Defense of the Faith and the Saints (Volume 1 of 2)Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Religion
Defense of the Faith and the Saints (Volume 1 of 2)
Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Latter Day Saint churches
Within a few months past the last apostle elected to the quorum was a
polygamist--Charles W. Penrose--and his law-breaking career is well
known. Previous to 1889 Penrose was living publicly with three wives.
Under false pretenses to President Cleveland he obtained amnesty for
his past offenses. He represented that he had but two wives, and that
he married his second wife in 1862, while it was generally known that
he took a third wife just prior to 1888. He promised to obey the law
in the future, and to urge others to do so; yet after that amnesty,
obtained by concealing his third marriage from President Cleveland,
he continued living with his three wives. His action in this matter
has been notorious. He has publicly defended this kind of law-breaking
on the false pretense that there was a tacit understanding with the
American Congress and people, when Utah was admitted, that these
polygamists might continue to live as they had been living.
And it was this traitor to his country's laws, this unrepentant knave
and cheat of the nation's mercy, this defamer of Congress and the
people, that was elected to the apostleship to help govern the church,
and through the church the State.
Is it not demonstrated that Utah is an abnormal State? Our problem is
vast and complex. I have endeavored to simplify it so that the Senate
and the country may readily grasp the questions at issue.
THE REMEDY.
Will this great body, will the Government of the United States, go on
unheedingly while this church monarchy multiplies its purposes and
multiplies its power? Has the nation so little regard for its own
dignity and the safety of its institutions and its people that it will
permit a church monarch like Joseph F. Smith to defy the laws of the
country, and to override the law and to overrule the administrators of
the law in his own State of Utah?
What shall the Americans of that Commonwealth do if the people of the
United States do not heed their cry?
The vast majority of the Mormon people are law-abiding, industrious,
sober, and thrifty. They make good citizens in every respect except
as they are dominated by this monarchy, which speaks to them in the
name of God and governs them in the spirit of Mammon. Any remedy
for existing evils which would injure the mass of the Mormon people
would be most deplorable. I believe that they would loosen the chains
which they wear if it were possible. I think that many of them pay
blood-money tithes simply to avoid social ostracism and business
destruction. I believe that many of them do the political will of the
church monarch because they are led to believe that the safety of the
church monarchy is necessary in order that the mass may preserve the
right to worship God according to the dictates of their conscience. The
church monopoly, by its various agencies is usually able to uprear the
injured and innocent mass of the Mormon people as a barrier to protect
the members of that monarchy from public vengeance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account