Scrap Book of Mormon Literature, Volume 2 (of 2). Religious Tracts
Religion
Scrap Book of Mormon Literature, Volume 2 (of 2). Religious Tracts
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- Doctrines; Latter Day Saint churches -- Doctrines; Latter Day Saints
was put down against them. Yet a people driven into exile five times
would be idiotic not to unite for their own protection, and, as soon
as possible, prepare themselves to refuse to be driven again. When
their old enemies learned what advancement the Mormons had made
in Utah they came to send them to perdition again, but it was too
late. Then they raised the outcry against polygamy. That brought in
the aid of congress, the destruction of the incorporated church and
the confiscation of church property, but did not crush Mormonism. A
thousand polygamists went to the penitentiary, and still Mormonism
would not collapse. The Mormons did not hanker after salvation from a
hot spell in another life. They were too busy. They had hell enough
here. There was no brimstone in their conception of the hereafter.
A few might falter, but the mass stood by their faith, submitted
as best they could to the insolence of their enemies, waiting upon
the Lord to rescue them. Then came the scheme to disfranchise them.
Disfranchisement was the culmination of forty years of effort to
conquer the Mormons. If this calamity should fall the people would
be at the mercy of unscrupulous legislators who would practice the
sentiment of him who said all the rights the Mormons had were to
"pay taxes" or "git out." Before this danger the leader yielded and
declared that to save the people from ruin he would take no more plural
wives (he was then about 90) himself and would advise his people to
do likewise. That was in September, 1800. Two weeks later the church,
in conference, accepted the advice of its president that polygamous
marriages should cease.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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