| 894 The Latter-day Saints are charged by their enemies, with the blackest crimes. Treason, murder, theft, polygamy, and adultery, are among the many crimes laid to their charge.-The press reiterates and gives publicity to these charges. Under these circumstances, it is but right, that they should be heard in their defence [defense]. I shall, therefore, in this communication, briefly examine and refute a few of the charges, for it would need a legion of writers to answer all the lies told about us.
Most of the stories against the Mormons have been propagated by apostates and traitors, (who have generally been cut off from the church for their crimes.) They publish their lies, and straightway they are believed, and hawked about as awful disclosures, and received by community with trembling and holy horror. Sidney Rigdon, I see by the papers, has made an exposition of Mormonism, charging Joseph Smith and the Mormons with polygamy, &c. It does not require a very sagacious mind to fathom Mr. Rigdon's motive for so doing. Soon after the murder of the Smiths, he declared in a pvblic [public] address in Nauvoo that Joseph Smith died approved of God-that the Latter-day Saints were a blessed people, &c. His tone is now changed, and why? Because he sought to be presiding elder, and on account of his corruption, was rejected. On the 10th of September, last, he was tried before the church and excommunicated as a schismatic. If he knew such enormities to exist among the Mormons, why did he call them a blessed people, and endeavor to place himself at the head of their church? Mr. Rigdon's spiritual wife system was never known till it was hatched by John C. Bennett who was cut off from the church for seduction.
As to the charge of polygamy, I will quote from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, which is the subscribed faith of the church and is strictly enforced. Article Marriage, sec. 91, par. 4, says, "Inasmuch as this church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication and polygamy, we declare that we believe that one man should have BUT ONE WIFE, and one woman but one husband except in case of death when either is at liberty to marry again." Sec. 13, par. 7. Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart and shall cleave unto her and NONE ELSE." In ancient days the church was troubled with traitors, and always will be till God cleanses the earth, and restores the government of his Son. Paul says he was in perils among false brethren; again he says, "know this that, in the last days perilous times shall come, for men shall be TRAITORS, FALSE ACCUSERS, INCONTINENT, fierce despiser of those that are good." No wonder then that apostates rage, or that the fnlness [fullness] of truth revealed again should bring a storm of persecution.
The charge that the Mormons have disregarded the laws of Illinois, in electing officers under their charter, when the same had been repealed, is thus explained in the Nauvoo Neighbor: "The time for our election as pointed out by law, occurred just about or before the time that the report of the repeal reached us. It was not thought advisable, however, to omit our election upon a mere rumor, but to proceed and elect our officers, and in the event that the rumor proved true, to yield, whatever might be our opinion as to the legal right to repeal an act with perpetual succession."
There is nothing in Mormonism that teaches vice and immorality; but it requires man to have faith in God, to repent of and forsake sin to be baptised [baptized] for the remission of the same, then receive the laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy Spirit, according to the ancient pattern, to live virtuous and holy lives, to believe in and seek to enjoy all the gifts and blessings enjoyed by the children of the Most High in days of old. It forbids every species of crime, and its influence is to make men better. Yet its followers have been persecuted, murdered and driven from their possessions; and its slanderers are, unceasing in endeavoring to bring down still greater calamities upon them. Defenceless [defenseless] prisoners have been massacred in cold blood while under the plighted faith of their country, while our murderers and those who have plundered, robbed and driven us, still go unpunished and can boast of their heroic deeds through the length and breadth of the land. For instance, Thomas C. Sharp, editor of the Warsaw Signal, is now indicted for the murder of the Smiths, yet he stands at the head of a weekly paper from whence issues most of the vile trash about Mormon outrages, &c., Jacob C. Davis, also, a Senator, stands indicted for the same murder, and is only kept from the demands of justice, by mob violence: yet, when a requisition was made for him by the Sheriff of Hancock county, the Senate refused to give him up for fear they would not have strength enough to repeal the Nauvoo charter. O tempora! O mores! a MURDERER making laws for a free and enlightened people. Is it just that the Mormons should receive such treatment? O! ye Americans, the glory of freedom has departed-the rich boon transmitted to us by our fathers has gone from us, if such things are to be tolerated with impunity. Our fathers fought for the liberties of which we are deprived . But says one, how are you deprived
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