4 ,,troubles ,,of ,,the ,,sect ,my ,president ,joseph ,smith1 he explained1 is the oldest son of ,joseph ,smith1 who1 when a boy of fifteen1 was directed to the mound wherein he found the golden plates from which he compiled the ,book of ,mormon4 ,he organized his church in #ahcj1 when #be years old1 and between #ahcj and #ahdd his following numbered #bjj1jjj4 ,in #ahdd he was shot and killed for his anti-slavery sympathies1#a and with him died his brother ,hyrum4 ,john ,taylor1 a ,toronto convert of #ahch1 was wounded1 but recovered4 ,joseph ,smith's city of ,nauvoo1 ,illinois1 was wrecked1 and in #ahdg1 at ,kanesville1 ,iowa1 ,brigham ,young was elected president1 though he still professed to hold the office in trust for the dead president's eldest son1 also1 ,joseph1 whom the father had consecrated as his successor4#b ,brigham ,young reorganized#c the church1 rebaptized every member1 including himself1 and in #ahdh 7#ahdg7 he reached ,salt ,lake ,city4 ,with him went the widow and children of ,hyrum ,smith1 whose son ,joseph ,f41 is now president of the ,utah church4 ,the widow of the first president had refused to follow ,young1 and her boy ,joseph was brought up in his father's footsteps1 hating polygamy and other impurities4 ',young ,joseph1' as he was called1 connected himself with the ,saints1 who had rejected ,brigham ,young1 and was elected their president4 ,he was then #bh years old4 ,in #ahgb he was called to ,washington1 a report having reached the ,government that ,mormonism had again sprung up in ,illinois4 ,he disproved the charge of polygamy and blood atonement1 and demonstrated that ,latter-day ,saintism was in keeping with the law and supported by the ,bible4 ,incorporation was granted1 and we have prospered4 ,,upheld ,,death ,brigham ,young1 who had been under suspicion at ,joseph ,smith's death1 introduced polygamy and blood atonement at ,salt ,lake ,city4 ,blood atonement meant death to anyone who left his church4 ,brigham ,young's argument was that the apostate whose throat was cut from ear to ear1 the favorite way1 saved his soul1 but his object was to keep his people under his iron heel4 ,young was a shrewd1 bad man4 ,i spent a day and a half with ,joseph ,f4 ,smith at ,salt ,lake ,city three years ago1 and he gave me a group photo of himself1 his surviving five wives1 and thirty-six children4 ,his first wife was dead4 ,she died broken-hearted and insane4 ,personally1 ,joseph ,f4 ,smith is a genial1 kindly man1 but he and ,i differed on ,polygamy4 ,i told him it was vile and wicked1 always had been1 and always would be4 ,in appearance he resembles his cousin1 my own president4 ,mr4 ,evans is married1 and has two children4 ,the three faces look at you from his watch case4 ,he has recently returned from the northwest4 ,his faith has several thriving churches there1 he says1 while the ,utah ,mormons are settled in one part of ,alberta4 ,footnotes #a4 ,mr4 ,evans' declaration that the ,prophet was killed for his anti- slavery sympathies is rather surprising1 when we consider that he was in one of the anti-slave states1 and the mob at ,carthage was largely composed of men with very strong anti-slavery sympathies4 ,the fact is he and his brother ,hyrum were martyred for their religion of which ,celestial ,marriage1 7including ,plural ,marriage7 formed a part4 ,one of the charges made against them was that of teaching polygamy4 #b4 ,in proof that the ,prophet did not ordain or consecrate his son as his successor1 the reader is referred to the affidavits of ,john ,w4 ,rigdon and ,bathsheba ,w4 ,smith4 #c4 ,as the ,church was never disorganized1 it could not be reorganized4 ,mr4 ,evans has made a mistake4 ,it was the ,quorum of the ,first ,presidency that was disorganized at the ,prophet's death and which was reorganized when ,brigham ,young was elected ,president1 and not the ,church4 ,,reply ,,to ,r4 ,c4 ,,evans ,the following letter was published in the ,toronto ,daily ,star in answer to the false charges which appeared in ,mr4 ,evans' interview4 ,salt ,lake ,city1 ,feb4 #ai1 #aije4 ,mr4 ,r4 ,c4 ,evans1 ,counselor in ,presidency of ,reorganized ,church4 ,sir3--,i have before me a copy of the ,toronto ,daily ,star1 bearing date of ,january #bh1 last1 in which there is a column on the front page1 purporting to be an interview1 by a representative of that paper with you1 in which ,i desire to call your attention4 ,in doing so ,i desire to be fair and dispassionate1 and also candid1 and ,i would like it if you would receive and reply to this communication in the same spirit and manner to me personally4 ,you are reported as not being pleased1 nor ,toronto's six hundred baptized members1 with the name ,mormon4 ,this fact1 says the ,star1 was emphasized today when ,r4 ,c4 ,evans1 one of the three members of the ,presidency explained the radical difference between the two denominations4 ,mr4 ,evans 99 99 99 denounced the ,utah ,mormon and his iniquities4 ,then you are made to say3 ,the term ,mormon is offensive to us1 because it is associated in the public mind with the practices that ,i have specified4 ,that is1 the alleged practices of the ,utah ,mormons1 namely1 polygamy and blood atonement4 ,did you know that the term ,mormon has always been applied to the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints8 ,that the name attached to the ,church with the publication and promulgation of the ,book of ,mormon8 ,that it was first applied by the enemies of the ,church as an opprobrium2 but that during the lifetime of ,joseph ,smith the ,martyr1 and ever since it has been a term accepted by the ,church because of popular custom1 as an appellation8 ,if1 then1 the name is so distasteful to you and your fellows in ,canada and throughout the world1 although it be on the grounds you have named1 why do you not discard the ,book of ,mormon1 from whence the name is derived1 as well as the name4 ,is not the term ,book of ,mormon as closely associated in the public mind with polygamy and blood atonement1 as is the name of the ,book8 ,how are you going to disassociate the book itself from the name as commonly applied to the ,church1 since this name has been attached to the ,church from the beginning1 and before the alleged practices of the ,utah ,mormon gained such publicity8 ,really1 ,i think it would be quite proper for those holding the view which you are said to have expressed1 not only to renounce the name ,mormon as applied to the ,church but also the ,book itself4#a ,you do not believe in blood atonement4 ,is not this the more reason why you should discard the ,book of ,mormon8 ,are you not at issue with the teachings not only of that book1 but also with those of the ,bible on this matter8 ,if so1 why not discard the ,bible1 and while you are about it1 the ,book of ,doctrine and ,covenants also8 ,both of these1 as well as the ,book of ,mormon1 teach the doctrine of blood atonement1 and they are all associated in the public mind with the alleged practices of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints4 ,let us consider this subject of blood atonement4 ,book of ,mormon3 ,mosiah #c3aa4--;,his blood atoneth for the sins of those who have fallen by the transgression of ,adam4 ,verse #ae4--;,and understood not that the law of ,moses availeth nothing except it were through the atonement of his blood4 ,verse #af4--;,even so the blood of ,christ atoneth for their sins4 ,alma #ba3i4--,now ,aaron began to open the ,scriptures unto them concerning the coming of ,christ1 and also concerning the resurrection of the dead1 and that there could be no redemption for mankind1 save it was through the death and suffering of ,christ1 and the atonement of his blood4 ,i ,nephi #ab3aj4--,their garments are made white in his blood4 ,,ii ,nephi #i3g4--;,and if so1 7not an infinite atonement7 this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth1 to rise no more4 ,from the ,bible3 ,mark #ad3bb-be4--;,and as they did eat1 ,jesus took bread and blessed and brake it1 and gave to them1 and said3 ,take1 eat2 this is my body4 ,and he took the cup1 and when he had given thanks1 he gave it to them3 and they all drank of it4 ,and he said unto them1 ,this is my blood of the new testament which is shed for many4 ,verily ,i say unto you1 ,i will drink no more of the fruit of the vine1 until that day that ,i drink it new in the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,from the ,doctrine and ,covenants3 ,section #de3d4--7,utah edition7 ,saying1 ,father1 behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin1 in whom thou wast well pleased2 behold the blood of thy ,son which was shed--the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified4 ,section #gd3g4--;,but little children are holy1 being sanctified through the atonement of ,jesus ,christ1 and this is what the scriptures mean4 ,section #gf3ci-da4--;,for all the rest shall be brought forth by the resurrection of the dead1 through the triumph and the glory of the ,lamb1 who was slain1 who was in the bosom of the ,father before the worlds were made4 ,and this is the gospel1 the glad tidings which the voice out of the heavens bore record unto us4 ,that he came into the world1 even ,jesus1 to be crucified for the world1 and to bear the sins of the world1 and to sanctify the world1 and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness4 ,section #bi3a4--,listen to the voice of ,jesus ,christ1 your ,redeemer1 the ,great ,i ,,am1 whose arm of mercy hath atoned for your sins4 ,verse #ag4--;,and it shall come to pass1 because of the wickedness of the world1 that ,i will take vengeance upon the wicked1 for they will not repent2 for the cup of mine indignation is full2 for behold1 my blood shall not cleanse them if they hear me not4 ,,statement ,,of ,,an ,,enemy ,but the report says3 ,this doctrine was introduced by ,brigham ,young and that it meant death to anyone who left the ,church 99 99 99 that the apostate whose throat was cut from ear to ear 99 99 99 saved his soul4 ,why you made this statement you best know2 but were you not aware that it was but the repetition of the ravings of enemies of the ,church1 without one grain of truth8 ,did you not know that not a single individual was ever blood atoned1 as you are pleased to call it1 for apostasy or any other cause8 ,were you not aware1 in repeating this false charge1 that it was made by the most bitter enemies of the ,church before the death of the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith8 ,do you know of anyone whose blood was ever shed by the command of the ,church1 or members thereof1 to save his soul8 ,did you not know that you were embittering the people against the ,mormon ,elders1 and that just such malicious charges and false insinuations have made martyrs for the ,church1 whose blood does not cease to come up into the ears of the ,lord of ,sabaoth8 ,never in the history of this people can the time be pointed to when the ,church ever attempted to pass judgment on1 or execute an apostate as per your statement4 ,there are men living in ,utah today who left the ,church in the earliest history of our ,state who feel as secure1 and are just as secure and free from molestation from their former associates as you or any other man could be4 ,,efficacy ,,of ,,the ,,blood ,,of ,,christ ,the ,latter-day ,saints believe in the efficacy of the blood of ,christ4 ,they believe that through obedience to the laws and ordinances of the ,gospel they obtain a remission of sins2 but this could not be if ,christ had not died for them4 ,if you did believe in blood atonement1 ,i might ask you why the blood of ,christ was shed8 and in whose stead was it shed8 ,i might ask you to explain the words of ,paul3 ,without shedding of blood is no remission4 ,,unpardonable ,,sins ,are you aware that there are certain sins that man may commit for which the atoning blood of ,christ does not avail8 ,do you not know1 too1 that this doctrine is taught in the ,book of ,mormon8 ,and is not this further reason why you should discard the ,book as well as the name8 ,is it not safe for us to rely upon the scriptures for the solution of problems of this kind8 ,let me quote3 ,from the ,book of ,mormon3 ,,ii ,nephi #i3ce4--,wo unto the murderer who deliberately killeth1 for he shall die4 ,alma #a3ac1 #ad4--;,and thou hast shed the blood of a righteous man1 yea1 a man who has done much good among this people2 and were we to spare thee1 his blood would come upon us for vengeance4 ,alma #db3ai4--,now1 if there were no law given--if a man murdered he should die1 would he be afraid he would die if he should murder8 ,from the ,bible3 ,genesis #i3ab1 #ac4--;,and whoso sheddeth man's blood1 by man shall his blood be shed2 for man shall not shed the blood of man4 ,for a commandment ,i give1 that every man's brother shall preserve the life of man1 for in mine own image have ,i made man4 7,inspired translation47 ,luke #aa3ej4--,that the blood of all the prophets1 which was shed from the foundation of the world1 may be required of this generation4 ,hebrews #i3bb4--;,and almost all things are by the law purged with blood2 and without shedding of blood is no remission4 ,hebrews #aj3bf-bi4--;,for if we sin wilfully1 after that we have received the knowledge of the truth1 there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins4 99 99 99 99 ,he that despised ,moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses2 ,of how much sorer punishment1 suppose ye1 shall he be thought worthy1 who hath trodden under foot the ,son of ,god1 and hath counted the blood of the covenant1 wherewith he was sanctified1 an unholy thing4 7,i commend to you the careful reading of these two chapters37 ,i ,john #c3ae4--,no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him4 ,i ,john #e3af4--;,if any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death1 he shall ask1 and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death4 ,there is a sin unto death3 ,i do not say that he shall pray for it4 ,from the ,doctrine and ,covenants3 ,section #hg3g4--,that the cry of the saints1 and of the blood of the saints1 shall cease to come up into the ears of the ,lord of ,sabbath1 from the earth1 to be avenged of their enemies4 ,section #aja3hj4--;,and for this purpose have ,i established the constitution of this land1 by the hands of wise men1 whom ,i raised up unto this very purpose1 and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood4 ,section #db3ah1 #ai4--;,and now1 behold1 ,i speak unto the church4 ,thou shalt not kill2 and he that kills shall not have forgiveness in this world1 nor in the world to come4 ,and again1 ,i say1 thou shalt not kill2 but he that killeth shall die4 ,verse #gi4--;,and it shall come to pass1 that if any persons among you shall kill1 they shall be delivered up and dealt with according to the laws of the land2 for remember that he hath no forgiveness1 and it shall be proved according to the laws of the land4 ,,the ,,law ,,of ,,capital ,,punishment ,in pursuance of1 and in harmony with this scriptural doctrine1 which has been the righteous law from the days of ,adam to the present time1 the founders of ,utah incorporated in the laws of the ,territory provisions for the capital punishment of those who wilfully shed the blood of their fellow man4 ,this law1 which is now the law of the ,state1 granted unto the condemned murderer the privilege of choosing for himself whether he die by hanging1 or whether he be shot1 and thus have his blood shed in harmony with the law of ,god2 and thus atone1 so far as it is in his power to atone1 for the death of his victim4 ,almost without exception the condemned party chooses the latter death4 ,this is by the authority of the law of the land1 not that of the ,church4 ,this law was placed on the statutes through the efforts of the ,mormon legislators1 and grants to the accused the right of jury trial4 ,it is from this that the vile charge1 which you are pleased to repeat1 has been maliciously misconstrued by the enemies of the ,church1 who prefer to believe a lie4 ,when men accuse the ,church of practicing blood atonement on those who deny the faith1 or1 for that matter1 on any living creature1 they know that they bear false witness1 and they shall stand condemned before the judgment seat of ,god4 ,,plural ,,marriage ,since the action taken by the ,united ,states government1 and also by the ,church1 in regard to plural marriage1 ,i shall not discuss its virtues nor answer arguments in opposition to that principle as a principle of our faith4 ,as you1 however1 are reported to have said that ,brigham ,young introduced that doctrine in ,salt ,lake ,city1 ,i would be pleased if you would explain1 as a matter of history1 why ,sidney ,rigdon1 before ,president ,young introduced the doctrine1 declared that the principle of plural marriage was introduced1 to his knowledge1 by ,joseph ,smith the ,prophet1 and that he1 ,sidney ,rigdon1 rejected that doctrine and warned ,joseph ,smith and his family that it would bring ruin upon them4 ,you will find this in the ,messenger and ,advocate1 published in ,june1 #ahdf1 volume #b1 page #dge1 number #f4 ,will you kindly explain why this same ,sidney ,rigdon practiced polygamy1 which he so fervently condemns8 ,will you kindly explain why ,lyman ,wight1 ,james ,j4 ,strang1 ,gladden ,bishop1 ,william ,smith1 and others1 none of whom had much love for ,president ,young and did not follow him1 also taught and practiced polygamy before plural marriage was introduced by ,president ,young4 ,if you doubt this1 ,i will gladly furnish you with the proof4 ,indeed1 you may find a great deal of it in the third volume of your church history4 ,,the ,,saints' ,,herald ,,as ,a ,,witness ,if you believe your statement to be true1 will you kindly explain the following paragraph in the ,saints ,herald1 your official organ1 volume #a1 page #i4 ,it would be well for you to read the entire chapter1 which is entitled polygamy4 ,the quotation is3 ,the death of the prophet is one fact that has been realized1 although he abhorred and repented of this iniquity 7meaning 'polygamy1'7 before his death4 ,this branch of the subject we shall leave to some of our brethren1 who are qualified to explain it satisfactorily4 ,in the same volume1 page #bg1 what is meant by the following8 ,he 7,joseph ,smith7 caused the revelation on the subject 7'polygamy'7 to be burned1 and when he voluntarily came to ,nauvoo and resigned himself into the arms of his enemies he said that he was going to ,carthage to die4 ,at that time he also said that if it had not been for that accursed spiritual wife doctrine1 he would not have come to that4 ,kindly read the context4 ,there is more evidence that can be produced1 but if you will explain this it may suffice4 ,in the light of the knowledge ,i have received and the evidence at my command1 ,i know that the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith made no such statement as the above1 and that he did not have the revelation burned4 ,there is1 however1 value in the above statements from your ,herald1 for they bear witness to the origin and introduction of the principle of plural marriage1 and the revelation concerning the same4#b ,,the ,,utah ,,visit ,in connection with this1 let me call your attention to your visit to ,salt ,lake ,city some three years ago4 ,at that time you met ,president ,lorenzo ,snow1 a man whose veracity cannot justly be questioned2 you heard him bear his testimony to the effect that he was taught that principle by the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 and that the ,prophet declared to ,lorenzo ,snow that he had married his sister1 ,eliza ,r4 ,snow4 ,you met and conversed with ,lucy ,walker ,smith1 and she told you that she was married to the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith on the first day of ,may1 #ahdc1 in ,nauvoo1 ,elder ,william ,clayton performing the ceremony4 ,you met ,catherine ,phillips ,smith1 who told you she was married in ,august1 #ahdc1 in ,nauvoo1 to the ,patriarch ,hyrum ,smith1 his brother ,joseph the ,prophet officiating in that ceremony4 ,you will remember that the first wives of both these men were living at the time4 ,i hardly think these testimonies have passed from your memory in so brief a time4 ,i am personally acquainted with these women1 and know that they are truthful and honest--honorable women1 whose testimonies should be believed4 ,in the face of all this evidence1 do you think it fair and consistent for you and your fellow believers to constantly lay at the door of ,president ,young the responsibility for the introduction of plural marriage and the authorship of the above mentioned revelation8 ,my letter is already long1 but ,i desire to briefly mention another item or two4 ,,president ,,smith',s ,,denial ,in the interview you are made to say that while on your visit to ,salt ,lake ,city1 you spent a day and a half with ,joseph ,f4 ,smith2 that you and he differed on polygamy1 and that you told him it was vile and wicked1 always had been1 and always would be4 ,i took occasion to ask my father if you and he had discussed polygamy at that time and if you had uttered that above expression or any other of like nature4 ,he replied that he had no discussion with you on that subject2 that you did not say one word to him in relation to polygamy1 either favorable or otherwise2 that your visit was a social one1 and friendly1 and was not occupied by the discussion of any differences which may have existed4 ,it is true that ,president ,young was elected president at ,kanesville1 but on what grounds do you charge him with holding the office in trust for the dead president's son8 ,do you not know that such a statement--contrary to the written word--was antagonistic to the teachings of ,president ,young1 as recorded in the ,times and ,seasons1 as well as since that ,time8 ,,president ,,young ,,the ,,prophet',s ,,friend ,will you please explain on what grounds you charge ,president ,young as being under suspicion at the time of ,joseph ,smith's death8 ,am ,i to infer by this that you mean to convey the idea that ,brigham ,young was in any way responsible for the death of ,joseph ,smith8 ,the ,prophet never had a truer friend4 ,you know that at the time of the martyrdom ,brigham ,young was on a mission away from home4 ,if this is the inference you wish to convey1 it is not only contemptible but viciously false4#c ,with reference to my father's first wife1 you say she died broken hearted and insane4 ,if you mean to insinuate that this condition1 if true1 was the result of any act whatever on the part of my father1 it is also scandalously false4 ,i have good reason to believe that she died neither broken hearted nor insane4 ,if it were true1 ,i would still think that you1 as a professed minister of the ,gospel1 might employ your time to better advantage than as an aspersor or a scandal-monger4 ,respectfully1 ,joseph ,f4 ,smith1 ,jr4 ,footnotes #a4 ,this sentence in italics was omitted in ,mr4 ,evans' publication of the entire matter in the ,zion's ,ensign1 ,august #agth1 #aije4 #b4 ,the quotations from the ,saints' ,herald which are in ,italics were purposely omitted from ,mr4 ,evans' publication of the entire matter1 as it appeared in the ,zion's ,ensign of ,august #g1 #aije4 ,the reason for the suppression of this evidence is easy to discern4 ,the authorities of the ,reorganization have tried to destroy the evidence1 that it could not be circulated among their church members1 therefore very few copies of this particular ,herald can today be found4 #c4 ,these paragraphs in italics were also omitted from ,mr4 ,evans' publication of the entire matter1 as it appeared in the ,zion's ,ensign ,august #ag1 #aije4 ,,mr4 ,,evans' ,,letter ,mr4 ,joseph ,f4 ,smith1 ,jr43 ,sir3--,your open letter published in the ,toronto ,star for ,february #be1 is before me4 ,you say3 ,i desire to be fair1 dispassionate and also candid4 ,those who read your letter will see plainly that you have mispresented the interview1 my faith and the facts concerning my visit to ,salt ,lake1 and that you are guilty of a labored effort to cover up the true facts regarding blood atonement1 polygamy1 etc41 and my faith in the ,book of ,mormon4 ,so much for those desires4 ,my position with regard to the ,book of ,mormon1 and the name ,mormon1 is too well known for you to blind the people concerning it4 ,the interview shows plainly in what sense the term ',mormon' is offensive to us4 ,read it again1 sir3 ,because it is associated in the public mind with the practices that ,i have specified4 ,the abominations of ,brighamism2 namely1 polygamy1 blood atonement1 ,adam-,god1#a and other evils that have disgraced the name throughout civilization4 ,the true ,church never has adopted the name ,mormon as being the proper name of the church4 ,the ,latter-day ,saints were sometimes called ,mormons in derision1 as you admit1 because they believed in the divine authenticity of the ,book of ,mormon1 and some church members may have been willing to be called ,mormon2 yet you candidly 787 fairly1 dispassionately ask me1 ,why do you not discard the ,book of ,mormon from whence the name is derived8 ,now1 sir1 ,i profess to believe in the divine authenticity of the ,holy ,bible2 as well call me a ,bible1 because ,i believe in the ,bible1#b as call me a ,mormon because ,i believe in the ,book of ,mormon4 ,the church that ,i have the honor to represent is incorporated under the laws of the ,united ,states as ,the ,reorganized ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter ,day ,saints4 ,,blood ,,atonement ,there is not an honest thinking person on earth who is acquainted with the faith of the church regarding the atonement of ,jesus ,christ but that will say your attempt to misrepresent my faith in this regard is diametrically opposite to your stated desire to be fair1 dispassionate and candid4 ,you know that a prominent article in the ,epitome of the ,faith and ,doctrine of the true church reads as follows3 ,we believe that through the atonement of ,christ1 all men may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel4 ,you know that the true church believes in the atoning blood of ,christ as stated in the scriptures you cite in your letter1 and yet you try to make out that because we do not believe in the doctrine of blood atonement as taught by ,brigham ,young and his successors in ,utah ,mormonism1 that we do not believe in the atonement of our ,lord and ,savior ,jesus ,christ4 ,the doctrine of the atonement of ,christ is far above the doctrine of blood atonement as taught by ,brighamism4 ,to prove this1 ,i submit the statements as made by ,brigham ,young and other leading members of the ,utah ,church1 as found in their sermons1 printed by your church3 ,brigham ,young said1 ,october #i1 #aheb3 ,what shall be done with the sheep that stink the flock so8 ,we will take them1 ,i was going to say1 and cut off their tails two inches behind their ears2 however ,i will use a milder term1 and say cut off their ears4--,journal of ,discourses1 vol4 #a3bac4 ,brigham said again1 ,march #bg1 #ahec3 ,i say1 rather than that apostates should flourish here1 ,i will unsheath my bowie knife1 and conquer or die4 7,great commotion in the congregation and a simultaneous burst of feeling1 assenting to the declaration47 ,now1 you nasty apostates1 clear out1 or judgment will be put to the line and righteousness to the plummet4 7,voices generally1 ',go it1 go it4'7 ,if you say it is all right1 raise your hands 7all hands up74 ,let us call upon the ,lord to assist us in this and every good work4--,journal of ,discourses1 vol4 #a3hc4 ,echoing what ,brigham said1 ,p4 ,p4 ,pratt said1 on ,march #bg1 #ahec1 ,my feelings are with those who have spoken1 decidedly and firmly so4 99 99 99 ,i need not repeat their doom1 it has been told here today1 they have been faithfully warned4 99 99 99 ,it is too late in the day for us to stop and inquire whether such an outcast has the truth4--,journal of ,discourses1 vol4 #a1 pp4 #hd1 #hf4 ,elder ,orson ,hyde said ,april #i1 #ahec3 ,suppose the shepherd should discover a wolf approaching the flock1 what would he be likely to do8 ,why1 we would suppose1 if the wolf was within proper distance1 that he would kill him at once 99 99 99 kill him on the spot4 99 99 99 ,it would have a tendency to place a terror on those who leave these parts1 that may prove their salvation when they see the heads of thieves taken off1 or shot down before the public4--,journal of ,discourses1 vol4 #a3gb1 #gc4 ,president ,brigham ,young preached1 ,february #h1 #aheg1 as follows ,all mankind love themselves2 and let these principles be known by an individual and he would be glad to have his blood shed4 ,that would be loving themselves even to an eternal exaltation4 ,will you love your brothers and sisters likewise when they have committed a sin that cannot be atoned for without the shedding of blood8 ,that is what ,jesus ,christ meant4 ,he never told a man or woman to love their enemies in their wickedness4 ,he never intended any such thing4 ,i could refer you to plenty of instances where men have been righteously slain in order to atone for their sins4 ,i have seen scores and hundreds of people for whom there would have been a chance in the last resurrection if their lives had been taken and their blood spilled upon the ground1 as a smoking incense to the ,almighty1 but who are now angels to the devil1 until our elder brother1 ,jesus ,christ1 raises them up1 conquers death1 hell and the grave4#c ,i have known a great many men who have left this church1 for whom there is no chance whatever for exaltation2 but if their blood had been spilt it would have been better for them4 ,the wickedness and ignorance of the nations forbid this principle being in full force1 but the time will come when the law of ,god will be in full force4 ,this is loving our neighbor as ourselves2 if he needs help1 help him2 and if he wants salvation and it is necessary to spill his blood upon the ground in order that he may be saved1 spill it4--,journal of ,discourses1 vol4 #d1 p4 #bbj1 or ,deseret ,news1 vol4 #f1 p4 #cig4 ,president ,j4 ,m4 ,grant said1 ,september #ba1 #ahef3 ,i say there are men and women here that ,i would advise to go to the president immediately1 and ask him to appoint a committee to attend to their case1 and then let a place be selected1 and let that committee shed their blood4--,deseret ,news1 vol4 #f1 p4 #bce4 ,president ,heber ,c4 ,kimball said2 ,july #ai1 #ahed3 ,it is believed in the world that our females are all common women4 ,well1 in one sense they are common--that is1 they are like all other women1 ,i suppose1 but they are not unclean1 for we wipe all unclean ones out of our midst2 we not only wipe them from our streets1 but we wipe them out of existence4 ,and if the world wants to practice uncleanness1 and bring their prostitutes here1 if they do not repent and forsake their sins1 we will wipe the evil out4 ,we will not have them in this valley unless they repent1 for so help me ,god1 while ,i live ,i will lend my hand to wipe such persons out1 and ,i know this people will4--,deseret ,news1 ,august #af1 #ahed1 and ,millennial ,star1 vol4 #af1 pages #gch-i4 ,the above statements speak for themselves1 and these were what ,i read to the reporter4 ,you ask1 ,do you know of anyone whose blood was ever shed by the command of the church or members thereof to save his soul8 ,to know by hearing such a command given1 or seeing a murder committed1 is one thing1 to believe the evidence of many who have testified is another4 ,no sir1 ,i was never present when such a command was given1 nor when murder was committed2 but ,i have read that which leads me to believe that under ,brighamism1 ,utah was for years a land of assassination and a field of blood4 ,what of the ,mountain ,meadow massacre--the destruction of the ,aiken party2 the dying confession of ,bishop ,j4 ,d4 ,lee2 the ,hickman butcheries2 the ,danties8 ,alfred ,henry ,lewis1 writing in ,collier's ,weekly for ,march #bf1 #aijd1 states3 ,brigham ,young invented his destroying angels1 placed himself at their head1 and when a man rebelled1 he had him murdered1 if one fled the fold he was pursued and slain4 ,the world has recently read the testimony of persons under oath1 in ,washington1 who testified concerning the endowment oaths1 so ,i will forbear any further remarks on this subject4 ,,polygamy ,speaking of plural marriage1 you say1 ,i shall not discuss its virtues4 ,surely that is kind4 ,let civilization give ear1 ,mr4 ,smith calls that a virtue which wrecks the happiness of every woman who is enslaved by it1 that doctrine which permits ,brighamites to live in what they call marriage with three sisters at one time1 with mother and daughter at the same time4 ,your father1 ,joseph ,f4 ,smith1 married and is now living with two sisters as wives4 ,i refer to ,julina ,lambson and ,edna ,lambson1 both bearing children to him2 yet you call that system a virtue4 ,i have no evidence that those men you refer to1 as having practiced polygamy before ,young was guilty1 as stated by you4 ,but the following evidence shows clearly that ,brigham ,young was under suspicion before ,joseph's death1 and that he has since admitted that he had a revelation on polygamy before the church knew anything of the doctrine3 ,in a speech of ,brigham ,young on ,june #ba1 #ahgd1 7see ,deseret ,news of ,july #a1 #ahgd71 we read the following statement relative to the origin of this doctrine of polygamy3 ,while we were in ,england 7in #ahci and #ahdj1 ,i think7 the ,lord manifested to me by vision and ,his ,spirit1 things that ,i did not then understand4 ,i never opened my mouth to anyone concerning them1 until ,i returned to ,nauvoo2 ,joseph had never mentioned this2 there had never been a thought of it in the church that ,i ever knew anything about at that time2--but ,i had this for myself and kept it for myself4--,the ,messenger1 volume #a1 page #bi4 ,well1 no one need blame ,joseph any more1 ,brigham is the self-confessed channel through which polygamy was given to his people4 ,i here submit the testimony of ,brigham ,young's legal wife1 who left him after he was untrue to her4 ,testimony of ,major ,thomas ,wanless1 given to ,r4 ,c4 ,evans1 his nephew1 in the presence of ,mrs4 ,wanless1 ,mrs4 ,evans and her daughter1 in ,st4 ,louis1 ,missouri1 ,september #g1 #aijd3 ,i met ,brigham ,young's first and legal wife and her daughter in the winter of #ahfj and #ahfa1 at ,central ,city1 ,colorado2 she told me that ,joseph ,smith had nothing to do with polygamy2 that he did not teach1 practice1 or in any way endorse the doctrine of polygamy1 that he had nothing to do with the so-called revelation on celestial marriage2 that he had but one wife4 ,my husband1 ,brigham ,young1 ,orson ,pratt 7she gave the name of another man whose name ,i have forgotten7 made up the revelation on celestial marriage4 ,before they left ,illinois some of them practiced polygamy4 ,brigham ,young went to ,utah to reorganize the church and publicly introduced polygamy1 or to reorganize the ,church on a polygamous basis4 ,she left ,brigham ,young1 finally obtained a divorce from him1 and was then living with her daughter4 ,brigham sent the daughter money according to an agreement4 ,she told me they ought to have shot ,brigham ,young in place of ,joseph ,smith4 ,this statement of ,major ,wanless that she was ,brigham's first wife is a mistake4 ,brigham married ,miriam ,works1 ,october #h1 #ahbd2 she died ,september #h1 #ahcb4 ,in ,february1 #ahcd1 he married ,may ,ann ,angel2 she was his legal wife1 and perhaps is the one referred to by the ,major4 ,it is quite pardonable in ,major ,wanless in getting ,brigham's wives mixed up4 ,we opine poor ,brigham was at his wit's end to keep the family record correct himself4 ,chambers' encyclopedia1 volume #h1 students' edition1 confirms ,mrs4 ,young's statement1 in part4 ,it says1 speaking of the practice of polygamy3 ,young1 ,pratt and ,hyde are its true originators4 ,emma1 wife and widow of the prophet1 stoutly denied that her husband had any wife but herself4 ,young's revelation she declared to be a fraud4 ,from a host of other witnesses who testify that ,brigham ,young was the man that introduced polygamy in the ,church1 ,i submit the statement of another broken-hearted woman from the ranks of ,brigham's ,church4 ,fanny ,stenhouse says3 ,polygamy was unheard of among the 7,english7 ,saints in #ahdi4 7pages #de1 #dg1 #dh7 ,tell ,it ,all1 by ,fanny ,stenhouse4 ,in ,june #ahej1 ,i heard the first whisper of polygamy4 ,in ,january1 #ahec1 ,i first saw the revelation on ,polygamy2 it was published in the ,millennial ,star1 7page #acb74 ,out of thirty thousand ,saints in ,england in #ahec1 #aggf had been excommunicated for apostasy through polygamy1 the president of the conference was cut off1 7page #afj74 ,when speaking regarding polygamy she says3 ,they know that the only source of all their revelations is the man ,,brigham ,,young1 7page #aij74 ,brigham has outraged decency and driven asunder the most sacred ties1 by his shameless introduction of polygamy1 7page #bgc74 ,there have been many apostates from the teachings of ,joseph ,smith in early days1 but of all apostates1 ,bro4 ,brigham is the chief1 7page #fad74 ,it is reported by ,fanny ,stenhouse1 and many others1 that ,joseph ,smith said1 ,if ever the ,church had the misfortune to be led by ,bro4 ,brigham1 he would lead it to hell1 7page #bfh74 ,why did ,joseph ,smith a short time prior to his death make the above and similar statements regarding the man ,brigham ,young8 ,the reason is plain4 ,he too had doubtless heard some rumors as to his conduct and secret teachings1 and the evidence would seem to indicate that just before his death he made a move to bring the guilty to judgment4 ,we will let ,william ,marks1 who was president of the ,nauvoo ,stake at the time of ,joseph ,smith's death testify3 ,a few days after this occurrence1 ,i met with ,bro4 ,joseph1 he said that he wanted to converse with me on the affairs of the ,church1 and we retired by ourselves2 ,i will give his words verbatim for they are indelibly stamped upon my mind4 ,he said he had desired for a long time to have a talk with me on the subject of polygamy4 ,he said it would eventually prove the overthrow of the ,church1 and we should soon be obliged to leave the ,united ,states1 unless it could be speedily put down4 ,he was satisfied that it was a cursed doctrine1 and that there must be every exertion to put it down4 ,he said that he would go before the congregation and proclaim against it1 and ,i must go into the ,high ,council1 and he would prefer charges against those in transgression1 and ,i must sever them from the ,church unless they made ample satisfaction4 ,there was much more said1 but this was the substance4 ,the mob commenced to gather about ,carthage in a few days after1 therefore there was nothing done concerning it4 7,saints' ,herald1 vol4 #a1 pp4 #bb1 #bc47 ,president ,marks1 after ,joseph ,smith's death1 made mention of the above conversation2 it was soon rumored that he was about to apostatize1 and that his statement was a tissue of lies4 7,see ,saints' ,herald1 vol4 #a1 pp4 #bb1 #bc47 ,speaking of the revelation on polygamy1 ,marks said1 ,i never heard of it during ,joseph's life4 ,it was evidently gotten up by ,brigham ,young and some of the ,twelve1 after ,joseph's death4 7,briggs' ,autobiography2 ,herald #aija47 ,now ,i propose to produce evidence showing that ,joseph ,smith and the ,church during his lifetime condemned polygamy in the strongest terms4 ,first1 ,i submit the testimony of thirty-one witnesses as published by the ,church on ,october the #ast1 #ahdb4 ,we deem this sufficient to show you where ,joseph and ,hyrum ,smith stood on this question of polygamy4 ,we1 the undersigned members of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints1 and residents of the city of ,nauvoo1 persons of families1 do hereby certify and declare1 that we know of no other rule or system of marriage than the one published from the ,book of ,covenants1 and we give this certificate to show that ,dr4 ,john ,c4 ,bennett's secret wife system is a creature of his own make1 as we know of no such society in this place1 nor never did4 ,this is signed by a number of the leading men of the ,church1 some of the ,twelve ,apostles1 some of the ,first ,presidency of the ,utah ,church1 and a number of the leading men of the ,church4 ,a similar document is signed by ,emma ,smith the wife of ,joseph ,smith1 and a number of the leading women of the ,church1 thirty-one witnesses in all4 ,now ,i submit for your consideration a statement made by ,joseph ,smith and his ,brother ,hyrum just a few months prior to their assassination4 ,they learned that a man up here in the state of ,michigan was teaching polygamy1 and this is what they said about it3 ,as we have lately been credibly informed that a member of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints1 a man by the name of ,hyrum ,brown1 has been teaching polygamy and other false and corrupt doctrines1 in the county of ,lapeer1 state of ,michigan1 this is to notify him and the ,church in general that he has been cut off from the ,church for his iniquity4 ,signed1 ,joseph ,smith1 ,hyrum ,smith1 ,presidents of the ,church4 ,this was given in ,february1 #ahdd4 ,joseph was killed four months after that4 ,here he declares that polygamy is a crime1 and the man was excommunicated from the ,church for preaching it4 ,now ,i want to give you the testimony of ,george ,q4 ,cannon1 whom ,i met in ,salt ,lake ,city1 as one of the presidency of the ,salt ,lake ,mormon ,church3 ,a prevalent idea has been that this prejudice against us owes its origin and continuation to our belief in a plurality of wives4 99 99 99 ,joseph and ,hyrum ,smith were slain in the ,carthage ,jail1 and hundreds of persons were persecuted to death previous to the ,church having any knowledge of this doctrine4--,journal of ,discourses1 vol4 #ad1 pages #afe1 #aff4d ,this being true1 ,joseph ,smith was not guilty of the practice of polygamy2 he was killed before the people knew anything about polygamy4 ,this is the statement of ,george ,q4 ,cannon4 ,let me strengthen this now by the son-in-law of ,brigham ,young1 ,h4 ,b4 ,clawson3 ,polygamy at that time 7that is at the time of ,joseph ,smith's death7 was not known among those of the ,mormon faith4 99 99 99 ,the doctrine of polygamy was not promulgated until they got to ,salt ,lake2 not1 in fact1 until some little time after they had arrived there4 ,salt ,lake ,herald1 ,february #i1 #ahhb4e ,joseph ,smith was killed in #ahdd4 ,they arrived in ,salt ,lake the #bdth of ,july1 #ahdg1 and he says not until some little time after that was it introduced4 ,the little time was the #bith of ,august1 #aheb1 eight years and two months after the assassination of ,joseph ,smith4 ,we have ,brigham ,young himself on this4 ,he being interviewed by ,senator ,trumbull in #ahfi1 said3 ,it 7polygamy7 was adopted by us as a necessity after we came here4 ,ah1 there never was a greater truth told in all the world than that4 ,polygamy was not an original tenet of the ,church1 and ,brigham ,young says it was adopted as a necessity after we came here4 ,the real facts are1 ,brigham ,young1 as ,i will show from their own evidence1 and a few other ,elders were living vile lives secretly1 and to cover up the consequences of their bad conduct1 as he truthfully says in this as a necessity2 yea1 as a necessity polygamy was introduced4 ,but who will dare to blame ,joseph ,smith for their introducing polygamy eight years after his death8 ,i have been careful to take these clippings right from their own papers1 so that they cannot say that we have changed the words or anything of that kind4 ,here is another statement2 this is found from ,elder ,ephraim ,jenson3 ,polygamy was not practiced by the ,mormons prior to and at the time of the execution of ,joseph ,smith1 who was executed at ,nauvoo1 ,illinois4 99 99 99 ,fourth1 that only three per cent of the ,mormon men practiced polygamy1 a proof itself that it was not essential to the creed4--,the ,yeoman's ,shield4 ,here is another one3 ,go back to the foundation of our ,church1 ,april #f1 #ahcj1 there was no polygamy practiced or taught in ,mormon literature until five years after that band of persecuted ,saints reached ,utah4 ,new ,york ,herald1 ,january #h1 #aijj4f ,this is by ,elder ,whitaker1 who knew who did introduce this polygamy4 ,now ,i might introduce dozens and dozens of witnesses to prove that ,joseph ,smith had nothing to do with it4 ,well1 who did it8 ,here is what the ,apostle's wife says of it3 ,how then1 asked the reader1 did polygamy originate8 ,it was born in the vile and lustful brain of ,brigham ,young1 and was grafted on the faith to gratify his sensual bestiality4#g 7,mysteries of ,mormonism1 pp4 #af1 #ag47 ,one of the ,mormon wives said that1 and she ought to know whereof she affirms4 ,we have learned from the above statements that polygamy was not taught or practiced by ,joseph ,smith1 but was introduced into an apostate branch of the church1 after his death1 as is admitted by ,brigham ,young and others of his followers4 ,having read the works of the church for over a quarter of a century4 ,i confidently affirm that there is not a single word1 in a single sermon1 lecture1 statement1 newspaper or church publication printed during the lifetime of the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith wherever he1 by word1 has endorsed the doctrine of plurality of wives2 not a single statement2 and there is no ,salt ,lake ,mormon breathing who can produce one and prove its authenticity4 ,but suppose you could prove that ,joseph ,smith secretly taught and practiced polygamy1 that would not make it a ,christian doctrine4 ,if ,joseph ,smith secretly taught1 practiced1 or endorsed the doctrine of polygamy1 he did it contrary to all the revelations given for the government of the church in the ,bible1 ,book of ,mormon1 and ,doctrine and ,covenants2 contrary to all his sermons1 speeches1 and public teachings2 and he was a criminal before the law of his country1 a base hypocrite before the ,god whom he openly worshiped1 a despicable traitor to the woman whom he claimed to love and cherish as his wife1 and was untrue to all the sacred principles of fidelity and integrity which he evinced in all his public utterances and conduct4 ,in the face of all this1 the wife and children of ,joseph ,smith1 together with thousands of people who knew him in life1 refuse to believe the contradictory statements of ,brigham ,young and others who are wallowing in the mire of polygamy4 ,,my ,,visit ,,to ,,utah ,if your father denies that he and ,i discussed the doctrine of polygamy1 all ,i have to say about it is1 that what he states is untrue4 ,here are a few points that may help him to remember what was said and done3 ,when talking with ,joseph ,f4 ,smith in ,salt ,lake ,city two years ago1 he brought up a number of witnesses and ,i examined them--that is1 he repeated the testimony of some who had testified4 ,he finally said1 ,i can produce a living woman who will testify that ,joseph ,smith was a polygamist1 and she knew it4 ,i said1 ,bring her along here and let us examine her4 ,well1 ,i met ,aunt ,lucy ,walker ,kimball1 to whom you refer1 and we talked the matter over1 and here is the one point to which ,i want to draw your attention1 to show how these poor dupes of ,brigham ,young may be led4 ,coming to the testimony of ,emma ,smith1 ,i said1 ,you were personally acquainted with ,emma ,smith8 ,yes4 ,what have you to say as to her integrity1 as to her fidelity and honor8 ,the old woman looked me fair in the face and said1 ,emma ,smith was one of ,god's noble women--she was truth personified2 and anything that ,emma ,smith may say you can bank on it until the day of your death4 ,well1 ,i said1 she testifies that her husband never had any wife but her2 she testifies that she never heard of that revelation on polygamy until you folks had gone to ,salt ,lake2 she testifies she never saw it1 and she testifies that it is an unmitigated falsehood manufactured by ,brigham ,young2 that he stated that she had the revelation and burned it4 ,now what have you to say to that8 ,i said4 ,she looked me fair in the face and said1 ,you can afford to build on anything that ,emma ,smith has to say4 ,thank you1 said ,i4 ,it is true that she told me she was married to ,joseph ,smith ,may #a1 #ahdc2 but when ,i showed her that the so-called revelation permitting a plurality of wives was dated ,july #ab1 #ahdc1 and referred to her former testimony as given in the ,historical ,record1 and that given under oath in the ,temple ,lot suit1 she was confounded4 ,i felt sorry for the old lady as she sat silent and confounded4 ,it is true that ,i saw a very old lady in your father's parlor1 as she came slowly in for prayers4 ,your father said1 ,this is ,catherine ,phillips ,smith4 ,she was married to my father1 ,hyrum ,smith1 and she has never married since4 ,i am not sure that the old lady heard a word4 ,it is certain that she did not testify to me1 but it was your father who made the statement1 and at once called us to prayer1 thus preventing me from speaking to the old lady4 ,lorenzo ,snow did testify to me1 as stated2 but then and there1 in the presence of ,joseph ,f4 ,smith and ,george ,q4 ,cannon1 ,i showed his testimony to be false1 by his own evidence1 when given under oath1 and by his sister's statement signed in #ahdb4 ,at this1 ,snow1 ,cannon and ,smith were all much annoyed4 ,so much for your father's statement1 which says you did not say one word to him in relation to polygamy4 ,,your ,,father',s ,,first ,,wife ,you seem to feel sore over the statement that your father's first wife died broken hearted and insane2 and you add1 ,if you mean to insinuate that this condition1 if true1 was the result of any act whatever on the part of my father1 it is also slanderously false4 ,i insinuate nothing2 let the public judge the facts4 ,your father's first wife was his cousin2 she refused to consent to additional wives1 and when he persisted in marrying the ,lambson sisters1 she obtained a divorce in ,california4 ,julina and ,edna ,lambson were sisters and were married to ,joseph ,f4 ,smith on the same day4#h ,number of wives married to ,joseph ,f4 ,smith since #ahfe3 #f ,number of children born to him in #ch years3 #db ,number of children born since plural marriage was prohibited in #ahij3 #ac ,children of ,julina ,lambson ,smith3 #b ,children of ,sarah ,richards ,smith3 #b ,children of ,edna ,lambson ,smith3 #b ,children of ,alice ,kimball ,smith3 #c ,children of ,mary ,schwartz ,smith3 #d ,estimated income available for supporting five establishments3 #ge1jjj ,corporations1 banks and factories of which ,joseph ,f4 ,smith is a director3 #bj ,the only ,mormon ,apostle who surpasses the record of ,president ,smith is ,m4 ,w4 ,merrill1 with #h wives1 #de children1 and #aef grandchildren4--,collier's for ,march #bf1 #ahid #aijd4 99 99 99 99 99 ,while in ,utah ,i was informed that your father's first wife died broken hearted and insane4 ,god and civilization know that a woman who loved her husband from youth up has enough to break her heart and send her insane when her husband will marry two other women1 both sisters1 in one day4 ,perhaps you will be assisted to view the matter as ,i do1 should you read the following in the ,book of ,mormon1 ,jacob #b3f1 #g4 ,here it is stated1 in consequence of polygamy1 ye have broken the hearts of your tender wives4 ,does this make the prophet an asperser or a scandalmonger8 ,i have answered your letter as it appeared in the ,toronto ,star as fully as space would permit4 ,respectfully1 ,r4 ,c4 ,evans4 ,toronto1 ,ontario1 ,march #a1 #aije4i ,footnotes #a4 ,the teachings of the ,latter-day ,saints in relation to the doctrine of the ,godhead are clearly set forth in ,elder ,b4 ,h4 ,roberts' valuable work1 ,mormon ,doctrine of ,deity4 ,for the belief of the ,mormon people regarding ,adam and his place in the universe1 attention is called especially to chapters one1 five and six of that work2 also to ,doctrine and ,covenants1 sec4 #gh3ae-ah1 sec4 #ajg3ec-eg and ,daniel #g3i-ad4 ,in relation to this matter ,i quote the following from the remarks of ,president ,anthon ,h4 ,lund delivered at the ,general ,conference1 ,october #f1 #aijb4 ,some there are who follow our ,elders1 and after they have preached the principles of salvation1 these men get up and charge that the ,elders do not believe in ,god1 but that they believe in ,adam as their ,god1 and they will bring up a few passages from sermons delivered by this or that man in the ,church to substantiate this charge4 ,now1 we are not ashamed of the glorious doctrine of eternal progression1 that man may attain the position of those to whom came the word of ,god1 that is gods4 ,when ,jesus was preaching unto the ,jews on one occasion they stoned ,him1 and ,he wanted to know if they stoned ,him for the good works ,he had been doing4 ,oh1 no1 they say1 'for the good work we stone thee not2 but for blasphemy2 and because that thou1 being a man1 makest thyself ,god4' ,he quoted the #ccrd to #cgth verses of the #ajth chapter of the ,gospel of ,st4 ,john1 and said3 ,we believe that there are gods as the ,savior quoted4 ,he repeated what was written in the law1 and he did not say that it was wrong1 but used it as an argument against them 7,the ,jews47 ,while1 however1 we believe as the scripture states1 that there are more gods1 to us there is but one ,god4 ,we worship the ,god that created the heavens and the earth4 ,we worship the same ,god that came to our first parents in the ,garden of ,eden4 ,in the revelation contained in section #aaf of the ,book of ,doctrine and ,covenants the ,lord speaks concerning ,adam-ondi-,ahman1 'the place where ,adam shall come to visit his people1 or the ancient of days shall sit1 as spoken of by ,daniel the ,prophet4' ,in the #ajgth section the ,lord speaks of ,adam as ,michael1 the ,prince1 the ,archangel1 and says that he shall be a prince over the nations forever4 ,we may with perfect propriety call him ,prince1 the ,ancient of ,days1 or even ,god in the meaning of the words of ,christ1 which ,i have just quoted4 ,when our missionaries are met with these sophistries and with isolated extracts from sermons we say to them anything that is a tenet of our religion must come through revelation and be sustained by the ,church1 and they need not do battle for anything outside of the works1 that have been accepted by the ,church as a body4 #b4 ,if popular custom had designated the true believers of the ,bible as ,bibles as a term of distinction from other worshippers1 there is no reason why a true believer should be offended even at that appellation but rather honored4 ,mr4 ,evans1 without doubt1 is not ashamed of the name ,christian1 yet this term1 like that of ,mormon was first applied to the followers of ,christ in derision1 because it was associated in the public mind with the practices of the early ,saints1 which practices in that day were looked on as abominations4 #c4 ,this is a misquotation1 it should be3 ,i could refer you to plenty of instances where men have been righteously slain1 in order to atone for their sins4 ,i have seen scores and hundreds of people for whom there would have been a chance 7in the last resurrection there will be7 if their lives had been taken and their blood spilled on the ground as a smoking incense to the ,almighty1 but who are now angels to the devil1 until our elder brother ,jesus ,christ raises them up--conquers death1 hell and the grave4 ,in that same discourse ,president ,young declares that those who were righteously slain were the wicked that the ,lord had to slay in ancient ,israel4 ,there is not one word in that discourse to indicate that those who were slain to atone for their sins were killed in ,utah2 but to the contrary they were ancient inhabitants of the earth1 viz41 the antediluvians who perished in the flood1 the inhabitants of ,sodom and ,gomorrah1 of ,jericho and the cities destroyed by the ,israelites2 the prophets of ,baal whom ,elijah slew 7,i ,kings #ah3dj7 and a host of others of that class and the class to whom the one belonged of whom the ,savior said3 ,it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck1 and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea4 ,president ,young's remarks agree with those of ,peter when he declared that the ,jews who were guilty of assenting to the crucifixion of ,christ could not be baptized nor have their sins blotted out until the times of refreshing shall come1 which was at the time of the restitution of all things4--,acts #c3ai-ba4 #d4 ,in extreme haste here to make a point1 ,mr4 ,evans left in the middle of a sentence and hurried on to the next page to complete the expression he desired to convey4 ,this is what ,president ,cannon said3 ,a prevalent idea has been that this prejudice against us owes its origin and continuation to our belief in a plurality of wives2 but when it is recollected that the mobbings1 drivings1 and expulsions from cities1 counties and states which we have endured1 and our exodus to these mountains all took place before the revelation of that doctrine was ,,publicly known1 it will be seen at once that our belief in it has not been the cause of persecution4 ,now1 ,i ask1 is it not plain to see why his quotation stopped in the middle of a sentence8 ,the ,saints all know that ,president ,george ,q4 ,cannon was always faithful to his testimony that plural marriage was introduced by the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith4 ,latter-day ,saints generally declare that this doctrine was not publicly known in the days of ,joseph the ,seer1 but that it was taught by him to his trusted friends4 ,when this fact is known the alleged quotations which follow1 purported to be from ,h4 ,b4 ,clawson1 ,ephraim ,jensen and ,elder ,whitaker lose their force4 #e4 ,this is not in the ,salt ,lake ,herald of ,february #i1 #aheb4 #f4 ,the following is the ,brooklyn ,citizen's report of that same discourse from which ,mr4 ,evans quotes his passage as given in the ,new ,york ,herald3 ,elder ,whitaker said3 ,the people of the ,east have been led to believe that polygamy was alone responsible for all the troubles of the ,mormons1 but the fact remains1 that as the fight was waged against ,jesus ,christ1 against his followers1 and against all great men for declaring the truth1 so the same spirit is manifest now2 but the ,mormons will humbly seek those willing to accept the truths inspired of ,god1 leaving the justice of their cause to be vindicated by honest investigation and time4 ,the fight is directed against the doctrine of the ,mormon ,church1 though polygamy has done such yeoman service in arousing public sentiment1 to attain certain ends unworthy of honest men4 ,the crusaders have kept the public mind from the real cause of the attack4 ,from the time the ,church was organized in #ahcj-dg1 when the people1 after many previous drivings1 persecutions1 mobbings and cruel mockings1 were driven to ,utah1 the cry of polygamy was never made a cause of their persecutions2 indeed1 that subject was not committed in writing until #ahdc1 never published to the world until #aheb1 and was abandoned by the issuance of the ',manifesto' of ,president ,wilford ,woodruff1 in #ahij1 since which time not one polygamous marriage has been solemnized2 but those having wives at that time were never asked1 and it was never expected they would abandon them1 and when death brings such relations to a close1 there will be no polygamy among the ,mormons4 ,the ,brooklyn ,citizen1 ,monday1 ,january #h1 #aijj4 ,why ,mr4 ,evans accepted the brief extract from the ,new ,york ,herald in preference to the full account in the ,brooklyn ,citizen will require no comment1 but it certainly does appear that ,elder ,whitaker did know who introduced polygamy4 ,as ,i do not have the ,yeoman's ,shield and am not in communication with ,elder ,ephraim ,jenson1 ,i cannot vouch for his remarks1 but feel safe in saying that if the whole report were published1 his testimony would agree with that of ,elder ,whitaker as published in the ,brooklyn ,citizen4 #g4 ,in quoting from ,the ,mysteries of ,mormonism1 by an ,apostle's ,wife1 ,mr4 ,evans reveals the character of his dozens and dozens of witnesses4 ,the reader will perceive that he depends largely on the most bitter anti-,mormons and apostates for his evidence1 but in quoting from ,the ,mysteries of ,mormonism1 by an ,apostle's ,wife1 he certainly reaches the climax of this base testimony4 ,this work was published in #ahhb1 by ,richard ,k4 ,fox1 proprietor of the notorious ,police ,gazette4 ,the author of these ,mysteries1 undoubtedly a man1 assumes the title of ,an ,apostle's ,wife1 in order to hide his perfidy4 ,the work is one of the vilest and most contemptible of all anti-,mormon publications1 and is most bitter in its denunciation of the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith4 ,in it he is called a lusty toper1 the worst of a bad breed1 an ignorant1 brutal loafer1 immoral1 false and fraudulent1 and the author says1 this is the man who founded what he dared to call a faith1 and grafted on the ,united ,states the religion of licentiousness and bodily lust known as ,mormonism4 ,an apology is perhaps due for even referring to this matter1 but since ,mr4 ,evans makes this work one of the chief of his dozens and dozens of witnesses1 ,i feel that he should be exposed4 ,he professes to believe in the divine mission of ,joseph ,smith1 and yet calls upon us to accept the wicked falsehoods of this disreputable witness1 whom he declares ought to know whereof she affirms4 ,shame upon the man who draws his inspiration from such a source6 #h4 ,this whole statement is absolutely false1 and there was not the least shadow of reason for uttering it4 ,president ,smith's first wife did not refuse to consent to additional wives4 ,he did not marry two sisters on the same day4 ,in depending on the unreliable ,alfred ,henry ,lewis for his argument1 ,mr4 ,evans shows the desperate weakness of his position4 ,it would be a hard matter to squeeze more falsehoods in the space occupied by the article of ,a4 ,h4 ,lewis1 from which ,mr4 ,evans quotes so faithfully4 #i4 ,this letter is dated ,march #a1 #aije1 but was not written until sometime after ,april #ai1 #aije1 for on the latter date ,mr4 ,evans wrote3 ,you may look for reply to your letter as it appeared in the ,toronto ,star1 as soon as ,i have time to reply thereto4 ,this reply was received ,may #e1 #aije4 ,a ,,rejoinder ,,to ,,mr4 ,r4 ,c4 ,,evans' ,,letter ,salt ,lake ,city1 ,may #bc1 #aije4 ,mr4 ,r4 ,c4 ,evans1 ,counselor in ,presidency of ,reorganized ,church4 ,sir3--,your reply to my open letter of ,february #ag was received ,may #e4 ,whether ,i was fair1 dispassionate and also candid in my letter1 or1 as you seem to think1 guilty of a labored effort to cover up the true facts regarding 'blood atonement1 polygamy1 etc4' and your faith--which was not discussed--,i am perfectly willing to leave to the judgment of those who read the same in the ,toronto ,star4 ,so on this point we may both rest satisfied4 ,,blood ,,atonement ,i will now consider your labored effort to cover up the true facts regarding blood atonement4 ,in my letter ,i candidly placed the true belief and teachings of the ,latter-day ,saints in relation to this doctrine before you4 ,this fact appears to be displeasing to you1 as it overturns your conclusions and accusations against our people4 ,if you desire to know the correct position of the ,church on this doctrine1 ,i would recommend a careful study of ,john ,taylor's ,meditation and ,atonement and ,charles ,w4 ,penrose's ,blood ,atonement1 which was published in answer to such wicked misrepresentations as ,i claim you have made in relation to this principle and our belief in relation thereto4 ,there is no reason for any person to misunderstand our position1 unless he desires to do so4 ,i claim1 too1 that we are in a better position to teach that which we believe than is the stranger who attempts to present our case1 especially if he is antagonistic or unfriendly4 ,if you do not believe the doctrine of blood atonement as that doctrine is taught by the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints1 which church you are pleased to call ,utah ,mormonism1 then ,i say that you do not believe in the atonement of our ,lord and ,savior ,jesus ,christ4 ,to this ,i will refer later4 ,you delight--as all anti-,mormons do--in referring to statements made by ,president ,brigham ,young1 ,jedediah ,m4 ,grant and others during the troublous times preceding the advent of ,johnston's army into ,utah4 ,i see1 too1 that like many others1 you place your own desired interpretation on their remarks1 place them before the public in a garbled state1 taking care to give the darkest interpretation possible from which the public may gather false conclusions4 ,you take great pains to cover up the conditions prevailing which called forth such extreme and in some instances unwise remarks4 ,conditions in some respects akin to those surrounding the ,saints in ,missouri in #ahch-ci when other unwise remarks were made by members of the leading quorums of the ,church1 but in a sense justifiable and which should be condoned under the trying circumstances that called them forth4#a ,,the ,,church ,,judged ,,from ,,its ,,accepted ,,standards ,writing on this subject ,elder ,b4 ,h4 ,roberts1 in his criticism on ,harry ,leon ,wilson's plagarisms in his ,lions of the ,lord1 declares the position taken by members of the ,church and all fair-minded men in these words3 ,the justice of ,burke's assertion has never been questioned1 and without any wresting whatever it may be applied to ,mormon leaders who sometimes spoke and acted under the recollection of rank injustice perpetrated against themselves and their people2 or to rebuke rising evils against which their souls revolted4 ,even the president of the ,reorganized ,church recognized this fact in his answer to ,the ,american ,baptist1 wherein he said3 ,whoever counseled or did evil in those times 7in ,missouri7 are responsible1 personally1 therefor2 but the church1 as such is no more responsible for it than were the early ,christians for ,peter's attempt to kill the high priest's servant when he cut off his ear with his sword4 ,the church1 as such1 should be judged by its authorized doctrines and deeds1 and not by the unauthorized sayings or doings of some or many of its members or ministers4 ,it is not to be wondered at that in those times when the embryo authors and abettors of the ,border ,ruffianism that reigned in ,missouri and ,kansas from #ahed to #ahfe had matters all their own way1 that some of the ,saints1 vexed1 confused and excited1 should have done many things unwisely and wrongfully1 and contrary to the law of ,god4--,saints' ,herald1 #cg3ea4 ,with this ,i heartily agree4 ,now1 when the statements were made1 which you in a garbled manner both quote and misquote1 there was in ,utah a class of individuals who spent the greater part of their time in circulating wicked and malicious reports about the ,saints1 threatening their lives1 committing crimes and attempting to make the ,saints their scape-goats4 ,the officers of the law were ,general ,government officials appointed by the ,president of the ,united ,states1 and ,i am sorry to say1 some of these were among the chief villifiers of the people4 ,the most damnable and bloodthirsty falsehoods were concocted and served up to the people of the ,united ,states to stir them up to anger against the despised ,mormons4 ,almost every crime that was committed within a thousand miles of ,salt ,lake ,city was charged to the leaders of the ,mormon people and became the foundation of a multitude of anti-,mormon publications that still flood the world4 ,because of these false and highly colored tales1 in #aheg--one year later than the time that most of the utterances were given on which you so delight to dwell--the ,government of the ,united ,states sent an army to suppress in ,utah a rebellion that never existed1 and forced the ,saints to defend themselves4 ,when the ,government found out how it had blundered it was humiliated4 ,now1 in brief1 these were the conditions at the time1 and is it any wonder that unwise and even harsh things were said8 ,the wonder is that the people bore it as patiently as they did4 ,the officers were non-,mormons1 the ,territory was under ,federal control and contained many ,gentiles1 many of whom were most bitter in their feelings and ever ready to accuse the ,saints of crime4 ,the government was strong enough to enforce the law if broken4 ,now1 ,i ask you if you believe the horrors1 as they have been pictured1 could have existed under such conditions8 ,such a state of affairs would have been a reproach and a shame to the ,american government4 ,and no such state of affairs existed4 ,the conditions at the time led ,jacob ,forney1 superintendent of ,indian affairs in ,utah1 to declare in #ahfi3 ,i fear1 and ,i regret to say it1 that with certain parties here there is a greater anxiety to connect ,brigham ,young and other ,church dignitaries with every criminal offense than dilgent endeavor to punish the actual perpetrators of crime4 ,bancroft's ,history of ,utah1 p4 #efa4 ,whitney's ,history of ,utah1 p4 #ajh1 vol4 #a4 ,mr4 ,forney was a ,gentile official and the truth of this statement can be relied upon4 ,this being the case1 ,brigham ,young and the ,mormon people could not have engaged in the crimes charged against them4 ,in connection with this let me quote from ,bancroft3 ,it is not true that ,mormons are not good citizens1 lawabiding and patriotic4 ,even when hunted down1 and robbed and butchered by the enemies to their faith1 they have not retaliated4 ,on this score they are naturally very sore4 ,when deprived of those sacred rights given to them in common with all ,american citizens1 when disfranchised1 their homes broken up1 their families scattered1 their husband and father seized1 fined and imprisoned1 they have not defended themselves by violence but have left their cause to ,god and their country4--,history of ,utah1 pp4 #cij-cib4 ,again1 ,i repeat1 that the presence in ,utah of apostates and anti-,mormons from the beginning and that there are men living in ,utah today who left the ,church in the earliest history of our ,state1 who feel as secure and are just as secure and free from molestation from their former associates as you or any other man could be1 proves the falseness of the malicious accusation that ,utah was for years a land of assassination and a field of blood4 ,,mr4 ,,evans' ,,false ,,quotations ,what shall be done with the sheep that stink the flock so8 ,we will take them1 ,i was going to say1 and cut off their tails two inches behind their ears2 however ,i will use a milder term1 and say cut off their ears4 ,your conclusion is most certainly far fetched4 ,had you continued the quotation your attempt would have appeared even more ridiculous4 ,the next sentence is3 ,but instead of doing this1 we will try to cleanse them2 and will wash them with soap2 that will come nigh taking off the skin2 we will then apply a little ,scotch snuff1 and a little tobacco1 and wash them again until we make them clean4 ,and you try to make this appear as threatening life6 ,it is apparent that your sense of humor has been sadly neglected4 ,this whole passage is humorous and you make yourself ridiculous by not having discovered it4 ,again from ,parley ,p4 ,pratt1 you quote3 ,my feelings are with those who have spoken1 decidedly and firmly so4 ,this from page #hd4 ,then you skip to page #hf and add3 ,i need not repeat their doom1 it has been told here today1 they have been faithfully warned4 ,then three paragraphs off1 the following3 ,it is too late in the day for us to stop and inquire whether such an outcast has the truth4 ,this method of proving things reminds me of the reason why you should be hanged3 ,and ,judas went out and hanged himself4 ,go thou and do likewise4 ,now let me quote some extracts from this discourse which you purposely left out4 ,sooner than be subjected to a repetition of these wrongs1 ,i for one1 would rather march out today and be shot down4 ,these are my feelings1 and have been for some time4 ,talk about liberty of conscience6 ,have not men liberty of conscience here8 ,yes4 ,the ,presbyterian1 ,methodists1 ,quakers1 etc41 have here the liberty to worship ,god in their own way1 and so has every man in the world4 ,people have the privilege of apostatizing from this ,church and worshiping devils1 snakes1 toads1 or geese1 if they please1 and only let their neighbors alone4 ,but they have not the privilege to disturb the peace1 nor to endanger life or liberty2 that is the idea4 ,if they will take that privilege1 ,i need not repeat their doom1 it has been told here today1 they have been faithfully warned4 ,again3 ,he 7,gladden ,bishop7 was disfellowshiped1 and received on his professions of repentance1 so often1 that the ,church at length refused to admit him any more as a member4 ,these apostates talk of proof4 ,have we not proved ,joseph ,smith to be a prophet1 a restorer1 standing at the head of this dispensation8 ,have we not proved the priesthood which he placed upon others by the command of ,god8 ,i see no ground1 then1 to prove or to investigate the calling of an apostate1 who has always been trying to impose upon this people4 ,it is too late in the day for us to stop and inquire whether such an outcast has the truth4 ,we have truths already developed1 unfulfilled by us--unacted upon4 ,there are more truths poured out from the eternal fountain1 already than our minds can contain1 or that we have places or preparations to carry out4 ,and yet we are called upon to prove--what8 ,whether an egg that was known to be rotten fifteen years ago1 has really improved by reason of age6 ',you are going to be destroyed1' say they4 ',destruction awaits this city4' ,well6 what if we are8 ,we are as able to be destroyed as any people living4 ,what care we whether we are destroyed or not8 ,these old tabernacles will die of themselves1 if left alone4 ,we have nothing to fear on that head1 for we are as well prepared to die as to live4 ,one thing we have heard today1 and ,i am glad to hear it4 ,we shall not be destroyed in the old way--as we have been heretofore4 ,we shall have a change in the manner1 at least4 ,we shall probably be destroyed standing1 this time1 and not in a sitting1 or lying position4 ,we can die as well as others who are not as well prepared6 ,i am glad that while we do live we shall not submit to be yoked or saddled like a dumb ass4 ,we shall not stand still to see men1 women1 and children murdered1 robbed1 plundered1 and driven any more1 as in the ,states heretofore4 ,nor does ,god require it at our hands4 ,that is the best news we have heard today4 99 99 99 ,it is the policy not to wait till you are killed1 but act on the defensive while you still live4 ,i have said enough on this subject4--pp4 #hf-hg4 ,the vicious malignancy of a depraved mind is made so apparent in this contrast between your garbled quotations and the whole truth1 that it scarcely deserves further comment4 ,i have quoted quite extensively in order to show the reason for these remarks of which you quote such brief and disjointed extracts4 ,you should remember that the ,saints had but a short time before being driven from their homes at the cannon's mouth1 and were forced to traverse a desert under the most trying circumstances to find a new abode where they could rest in peace and call their souls their own4 ,when followed1 as they were1 by a miserable class that were determined to again have them driven1 where heaven only knows1 in their might and righteous indignation they firmly took their stand for home and liberty4 ,i for one1 say that they were justified in this course1 the protection of their liberty1 honor and lives4 ,had the threats of their enemies here in ,utah been carried out as they boasted that they would be1 and as they were carried out in ,missouri and ,illinois1 then ,brigham ,young and his people would have been as thoroughly justified in unsheathing the bowie knife1 to conquer or die1 as were the patriots at ,lexington and ,bunker ,hill6 ,home and liberty and life1 with the right to worship ,god1 are just as dear to a ,mormon as to members of any other denomination or even an apostate ,mormon1 and when the ,mormons are persecuted1 driven and slain and forced to seek a home in the savage wilds1 would any honest man blame them if they declined to move again8 ,why is it worse for ,utah ,mormons to defend themselves than for ,mormons at ,crooked river and ,nauvoo8 ,even the noble ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 when dragged from home and persecuted by wicked men1 solemnly demurred4 ,said he to the ,saints at ,nauvoo on the #cjth day of ,june1 #ahdc1 after his escape from ,missourian assassins3 ,before ,i will be dragged away again among my enemies for trial1 ,i will spill the last drop of blood in my veins and will see all my enemies in hell6 ,to bear it any longer would be a sin1 and ,i will not bear it any longer4 ,shall we bear it any longer8 7one universal1 ,no6 ran through all the vast assembly like a loud peal of thunder47 99 99 99 ,if mobs come upon you any more here1 dung your gardens with them4 ,we don't want any excitement2 but after we have done all1 we will rise up ,washington-like and break off the hellish yoke that oppresses us1 and will not be mobbed6 ,i have copied this from the manuscript history of the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 as it was recorded at the time4 ,i have learned also that it is corroborated by the journal of ,wilford ,woodruff of the same date--,june #cjth1 #ahdc4 ,,utah ,,not ,a ,,field ,,of ,,blood ,you say1 ,i have read that which leads me to believe that under ,brighamism--as you slurringly remark--,utah was for years a land of assassination and a field of blood1 and then you ask me1 what of the ,mountain ,meadows massacre1--the destruction of the ,aiken party2 the dying confession of ,bishop ,j4 ,d4 ,lee2 the ,hickman butcheries2 the ,danties8 ,well1 that which you have read counts for but little when the source is considered4 ,your case is most certainly desperate when you are forced to accept the statements of murderers4 ,it's a strange thing that you and many of your elders accept all the blood-curdling tales from ,beadle1 ,stenhouse and other apostate sources when they happen to refer to ,brigham ,young and ,utah ,mormons1 and denounce the same sources when they refer to the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith4 ,yet1 ,i repeat1 the same class of charges--in many respects identical--that you charge against ,brigham ,young1 of murder1 bloodshed1 adultery1 and even ,danties1 were first made by bitter enemies of the ,church before the death of the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 and that just such falsehoods brought about the bitterness that resulted in his death4 ,you resort to sources that even the editor of your official paper denounces as ,idle and vicious stories gathered from the awful files of terrible tales told about the ,mormons1 by those at enmity with them4--,saints ,herald #eb3b4 ,if you desire to know the character of ,christ do you accept the statements of the ,roman guard at the sepulchre8 the ,jew with blood-stained hands who rejoices in his death8 and the anti-,christian8 ,wherein then1 is your consistency in asking me to accept the testimony of those whose hands are imbrued in blood1 apostates and bitter enemies of my people8 ,very well then1 ,i return your question4 ,what about them8 ,pray tell1 what about the ,mountain ,meadows massacre8 the ,aiken party8 the confessions of ,lee8 7by the way1 the fact that you call him a ,bishop proves the source of your information72 what about ,hickman and above all1 the ,danties8 ,when ,alfred ,henry ,lewis1 in ,collier's ,weekly of ,march #bf1 #aifd1 stated1 ,brigham ,young invented his destroying angels1 placed himself at their head1 and when a man rebelled had him murdered1 if one fled the fold1 he was pursued and slain1 he repeated one of the most colossal falsehoods ever uttered4 ,nor is that the only falsehood in his article you are pleased to quote4 ,brigham ,young was not a man of blood4 ,the ,mormon people were not guilty of the ,mountain ,meadows massacre4#b ,there was no destruction of an ,aiken party4 ,hickman and ,lee are not worth the mention2 and the ,danties6 ,had you not better read ,church history of #ahch8 ,in ,utah there never were destroying angels or ,danties1 except in the imagination of bitter anti-,mormons and ,i am satisfied that ,mr4 ,r4 ,c4 ,evans knows that fact4 ,,character ,,of ,,the ,,mormons ,in answer to your many charges about ,utah and the ,mormons1 ,i desire to refer to credible references from witnesses who understood the truth and were bold enough to express it4 ,last winter there was a census taken of the ,utah ,penitentiary and the ,salt ,lake ,city and county prisons with the following result3--,in ,salt ,lake ,city there are about #ge ,mormons to #be non-,mormons2 in ,salt ,lake ,county there are about #hj ,mormons to #bj non-,mormons2 yet in the city prison there were #bi convicts1 all non-,mormons4 ,in the county prison there were #f convicts all non-,mormons4 ,the jailer stated that the county convicts for the five years past were all anti-,mormons except three6 99 99 99 ,out of the #bjj saloon1 billiard1 bowling alley and pool table keepers not over a dozen even profess to be ,mormons4 ,all of the bagnios and other disreputable concerns in the territory are run and sustained by non-,mormons4 ,ninety-eight per cent of the gamblers in ,utah are of the same element4 99 99 99 ,of the #bej towns and villages in ,utah1 over #bjj have no gaudy sepulchre of departed virtue1 and these two hundred and odd towns are almost exclusively ,mormon in population4 ,of the suicides committed in ,utah ninety odd per cent are non-,mormons1 and of the ,utah homicides and infanticides over #hj per cent are perpetrated by the #ag per cent of outsiders4--,phil ,robinson1 in ,sinners and ,saints1 p4 #gb4 ,the ,logan police force is a good-tempered looking young man4 ,there is another to help him1 but if they had not something else to do they would either have to keep arresting each other1 in order to pass the time1 or else combine to hunt gophers and chipmunks4--,sinners and ,saints1 p4 #adb4 ,whence have the public derived their opinions about ,mormonism8 ,from anti-,mormons only4 ,i have ransacked the literature of the subject1 and yet ,i really could not tell any one where to go for an impartial book about ,mormonism1 later in date than ,burton's ,city of the ,saints1 published in #ahfb4 99 99 99 ,but put ,burton on one side and ,i think ,i can defy any one to name another book about the ,mormons worthy of honest respect4 ,from that truly awful book1 ,the ,history of the ,saints1 published by one ,bennet 7even an anti-,mormon has styled him the greatest rascal that ever came to the west7 in #ahdb1 down to ,stenhouse's in #ahgc1 there is not1 to my knowledge a single ,gentile work before the public that is not utterly unreliable from distortion of facts4 ,yet it is from these books--for there are no others--that the ,american public has acquired nearly all its ideas about the people of ,utah4--,sinners and ,saints1 p4 #bde4 ,and in relation to opposing evidence1 almost every book that has been put forth respecting the people of ,utah by one not a ,mormon1 is full of calumny1 each author apparently endeavoring to surpass his predecessor in the libertinism of abuse4 ,most of these are written in a sensational style1 and for the purpose of deriving profit by pandering to a vitiated public taste1 and are wholly unreliable as to facts4--,bancroft's ,history of ,utah1 preface page #g4 ,it is only fair to state that no ,gentile1 even the unprejudiced1 who are rare aves1 however long he may live or intimately he may be connected with ,mormons1 can expect to see anything but the superficies4 99 99 99 ,the ,mormons have been represented1 and are generally believed to be1 an intolerant race4 ,i found the reverse far nearer the fact4 ,the best proof of this is that there is hardly one anti-,mormon publication1 however untruthful1 violent1 or scandalous1 which ,i did not find in ,great ,salt ,lake ,city4--,burton's ,city of the ,saints1 p4 #bjc4 ,i have not yet heard the single charge against them as a community1 against their habitual purity of life1 their integrity of dealing1 their toleration of religious differences in opinion1 their regard for the laws1 or their devotion to the ,constitutional government under which we live1 that ,i do not from my own observation1 or the testimony of others know to be unfounded4--,general ,thomas ,l4 ,kane1 ,u4 ,s4 ,a41 ,the ,mormons1 p4 #hc4 ,the ,mormons are sober1 industrious and thrifty4--,bishop ,spaulding1 of the ,episcopalian ,church1 in the ,forum1 ,march1 #ahhg4 ,had the ,mormons been a low1 corrupt or shiftless people they never would or could have done what they did in ,utah4 99 99 99 ,when they controlled their own city of ,salt ,lake it contained no saloons1 gambling houses or places of ill repute1 and when the town had grown to be a goodly city order was kept by two constables4 ,if by their fruits we may know them1 the ,mormons deserve our confidence and praise4--,the ,brooklyn ,eagle1 editorial of ,aug4 #ab1 #ahig4 ,i shall not arraign the ,mormon people as wanting in comparison with other people in religious devotion1 virtue1 honesty1 sobriety1 industry1 and the graces and qualities that adorn1 beautify and bless life4--,caleb ,w4 ,west1 ,governor of ,utah 7and a strong anti-,mormon7 in report to ,secretary of the ,interior for #ahhh4 ,i know the people of the east have judged the ,mormons unjustly4 ,they have many traits worthy of admiration4 ,i know them to be honest1 faithful1 prayerful workers4--,d4 ,s4 ,tuttle1 ,bishop ,episcopalian ,church4 ,i never met a people so free from sensualism and immorality of every kind as the ,mormons are4 ,their habits of life are a thousand per cent superior to those who denounce them so bitterly4--,mrs4 ,olive ,n4 ,robinson4 7,i recommend this to you47 ,i assure you there are many others of equal force but this should be sufficient to prove the scandalous effusions false that you profess to believe true4 ,,gagging ,,at ,a ,,knat ,i am glad you profess to believe the ,bible4 ,there is one other thing which appears strange to me1 that is1 why you are continually denouncing ,brigham ,young and ,utah ,mormonism1 and calling ,utah a land of assassination and a field of blood1 because vile men without conscientious scruples have accused the people of many false and lurid tales of blood1 and at the same time with sanctimonious countenance and upturned eyes you swallow the following without a gulp3 ,thus saith the ,lord of hosts4 99 99 99 ,now go up and smite ,amalek1 and utterly destroy all that they have1 and spare them not2 but slay both man and woman1 infant and suckling1 ox and sheep1 camel and ass4 ,i ,samuel #ae3c 7,i4 ,t47 ,haven't you swallowed the camel and gagged at his tail8 ,,the ,,doctrine ,,of ,,blood ,,atonement ,just a word or two now1 on the subject of blood atonement4 ,what is that doctrine8 ,unadulterated if you please1 laying aside the pernicious insinuations and lying charges that have so often been made4 ,it is simply this3 ,through the atonement of ,christ all mankind may be saved1 by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the ,gospel4 ,this salvation is two-fold2 ,general1--that which comes to all men irrespective of a belief in ,christ--and ,individual1--that which man merits through his own acts through life and by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the ,gospel4 ,but man may commit certain grievous sins--according to his light and knowledge--that will place him beyond the reach of the atoning blood of ,christ4 ,if then he would be saved he must make sacrifice of his own life to atone--so far as in his power lies--for that sin1 for the blood of ,christ alone under certain circumstances will not avail4 ,do you believe this doctrine8 ,if not1 then ,i do say you do not believe in the true doctrine of the atonement of ,christ6 ,this is the doctrine you are pleased to call the blood atonement of ,brighamism4 ,this is the doctrine of ,christ our ,redeemer1 who died for us4 ,this is the doctrine of ,joseph ,smith1 and ,i accept it4 ,in whose stead did ,christ die8 ,i wish your church members could be fair enough to discuss this subject on its merits4 ,i again recommend you to a careful reading of the quotations in my open letter4 ,you will find them as follows3 ,book of ,mormon1--,,ii ,nephi #i3ce4 ,alma #a3ac1 #ad1 and #db3ai4 ,bible1--,genesis #i3ab1 #ac1 7,i4 ,t47 ,luke #aa3ej4 ,hebrews #i3bb and #aj3bf-bi4 ,i ,john #c3ae and #e3af4 ,doctrine and ,covenants1--#hg3g4 #aja3hj4 #db3ah1 #ai1 #gi4 7,utah edition47 ,to these ,i will add3 ,whoso killeth any person1 the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses2 but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die4 ,moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer1 which is guilty of death2 but he shall be surely put to death4 ,so ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are2 for blood it defileth the land2 and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein1 but by the blood of him that shed it4--,numbers #ce3cj1 #ca1 #cc4 7,i4 ,t47#c ,do you want a few references of where men were righteously slain to atone for their sins8 ,what about the death of ,nehor8 7,alma #a3ae7 ,zemnariah and his followers 7,,iii ,nephi #d3bg-bh74 ,what about ,er and ,onan1 whom the ,lord slew8 7,gen4 #ch3g1 #aj71 of ,nadab and ,abihu8 7,lev4 #aj3b7 and the death of ,achan8 7,joshua #g3be47 ,were not these righteously slain to atone for their sins8 ,and it was of this class of cases that ,president ,young referred in his discourse you misquote 7,journal of ,discourses #d3bbj74 ,he tells us so1 in the same discourse in the portion which you did not quote4 ,it is3 ,now take the wicked1 and ,i can refer you to where the ,lord had to slay every soul of the ,israelites that went out of ,egypt except ,caleb and ,joshua4 ,he slew them by the hand of their enemies1 by the plague and by the sword4 ,why8 ,because he loved them and promised ,abraham he would save them4 ,,polygamy ,in using the term polygamy in reference to the principle that was taught and practiced by the ,saints1 ,i desire it distinctly understood that ,i use it in the sense of a man having more than one wife4 ,polygamy1 in the sense of plurality of husbands and of wives never was practiced in the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints in ,utah or elsewhere2 but ,celestial marriage--including a plurality of wives--was introduced by the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith and was practiced more generally by the saints under the administration of ,president ,brigham ,young4 ,you say that you have no evidence that those men1 viz4 ,lyman ,wight1 ,james ,j4 ,strang1 ,gladden ,bishop1 ,william ,smith and others that ,i mentioned to you practiced polygamy before plural marriage was introduced 7as claimed by you7 by ,brigham ,young4 ,you said polygamy was introduced eight years after the ,prophet's death by ,brigham ,young4 ,if so1 then why did these men practice it before that time8 ,i was satisfied that you would not exert yourself in seeking for this knowledge and tried to help you find the information4 ,,polygamy ,,in ,,the ,,factions ,in a letter written by the ,president of the ,reorganized church by ,mr4 ,joseph ,davis of ,wales1 dated ,lamonia1 ,oct4 #ac1 #ahii1 ,i read3 ,nearly all the factions into which the church broke had plural marriage in some form4 ,none in the form instituted by ,president ,young4 ,sidney ,rigdon had one form practiced by but a few1 and that spasmodically1 as an outburst of religious fervor rather than as a settled practice4 ,william ,smith had a sort of ,priestess ,lodge1 in which it was alleged there was a manifestation of licentiousness4 ,this he denied1 and ,i never had actual proof of it4 ,gladden ,bishop taught something like it1 but ,i believe he was himself the only practioner4 ,james ,j4 ,strang had a system something like ,mohamet1 four ,i think1 being allowed the king4 ,lyman ,wight had a system but it had no very extended range4 ,president ,young's system you may know of4 ,it is true that ,william ,smith denied that he taught polygamy but that he practiced plural marriage he cannot deny4 ,jason ,w4 ,briggs said he 7,william7 did1 and that is why ,mr4 ,briggs left his church4 ,plaintiff's ,abstract1 ,temple ,lot suit1 p4 #cie4 ,hist4 of ,reorg4 ,ch4 vol4 #c3bjj and ,the ,messenger1 vol4 #b4 ,william entered into plural marriage in the ,prophet's day and his wives lived here in ,utah4 ,they are ,precilla ,m4 ,smith1 ,sarah ,libby and ,hannah ,libby4 ,one of these is still living4 ,the third volume of your church history says of ,lyman ,wight3 ,lyman ,wight lived and died an honorable man1 respected well by those who knew him best4 ,the only thing that can be urged against his character is that about #ahde or #ahdf he entered into the practice of polygamy1 but we have seen no record of any teaching of his upon the subject4 ,the fact is that ,lyman ,wight entered into that relation before the time here mentioned4 ,affidavits in this regard can be produced but it will be unnecessary4 ,that ,john ,e4 ,page practiced polygamy ,i have the testimony of his wife1 ,mrs4 ,mary ,eaton of ,independence1 who told me and others1 in ,august #aijd1 that she gave her husband1 ,john ,e4 ,page1 other wives4 ,these men did not follow ,brigham ,young1 but denounced him1 yet they practiced plural marriage and did not get that doctrine from him4 ,,the ,,testimony ,,of ,a ,,bogus ,,wife ,the testimony you submit from ,president ,young's legal wife is spurious4 ,it matters not if you did receive the information from your uncle4 ,the poor man was tricked and deceived4 ,bogus wives and daughters of ,president ,young have worked the public before4 ,mary ,ann ,angel ,young1 ,president ,young's legal wife1 was not in ,colorado in #ahfj and #ahfa4 ,she never was divorced and died in this city true to her husband1 his family and the faith1 on the #bgth day of ,june1 #ahhb4 7,news1 ,july #e1 #ahhb47 ,so much for this bogus testimony4 ,,testimony ,,impeached ,the testimony of ,t4 ,b4 ,h4 and ,fanny ,stenhouse is sufficiently impeached in the ,saints' ,herald1 vol4 #eb1 p4 #b2 #bj1 p4 #fjb1 and ,sinners and ,saints1 p4 #bde4 ,the woman's bitterness would condemn her writings4 ,however ,i will mention one statement--you make ,mrs4 ,stenhouse say3 ,it is reported by ,fanny ,stenhouse and many others1 that ,joseph ,smith said1 ',if ever the ,church had the misfortune to be led by ,bro4 ,brigham1 he would lead it to hell4' ,she gives this as a rumor that is reported1 so do the many others who are mostly from your church4 ,oh1 yes1 ,i have heard of this before4 ,but do you know where the report originated8 ,it originated with the apostate and would-be assassin1 ,robert ,d4 ,foster1 who threatened the ,prophet ,joseph's life in #ahdd1 and who was one of the incorporators and advocates of the notorious ,nauvoo ,expositor1 and one of the chief actors in bringing about the martyrdom1 ,june #bg1 #ahdd4 ,in a toadying letter to your president1 dated ,february #ad1 #ahgd1 he said the prophet remarked1 in the presence of ,mr4 ,law1 ,bishop ,knight1 ,john ,p4 ,greene1 ,reynolds ,cahoon1 and some others1 that if ever ,brigham ,young became the leader of the ,church1 he would lead them down to hell4 ,,marvelous ,,growth ,,of ,,the ,,church ,i decline to accept the statements of such a character2 besides1 ,president ,young did not lead the ,church to hell1 but preserved it1 and under his direction it grew1 expanded1 and accomplished a wonderful1 even a miraculous work4 ,in the reclamation of the arid west1 the permanent establishment of prosperous communities in the desert wilds1 and for their unity1 strength1 and industrial and temporal independence1 the ,mormon people are today the marvel1 if not the admiration of the thinking world4 ,they came here with nothing but the good will of ,god4 ,they began in poverty1 and having almost nothing to invest1 says ,mr4 ,william ,e4 ,symthe in ,the ,conquest of ,arid ,america1 except the labor of their hands and brains1 and that all they have expended in a period of fifty years for all classes of improvements--from the first shanty to the last turret of the last temple--came primarily from the soil4 ,again he says in the same work3 ,,testimony ,,of ,,mr4 ,,smythe ,nowhere else has the common prosperity been reared upon firmer foundations4 ,nowhere else are institutions more firmly buttressed or better capable of resisting violent economic revolutions4 ,the thunder cloud that passed over the land in #ahic1 leaving a path of commercial ruin from the ,atlantic to the ,pacific1 was powerless to close the door of a single ,mormon store1 factory or bank4 ,strong in prosperity1 the co-operative industrial and commercial system stood immovable in the hour of widespread disaster4 ,the solvency of these industries is scarcely more striking than the solvency of the farmers from whom they draw their strength4 ,no other governor1 either in the ,west or in the ,east1 is able to say what the ,honorable ,heber ,m4 ,wells said in assuming the chief magistracy of the new state in ,january1 #ahif1 ,we have in ,utah1 said the young governor4 #ai1haf farms1 and #ag1ehd of them are absolutely free from incumbrance4 ,a higher percentage in school attendance and lower percentage of illiterates than even in the ,state of ,massachusetts1 is another of ,utah's proud records4 ,p4 #ga4 ,,the ,,guidance ,,of ,,jehovah ,without the divine guidance and the constant watchcare of ,jehovah over the destinies of the ,mormon pioneers1 with ,brigham ,young at their head1 the ,west today would be but a barren wilderness4 ,under the leadership of ,brigham ,young the ,mormon people prospered1 and he left them in a better condition temporally and physically1 and spiritually more united and more firmly established in the faith than they ever were before4 ,where among the so-called factions can you point to one that has accomplished the hundredth part of what the followers of ,brigham ,young have accomplished8 ,they have all practically disappeared but one--gone to their destruction4 ,and the one that remains will dissolve and disappear as surely as the sun shines4 ,you cannot fight the work of ,god and prosper4 ,,william ,,marks ,the testimony of ,william ,marks--a man who was out of harmony with the ,prophet before the latter's death6 ,this testimony of ,william ,marks sounds too suspicious1 given as it was1 when it was1 and describing an alleged conversation which never could have taken place4 ,the reader will please notice1 said ,david ,whitmer in his ,address 7p4 #da71 this fact in regard to ,william ,marks' statement2 and that is1 the time when ,brother ,joseph told him that polygamy must be put down in the ,church4 ,that time was a few days before the ,prophet's death4 ,true1 the ,prophet was no fool 7,herald #ea3gd71 and such a conversation as this related by ,william ,marks would have stamped him foolish1 irrational and a moral suicide1 because he could not bring a charge against others for that for which he was himself responsible4 ,the ,prophet had plural wives1 and had officiated in the ceremony of the sealing of plural wives to others4 ,i have conversed with the principals in these cases1 and know that they told the truth4 ,furthermore1 ,mr4 ,marks' testimony condemns itself4 ,he proves--if he proves anything at all--that the ,prophet was responsible for this doctrine4 ,this thought is in harmony with the early teachings of the original elders of the ,reorganization1 for the time was when even your elders acknowledged that the ,prophet received the revelation on celestial 7including plural7 marriage4 ,on this point ,david ,whitmer says3 ,as time rolled on1 many of the ,reorganization saw that to continue to acknowledge that ,brother ,joseph received the revelation would bring bitter persecution upon themselves1 as the public feeling at that time was very bitter4 99 99 99 ,the leaders of the ,reorganized church1 after a time1 began to suppress their opinions concerning this matter4 ,they would answer the question when asked about it ,i do not know whether ,joseph ,smith received the revelation or not4 ,,the ,,saints' ,,herald ,a ,,witness ,,of ,,polygamy ,now1 if it is true--and ,i claim it is--that the leaders of the ,reorganized church acknowledged that the ,prophet received the revelation and practiced that principle1 there must be some proof4 ,turn to the first volume of the ,true ,l4,d4,s4 ,herald and read the editorial on pages #f to #aa4 ,it is on polygamy4 ,after trying to explain the reason why the ,prophet taught and practiced this doctrine1 the editor said3 ,and if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing1 ,i1 the ,lord1 have deceived the prophet1 and ,i will stretch out my hand upon him and will destroy him from the midst of my people ,israel4 99 99 99 ,we have here the facts as they have transpired and as they will continue to transpire in relation to this subject4 ,the death of the prophet is one fact that has been realized1 although he abhorred and repented of this iniquity before his death4 ,page #i4 ,and on page #bg3 ,he 7,joseph ,smith7 caused the ,revelation to be burned1 and when he voluntarily came to ,nauvoo and resigned himself into the arms of his enemies1 he said that he was going to ,carthage to die4 ,at that time he also said that if it had not been for that accursed spiritual wife doctrine1 he would not have come to that4 ,by his conduct at that time he proved the sincerity of his repentance1 and of his profession as a prophet4 ,if ,abraham#d and ,jacob1 by repentance1 can obtain salvation and exaltation1 so can ,joseph ,smith4 ,mark you1 we have the evidence of the revelation from your own side and you well remember that but one could and did receive revelations4 ,i do not accept the apology of your editor2 ,i do not believe that the ,prophet had the revelation burned1 or called the doctrine accursed4 ,my faith in ,joseph ,smith is such that if he had the revelation--which your witnesses declare he did--that it was from ,god as much as any other revelation he received6 ,,testimony ,,of ,,jason ,,briggs ,jason ,w4 ,briggs1 one of the founders of your church1 in the ,temple ,lot suit1 said3 ,i heard something about a revelation on polygamy1 or plural marriage1 when ,i was in ,nauvoo1 in #ahdb4 ,i heard there was one3 there was talk going on about it at that time1 and continued to be2 but it was not called plural marriage2 it was called sealing4 ,you ask me what ,i understood this sealing to be1 at the time the talk was going on4 ,what ,i understood it to be was sealing a woman to a man to be his wife1 to be his wife hereafter1 his wife in the spirit world4 ,i was asked in my direct examination if ,i did not hear of the doctrine of polygamy1 etc41 and ,i answered that ,i talked with members with reference to sealing1 and ,i understood that the doctrine of sealing1 was for eternity2 it was sealing a man's wife to him for eternity1 or wives1 either4 ,record pp4 #cdi1 #dca1 #eje4 ,,testimony ,,of ,,james ,,whitehead ,james ,whitehead said3 ,there was an ordinance in the ,church for sealing1 as early as #ahdb or #ahdc4 ,they would be married according to the law of ,god1 not only for time but for eternity as well4 ,these men were among the founders of your church4 ,,sidney ,,rigdon',s ,,testimony ,sidney ,rigdon1 in a lengthy letter to his official paper1 ,the ,messenger and ,advocate1 in #ahde declared that the ,prophet was responsible for the plural marriage doctrine1 and said3 ,this system was introduced by the ,smiths some time before their death1 and was the thing which put them in the power of their enemies1 and was the immediate cause of their death4 ,p4 #dge1 vol4 #b4 ,he says he warned ,joseph ,smith and his family1 and told them that destruction would come upon them if they continued in their course4 ,,original ,,records ,,of ,,plurality ,,of ,,wives ,you confidently affirm that there is not a single word in a single sermon1 lecture1 statement1 newspaper or ,church publication printed during the life of ,joseph ,smith1 wherein he by word has endorsed the doctrine of plurality of wives1 not a single statement4 ,whether any such statement was ever printed in his lifetime or not ,i am not prepared to say4 ,but ,i do know of such evidence being recorded during his lifetime1 for ,i have seen it4 ,i have copied the following from the ,prophet's manuscript record of ,oct4 #e1 #ahdc1 and know it is genuine3 ,gave instructions to try those persons who were preaching1 teaching or practicing the doctrine of plurality of wives2 for according to the law1 ,i hold the keys of this power in the last days2 for there is never but one on earth at a time on whom this power and its keys are conferred2 and ,i have constantly said no man shall have but one wife at a time unless the ,lord directs otherwise4 ,there is also at the ,historian's office in this city1 a ,bible1 which ,i have before me1 containing the record of the marriage of ,melissa ,lott to the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 which was recorded at the time1 ,september #bj1 #ahdc4 ,this ,bible also contains the record of the sealing of ,cornelius ,p4 and ,parmelia ,lott1 parents of ,melissa1 which was done by ,patriarch ,hyrum ,smith in the ,prophet's presence and with his seal or sanction4 ,the president of your church has seen this record1 and it matters not what he may say now he then acknowledged the genuineness of the record4 ,the following is also copied from the journal of ,william ,clayton which is in the ,historian's office3 ,may #ast1 7#ahdc7 ,a4,m4 ,at the ,temple4 ,at #aj married ,joseph to ,lucy ,walker4 ,p4,m4 at ,prest4 ,joseph's2 he has gone out with ,woodsworth4 ,this is the same ,william ,clayton who wrote the revelation at the direction and from the dictation of the ,prophet ,july #ab1 #ahdc4 ,however1 this principle was first revealed to the ,prophet several years before that time1 as you learned in your conversation with ,president ,lorenzo ,snow1 when you were in his office4 ,,more ,,evidence ,,considered ,right here we will consider the evidence you produce to show that ,joseph ,smith and the ,church during his lifetime condemned polygamy in the strongest terms4 ,the testimony of the thirty-one witnesses you produce was against the secret wife system of the vile ,john ,c4 ,bennett who was excommunicated for betraying female virtue4 ,this ,bennett system had nothing to do with the system of celestial marriage introduced by the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 and was no more like the ,prophet's doctrine than darkness is like daylight4 ,the certificate of these parties that you mention was given in ,october #ahdb 7,t4 ,s4 #c3ici71 nearly one year before the revelation on celestial marriage was recorded4 ,at that time the law of marriage in the ,church was that adopted in #ahce1 and was binding on all who had accepted the higher law1 and they were few in number4#e ,the best proof that these witnesses did not condemn the celestial marriage doctrine of the prophet in this communication1 is that out of the thirty-one1 at least sixteen have testified that the ,prophet introduced that system4 ,one of this number of witnesses became the ,prophet's wife1 one performed a marriage ceremony in which the ,prophet was married to a plural wife1 and one other was a witness to such a marriage ceremony4 ,at least six testify that the ,prophet taught them the principle of plural marriage and the others1 so far as ,i know1 are not on record4 ,that these witnesses were the dupes of ,brigham ,young cannot truthfully be said1 for three of them left the ,church and never followed ,brigham ,young1 yet they testify of these things4 ,the action of ,joseph and ,hyrum ,smith1 as recorded in the ,times and ,seasons 7#e3c71 wherein ,hyrum ,brown was cut off the ,church for preaching polygamy and other false doctrines1 was just and timely4 ,the same action would have been taken at any other period of the existence of the ,church4 ,polygamy never was a doctrine of the ,church1 and the system introduced by the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith was not called by that name in his day4 ,nor was the system of the ,prophet the same as that of ,hyrum ,brown2 and if it had been1 the ruling of the ,prophet of ,october #e1 #ahdc1 would have cost ,brown his standing in the ,church1 the polygamy of ,brown and ,john ,c4 ,bennett was of their own make4 ,in relation to this subject1 ,i will quote from the ,life of ,john ,taylor1 pages #bbc-bbd3 ,the polygamy and gross sensuality charged by ,bennett and repeated by those ministers in ,france1 had no resemblance to celestial or patriarchal marriage which ,elder ,taylor knew existed at ,nauvoo1 and which he had obeyed4 ,hence in denying the false charges of ,bennett1 he did not deny the existence of that system of marriage that ,god had revealed2 no more than a man would be guilty of denying the legal1 genuine currency of the country by denying the genuineness and denouncing what he knew to be a mere counterfeit of it4 ,another illustration3 ,jesus took ,peter1 ,james and ,john into the mountain1 and there met with ,moses and ,elias1 and the glory of ,god shone about them1 and these two angels talked with ,jesus1 and the voice of ,god was heard proclaiming ,him to be the ,son of ,god4 ,after the glorious vision1 as ,jesus and ,his companions were descending the mountain1 the former said3 ,tell the vision to no man1 until the ,son of ,man be risen from the dead4 ,suppose one of these apostles had turned from the truth before the ,son of ,man was risen from the dead and under the influence of wicked1 lying spirit1 should charge that ,jesus and some of his favorite apostles went up into a mountain1 and there met ,moses and ,elias1--or some persons pretending to represent them--together with a group of voluptuos courtesans1 with whom they spent the day in licentious pleasure4 ,if the other apostles denounced that as an infamous falsehood1 would they be untruthful8 ,no2 they would not4 ,or would they be under any obligations when denying the falsehoods of the apostate to break the commandments the ,lord had given them by relating just what had happened in the mountain8 ,no2 it would have been a breach of the ,master's strict commandment for them to do that4 ,so with ,elder ,taylor4 ,while he was perfectly right and truthful in denying the infamous charges repeated by his oponents1 he was under no obligation and had no right to announce to the world1 at that time the doctrine of celestial marriage4 ,it was not the law of the ,church1 or even the law of the ,priesthood of the ,church2 the body thereof at the time knew little or nothing of it1 though it had been revealed to the ,prophet and made known to some of his most trusted followers4 ,but today1 now that the revelation on celestial marriage is published to the world1 if the slanderous charges contained in the writings of ,john ,c4 ,bennett should be repeated1 every ,elder in the ,church could truthfully and consistently do just what ,elder ,taylor did in ,france--he could deny their existence4 ,,that ,,utah ,,visit ,after receiving your letter1 ,i requested of my father that he give me a written statement in answer to your charge that he discussed the doctrine of polygamy with you1 and received the following3 ,joseph ,f4 ,smith1 ,jr4 ,dear ,son3--,you have submitted to me some statements made by ,mr4 ,r4 ,c4 ,evans of the ,reorganized church1 and desire to know what ,i have to say about them4 ,he says3 ,if your father denies that he and ,i discussed the doctrine of polygamy1 all ,i have to say about it is1 that what he states is untrue4 ,perhaps ,i could dismiss this statement precisely in the same way he has4 ,i could certainly do so far more truthfully4 ,he and ,i did not discuss the doctrine of polygamy at all4 ,it is true ,i did introduce him to ,president ,lorenzo ,snow1 to ,aunt ,lucy ,w4 ,smith1 to ,aunt ,catherine ,p4 ,smith1 to ,heber ,j4 ,grant and a few others4 ,whatever discussion he had on the doctrine of polygamy may have been with these parties1 but not with me4 ,while in my company he was my guest by introduction from my cousin ,joseph ,smith1 president of the ,reorganized church1 and ,i carefully avoided any discussion with him upon any and all differences of opinion which existed between us1 the discussion of which could only have resulted in ill feeling and perhaps extreme bitterness4 ,i treated him as any gentleman should treat another1 not as an antagonist but as a stranger within my gates1 indeed1 as my guest2 and when we parted it was with mutual good feelings and interchange of kindly wishes1 without the slightest breath or suspicion of unpleasantness1 which must have existed had we indulged in a discussion of the doctrine of polygamy1 or any other points of difference4 ,aunt ,catherine ,p4 ,smith was making us a short visit at the time1 and ,i introduced her to ,mr4 ,evans as the wife of my father1 ,hyrum ,smith4 ,they had some conversation1 in which ,i took no part1 and to the best of my recollection he drew out from her the fact that she was married to ,hyrum ,smith1 by ,joseph ,smith the ,prophet1 in ,august #ahdc1 in the brick office of ,hyrum ,smith1 at ,nauvoo1 in the presence of her mother1 ,sarah ,godshall ,phillips1 ,mrs4 ,julia ,stone and her daughter ,hettie4 ,mr4 ,evans attempted to cross-question her on her statement1 but she stoutly and unequivocally affirmed the truth of what she had said4 ,mrs4 ,lizzie ,wilcox1 your mother and two or three other members of the family were present and heard what was said4 ,with reference to ,mr4 ,evans' alleged interview with ,aunt ,lucy ,w4 ,smith at the ,theatre1 ,i need only say ,i occupied a seat adjoining them1 and heard the conversation between them1 and ,i have not the slightest recollection of the statement he has made about that interview4 ,the strong point which he attempts to make is the fact that ,lucy was married to the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 on ,may #a1 #ahdc1 while the revelation on plural marriage was dated ,july #ab1 #ahdc1 and her consequent embarrassment1 was far-fetched2 for no one knew better than she did that the revelation was given as far back as #ahcd1 and was first reduced to writing in #ahdc4 ,and on one could have been better prepared to state that fact than ,aunt ,lucy ,w4 ,smith4 ,there could not be1 therefore1 any cause for embarrassment on her part on that score1 and ,i apprehend she would have been one of the last persons to sit silent and confused under such an implied impeachment4 ,that she bore testimony to the good character of ,aunt ,emma ,smith with reference to other matters than plural marriage is true2 but not to her conduct toward that principle4 ,aunt ,lucy is still living1 and sound mentally and physically4 ,she can1 and no doubt will1 fully clear away any sophistry and falsehood of ,mr4 ,evans' statement of the alleged interview4 ,referring to the interview with ,president ,snow1 ,mr4 ,evans says3 ,lorenzo ,snow did testify to me as stated4 ,but then and there1 in the presence of ,joseph ,f4 ,smith and ,george ,q4 ,cannon1 ,i showed his testimony to be false by his own evidence when given under oath1 and his sister's statement signed in #ahdb4 ,at this1 ,snow1 ,cannon and ,smith were much annoyed4 ,so much for your father's statement1 which says 'you did not say one word to him in relation to polygamy4' ,the fact is1 ,president ,snow gave ,mr4 ,evans1 in my presence and hearing1 a plain1 simple narration of the instructions he received from ,joseph ,smith in regard to the doctrine of plural marriage1 including almost word for word the statement he had previously made under oath1 and testified that ,joseph informed him that his sister ,eliza ,r4 ,snow had been sealed to him as his wife4 ,this much and more in this line ,i distinctly heard and as distinctly remember1 but ,i did not hear the alleged arraignment of ,president ,snow's testimony by ,mr4 ,evans1 nor did ,i witness or experience any annoyance on the part of myself or anyone present because of the said arraignment4 ,indeed1 ,i am prepared to affirm that ,mr4 ,evans did not then and there in my presence and that of ,geo4 ,q4 ,cannon1 nor in the presence of any one there1 show his 7,snow's7 testimony to be false1 either by his own evidence when given under oath1 or by his sister's statement signed in #ahdb1 or at any other time4 ,i am here constrained to say that ,mr4 ,evans was treated by ,president ,snow1 as also by ,president ,george ,q4 ,cannon and myself1 in the most courteous and respectful manner1 and so far as ,i observed his demeanor towards us was reciprocal and gentlemanly--and not one word was said to him by anyone nor by him to anyone in my presence that was in any degree discourteous1 contentious or embarrassing4 ,i conclude1 therefore1 that the foregoing statements made by ,mr4 ,evans1 were after thoughts uttered by him with a view to misrepresent the truth and the facts1 on the lines of the bitter and relentless opposition of himself and associates to the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints in general1 and the doctrine of plural marriage in particular1 as revealed1 taught and practiced by ,joseph ,smith himself1 from whom ,brigham ,young and many others received it4 ,on these matters they are so surcharged with animus that they will not receive1 admit1 or tell the truth4 ,with reference to ,mr4 ,evans' allusion to my first wife ,i will simply say3 ,she was most intimately acquainted from her childhood with the young lady who became my second wife1 and it was with their full knowledge and consent that ,i entered into plural marriage1 my first wife being present as a witness when ,i took my second wife1 and freely gave her consent thereto4 ,our associations as a family were pleasant and harmonious4 ,it was not until long after the second marriage that my first wife was drawn away from us1 not on account of domestic troubles1 but for other causes which ,i do not care to mention4 ,in eight years of wedded life we had no children4 ,she constantly complained of ill health and was as constantly under a doctor's care4 ,she concluded to go to ,california for her health and before going procured a separation4 ,this all occurred previous to #ahfg4 ,on ,march #a1 #ahfh ,i married ,sarah ,e4 ,richards1 and ,january #a1 #ahgj1 ,i married ,edna ,lambson1 from one to three years after my first wife separated from me1 and had become a resident of ,california4 ,she subsequently returned to ,utah and later went to ,st4 ,louis where she died4 ,your self-exaltation in classing yourself with ,jacob is most stupendous1 to say the least4 ,he was above accepting idle rumors1 from such sources as those given by the writer of the article of ,collier's which you quote1 and which are false4 ,jacob was no aspersor4 ,aunt ,catherine ,phillips ,smith also declares that she did testify to you in regard to her marriage and that you questioned her quite closely4 ,my mother declares the same for she was present at the conversation4 ,presidents ,snow and ,cannon are not here to speak in their defense1 but ,i am satisfied that they would bear witness to the foregoing letter4 ,aunt ,lucy may testify for herself4 ,,testimony ,,of ,,lucy ,w4 ,,smith ,the day ,i received a copy of the ,ensign containing your discourse from which you give extracts in your reply1 in relation to your conversation with ,aunt ,lucy ,w4 ,smith1 ,i sent her a copy of your remarks with the request that she tell me if you had correctly reported her testimony4 ,in the course of a few days ,i received this3 ,my ,dear ,boy3 ,i very much regret not feeling able to answer your request at an earlier date4 ,i am1 however1 much improved in health since coming to ,logan1 and take pleasure in declaring to you that the infamous discourse delivered #afth ,feb4 #aije 7the date of the ,ensign7 at ,st4 ,louis1 ,missouri1 by ,mr4 ,evans1 is a fabrication of falsehoods and misrepresentations4 ,i confess that ,i was not only surprised1 but shocked beyond measure4 ,now one of the presidency of the ,reorganized church1 just think of it6 ,and at the time he came to ,salt ,lake ,city three years ago1 he claimed to be one of young ,joseph's apostles2 came with a letter of introduction from cousin ,joseph to his cousin ,joseph ,f41 saying that any courtesy shown him would be appreciated4 ,accordingly1 ,mr4 ,evans was shown every consideration4 ,he accepted the generous hospitality of our ,president and his model family4 ,having expressed a desire to meet ,mrs4 ,lucy ,w4 ,kimball1 who was engaged that afternoon1 arrangements were made to meet at the theatre1 as he had to leave next day4 ,he asked me many questions which ,i answered frankly--some very offensive hearsay questions that aroused my indignation1 but ,i bore the ordeal as a martyr should4 ,and from this opportunity sprang the wonderful discourse of wicked falsehood and malicious misrepresentation4 ,o1 shame6 ,where canst thou hide thy brazen face6 ,how dare he resort to such infamy unless to satiate a morbid desire for notoriety among sensation-mongers1 who seek not for light or truth6 ,if so he only gratified the cravings of the basest and lowest caste4 ,i cannot believe that the once highly and beloved ,emma who was so loyal and true to her husband in all the early trials and hardships to which he was subject1 when in chains and bondage1 when he was dragged from his bed1 tarred and feathered1 imprisoned and mocked and scoffed at1 ridiculed and abused1 and his life threatened by infuriated mobs and she stood by him and comforted him in all of his afflictions--,i cannot believe after enduring all this for his sake1 that ,emma ,smith ever denied seeing the revelation on celestial marriage after receiving it in good faith and accepting it as a command from ,god1 knowing as ,i do1 that she taught it to ,eliza and ,emily ,partridge1 ,maria and ,sarah ,lawrence1 and urged them to accept it by being sealed to her husband4 ,she treated them kindly and considerately and knew they were associated with him as his wives4 ,she was then a happy woman1 until the tempter came in human form1 and she partook of the apostate spirit so rife in those days4 ,she could not deny these facts without sinning against her husband1 sinning against his wives1 against the truth1 and against her ,god6 ,if her son insists that this denial was her last testimony he fastens a stigma on her once noble character in the estimation of her former friends and associates1 who were familiar with the facts of the period referred to4 ,this misguided son1 young and without experience1 was surrounded by his father's most wicked enemies who had betrayed his father1 and had been instrumental in taking his life2 and who1 after they had accomplished this foul act1 through sinister policies1 determined to destroy the work his father was commanded to do1 and had laid a permanent foundation on which to build up his church--the ,church of ,christ4 ,they sought to influence his son against the teachings of his father1 call him forth as a leader with promises of success1 and good backing4 ,poor boy was flattered and led on and on1 by crafty men1 until he became an unbeliever of the principles his father had taught2 and ,i cannot but believe that through such influences his mother has been misrepresented4 ,i am unwilling to believe otherwise4 ,i expressed regrets to ,mr4 ,evans in relation to the course taken by young ,joseph through the influence of the bitter opponents of his father4 ,i said he had closed his eyes to anything that would cast a ray of light on the vexed question3 ,did my father have more other wives than my mother8 ,i answered truthfully without hesitation4 ,afterwards he went to ,lehi1 called on ,melissa ,lott1 with whom he had been associated from early childhood and asked3 ,will you answer me one question1 ,i come to you knowing you will tell me the truth1 were you my father's wife8 ,yes1 ,joseph1 ,i was4 ,where is your proof8 ,she stepped to the stand and took the family ,bible opened to the family record1 placed it on his knee and asked3 ,do you recognize the handwriting8 ,certainly that is your father's 7,cornelius ,p4 ,lott's7 handwriting1 know it as well as my own4 ,then read the marriage certificate of the ,prophet ,joseph and ,melissa ,lott4 ,oliver ,huntington who is still living testifies that they were very intimate as boys1 and when together had often talked the matter over4 ,referring to ,mr4 ,evans again4 ,i said3 ,does this prove him 7,joseph7 an honest man8 ,now does this cover the ground of your inquiry8 ,i have so often been interrupted by callers1 that ,i may not have been explicit enough4 ,my personal testimony you already have1 if not you can get it by referring to ,reminiscences of ,latter-day ,saints1 by ,l4 ,o4 ,littlefield1 which you will find at the ,president's 7,historian's7 office4 ,does this read much like she had been correctly represented8 ,,brigham ,,young ,,upheld ,,by ,,the ,,lord ,in reference to the wicked charge you make in your discourse mentioned in ,aunt ,lucy's letter1 against ,president ,young of practicing gross immorality while on his mission in ,england in #ahdj and winter of #ahda1 a sufficient answer will be found in the revelation of ,january #ai1 #ahda1 wherein the ,lord1 by revelation through the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith declares3 ,i give to you my servant ,brigham ,young1 to be a ,president over the ,twelve traveling ,council1 ,which ,twelve hold the keys to open up the authority of my kingdom upon the four corners of the earth1 and after that to send my word to every creature4 ,and the revelation of ,july #i1 #ahda1 given after his return from ,england3 99 99 99 ,verily thus saith the ,lord unto you1 my servant ,brigham1 it is no more required at your hand to leave your family as in times past1 for your offering is acceptable to me4 ,in this abusive charge against ,president ,young you are striking at ,jehovah1 and accusing ,him1 either of condoning such a grievous sin1 or failing to discover it4 ,such a charge as that is ridiculously absurd1 ,i feel safe in accepting the word of the ,lord in preference to the ribald1 indecent statements of those who speak forth the vulgar desires of their own minds4 ,respectfully1 ,joseph ,f4 ,smith1 ,jr4 ,footnotes #a4 ,i am not so blind in my admiration of the ,mormon people or so bigoted in my devotion to the ,mormon faith as to think there are no individuals in the ,church chargeable with fanaticism1 folly1 intemperate speech1 and wickedness2 nor am ,i blind to the fact that some in their over-zeal have lacked judgment2 and that in times of excitement1 under stress of special provocation1 even ,mormon leaders have given utterances to ideas that are indefensible4 ,but ,i have yet to learn that it is just in a writer of history1 or of purpose fiction1 that speak truly1 to make a collection of these things and represent them as the essence of that faith against which said writer draws an indictment4 ,no one would measure the belief of ',christians1' says a truly great writer1 by certain statements in the ,fathers1 nor judge the moral principles of ,roman ,catholics by prurient quotations from the ,casuist2 nor yet estimate ,lutherans by the utterances and deeds of the early successors of ,luther1 nor ,calvinists by the burning of ,servetus4 ,in all such cases the general standpoint of the times has to be first taken into account4--,edeshiem's ,life and ,times of ,jesus the ,messiah1 preface p4 #h4 ,a long time ago the great ,edmund ,burke in his defense of the rashness expressed in both speech and action of some of our patriots of the ,american revolution period said3 ,it is not fair to judge of the temper of the disposition of any man or any set of men when they are composed and at rest from their conduct or their expressions in a state of disturbance and irritation4 #b4 ,writing of the ,mormon ,meadows massacre ,hubert ,h4 ,bancroft1 in his ,history of ,utah1 page #edd says3 ,indeed it may well be understood at the outset that this horrible crime1 so often and so persistently charged upon the ,mormon church and its leaders1 was the crime of an individual1 the crime of a fanatic of the worst stamp1 one who was a member of the ,mormon church1 but of whose intentions the church knew nothing1 and whose bloody acts the members of the church1 high and low1 regard with as much abhorrence as any out of the church4 ,indeed1 the blow fell upon the brotherhood with threefold force and damage4 ,there was the cruelty of it1 which wrung their hearts2 there was the odium attending its performance in their midst2 and there was the strength it lent their enemies further to malign and molest them4 ,the ,mormons denounce the ,mountain ,meadows massacre1 and every act connected therewith1 as earnestly and as honestly as any in the outside world4 ,this is abundantly proved1 and may be accepted as a historical fact4 #c4 ,see also ,doctrine and ,covenants section #aja3hj1 on this point4 #d4 ,a polygamist the friend of ,god1 whose praise you sing1 and the man you are glad to call the father of the faithful4--,saints' ,herald #eb3dcg4 #e4 ,those thirty-one witnesses were3 ,s4 ,bennett1 ,george ,miller1 ,alpheus ,cutler1 ,reynolds ,cahoon1 ,wilson ,law1 ,wilford ,woodruff1 ,newel ,k4 ,whitney1 ,albert ,petty1 ,elias ,higbee1 ,john ,taylor1 ,ebenezer ,robinson1 ,aaron ,johnson1 ,emma ,smith1 ,elizabeth ,a4 ,whitney1 ,sarah ,m4 ,cleveland1 ,eliza ,r4 ,snow1 ,mary ,c4 ,miller1 ,lois ,cutler1 ,thirza ,cahoon1 ,ann ,hunter1 ,jane ,law1 ,sophia ,marks1 ,polly ,z4 ,johnson1 ,abagail ,works1 ,catharine ,petty1 ,sarah ,higbee1 ,phebe ,woodruff1 ,leonora ,taylor1 ,sarah ,hillman1 ,rosanna ,marks1 and ,angeline ,robinson4 ,,the ,,saints' ,,herald ,,on ,,the ,,origin ,,of ,,plural ,,marriage ,in both replies to ,mr4 ,evans1 mention is made of two articles in the ,saints' ,herald1 volume one1 that were written by ,isaac ,sheen1 the first editor of that paper4 ,these references were ignored by ,mr4 ,evans in his publication of a portion of the foregoing correspondence4 ,it would occupy too much space to copy these articles in full as they are quite lengthy1 but ,i feel that the gist of the matter should be presented in more detail than it is given in the replies4 ,mr4 ,sheen's argument is that the ,saints at ,nauvoo set up their idols in their heart1 and went to the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith and asked him to inquire of the ,lord and ascertain from ,him if it would not be proper for them to practice plural marriage4 ,this the ,prophet ,joseph did and in answer the ,lord gave him the revelation on celestial marriage1 granting the practice of plural marriage1 and then1 after giving this revelation the ,lord smote the ,prophet for his 'iniquity' in asking for the revelation1 and poured out wrath and indignation upon the ,saints for their participation in what he calls abominations4 ,reference is also made to the prophecies of ,ezekiel1 ,balaam and ,micaiah to substantiate his theory which ,mr4 ,sheen admits he is unable to satisfactorily explain4 ,an extensive quotation from the first article follows1 which will give an idea of the position in which the members of the ,reorganized church regard the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith and the culmination of his most glorious mission4 ,,statement ,,of ,,isaac ,,sheen ,we might call your attention to many prophecies in the ,bible which these backsliders#a have fulfilled by their abominations4 ,ezekiel appears to have had a very clear manifestation of the wickedness of these men and the plan pursued by them1 by which they embark into polygamy4 ,in ,ezekiel #ad c4 #a1 #e1 v1 the prophet says1 ,then came certain elders of ,israel unto me1 saying1 ,son of man1 these men have set up their idols in their heart and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face3 should ,i be inquired of at all by them8 ,therefore speak unto them1 and say unto them1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2 ,every man of the house of ,israel that setteth up his idols in his heart1 and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face1 and cometh to the prophet2 ,i the ,lord1 will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols2 that ,i may take the house of ,israel in their own heart1 because they are all estranged from me through their idols4 ,we have shown you that ,god gave a revelation unto us in which he commanded that every man should cleave unto his wife and none else1 and that he commanded us saying1 ,repent and remember the ,book of ,mormon and the former commandments which ,i have given them1 not only to say1 but to do according to that which ,i have written1 and that in that book there is much testimony against polygamy4 ,all these instructions were sufficient for our guidance1 but men have set up their idols in their hearts1 and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their faces4 ,this adulterous spirit had captivated their hearts and they desired a license from ,god to lead away captive the fair daughters of ,his people1 and in this state of mind they came to the ,prophet ,joseph4 ,could the ,lord do anything more or less than what ,ezekiel hath prophesied8 ,the ,lord hath declared by ,ezekiel what kind of an answer he would give them1 therefore he answered them according to the multitude of their idols4 ,paul had also prophesied that for this cause ,god shall send them strong delusion1 that they should believe a lie2 that they all might be damned who believed not the truth1 but had pleasure in unrighteousness4 ,both these prophecies agree4 ,in ,ezekiel's prophecy the ,lord also says1 ,i will set my face against that man1 and will make him a sign and a proverb1 and ,i will cut him off from the midst of my people2 and ye shall know that ,i am the ,lord4 ,and if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing1 ,i the ,lord have deceived that prophet1#b and ,i will stretch out my hand upon him and ,i will destroy him from the midst of my people ,israel4 ,and they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity2 the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him2 that the house of ,israel may go no more astray from me1 neither be polluted any more with all their transgression2 but that they may be my people1 and ,i may be their ,god1 saith the ,lord ,god1 #h;c41 #aa v4 ,we have here the facts as they have transpired and as they will continue to transpire in relation to this subject4 ,the death of the prophet is one fact that has been realized although he abhorred and repented of this iniquity before his death4 ,this branch of the subject we shall leave to some of our brethren1 who are qualified to explain it satisfactorily4 ,those who have practiced these abominations have become a sign and a proverb among men in accordance with this prophecy4 ,these are the false teachers prophesied of by ,peter1 of whom he said many shall follow their pernicious ways2 by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of4 ,and through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you2 whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not1 and their abomination slumbereth not4 ,the reason why the ,lord destroyed the prophet and made those who set up their idols in their heart1 a sign and a proverb1 made them bear the punishment of their iniquity is worthy of our earnest attention4 ,we are informed that the reason why the ,lord would perform all these things was this1 that the house of ,israel may go no more astray from me1 neither be polluted any more with all their transgressions2 but that they may be my people1 and ,i may be their ,god4 ,here is positive evidence that this prophecy was to be fulfilled in the last days1 for there has only been a small part of the house of ,israel 7at any time since this prophecy was given7 that were obedient to the ,lord4 ,the time is not fully come when ,israel shall go no more astray1 and not be polluted any more with all their transgressions1 therefore the punishment of these men who have committed these sins must continue until that happy day shall come4 ,but as the ,lord says in this prophecy1 repent and turn yourselves from your idols2 and turn away your faces from your abominations1 so say we1 and return unto the fold from whence you have strayed4 ,as some may yet doubt whether ,god would act in this way toward men who set up their idols in their heart1 we will see how ,god dealt with ,balaam4 ,in ,numbers #bb c4 we are informed that ,balak1 king of the ,moabites1 sent the elders of ,moab and ,midian unto ,balaam with the rewards of divination in their hands to entreat him that he would curse ,israel1 but ,god said unto ,balaam1 ,thou shalt not go with them2 thou shalt not curse the people1 for they are blessed4 ,and ,balaam rose up in the morning1 and said unto the ,princes of ,balak1 ,get you unto your land2 for the ,lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you4 ,and ,balak sent yet again princes1 more1 and more honorable than they4 ,and they came to ,balaam and said to him1 ,thus sayeth ,balak1 the son of ,zippor1 let nothing1 ,i pray thee1 hinder thee from coming unto me3 ,for ,i will promote thee unto very great honor1 and ,i will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me2 come1 therefore1 ,i pray thee1 curse me this people4 ,now although the ,lord had said unto ,balaam1 ,thou shalt not go with them2 thou shalt not curse the people1 for they are blessed1 yet the great honor that was offered him1 allured him1 and he inquired of the ,lord again1 and said unto the princes1 ,tarry ye also here this night1 that ,i may know what the ,lord will say unto me more4 ,and ,god came unto ,balaam at night1 and said unto him1 ,if the men come to call thee1 rise up and go with them3 but yet the word which ,i shall say unto thee1 that shalt thou do4 ,and ,balaam rose up in the morning and saddled his ass1 and went with the princes of ,moab4 ,and ,god's anger was kindled because he went2 and the angel of the ,lord stood in the way for an adversary against him4 ,so we find that the ,lord told him not to go1 but afterwards1 having set up his idol in his heart he inquired of the ,lord again whether he might not go and curse ,israel and ,god's anger was kindled against him because he did so1 although ,god had commanded him to go4 ,this is1 therefore1 a parallel case with ,ezekiel's prophecy4#c ,in ,i ,kings1 #bb c4 we are informed that the ,king of ,israel wanted ,jehoshaphat1 king of ,judah1 to go up with him to ,ramoth-,gilead to battle1 and there were four hundred prophets who said ,go up1 for the ,lord shall deliver it into the hands of the king4 ,and ,jehoshaphat said1 ,is there not here a prophet of the ,lord besides1 that we might inquire of him8 ,and the king of ,israel said unto ,jehoshapat1 ,there is yet one1 ,micaiah1 the son of ,imlah1 by whom we may inquire of the ,lord2 but ,i hate him1 for he doth not prophesy good concerning me1 but evil4 ,and ,jehoshaphat said1 ,let not the king say so4 ,so he was sent for4 ,the messenger that was gone to call ,micaiah spake unto him1 saying1 ,behold now the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth3 let thy word1 ,i pray thee1 be like the word of one of them1 and speak that which is good4 ,and ,micaiah said1 ,as the ,lord liveth1 what the ,lord saith unto me1 that will ,i speak4 ,we are then informed that ,micaiah prophesied like the false prophets1#d and then against them4 ,and he said1 ,i saw the ,lord sitting on his throne1 and all the hosts of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left4 ,and the ,lord said1 ,who shall persuade ,ahab that he may go up and fall at ,ramoth-,gilead8 ,and one said on this matter1 and another said on that manner4 ,and there came forth a spirit and stood before the ,lord and said1 ,i will persuade him4 ,and the ,lord said unto him wherewith8 ,and he said1 ,i will go forth1 and ,i will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets4 ,and he said1 thou shalt persuade him1 and prevail also2 go forth and do so4 ,now therefore behold the ,lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets1 and the ,lord hath spoken evil concerning thee4 ,this doctrine was extensively preached in the ,church before iniquity overthrew the ,church1 and by this doctrine the ,church might have been saved1 if men had not set up their idols in their heart4 ,footnotes #a4 ,the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 ,brigham ,young and the ,saints4 #b4 ,the inspired translation reads3 ,i the ,lord have not deceived that prophet4 #c4 ,mr4 ,sheen forgets that the ,lord said1 ,thou shalt not curse the people1 for they are blessed1 which command ,balaam hearkened to4 #d4 ,the prophecy was2 ,go and prosper2 for the ,lord shall deliver it into the hands of the king1 v4 #ae4 ,this was uttered in mockery1 if not why did the king reply3 ,how many times shall ,i adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the ,lord1 v4 #af4 ,then ,micaiah told the king that he should fall at ,ramoth-,gilead1 so the king acted with full knowledge of the word of the ,lord concerning his death when he went forth to battle4 ,therefore the ,lord did not deceive ,ahab in this matter4 ,,introduction ,,of ,,celestial ,,and ,,plural ,,marriage ,additional testimony of a few out of the multitude#a of witnesses who were taught these principles by the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 and who knew that he received the revelation known as section #acb in the ,book of ,doctrine and ,covenants4 ,,affidavit ,,of ,,president ,,lorenzo ,,snow ,in the month of ,april1 #ahdc1 ,i returned from my ,european mission4 ,a few days after my arrival at ,nauvoo1 when at ,president ,joseph ,smith's house1 he said he wished to have some private talk with me1 and requested me to walk out with him4 ,it was toward evening4 ,we walked a little distance and sat down on a large log that lay near the bank of the river4 ,he there and then explained to me the doctrine of plurality of wives2 he said that the ,lord had revealed it unto him1 and commanded him to have women sealed to him as wives2 that he foresaw the trouble that would follow1 and sought to turn away from the commandment2 that an angel from heaven then appeared before him with a drawn sword1 threatening him with destruction unless he went forward and obeyed the commandment4 ,he further said that my sister ,eliza ,r4 ,snow had been sealed to him as his wife for time and eternity4 ,he told me that the ,lord would open the way1 and ,i should have women sealed to me as wives4 ,this conversation was prolonged1 ,i think one hour or more1 in which he told me many important things4 ,i solemnly declare before ,god and holy angels1 and as ,i hope to come forth in the morning of the resurrection1 that the above statement is true4 ,lorenzo ,snow4 ,territory of ,utah1 ,box ,elder ,county4 ss4 ,personally came before me ,j4 ,c4 ,wright1 ,clerk of the ,county and ,probate ,courts in and for the ,county and ,territory aforesaid1 ,lorenzo ,snow1 and who being duly sworn deposeth and says that the foregoing statement by him subscribed is true of his own certain knowledge4 ,witness my hand and seal of ,court1 at my office in ,brigham ,city1 ,box ,elder ,county1 ,utah ,territory1 this #bhth day of ,august1 ,a4,d4 #ahfi4 ,seal4 ,j4 ,c4 ,wright1 ,clerk4 ,,affidavit ,,of ,,lucy ,,walker ,united ,states of ,america1 ,state of ,utah4 ,county of ,salt ,lake4 ,lucy ,walker ,smith ,kimball1 being first duly sworn1 says3 ,i was a plural wife of the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 and was married for time and eternity in ,nauvoo1 ,state of ,illinois1 on the first day of ,may1 #ahdc1 by ,elder ,william ,clayton4 ,the ,prophet was then living with his first wife1 ,emma ,smith1 and ,i know that she gave her consent to the marriage of at least four women to her husband as plural wives1 and she was well aware that he associated and cohabited with them as wives4 ,the names of these women are ,eliza and ,emily ,partridge1 and ,maria and ,sarah ,lawrence1 all of whom knew that ,i too was his wife4 ,when the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith mentioned the principle of plural marriage to me ,i felt indignant1 and so expressed myself to him1 because my feelings and education were averse to anything of that nature4 ,but he assured me that this doctrine had been revealed to him of the ,lord1 and that ,i was entitled to receive a testimony of its divine origin for myself4 ,he counseled me to pray to the ,lord1 which ,i did1 and thereupon received from ,him a powerful and irresistible testimony of the truthfulness and divinity of plural marriage1 which testimony has abided with me ever since4 ,on the #hth day of ,february1 #ahde1 ,i was married for time to ,president ,heber ,c4 ,kimball1 and bore to him nine children4 ,and in this connection allow me to say to his everlasting credit that during the whole of my married life with him he never failed to regard me as the wife for eternity of his devoted friend1 the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith4 ,lucy ,walker ,smith ,kimball4 ,subscribed and sworn to before me1 this #agth day of ,december1 #aijb4 ,seal4 ,james ,jack1 ,notary ,public4 ,,affidavit ,,of ,,catherine ,,phillips ,,smith ,united ,states of ,america1 ,state of ,utah4 ,county of ,salt ,lake4 ,catherine ,phillips ,smith1#b being first sworn1 says3 ,i am the daughter of ,thomas ,denner and ,sarah ,godshall ,phillips1 and was born in ,philadelphia1 ,state of ,pennsylvania1 on the first day of ,august1 #ahai4 ,my present residence is ,east ,jordan1 ,salt ,lake ,county1 ,utah4 ,i was married to ,hyrum ,smith1 brother of the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 as his plural wife1 and lived with him as his wife4 ,the sealing was performed by the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith himself1 in ,nauvoo1 ,state of ,illinois1 in ,august1 #ahdc1 in the brick office belonging to my husband1 and occupied at the time as a dwelling by ,brother and ,sister ,robert and ,julia ,stone1 and was witnessed by my mother1 ,sister ,stone and her daughter ,hettie4 ,in consequence of the strong feeling manifested at the time against plural marriage and those suspected of having entered into it1 ,i1 with my mother1 moved to ,st4 ,louis near the close of the year1 where ,i was living when the ,prophet ,joseph and my husband were martyred4 ,the purpose of this affidavit is that my testimony to the truthfulness and divinity of plural marriage may live after ,i shall have passed away2 and in this spirit ,i commend it to all to whom it may come4 ,catherine ,phillips ,smith4 ,subscribed and sworn to before me1 this #bhth day of ,january1 #aijc4 ,seal ,l4 ,john ,nuttall1 ,notary ,public4 ,,affidavit ,,of ,,almira ,w4 ,,johnson ,,smith ,,barton ,territory of ,utah1 ,county of ,iron4 ss4 ,be it remembered on this first day of ,august ,a4,d4 #ahhc1 personally appeared before me ,john ,w4 ,brown a notary public in and for said county1 ,almira ,w4 ,johnson ,smith ,barton1 who was by me sworn in due form of law1 and upon her oath says3 ,i am a citizen in the ,territory of ,utah1 over the age of twenty-one years1 and ,i am the daughter of ,ezekiel ,johnson and ,julia ,hills ,johnson his wife2 that ,i was born at ,westford1 in the ,state of ,vermont on the #bbnd day of ,october ,a4,d4 #ahac2 that ,i had nine brothers who were named respectfully ,joel ,h41 ,seth1 ,david1 ,benjamin ,f41 ,joseph ,e41 ,elmer1 ,george ,w41 ,william ,d41 and ,amos2 and six sisters named respectfully ,nancy1 ,dulcena1 ,julia1 ,susan1 ,mary and ,esther1 all of whom1 with myself1 were baptized into the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints with the exception of ,elmer1 who died in infancy4 ,deponent further says1 that in the years #ahdb and #ahdc1 ,i resided most of the time at ,macedonia1 in the ,county of ,hancock1 ,state of ,illinois1 sometimes with my sister who was the wife of ,almon ,w4 ,babbitt1 and sometimes with my brother ,benjamin ,f4 ,johnson4 ,during that time the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith taught me the principle of celestial marriage including plurality of wives and asked me to become his wife4 ,he first spoke to me on this subject at the house of my brother ,benjamin ,f4 ,i also lived a portion of the time at ,brother ,joseph ,smith's in ,nauvoo1 when many conversations passed between him and myself on this subject4 ,on a certain occasion in the spring of the year #ahdc1 the exact date of which ,i do not now recollect1 ,i went from ,macedonia to ,nauvoo to visit another of my sisters1 the one who was the widow of ,lyman ,r4 ,sherman1 deceased1 at which time ,i was sealed to the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith4 ,at the time this took place ,hyrum ,smith1 ,joseph's brother1 came to me and said ,i need not be afraid4 ,i had been fearing and doubting about the principle and so had he1 but he now knew it was true4 ,after this time ,i lived with the ,prophet ,joseph as his wife1 and he visited me at the home of my brother ,benjamin ,f4 at ,macedonia4 ,deponent further says that ,i had many conversations with ,eliza ,beaman who was also a wife of ,joseph ,smith1 and who was present when ,i was sealed to him1 on the subject of plurality of wives1 both before and after the performance of that ceremony4 ,and also that since the death of the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith ,i was married for time to ,reuben ,barton of ,nauvoo1 ,hancock ,co41 ,ill41 by whom ,i have had five daughters1 one only of whom is now living4 ,almira ,w4 ,johnson ,smith ,barton4 ,subscribed and sworn to by the said ,almira ,w4 ,johnson ,smith ,barton the day and year first above written4 ,seal4 ,john ,w4 ,brown1 ,notary ,public4 ,,affidavit ,,of ,,martha ,mc,b,r,i,d,e ,,kimball ,territory of ,utah1 ,county of ,millard4 ss4 ,be it remembered that on this eighth day of ,july1 ,a4,d4 #ahfi1 personally appeared before me ,edward ,partridge1 ,probate ,judge in and for said county1 ,martha ,mc,bride ,kimball1 who was by me sworn in due form of law1 and upon her oath saith that sometime in the summer of the year #ahdb1 at the city of ,nauvoo1 county of ,hancock1 state of ,illinois1 she was married or sealed to ,joseph ,smith1 ,president of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints1 by ,heber ,c4 ,kimball1 one of the ,twelve ,apostles in said ,church1 according to the laws of the same regulating marriage4 ,martha ,mc,bride ,kimball4 ,subscribed and sworn to by said ,martha ,mc,bride ,kimball the day and year first above written4 ,seal4 ,edward ,partridge1 ,probate ,judge4 ,,affidavit ,,of ,,melissa ,,lott ,,willes ,territory of ,utah1 ,county of ,salt ,lake4 ss4 ,be it remembered that on this twentieth day of ,may1 ,a4,d4 #ahfi1 personally appeared before me1 ,james ,jack a notary public in and for said county1 ,melissa ,lott ,willes1 who was by me sworn in due form of law1 and upon her oath saith that on the twentieth day of ,september1 ,a4,d4 #ahdc1 at the city of ,nauvoo1 county of ,hancock1 state of ,illinois1 she was married or sealed to ,joseph ,smith1 ,president of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints1 by ,hyrum ,smith1 ,presiding ,patriarch of said ,church1 according to laws of the same1 regulating marriage1 in the presence of ,cornelius ,p4 ,lott and ,parmelia ,lott4 ,melissa ,lott ,willes4 ,subscribed and sworn to by the said ,melissa ,lott ,willes1 the day and year first above written4 ,seal4 ,james ,jack1 ,notary ,public4 ,,lovina ,,smith ,,walker',s ,,testimony ,i1 ,lovina ,walker1 hereby certify that while ,i was living with ,aunt ,emma ,smith1 in ,fulton ,city1 ,fulton ,co41 ,illinois1 in the year #ahdf1 that she told me that she1 ,emma ,smith1 was present and witnessed the marrying or sealing of ,eliza ,partridge1 ,emily ,partridge1 ,maria ,lawrence and ,sarah ,lawrence to her husband1 ,joseph ,smith1 and that she gave her consent thereto4 ,lovina ,walker4 ,we hereby witness that ,lovina ,walker made and signed the above statement on this #afth day of ,june1 ,a4,d4 #ahfi1 at ,salt ,lake ,city1 ,s4 ,l4 ,county1 ,utah ,territory1 of her own free will and record4 ,hyrum ,s4 ,walker1 ,sarah ,e4 ,smith1 ,joseph ,f4 ,smith4 ,,affidavit ,,of ,,sarah ,a4 ,,kimball ,territory of ,utah1 ,county of ,salt ,lake4 ss4 ,be it remembered that on this nineteenth day of ,june1 ,a4,d4 #ahfi1 personally appeared before me ,elias ,smith1 ,probate ,judge for said county1 ,sarah ,ann ,kimball1 who was by me sworn in due form of law1 and upon her oath saith that on the twenty-seventh day of ,july1 ,a4,d4 #ahdb1 at the city of ,nauvoo1 county of ,hancock1 state of ,illinois1 she was married or sealed to ,joseph ,smith1 ,president of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints1 by ,newell ,k4 ,whitney1 ,presiding ,bishop of said ,church1 according to the laws of the same regulating marriage1 in the presence of ,elizabeth ,ann ,whitney her mother4 ,sarah ,a4 ,kimball4 ,subscribed and sworn to by the said ,sarah ,ann 7,whitney7 ,kimball1 the day and year first above written4 ,e4 ,smith1 ,probate ,judge4 ,,affidavit ,,of ,,elizabeth ,a4 ,,whitney ,territory of ,utah1 ,county of ,salt ,lake4 ss4 ,be it remembered that on this thirtieth day of ,august1 ,a4,d4 #ahfi1 personally appeared before me1 ,james ,jack1 a notary public in and for said county1 ,elizabeth ,ann ,whitney1 who was by me sworn in due form of law1 and upon her oath saith that on the twenty-seventh day of ,july1 ,a4,d4 #ahdb1 at the city of ,nauvoo1 county of ,hancock1 state of ,illinois1 she was present and witnessed the marrying or sealing of her daughter ,sarah ,ann ,whitney to the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 for time and all eternity1 by her husband ,newel ,k4 ,whitney then ,presiding ,bishop of the ,church4 ,e4 ,a4 ,whitney4 ,subscribed and sworn to by the said ,elizabeth ,ann ,whitney the day and year first above written4 ,james ,jack1 ,notary ,public4 ,,affidavit ,,of ,,orson ,,hyde ,springtown1 ,sept4 #ae1 #ahfi4 ,i1 ,orson ,hyde1 do hereby certify and declare according to my best recollection that on the fourth day of ,september ,i was married to ,miss ,marinda ,n4 ,johnson1 in ,kirtland1 ,ohio1 in the year of our ,lord #ahcd1 and in the month of ,february or ,march1 #ahdc1 ,i was married to ,miss ,martha ,r4 ,browitt1 by ,joseph ,smith1 the martyred prophet1 and by him she was sealed to me for time and for all eternity in ,nauvoo1 ,ill41 and in the month of ,april of the same year1 #ahdc1 ,i was married by the same person to ,mrs4 ,mary ,ann ,price1 and by him she was sealed to me for time and for all eternity1 in ,nauvoo1 ,ill41 while the woman to whom ,i was first married was yet living1 and gave her cordial consent to both transactions1 and was personally present to witness the ceremonies4 ,orson ,hyde4 ,sworn to and subscribed to before me this the #aeth day of ,september1 #ahfi1 at ,springtown1 ,sanpete ,county1 ,,ut4 ,george ,brough1 ,justice of the ,peace4 ,i hereby certify that the above named ,george ,brough is a justice of the peace for the precinct of ,springtown in the county of ,sanpete1 ,,ut41 and that he is duly qualified in accordance with law2 in testimony whereof1 ,i hereunto set my hand and official seal of the ,county ,court of ,sanpete ,county1 at my office1 ,manti ,city1 this ,sept4 #af1 #ahfi4 ,seal4 ,william ,t4 ,reed1 ,county ,clerk4 ,,affidavit ,,of ,,joseph ,,bates ,,noble ,territory of ,utah1 ,county of ,salt ,lake4 ss4 ,be it remembered that on the #bfth day of ,june1 ,a4,d4 #ahfi1 personally appeared before me1 ,james ,jack1 a notary public in and for said county1 ,joseph ,bates ,noble1 who was by me sworn in due form of law1 and upon his oath saith1 that on the fifth day of ,april1 ,a4,d4 #ahda1 at the city of ,nauvoo1 ,county of ,hancock1 ,state of ,illinois1 he married or sealed ,louisa ,beaman to ,joseph ,smith1 ,president of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints1 according to the order of celestial marriage revealed to the said ,joseph ,smith4 ,joseph ,b4 ,noble4 ,subscribed and sworn to by the said ,joseph ,bates ,noble1 the day and year first above written4 ,seal4 ,james ,jack1 ,notary ,public4 ,,affidavit ,,of ,,rhoda ,,richards ,,smith ,territory of ,utah1 ,county of ,salt ,lake4 ss4 ,be it remembered that on this first day of ,may1 ,a4,d4 #ahfi1 personally appeared before me1 ,elias ,smith1 ,probate ,judge for said county1 ,rhoda ,richards1 who was by me sworn in due form of law and upon her oath saith that on the twelfth day of ,june ,a4,d4 #ahdc1 at the city of ,nauvoo1 ,county of ,hancock1 ,state of ,illinois1 she was married or sealed to ,joseph ,smith1 ,president of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints1 by ,willard ,richards1 one of the ,twelve ,apostles of said ,church1 according to the laws of the same regulating marriage4 ,rhoda ,richards4 ,subscribed and sworn to by the said ,rhoda ,richards1 the day and year above written4 ,seal4 ,elias ,smith1 ,probate ,judge4 ,,testimony ,,of ,,benjamin ,f4 ,,johnson ,mesa ,city1 ,arizona1 #ith ,march1 #aijd4 ,president ,joseph ,f4 ,smith1 ,washington1 ,d4 ,c4 ,my ,dear ,brother3-- ,in reading reports from the ,senate ,committee on the ,reed ,smoot case1 ,i see that witnesses are subpoenaed to prove that the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith did not authorize or practice polygamy2 and ,i do know that he did teach plural marriage1 and that he did give to me a plural wife who is still living with me1 and that ,i saw one of my sisters married to him4 99 99 99 ,and ,i do know that at his ,mansion ,house was living ,mariah and ,sarah ,lawrence and one of ,cornelius ,p4 ,lott's daughters as his plural wives with the full knowledge of his wife1 ,emma1 of the married relations to him4 ,at that time ,i was his legal business agent at ,macedonia or ,ramtis1 and was familiar with his family or domestic affairs2 and occupying1 as ,i did1 the family mansion often in a business way with ,emma1 the ,prophet's first wife1 who at no time did ever in my hearing deny the plural character of her husband's family4 ,and now with this and much more knowledge relating to this subject1 could my evidence before the ,senate ,committee be of any real value to the cause of truth8 ,if so1 although too infirm to travel alone ,i would willingly try to be there1 if according to your counsel and wish4 ,loyal to the truth1 ,i am1 ,always brother1 ,b4 ,f4 ,johnson4 ,,the ,,celestial ,,and ,,plural ,,marriage ,,revelation ,the following letter was written by ,elder ,william ,clayton who wrote the revelation known as section #acb in the ,book of ,doctrine and ,covenants1 at the direction of the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 ,july #ab1 #ahdc4c ,salt ,lake ,city1 ,nov1 #aa1 #ahga4 ,madison ,m4 ,scott1 ,esq4 ,dear ,sir3 ,your letter of #bcrd of ,june last1 was received by due course of mail1 but owing to my being so very closely confined with public duties1 which has almost destroyed my health1 ,i have not answered your letter so promptly as is my practice4 ,my health is yet very poor1 but ,i have resigned the office which was bearing so heavy upon me1 and am in hopes to regain my usual sound health4 ,now1 in regard to the subject matter of your letter1 it appears to me that the principal topic is what is commonly called polygamy1 but which ,i prefer to call celestial marriage4 ,as to young ,joseph saying that the ,church here have apostatized2 that we have introduced polygamy1 denying bitterly that his father ever had a revelation on the subject1 that is all mere bosh6 ,i believe he knows better1 and ,i have often felt sorry to learn that the sons of the ,prophet should spend their time in contending against a pure and holy principle which their father's blood was shed to establish4 ,they will have a heavy atonement to make when they meet their father in the next world4 ,they are in the hands of ,god1 and my respect for their father will not permit me to say much about the wicked course of his sons4 ,now1 ,i say to you1 as ,i am ready to testify to all the world1 and on which testimony ,i am most willing to meet all the ,latter-day ,saints and all apostates1 in time and through all eternity1 ,i did write the revelations on celestial marriage given through the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 on the #abth of ,july1 #ahdc4 ,when the revelation was written there was no one present except the ,prophet ,joseph1 his brother ,hyrum and myself4 ,it was written in the small office upstairs in the rear of the brick store which stood on the banks of the ,mississippi river4 ,it took some three hours to write it4 ,joseph dictated sentence by sentence1 and ,i wrote it as he dictated4 ,after the whole was written ,joseph requested me to read it slowly and carefully1 which ,i did1 and he then pronounced it correct4 ,the same night a copy was taken by ,bishop ,whitney1 which copy is now here 7in the ,historian's office7 and which ,i know and testify is correct4 ,the original was destroyed by ,emma ,smith4 ,i again testify that the revelation on polygamy was given through the prophet ,joseph on the #abth ,july1 #ahdc2 and that the ,prophet ,joseph both taught and practiced polygamy ,i do positively know1 and bear testimony to the fact4 ,in ,april1 #ahdc1 he sealed to me my second wife1 my first wife being then living4 ,by my said second wife ,i had two sons born in ,nauvoo4 ,the first died2 the second is here now1 and is married4 ,i had the honor to seal one woman#d to ,joseph under his direction4 ,i could name ten or a dozen of his wives who are now living in this territory1 so that for any man to tell me that ,joseph did not teach polygamy1 he is losing his time1 for ,i know better4 ,it is not hearsay1 nor opinion with me1 for ,i positively know of what ,i speak1 and ,i testify to the truth1 and shall be willing to meet all opponents on the subject through all eternity4 ,as to the ,church here having apostatized that is all a mere matter of assertion1 destitute of truth4 ,president ,young and his associates are1 and have been doing everything they can to carry out the plans and instructions of the ,prophet ,joseph1 and so eternity will prove to the condemnation and confusion of all their enemies4 ,any one who says to the contrary does not know ,joseph nor the mission the ,lord gave him to fulfill4 99 99 99 ,truly yours1 ,william ,clayton4 ,,affidavit ,,of ,,howard ,,coray ,territory of ,utah1 ,county of ,salt ,lake4 ss4 ,as many false statements have been made in relation to the authorship of the revelation on celestial marriage1 ,i deem it but justice to all lovers of truth for me to express what ,i know concerning this very important matter4 ,on the #bbnd day of ,july1 ,a4,d4 #ahdc1 ,hyrum ,smith1 the martyred ,patriarch1 came in a carriage to my house in ,nauvoo2 he invited me and my wife to take a ride with him2 accordingly1 as soon as we could make ourselves ready1 we got into his carriage and he set off in the direction of ,carthage4 ,having gone a short distance1 he observed to us that his brother ,joseph ,smith1 the ,prophet1 had received a revelation on marriage1 that was not for the public yet1 which he would rehearse to us1 as he had taken pains to commit it to memory4 ,he then commenced rehearsing the revelation on celestial marriage not stopping till he had gone quite through with the matter4 ,after which he reviewed that part pertaining to plurality of wives1 dwelling at some length upon the same1 in order that we might clearly understand the principle4 ,and on the same day 7,july #bb1 #ahdc17 he sealed my wife1 formerly ,martha ,jane ,knowlton1 to me2 and when ,i heard the revelation on celestial marriage read on the stand in ,salt ,lake ,city1 in #aheb1 ,i recognized it as the same as that repeated to me by ,brother ,hyrum ,smith4 ,not long after this ,i was present when ,brother ,david ,fullmer and wife were sealed by ,brother ,hyrum ,smith1 the martyred ,patriarch1 according to the law of celestial marriage4 ,and1 besides the foregoing1 there was quite enough came within the compass of my observation to have fully satisfied my mind that plural marriage was practiced in the city of ,nauvoo4 ,howard ,coray4 ,subscribed and sworn to before me1 this #ahth day of ,june1 ,a4,d4 #ahhb4 ,seal4 ,james ,jack1 ,notary ,public4 ,,affidavit ,,of ,,david ,,fullmer#e ,territory of ,utah1 ,county of ,salt ,lake4 ss4 ,be it remembered that on this fifteenth day of ,june1 ,a4,d4 #ahfi1 personally appeared before me1 ,james ,jack1 a notary public in and for said county1 ,david ,fullmer1 who was by me sworn in due form of law1 and upon his oath saith1 that on or about the #abth day of ,august1 ,a4,d4 #ahdc1 while in meeting with the ,high ,council he being a member thereof in ,hyrum ,smith's brick office1 in the ,city of ,nauvoo1 ,county of ,hancock1 ,state of ,illinois1 ,dunbar ,wilson made inquiry in relation to the subject of plurality of wives1 as there were rumors about respecting it1 and he was satisfied there was something in those rumors1 and he wanted to know what it was4 ,upon which ,hyrum ,smith stepped across the road to his residence1 and soon returned bringing with him a copy of the revelation on celestial marriage given to ,joseph ,smith ,july #ab1 #ahdc1 and read the same to the ,high ,council1 and bore testimony to its truth4 ,the said ,david ,fullmer further saith that1 to the best of his memory and belief1 the following named persons were present3 ,william ,marks1 ,austin ,a4 ,cowles1 ,samuel ,bent1 ,george ,w4 ,harris1 ,dunbar ,wilson1 ,william ,huntington1 ,levi ,jackman1 ,aaron ,johnson1 ,thomas ,grover1 ,david ,fullmer1 ,phineas ,richards1 ,james ,allred and ,leonard ,soby4 ,and the said ,david ,fullmer further saith that ,william ,marks1 ,austin ,a4 ,cowles and ,leonard ,soby were the only persons present who did not receive the testimony of ,hyrum ,smith1 and that all the others did receive it from the teachings and testimony of the said ,hyrum ,smith2 and further1 that the copy of said revelation on celestial marriage published in the ,deseret ,news extra of ,september #ad1 ,a4,d41 #aheb1 is a true copy of the same4 ,david ,fullmer4 ,subscribed and sworn to by the said ,david ,fullmer the day and year first above written4 ,seal4 ,james ,jack1 ,notary ,public4 ,,affidavit ,,of ,,leonard ,,soby#f ,be it remembered that on the #bcrd day of ,march1 in the year #ahhf1 before1 ,joshua ,w4 ,roberts1 notary public for the ,city of ,beverly1 ,county of ,burlington1 ,state of ,new ,jersey1 ,leonard ,soby1 of said city1 county and state1 was by me duly sworn1 and upon his oath saith3 ,that on or about the #abth day of ,august1 #ahdc1 ,i was a resident of ,nauvoo1 ,hancock ,county1 ,state of ,illinois1 and being a member of the ,high ,council of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints1 was present at a meeting of said council at the time herein above stated2 ,thomas ,grover1 ,alpheus ,cutler1 ,david ,fullmer1 ,william ,huntington and others2 when ,elder ,hyrum ,smith1 after certain explanations1 read the revelation on celestial marriage4 ,i have read and examined carefully said revelation1 since published in the ,book of ,doctrine and ,covenants of said ,church1 and say to the best of my knowledge and belief it is the same1 word for word1 as the revelation then read by ,hyrum ,smith4 ,the deponent says further1 that the revelation did not originate with ,brigham ,young1 as some persons have falsely stated1 but was received by the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 and read in the ,high ,council by his authority as a revelation to the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints4 ,when read to this deponent and said ,high ,council1 ,i believed it was a revelation from ,jesus ,christ1 and ,i believe so now4 ,leonard ,soby4 ,subscribed and sworn to by the said ,leonard ,soby the day and year first above written4 ,joshua ,w4 ,roberts1 ,notary ,public4 ,witnessed by3 ,james ,h4 ,hart1 ,samuel ,harrison4 ,,affidavit ,,of ,,john ,w4 ,,rigdon ,state of ,utah1 ,county of ,salt ,lake4 ss4 ,john ,w4 ,rigdon1 being duly sworn1 says3 ,i am the son of ,sidney ,rigdon1 deceased4 ,was born at ,mentor1 in the ,state of ,ohio1 in the year #ahcj1 and am now over seventy-five years of age4 ,my father1 ,sidney ,rigdon1 joined the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints that year1 and was in #ahcc ordained to be ,joseph ,smith's first counselor which position he held up to the time ,joseph the ,prophet was killed1 at ,carthage jail1 in #ahdd4 ,that ,joseph ,smith and ,sidney ,rigdon moved from ,kirtland1 with their families1 to the ,state of ,missouri1 during the winter of #ahcg1 but ,rigdon did not reach ,far ,west1 in the ,state of ,missouri1 until the last of ,april1 #ahch4 ,that during the troubles in ,missouri1 in the year #ahch1 ,joseph ,smith1 ,hyrum ,smith1 his brother1 ,sidney ,rigdon1 ,lyman ,wight and others1 whose names ,i do not now remember were arrested and imprisoned in ,liberty jail1 about forty miles from the village of ,far ,west1 in ,caldwell ,county1 ,missouri1 where they all remained incarcerated for several months4 ,that while said ,joseph ,smith1 ,hyrum ,smith1 ,sidney ,rigdon1 ,lyman ,wight and others were prisoners in said ,liberty jail1 as aforesaid ,i1 with my mother1 wife of ,sidney ,rigdon1 ,emma ,smith1 wife of said ,joseph ,smith1 and ,joseph ,smith1 son of ,joseph and ,emma ,smith1 went to see the said prisoners during the latter part of the winter of #ahch4 ,we all went together in the same carriage and came home together4 ,we stayed at ,liberty jail with the prisoners three days and then left for home4 ,the story that is being told by some of the members of the ,reorganized ,church1 at ,lamoni1 that young ,joseph ,smith1 now president of the said ,reorganized ,church1 was ordained by his father1 ,joseph ,smith1 to be the leader of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints after his father's death1 is not true1 for ,i know that no such ordination took place while we were at ,liberty jail2 that if any such ordination had taken place ,i most certainly should have known it and remembered it1 as ,i was with young ,joseph1 the ,prophet's son1 all the time we were there4 ,if ,joseph ,smith had ordained his son ,joseph to be the leader of the ,church at his death1 he would have done so in a manner that there could have been no doubt about it4 ,both of his counselors were then in prison with him1 namely1 ,sidney ,rigdon and ,hyrum ,smith1 and it would have been in order for the prophet to have called upon them to assist him in such an ordination had it taken place1 and a record of the same made in the ,church books1 so that all members of the ,church might have known that such an ordination had taken place4 ,but nothing of the kind appears in the ,church books4 ,my father and mother lived a good many years after the incarceration at ,liberty jail1 and ,i1 who lived near my father1 never heard my father or my mother mention that such an ordination ever took place in ,liberty jail2 and as ,i know myself that no such ordination took place in ,liberty jail1 and inasmuch as it is not claimed that an ordination of this character was bestowed at any other place1 therefore ,i deny it as an untruth and a story gotten up by the ,reorganized ,church for effect4 ,besides all this1 if ,joseph ,smith1 the ,president of the ,reorganized ,church was ordained while in ,liberty jail1 why did he1 sixteen years after his father's death1 receive an ordination under the hands of ,william ,marks1 ,william ,w4 ,blair1 and ,zenas ,h4 ,gurley8 ,would it not seem that one ordination 7and that too1 said to have been by his own father1 the ,president of the ,church7 should have been sufficient8 ,but further ,wm4 ,marks1 ,wm4 ,w4 ,blair and ,zenas ,h4 ,gurley had all been excommunicated from the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints 7excepting ,william ,w4 ,blair1 who never belonged to it7 before they ordained young ,joseph to be ,president of the ,reorganized ,church1 and therefore they did not have the authority to ordain him4 ,the whole story of his being ordained by anyone having authority to do so is too preposterous to be entertained for a single moment1 and should be rejected by all who hear such a story mentioned4 ,as to the truth of the doctrine of polygamy being introduced by the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 deponent further says3 ,joseph ,smith was absolute so far as spiritual figures were concerned1 and no man would have dared to introduce the doctrine of polygamy or any other new doctrine into the ,mormon ,church at the city of ,nauvoo during the years #ahdc and #ahdd1 or at any other place or time1 without first obtaining ,joseph ,smith's consent4 ,if anyone had dared to have done such a thing he would have been brought before the ,high ,council and tried1 and if proven against him1 he would have been excommunicated from the ,church1 and that would have ended polygamy forever1 and would also have ended the man who had dared to introduce such a doctrine without the consent of the ,prophet ,joseph4 ,and deponent further says3 ,joseph the ,prophet1 at the ,city of ,nauvoo1 ,illinois1 some time in the latter part of the year #ahdc1 or the first part of the year #ahdd1 made a proposition to my sister1 ,nancy ,rigdon1 to become his wife4 ,it happened in this way3 ,nancy had gone to ,church1 meeting being held in a grove near the temple lot on which the ,mormons were then erecting a temple1 an old lady friend who lived alone invited her to go home with her1 which ,nancy did4 ,when they got to the house and had taken their bonnets off1 the old lady began to talk to her about the new doctrine of polygamy which was then being taught1 telling ,nancy1 during the conversation1 that it was a surprise to her when she first heard it1 but that she had since come to believe it to be true4 ,while they were talking ,joseph ,smith the ,prophet came into the house1 and joined them1 and the old lady immediately left the room4 ,it was then that ,joseph made the proposal of marriage to my sister4 ,nancy flatly refused him1 saying if she ever got married she would marry a single man or none at all1 and thereupon took her bonnet and went home1 leaving ,joseph at the old lady's house4 ,nancy told father and mother of it4 ,the story got out and it became the talk of the town that ,joseph had made a proposition to ,nancy ,rigdon to become his wife1 and that she refused him4 ,a few days after the occurrence ,joseph ,smith came to my father's house and talked the matter over with the family1 my sister1 ,mrs4 ,athalia ,robinson also being present1 who is now alive4 ,the feelings manifested by our family on this occasion were anything but brotherly or sisterly1 more especially on the part of ,nancy1 as she felt that she had been insulted4 ,a day or two later ,joseph ,smith returned to my father's house1 when matters were satisfactorily adjusted between them1 and there the matter ended4 ,after that ,joseph ,smith sent my father to ,pittsburgh1 ,pa41 to take charge of a little church that was there1 and ,ebenezer ,robinson1 who was then the ,church printer1 or at least had been such1 as he was the printer of the paper in ,kirtland1 ,ohio1 and a printer by trade1 was to go with him to print a paper there1 and nine days before ,joseph ,smith was shot at ,carthage we started1 reaching ,pittsburgh the day before he was killed4 ,deponent further says3 ,i have in my possession a paper called the ,nauvoo ,expositor1 bearing date1 ,nauvoo1 ,illinois1 ,friday1 ,june #gth1 #ahdd1 which said paper's printing plant was destroyed by the ,city ,council at ,nauvoo a night or two after that issue4 ,there never was but one issue of this paper4 ,joseph ,smith the ,prophet was then ,mayor of the ,city of ,nauvoo4 ,in the afternoon of the day on which the printing plant was destroyed1 ,henry ,phelps1 a son of ,w4 ,w4 ,phelps1 came down ,main ,street selling this paper1 the ,nauvoo ,expositor1 and everyone who could raise five cents bought a copy4 ,in that paper the three following affidavits appeared1 which ,i reproduce herewith4 ,,affidavits ,i hereby certify that ,hyrum ,smith did 7in his office7 read to me a certain written document which he said was a revelation from ,god4 ,he said that he was with ,joseph when it was received4 ,he afterwards gave me the document to read and ,i took it to my house and read it and showed it to my wife and returned it the next day4 ,the revelation 7so called7 authorized certain men to have more wives than one at a time in this world and in the world to come4 ,it said this was the law1 and commanded ,joseph to enter into the law4 ,and also that he should administer to others4 ,several other items were in the revelation1 supporting the above doctrines4 ,wm4 ,law4 ,state of ,illinois1 ,hancock ,county4 ,i1 ,robert ,d4 ,foster1 certify that the above certificate was sworn to before me as true in substance1 this fourth day of ,may1 ,a4,d4 #ahdd4 ,robert ,d4 ,foster1 ,j4 ,p4 ,i certify that ,i read the revelation referred to in the above affidavit of my husband4 ,it sustained in strong terms the doctrine of more wives than one at a time in this world and in the next4 ,it authorized some to have to the number of ten1 and set forth that those women who would not allow their husbands to have more wives than one should be under condemnation before ,god4 ,jane ,law4 ,sworn and subscribed before me this #dth day of ,may1 ,a4,d4 #ahdd4 ,robert ,d4 ,foster1 ,j4 ,p4 ,to all whom it may concern3 ,forasmuch as the public mind hath been much agitated by a course of procedure in the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints by a number of persons declaring against certain doctrines and practices therein 7among whom ,i am one7 it is but meet that ,i should give my reasons at least in part as a cause that hath led me to declare myself4 ,in the latter part of the summer of #ahdc1 the ,patriarch ,hyrum ,smith did in the ,high ,council1 of which ,i was a member1 introduce what he said was a revelation given through the ,prophet1 that the said ,hyrum ,smith did essay to read the said revelation in the said council2 that according to his reading there was contained the following doctrines3 #ast4 ,the sealing up of persons to eternal life1 against all sins save that of shedding innocent blood or of consenting thereto2 #bnd4 ,the doctrine of plurality of wives or marrying virgins2 that ,david and ,solomon had many wives1 yet in this they sinned not1 save in the matter of ,uriah4 ,this revelation with others1 evidence that the aforesaid heresies were taught and practiced in the ,church1 determined me to leave the office of first counselor to the ,president of the ,church at ,nauvoo1 inasmuch as ,i dared not teach or administer such laws4 ,and further deponent saith not4 ,austin ,cowles4 ,state of ,illinois1 ,hancock ,county4 ,to all whom it may concern3 ,i hereby certify that the above certificate was sworn and subscribed before me1 this fourth day of ,may1 #ahdd4 ,robert ,d4 ,foster1 ,j4 ,p4 ,john ,w4 ,rigdon4 ,sworn to before me this #bhth day of ,july1 #aije4 ,seal4 ,james ,jack1 ,notary ,public4 ,,statement ,,of ,,orange ,l4 ,,wight ,the following confirmation of ,john ,w4 ,rigdon's affidavit is copied from the ,deseret ,news of ,saturday1 ,august #ab1 #aije3 ,bunkerville1 ,lincoln ,county1 ,nev41 ,august #d1 #aije3--,seeing the testimony of ,j4 ,w4 ,rigdon in the semi-weekly ,news of ,july #ca1 and being much interested in the subject1 and knowing that there lived in this place a man that was quite familiar with the early scenes of church history1 especially those in and about ,far ,west1 ,missouri1 and having heard him say that he had many times visited his father and the ,prophet ,joseph1 while they were incarcerated in ,liberty jail1 ,i went and interviewed ,orange ,l4 ,wight 7eldest son of former ,apostle ,lyman ,wight71 who is now #hb years old and resides with his daughter1 ,sister ,harriet ,m4 ,earl4 ,brother ,wight is quite feeble in body1 but his mind seems to be as bright as ever4 ,i found ,brother ,wight in his usual good humor1 and seemed quite willing to talk1 in fact1 was pleased to do so4 ,elder ,wight1 said ,i1 are you willing to make a statement for publication in regard to what you know about ,joseph ,smith1 son of the ,prophet ,joseph1 being ordained while in ,liberty jail to lead the ,church8 ,certainly ,i am4 ,then1 said ,i1 just write me out a brief statement covering those points1 and ,i will give it in your own words4 ,following is ,brother ,wight's statement3 ,in regard to the statement of ,john ,w4 ,rigdon1 ,i endorse it in every point4 ,brother ,john ,w4 ,rigdon speaks of being in ,liberty prison when the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 ,sidney ,rigdon1 ,hyrum ,smith1 ,lyman ,wight1 and others were there 7the others were ,caleb ,baldwin and ,alexander ,mc,rae74 ,i also visited the prisoners at or about the same time1 and slept with them many times at different periods1 and ,i cannot recollect of ever hearing the subject of an ordination mentioned4 ,my father1 ,lyman ,wight1 nor my mother1 never alluded to it during their lifetime in my presence2 so ,i take it for granted that ,joseph1 the son of the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 was not ordained to fill the place of his father1 in the ,liberty jail4 ,i was born in the ,state of ,new ,york1 ,november #bi1 #ahbc1 hence am about seven years older than ,brother ,john ,w4 ,rigdon4 ,and if an ordination of ,young ,joseph had occurred in the prison1 ,i would likely have heard it1 and would certainly recollect it4 ,previous to this1 while ,i was several years younger1 the ,twelve ,apostles were organized and commissioned to assist in leading and governing the ,church4 ,i can recollect every detail distinctly4 ,my acquaintance with the ,prophet was from the year #ahcj to his martyrdom1 and ,i can truly say he was a ,prophet of ,god1 and was appointed to the divine mission to organize the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints in this last dispensation4 ,as to the ,prophet's believing and practicing polygamy1 ,i have as near a certain knowledge of the fact1 ,i may say1 as any man living4 ,i was well acquainted with most or all of his wives1 and talked with them on the subject1 at the same time my wife also talked with them4 ,if there is anything further that is necessary for me to communicate in regard to my recollection1 ,i will willingly do so4 ,respectfully1 ,orange ,l4 ,wight4 ,further talk with ,brother ,wight brought out the following facts3 ,he was baptized into the ,church in the spring of #ahcb2 was with the ,church through all their troubles in the ,state of ,missouri4 ,brother ,wight filled a thirteen months' mission in the ,state of ,virginia in company with ,jedediah ,m4 ,grant and others2 was in ,nauvoo at the time the ,prophet was captured at ,dixon1 ,ill41 and was one of those who went up the ,illinois river on the steamer ,maid of ,iowa1 to assist in rescuing the ,prophet4 ,joseph ,i4 ,earl4 ,,affidavit ,,of ,,bathsheba ,w4 ,,smith ,state of ,utah1 ,county of ,salt ,lake4 ss4 ,bathsheba ,w4 ,smith1 being first duly sworn on oath1 deposes and says3 ,i was a resident of ,nauvoo1 ,state of ,illinois1 from #ahdj to #ahdf4 ,i was married to ,george ,a4 ,smith ,july #be1 #ahda1 ,elder ,don ,carlos ,smith performing the ceremony4 ,near the close of the year #ahdc1 or in the beginning of the year #ahdd1 ,i received the ordinance of anointing in a room in ,sister ,emma ,smith's house in ,nauvoo1 and the same day1 in company with my husband1 ,i received my endowment in the upper room over the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith's store4 ,the endowments were given under the direction of the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 who afterwards gave us lectures or instructions in regard to the endowment ceremonies4 ,there has been no change1 to my certain knowledge1 in these ceremonies4 ,they are the same today as they were then4 ,a short time after ,i received my anointing1 ,i was sealed to my husband1 ,george ,a4 ,smith1 for time and eternity1 by ,president ,brigham ,young1 in the latter's house1 according to the plan taught1 to my knowledge1 by the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith4 ,when ,i was married in #ahda1 ,i was married for time1 and not for eternity4 ,at the time ,i was anointed in ,sister ,emma ,smith's house1 she 7,emma ,smith7 said in my presence1 to me and to others who were present upon that occasion1 ,your husbands are going to take more wives1 and unless you consent to it1 you must put your foot down and keep it there4 ,much more was said in regard to plural marriage at that time by ,sister ,emma ,smith1 who seemed opposed to the principle4 ,in the year #ahdj1 at a meeting held in ,nauvoo1 at which ,i was present1 ,i heard the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith say that the ancient order would be restored as it was in the days of ,abraham4 ,in the year #ahdd1 a short time before the death of the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 it was my privilege to attend a regular prayer circle in the upper room over the ,prophet's store4 ,there were present at this meeting most of the ,twelve ,apostles1 their wives1 and a number of other prominent brethren and their wives4 ,on that occasion the ,prophet arose and spoke at great length1 and during his remarks ,i heard him say that he had conferred on the heads of the ,twelve ,apostles all the keys and powers pertaining to the ,priesthood1 and that upon the heads of the ,twelve ,apostles the burden of the ,kingdom rested1 and that they would have to carry it4 ,it has been1 and is1 necessary for me to make this statement1 as contrary reports have been circulated as coming from me4 ,any statements purporting to come from me that have been made1 or that may be made by any party or parties1 in opposition or conflicting with this sworn statement1 are false1 as ,i have never1 to my knowledge1 deviated one iota from this statement4 ,bathsheba ,w4 ,smith4 ,signed in the presence of ,joseph ,f4 ,smith1 ,jr41 ,b4 ,morris ,young4 ,subscribed and sworn to before me this #aith day of ,november1 #aijc4 ,seal4 ,martin ,s4 ,lindsay1 ,notary ,public4 ,footnotes #a4 ,one hundred or more affidavits in relation to the introduction of celestial and plural marriage are on file in the historian's ,office1 ,salt ,lake ,city1 and are the expressions of eye and ear witnesses1 who know that the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith introduced and taught celestial and plural marriage4 ,most of these witnesses are members of the ,church1 but some of them are not1 and have not been connected with the ,church from before the martyrdom of the ,prophet and ,patriarch4 ,it would be impracticable and even unnecessary to produce all this evidence here4 ,a portion should suffice1 in order that the truth regarding the introduction of these principles should be established2 for1 in this case as in all others1 the testimony of two or three reliable witnesses should establish the truth of these things4 ,celestial marriage1 which is marriage for eternity1 should not be confused with plurality of wives1 as is often done by those not acquainted with these teachings4 #b4 ,some time during the month of ,september four members of the ,reorganized ,church called on ,catherine ,phillips ,smith at her home in ,east ,jordan1 with the object in view of having her deny her testimony regarding her marriage to the ,patriarch ,hyrum ,smith1 which she resolutely refused to do4 ,in a statement given on ,september #bdth1 two days before her death1 she said3 ,they tried to get me to tell a lie and deny that ,i was married to the ,patriarch ,hyrum ,smith2 but ,i would not do it4 ,i never have lied and will not now2 my affidavit is true4 ,they asked me if my mother knew of my marriage1 and ,i told them that the ,patriarch asked my mother if she was willing for him to marry her daughter1 and she said he could ask the daughter1 and she could do as she pleased4 ,i told them that the ,prophet ,joseph sealed me to the ,patriarch ,hyrum ,smith as his wife for time and all eternity1 and they tried to get me to deny it1 and ,i would not do it1 for it is true4 ,i told them the truth4 ,they annoyed me very much1 and ,i finally told them to leave my house and never enter it again4 #c4 ,this1 however1 was not the time this principle was first made known to the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 for as early as #ahca the ,lord revealed the principle of celestial and plural marriage to him and he taught it to others4 #d4 ,see affidavit of ,lucy ,walker ,smith4 #e4 ,similar affidavits by most of the members of this ,high ,council at ,nauvoo are also on file4 #f4 ,leonard ,soby was at first opposed to this revelation1 and shortly after the martyrdom he left the ,church4 ,when this statement was given he was not a member of the ,church4 ,,the ,,reorganized ,,church--,,some ,,facts ,,regarding ,,its ,,origin ,the ministers of the ,reorganized ,church1 or the ,new ,organization1 as it was first called1#a declare that the ,church at the death of the ,prophet ,joseph and ,patriarch ,hyrum ,smith1 was badly divided1 its members scattered to the four winds1 and that the ,church was rejected with its dead4 ,they also claim that the ,reorganization is composed of the faithful who did not bow the knee to ,baal1 but remained true to the original faith as revealed and practiced by the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith4 ,in the words of their president3 ,the individuals who kept this covenant 7the new and everlasting covenant7 were accepted of ,him and were not rejected1 nor their standing before ,god put in jeopardy by the departure of others from the faith4 ,whatever the office in the priesthood each held1 under the ordinations ordered by the call of ,god and vote of the ,church1 would remain valid4 ,they could as elders1 priests1 etc41 pursue the duties of warning1 expounding1 and inviting all to come to ,christ1 and by command of ,god could build up the ,church from any single branch1 which1 like themselves1 had not bowed the knee to ,baal1 or departed from the faith of the ,church as found in the standard works of the body at the death of ,joseph and ,hyrum ,smith4#b ,it is strongly implied in this quotation from the writings of the president of the ,reorganization that all those who followed ,president ,brigham ,young and the ,twelve ,apostles1 lost their ,priesthood and standing before the ,lord1 and that the founders of the ,new ,organization and their followers were the only ones who remained true and steadfast to the ,truth4 ,the evidence in this regard is against them4 ,the truth is that the founders of the ,reorganized church were the ones who followed every will-o-the-wisp1 bowed the knee to ,baal and departed from the faith1 while the ,twelve and the ,saints on the other hand1 pursued an even course and were steadfast under all trials and difficulties even to the end4 ,it is not true that the ,church was broken1 scattered and rejected following the martyrdom and that the ,reorganization is a portion of the original church4 ,their organization did not come into existence until some sixteen years after the death of the ,prophet and ,patriarch and was an outgrowth of the movement under ,james ,j4 ,strang4 ,there was a movement on foot to divide the ,church1 following the assassination of the ,prophet and ,patriarch1 but its range was not as extensive as has generally been supposed4 ,the chief actors in this movement were ,sidney ,rigdon1 ,james ,j4 ,strang and ,william ,smith1 each of whom aspired to lead the ,church4 ,mr4 ,rigdon based his claim to the presidency on the fact that he had been the first counselor to the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 and therefore by right should be the guardian of the ,church4 ,his claim was in conflict with the position of the ,church and the teachings of the ,prophet4 ,he laid his case before the conference of the ,church ,august #h1 #ahdd1 and his claim was rejected by the ,saints almost unanimously4 ,at the same conference the ,twelve ,apostles were sustained as the presiding quorum of the ,church4 ,mr4 ,strang's claim to the presidency was based on his statement that the ,prophet had appointed him as his successor by letter1 a few days before the martyrdom4 ,william ,smith claimed the right of presidency by virtue of being the brother of the ,prophet4 ,each of these men gathered around him a few followers1 principally of that class of restless1 erratic individuals1 who never remain contented very long in any one place or under any circumstances2 but none of them gathered many followers4 ,their organizations barely existed for a few years and then disappeared2 the fragments becoming the nucleus of the ,reorganization4 ,the movement which resulted in the bringing forth of the ,reorganized church1 was of more recent date and was due principally to the efforts of two men1 viz41 ,jason ,w4 ,briggs and ,zenas ,h4 ,gurley4 ,mr4 ,briggs was born ,june #be1 #ahba1 at ,pompey1 ,oneida ,county1 ,new ,york4 ,he joined the ,church ,june #f1 #ahda1 and members of the ,reorganization declare that he was ordained an ,elder in #ahdb4 ,his home was in ,beloit1 ,wisconsin1 from #ahdb to #ahed4 ,after the death of the ,prophet1 ,mr4 ,briggs sustained the ,twelve ,apostles and the ,church and was apparently true to them until the exodus in #ahdf4 ,at that time he lost heart1 turned from the ,church in its darkest hour and sought the favor of the world4 ,some time subsequent to this he joined the movement under ,james ,j4 ,strang4 ,in ,strang's organization he did missionary work1 received honors and organized a branch4 ,in #ahej he renounced ,mr4 ,strang and joined with ,william ,smith1 in the latter organization he was ordained an apostle4 ,he soon tired of ,william ,smith1 and in #ahea joined with ,zenas ,h4 ,gurley who was at that time a follower of ,james ,j4 ,strang4 ,these two men then organized a church of their own which afterwards was known as the ,reorganized church4 ,in #ahhf ,jason ,w4 ,briggs withdrew from this organization of his own begetting1 declaring that it was not the ,church of ,christ4 ,zenas ,h4 ,gurley was just as unstable as ,mr4 ,briggs4 ,he was born at ,bridgewater1 ,new ,york1 ,may #bi1 #ahja1 joined the ,church in ,april1 #ahch1 and moved to ,far ,west1 from whence he was driven with the ,saints in the expulsion of #ahch-ci4 ,after this expulsion he settled in ,nauvoo1 where1 in #ahdd1 he was ordained a ,seventy1#c under the direction of ,president ,joseph ,young1 and on the #fth day of ,april1 #ahde1 he was ordained senior president of the twenty-first quorum of ,seventy4 ,he sustained the ,twelve and followed their teachings and remained with the ,church until ,february1 #ahdf1 7the month of the exodus7 when he also left the ,church and shortly afterwards joined with ,james ,j4 ,strang4 ,mr4 ,gurley was endowed in the ,nauvoo ,temple with his wife ,january #f1 #ahdf1 and of that event the record of ,seventies states under date of ,january #aj1 #ahdf3 ,president ,zenas ,h4 ,gurley arose and said that the ,presidents of the quorum 7#bast7 had received their endowment4 ,he observed that it was remarkable for the unusual outpouring of the ,holy ,spirit4--,page #bi4 ,again speaking of the authorities of the ,church he said3 ,he remembered forcibly the sayings of the ,first ,presidents of ,seventy1 that we should so live that no charge can be brought against us4 ,a few years ago the men in high standing in this ,church were as little as we are4 ,they obtained their exaltation by patient submission to right1 and minding their own business4--,page #bi4 ,on ,january #beth1 #ahdf1 he said3 ,the ,saints who have passed through the trials of the ,church were generally rooted and grounded in love and have a witness in their own hearts or they would not have remained4--,page #cc4 ,within a very few days of this time ,zenas ,h4 ,gurley deserted the ,church because he was unable to face the trials and hardships the ,saints were forced to undergo4 ,the ,mormon people were journeying in a strange land1 the prospects before them were dark and some of the members became faint-hearted and were unable to endure to the end4 ,of this number ,jason ,w4 ,briggs and ,zenas ,h4 ,gurley were two who turned back and sought refuge in the apostate organization of ,james ,j4 ,strang4 ,indeed it required a strong heart and a firm-rooted faith for men and women to give up all earthly comforts and undertake a journey of that kind4 ,death stared the ,saints in the face1 they were poorly clothed1 without shelter1 save their ragged tents that would not shed the rain1 and almost destitute of food2 yet with the exception of the few who sought the flesh-pots of ,egypt1 they patiently and determinedly pursued their way until crowned with the victory4 ,the opinion of the world at that time was that the exodus meant the end of ,mormonism1 and that the ,latter-day ,saints had gone to their destruction2 for without the necessary means to support life1 and isolated as they were from the rest of civilization1 they must surely perish in the barren and distant ,west4 ,such1 too1 would doubtless have been the case had not the protecting hand of ,jehovah guided them4 ,is it any wonder under such trying conditions that the hearts of those weak in the faith should fail them8 ,in #ahdi ,mr4 ,gurley filled a mission for ,mr4 ,strang and made a number of converts to that faith4 ,in #ahej he organized the ,yellowstone branch1 for the ,strangite church4 ,in #aheb he rejected the claim of ,mr4 ,strang and joined with ,mr4 ,jason ,w4 ,briggs1 and these two men united their respective ,strangite branches1 those of ,yellowstone and ,beloit1 and organized themselves into a new religious movement known today as the ,reorganized church4 ,in #ahec1 the leaders of this movement called a number of men to the ministry1 ordained seven apostles and began a proselyting movement4 ,for several years they tried to get young ,joseph1 the son of the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 who had never affiliated with the ,saints since the exodus from ,nauvoo1 to join them and become their president4 ,in this they failed1 but were diligent and finally1 through their continued efforts and the persuasion of his mother1 he accepted that position in #ahfj1 was ordained president of their church by ,william ,marks1 ,zenas ,h4 ,gurley1 and ,william ,w4 ,blair1 and has continued in that position ever since4 ,mr4 ,gurley remained with this movement till his death1 but his family1 together with ,jason ,w4 ,briggs1 voluntarily withdrew in #ahhf4 ,in #aheb1 when ,jason ,w4 ,briggs and ,zenas ,h4 ,gurley combined their ,strangite forces the membership was about one hundred souls1 most of whom were converts made for ,mr4 ,strang4 ,in #ahfj1 when young ,joseph assumed the leadership1 the membership was three hundred souls1 most of whom were converts that had never belonged to the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints4 ,of the members of the ,church who were in fellowship in #ahdd-df1 the ,reorganization has received no more1 and likely less than one thousand converts1 which fact shows that the apostasy was not so great in #ahdd-df1 as has been pictured4 ,these statements are based on the testimony of original members of the ,reorganization1 as they testified before the ,u4 ,s4 ,court of ,appeals for the ,western ,district of ,missouri1 in #ahid1 in the ,temple ,lot suit1 which was for the possession of property in the hands of the ,church of ,christ or ,hedrickites4 ,before that court ,mr4 ,william ,w4 ,blair1 who for many years was a member of the presidency of the ,reorganization and who was one of its oldest members1 testified that one thousand was probably too high an estimate for the members of the original church1 that had joined the ,reorganized church4 ,he could approximately say that one thousand had joined the ,reorganized church1 and possibly that estimate was too large4 ,record pp4 #ahj1 #aha4 ,william ,marks1 whose testimony is referred to by ,mr4 ,evans1 was also one of those who joined the ,reorganization in an early day4 ,at the time of the martyrdom he was president of the ,nauvoo ,stake1 but was disfellowshipped for transgression at the ,october conference1 #ahdd1 and finally excommunicated4 ,afterwards he joined the organization under ,james ,j4 ,strang4 ,in that organization he became a bishop1 was a member of the high council1 and later a member of the first presidency4 ,after the death of ,james ,j4 ,strang1 he joined the organization of ,charles ,b4 ,thompson1 another apostate4 ,this is the same ,william ,marks who ordained ,joseph ,smith1 of ,lamoni1 president of the ,reorganization4 ,in that ordination he was assisted by ,zenas ,h4 ,gurley and ,william ,w4 ,blair4 ,mr4 ,blair never belonged to the ,church4 ,it is almost needless to add that these men held no divine authority and could not bestow the ,priesthood and officiate in the ordinances of the ,gospel1 and1 therefore1 the pretentions of the ,reorganized church are fraudulent4 ,judged by its history1 doctrines and the unstable character of its founders it is proved to be a counterfeit and nothing more4 ,considering the conditions under which the ,reorganization came into existence1 and the fact that in the beginning the original one hundred members came from the ,strangite church1 and that during the existence of that organization from its foundation to #ahid1 not more than one thousand members of the original church 7i4e4 the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints as it stood in #ahdd7 had joined it1 we are not to be blamed if we declare that that church is not the successor1 a faction or a portion of the original church founded by ,joseph ,smith the ,prophet through the command of ,god1 ,april #f1 #ahcj4 ,and after following the history of its founders and pointing out their instability and the manner in which they followed after false leaders1 receiving ordinations and honors under their hands1 we can most emphatically declare that they were not the faithful who did not bow the knee to ,baal1 and who kept the everlasting covenant4 ,footnotes #a4 ,saints' ,herald1 ,vol4 one4 #b4 ,see article in ,era1 ,vol4 #g1 ,no4 #aa1 entitled1 ,the ,church ,rejected--,when8 #c4 ,the ,reorganized ,church ,history states that ,z4 ,h4 ,gurley was ordained a ,seventy in ,far ,west in #ahch4 ,this is an error1 they have no original record of such an ordination4 ,the original records of the ,seventies in the ,historian's ,office1 ,salt ,lake ,city1 give his ordination as stated here4