| 508 father, they sought for it not in the honors of this world, but taking up the cross in the bearing of which their father perished, they seek it by striving to call Israel back to the Lord they forsook; to leave the embraces of the wanton whose breasts are those of a strange woman. And for this, they are called Gurleyites; for this, they are likened to Esau; for this, the scorpion whip of brethren is laid upon them; for this, they bear the world's cold sneer and the hiss of disappointed disciples; for this, they are charged with hypocrisy, base designs upon the credulity of the poor; for this, the vials of wrath of Granville Hedrick, L. D. Hickey, G. P. Dykes, Sidney Rigdon, Brigham Young, and a host of others are uncorked.
"The honors which accrue to the occupant of the position which we now hold, come not from man; nor can man divert the curses sure to follow that man who refuses to do the duty before him because he cannot in his manner of doing it please so great a variety of men.
"The ordination we received at Amboy in 1860, was under the hands of William Marks, William W. Blair, and Zenos H. Gurley, to the high priesthood, and by the voice of the church we were then acknowledged and chosen to be the President of the Church.
"There has been no 'cast iron' policy nor priesthood about the matter from beginning to end, so far as we are concerned.
"We are and have been the acknowledged and avowed enemy to the doctrine of polygamy, and are called to preach in opposition to it.
"In 1856, George A. Smith and Erastus Snow, from Utah, visited us. We told them then we were opposed to polygamy, and expected ever to be. Nor could we be induced to favor it in Utah nor anywhere else.
"In the same year the brethren from Zarahemla visited us. We told them we could not move in the matter till we were called, or convinced that it was our duty so to do. They left with the impression that we would keep to that view.
(page 508) |
