Defense of the Faith and the Saints (Volume 2 of 2)Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Religion
Defense of the Faith and the Saints (Volume 2 of 2)
Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Latter Day Saint churches
No denial was made of the practice of polygamous living. The "Address"
admits that authoritative figures officially collected show 897 such
male polygamists in the year 1902. The fact that later reports are not
quoted leads to the reasonable belief that since that date the number
of male polygamists has not diminished, but rather has increased.
But even if this conclusion is not valid, these figures given have a
very grave significance. We have this condition before us: In a sect,
numbering at the outside some 400,000 souls, many of whom--half or
more--are children or mere adherents, at the very least 2,691 persons
are living in polygamy. This would be true if each of the 897 male
polygamists had only two consorts; but, since in many cases there
are more than two, the whole number of persons living in polygamy is
considerably larger than the figures just named would indicate. It
seems quite probable that far more than 1,800 families in this sect
are polygamous families. All of these people are living in violation
of the law. Each one of them has a circle of relatives and friends,
most of whom will not only condone, but will sympathize with the
criminal. These people are rearing children, a majority of whom have
been born under ban of the law. Moreover, they are now maintaining
their relations against the decree of the church, as interpreted under
oath by the church leaders, and yet none of them have been subjected to
church discipline for polygamous living. What must reasonable people
think of it when such a condition is approved and sustained by a church
claiming to be the only church of Christ in the earth--a church strong
enough to control all conditions in the state, political, social and
civil?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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