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Source: Church History Vol. 4 Chapter 21 Page: 388 (~1882)

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388 were driven out of Illinois? For it "was not known among them then;" and in fact not "till some time after their arrival in Utah." All these questions and many more would need to be answered in an examination of the matter of plural marriage as having been properly a measure introduced by Joseph Smith.

The statement as given in the Tribune's report, and which the News denounces as an "atrocious lie," was not made as stated. The Times and Herald, each published a report, and neither of them got the remark in the form given by the Tribune. As given, it is a harsh remark, of which we do not object to the News finding fault. The remarks as made by us were made upon the authority of a man whose name we can give, when necessary, and to whom we referred when making the statement in the speech quoted from.

Joseph Smith, as an invited speaker at the Farwell Hall meeting, February 22, 1882, was not responsible for the statements of Bishop Fallows, who succeeded him as a speaker; nor for the introductory remarks of Honorable John Wentworth, who introduced him to the audience. He was there to discuss his side of the question at issue before Congress and the American people. He was there to defend the memories of a father and his compeers in refounding the religion of Jesus Christ, against calumny and opprobrium resting upon them; because of a gross departure from the original faith, that departure sanctioned by an alleged revelation, which he believed then and believes now was not given of God, nor to his father. He was there in the interest of the truth as he and many hundreds of believers in the doctrines of Joseph Smith as taught from 1830 to 1844; and to set before the people of Chicago there gathered to hear, what he believed then and what he believes now to be necessary to the well-being of society and the good of those called Latter Day Saints. He knew then, as he knows now and knew twenty years ago, that the issue would be made and the principle of plural marriage, polygamy, be left to stand naked and deformed, shorn of its fictitious supports, to the gaze of an aroused people.

February 20, Elder J. R. Lambert reported the organization of Millview Branch, in Florida, Priest J. S. Faulk presiding, G. W. Boon teacher.

February 22, 1882, Elder Thomas Carrico, of the High Priests' Quorum, died near Logan, Iowa. He had been a member of the church since 1832 or 1833, and was at one time a doorkeeper in the Kirtland Temple 2

February 20 to 22 there was a debate at Ionia, Illinois, between an Elder Adair, of the Advent Church, and Elder H. C. Bronson.

2 See Church History, volume 2, page 9.

(page 388)

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