Scriptural Evidences in Support of Polygamy

Front matter

SCRIPTURAL EVIDENCES

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Introductory Remarks

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

The “Polygamy of the Mormons” is a subject that has been so much dwelt upon in this country, and apparently so little understood by those who have undertaken the task of explaining it, that we deem it but simple justice to ourselves to publish a few of our reasons for believing in this principle. To many individuals the idea of publicly advocating so “heathenish” a doctrine, may be startling, and they doubtless will feel inclined to look upon any such movement with suspicion. With the word Polygamy, is associated something so very wicked, repulsive, and subversive of virtue and chastity, that its mere mention is sufficient to arouse a host of prejudices and antipathics, that effectually close the ears and harden the hearts against any inquiry or investigation. To convince such individuals of its truth and perfect agreement with the Holy Scriptures, or to persuade them that the Latter-Day Saints are actuated by pure and upright motives in believing and practicing it, will, no doubt, be difficult. But there are those in whose minds the love of the truth is not entirely quenched by tradition and prejudice, and who are disposed to hear and examine, and weigh well the evidence adduced before they pronounce the condemnation. With them the evidence of scripture will have influence, and they will be disposed, at least, to give us credit for closely adhering to the word of God in our belief on this subject.

We wish men to be left without excuse for believing the wild, fanciful and untruthful stories told about us and our belief and practice of this system; and we know of no plan likely to be more effectual than that of publishing a portion of the evidence upon which we base our belief. It is the most noble defence we can offer to the world of the integrity of our motives, and the falsehood of the charges, which those who delight to villify as have heaped upon us for our belief and practice of this system. So public a declaration of the principle and the scriptural evidences in its favor, must convince every honest mind that, so far as this is concerned, we have done all in our power to give every one an opportunity to prove to their own satisfaction its truth or falsity, its agreement or disagree with the words of eternal truth recorded in the Bible. We have not only published evidences drawn from the writings of a Latter-Day Saint, but to add, if possible, to their weight, and to make them more conclusive to the minds of those who might be disposed to view with dubiety and distrust any testimony adduced by the “Mormons,” have made extracts from other sources, have brought forward arguments advanced by Monogamists, whose education, predelictions and associations would have prompted them to reject such a doctrine as ungodly and calculated to produce evil, had it not been eminently sustained and warranted by the Scriptures. The attention of these Protestant ministers, whose arguments in favor of this doctrine we have embodied in this work, was drawn to the consideration of the subject for various reasons, and they merely record the result of their careful examination of the Scriptures.

We wish it distinctly understood, however, that it is not for the purpose of teaching the practice of Polygamy that we publish these evidences in its favor; but having been aspersed and our motives maligned to an almost unlimited extent for our belief in this principle, we take this opportunity to defend it, and show to the world that though a favorite point of attack for our assailants, it is by no means a vulnerable one. Our mission to this country is to teach the people the necessity of belief on the Lord Jesus Christ, of repentance of sin, of baptism by water for its remission, and the laying on of hands, according to the scriptural pattern, for the gift of the Holy Ghost. To prove to the world that these first principles of the gospel of Christ must be obeyed, and to inspire them with a desire to obey them, is pre-eminently the mission of the Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. But in filling this mission, as it is well known that we believe in Polygamy, and to the minds of many, belief in such a principle is incompatible with the belief and practice of these first principles of the gospel, we have a strong prejudice to contend with; therefore, we take this method of proving to all men, that in condemning and refusing to obey the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught in these days by the elders of the Latter-Day Saints, because of their belief or practice of Polygamy, they are entirely unwarranted and inexcusable, there being as great an abundance of Scriptural testimony to substantiate that, as any other principle of the gospel.

But though we cite the testimony of the Scriptures to convince mankind that this principle was correct, and this institution was the one which the Lord revealed and even commanded bis people in former generations to observe, yet it is not upon this evidence that we presume to practice it at the present time. These scriptural evidences show what the mind of the Lord was in former times relative to this principle; they show that the Latter-Day Saints in putting this doctrine in practice, merely do what the people of God did in previous ages, and therefore, that Polygamy is not a new-fangled doctrine of their own invention; but they do not give to the Latter-Day Saints, or to any other people, the right and authority to enter into the practice of this system aside from the command of God, any more than the Scriptures give the right and authority to every person who may peruse them to go forth and preach the gospel or officiate in its ordinances. Whenever this system is practiced under the divine sanction of the Almighty, it will be by His direct command, and He will undoubtedly reveal the laws by which its observance will be governed, so that everything connected therewith will be under proper restrictions and done in order. Until this command was given, though they had all the evidences of Scripture that this doctrine was believed and practiced by the people of God in ancient days, the Latter-Day Saints never dared to adopt it. The Lord in his wisdom, however, saw fit to give it, accompanying it by so strong a testimony of His Holy Spirit that there was no room to doubt; the only alternative that was left us, therefore, was to believe and obey it.

Since the first organization of the Church of the Lord in these days, every exertion has been made to lay our principles in plainness and simplicity before the people, that they might examine and judge for themselves. Prompted by the knowledge that they are the principles of life and salvation, and therefore, necessary to be known and understood by all, we wish to continue our exertions, until every man will be left without excuse for rejecting the truth. If our belief in polygamy is the excuse, we wish to deprive them of it, by showing to them by the testimony of the Bible that they are as much bound to believe it as any other principle of the Gospel of Christ. After men have perused the evidences adduced by the Latter-Day Saints in its favor they cannot be justified in rejecting it, any more than they can be justified in rejecting the doctrines of belief in Jesus, repentance and baptism. Do the Scriptures teach us that these are correct principles? so they do that polygamy is correct. If we are to believe their testimony in one instance, we must, to be consistent, also believe their testimony in the other. The same Being who revealed, commanded and sanctioned the principles of faith, repentance and baptism, has also revealed, commanded and sanctioned polygamy; and every believer in the Bible will be as much constrained to believe the latter as the former. If the Latter-Day Saints were the first people who ever believed or practiced this doctrine, then there might, perhaps, be a little more room to doubt its divine authenticity; but this, as all who peruse the following pages will be forced to admit, was not the case. It was believed, practiced and taught by the ancient servants of God under His immediate sanction and approbation.

Discussion and examination will only have the tendency to make this more apparent to every observer, and after this principle has been thoroughly tested by the aid of scripture and reason, it will then be found to be as clearly demonstrable and irrefutable as the other principles of what men are pleased to call, “Mormonism.”

There is another method also by which men can prove the truth of this and every other principle of the gospel for themselves, and that is, by asking the Father in the name of Jesus to give unto them an evidence by which they may know as to its truth or falsity; if they do this in humility and faith, there can be no deception about what they will receive; inasmuch as it is a principle originating with him, he will acknowledge it by the testimony of His Holy Spirit. The evidence of the scripture is sufficient to prove that its practice by the ancients was correct; but the testimony of the Spirit will be convincing evidence that it is correct at the present time. Having received this evidence, and thereby knowing that the principle comes from the Lord, we advocate and defend it with confidence and pleasure. It is upon such testimony, supported, of course, by the testimony of scripture, that all the doctrines of “Mormonism” are advanced to the world for their consideration. The evidence is of such a nature that all can prove to their own satisfaction whether it be true or false. But it is not upon such evidence that the doctrine of polygamy, or any of the doctrines of Mormonism, are assailed. It is too frequently the case that men do not stop to make the slightest investigation relative to the matter; if a doctrine does not correspond with their views, that is sufficient to condemn it, and they immediately raise the cry about the delusion of “Mormonism.”

The Latter-Day Saints affirm that an evidence of the truth of the principles of “Mormonism” has been received by them from the Lord. They furthermore affirm that every person who will take the course recommended, will receive a similar testimony. Why do not individuals if they are anxious to satisfy themselves on this subject, take this course? It would be much the easiest and best plan, as they have but to solicit in the proper spirit and they will obtain the necessary knowledge. Until they take this course, and prove for themselves that no such testimony or knowledge can be obtained, they certainly are far from being justified in condemning “Mormonism” or any of its doctrines.

The seeker after truth and the curious have now another opportunity of learning the Latter-Day Saints’ reasons for believing in polygamy. The arguments are deduced from the Book which all christians profess to believe and reverence; and they are submitted to the prayerful consideration of the reader, with the hope that all those who may hereafter feel inclined to condemn the “polygamy of the Mormons,” and who profess to believe the Scriptures, will not depend on mere assertion to bear them out in their opposition, but will bring forth their strong reasons from those records to show why it should not be believed.

Marriage and Morals in Utah

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AN ADDRESS WRITTEN BY ELDER PARLEY P. PRATT, READ IN JOINT SESSION BY MR. THOMAS BULLOCK, CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE, IN REPRESENTATIVES HALL, FILLMORE, DECEMBER 31ST., 1855. THE ASSEMBLY TENDERED THE AUTHOR THEIR THANKS BY A UNANIMOUS VOTE, AND BY A LIKE VOTE ORDERED THE ADDRESS TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE DESERET NEWS.

Mr. President and Gentlemen:

At the opening of the present session of our annual Legislature I had the honor of being unanimously chosen Chaplain of the Council.

I was then and there laid under a solemn oath to faithfully perform the duties of this high and holy calling to the best of my abilities, and was also solemnly charged by the honorable President, Mr. Kimball, not merely to be fervent in prayer during the session, but also to contribute my mite in moulding the moral and social institutions of our common country.

In accordance with these sacred responsibilities placed upon me, I have, with some pains, prepared this address, which I am extremely happy in having the privilege of laying before you; not merely, or principally for your sakes; but for the sake of the people of our Territory—our nation, and the world.

As our young and rising Territory is about preparing to enter upon her sovereignty as a free and independent republic, and to assume her place amid the family of American States, it becomes her citizens, and especially those engaged in founding her institutions, to purify themselves and to come together with pure hearts and clean hands; and, clothed with light as with a garment, lay a constitutional foundation, and make or adopt such laws as will tend to purify and exalt the people, establish righteousness and peace, and multiply and perpetuate a nation of freemen in the highest degree of moral, intellectual and physical development.

No time-serving, or mere temporary policy should enter into our composition, or influence us for one moment. We act, not merely or principally for ourselves or the living age but for untold millions of posterity, and for ages yet unborn, who doubtless will be influenced by our institutions, and mould their morals, manners, precepts, and even their consciences more or less after the pattern we set them.

A wholesome moral atmosphere, and a conscience purified and enlightened by the Spirit of Truth are indispensably necessary to a permanent national growth, and to the strength and perpetuity of institutions.

The All-wise Creator, the God of nature, has implanted in the human heart certain affections, which, under proper culture and direction, give rise to family ties: hence the necessity and importance of the moral and social relations, and the institutions for their proper direction and government. ’Tis nature’s universal law, and the just and great commandment with blessing, that each and every species should multiply and fill the measure of its creation. Hence the growth of families—the germs of nations: and hence, as we before observed, the necessity of laws founded in wisdom, to guard, as it were, the fountain and issues of life. In short, moral and social affections and institutions are the very foundation of all government, whether of family, church or state. If these are perverted, or founded in error, the whole superstructure is radically wrong, and will contain within itself the seeds of its own decay and dissolution. These facts are not only self evident, but are according to all experience; being exemplified in the decadence and dissolution of nations and empires of old, as well as in the general weakness and corruption so characteristic of men and things in modern times.

The prophet Isaiah, in looking through the vista of long distant years, at length beholds the vision of modern “Christendom,” or of the corruptions growing out of Roman sway. He exclaims: Isaiah 24:5, “The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.” We here inquire: What laws were transgressed? what ordinance was changed? and what everlasting covenant was broken—the effect of which would defile the very earth under its inhabitants?

This leads us back, in our researches, to the earliest institutions, laws, ordinances, covenants, and precedents or record touching marriage and the moral and social relations.

If we find laws, statutes, covenants and precedents emanating from God; sworn to by himself to be everlasting; as a blessing to all nations: if we find these have to do with exceeding multiplicity of the race, and with family and national organization and increase: if such institutions are older than Moses, and are found perpetuated and unimpaired by Moses, and the prophets—Jesus and the Apostles, then it will appear evident, that they were intended to be perpetual; and that no merely human legislation or authority, whether proceeding from emperor, king or people, has a right to change, alter, or pervert them.

It will then remain to be shown by whom these institutions were changed, or perverted: the direful effect of such change upon the nations; and the only course left for those who would survive the crash of nations and the wreck of worlds.

Our object, gentlemen, is to urge upon the statesmen and people, of at least one state or government of our earth, to avoid the rock and quicksands on which so many have made shipwreck—to restore the laws, the ordinance, and the everlasting covenant of our God; that her citizens may be purified and preserved by the same; and her institutions, being founded in truth, may be perpetuated forever. I beseech, therefore, honorable gentlemen to hear me patiently.

Abraham, the friend of God, lived in Asia upwards of four hundred years before the law of Moses was written on tables of stone, or thundered from Mount Sinai. To this man God gave laws, commandments, statutes, and judgments in an everlasting covenant. He said unto him: Genesis 12th, verse 2d: “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”

And again: Genesis, 17th, verses 1st to 8th; “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him; I am the Almighty God: walk before me and be thou perfect, and I will make my covenant between me and thee, and I will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him saying, as for me, behold my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be the father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram; but thy name shall be called Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee, and I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee and thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

In the foregoing promises it is evident that there is an everlasting covenant, touching multiplicity of our species, government making, or the raising up of families and nations, and their exceeding prosperity and increase: a covenant everlasting and unchangeable in which all nations should be blessed, if they were ever blessed at all. In connection with this covenant we have reason to believe that God would reveal laws, statutes, and institutions which would be productive of the greatest possible increase of a wise, healthy, and virtuous posterity.

In the precedents recorded of Abraham and his posterity, two principles are conspicuous as being subservient to the carrying out of those ends: viz:

First: A plurality of wives:

Secondly: An entire prohibition of all sexual intercourse except upon the principle of marriage;—a breach of which was considered a capital offence, punishable with death. God provided Abraham with Sarah, Hagar, Keturah, and several other wives not named. By this means he became the father of many nations and his seed was multiplied exceedingly.

God also gave to Jacob, Abraham’s grandson, four wives: viz; Leah, Rachel, Bilhah, and Zilpha; by which means he became the father of the twelve tribes. The history of these things is so conspicuous in the book of Genesis that we need not quote chapter and verse.

Now after Abraham had obtained all these wives, and had raised up children by them, the Lord bears testimony in the 26th chapter of Genesis, verse 5th, saying: “Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” Here then, we have demonstrated that a man living four hundred years before the law of Moses was given, had statutes, commandments, and laws given to him of God; and that he kept them.

These laws evidently included polygamy or plurality of wives, from the fact that he had them, as a means of carrying out the promise of exceeding multiplicity. Here then, the matter is set forever at rest, that polygamy is included in the ordinance of marriage, and in the everlasting covenant and laws of God; and that, under proper regulations, it is an institution holy, just, virtuous, pure, and, in the estimation of God, abundantly calculated to bless, preserve, and multiply a nation. Hence the laws of some of our States, which recognize polygamy as a crime, are at once both unscriptural, and unconstitutional, as well as immoral. Common law in England, and in the United States, recognizes the Bible as the very foundation of all moral and criminal jurisprudence; and the Constitution of the United States, and of each State guarantees the liberty, of at least an enlightened conscience, founded on the moral law of God as found in that Holy Book. Hence, should an individual, or a community, in all good faith regulate their marriages by the laws of God as given to Abraham, no State law can harm them while the civil courts are bound to abide that holy and sacred guarantee of the Constitution: viz: “Liberty of Conscience.”

Having demonstrated the fact of an everlasting covenant made with Abraham and his seed, including plural marriage, and certain laws designed to multiply and bless many nations, and to be a blessing to all the families of the earth, we will now inquire after the penal laws touching morality, or the intercourse of the sexes.

The first intimation we will notice on this subject is found in Genesis 20th chapter: as follows: “And Abraham journeyed from thence towards the south country and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, she is my sister: and Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, behold thou art but a dead man for the woman which thou hast taken, for she is a man’s wife. But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord wilt thou slay also a righteous nation? Said he not unto me, she is my sister? and she, even she herself, said, he is my brother: in the integrity of my heart, and the innocency of my hands have I done this. And God said unto him in a dream, yea I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart: for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. Now therefore, restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: but if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou and all that are thine.”

Here we have the law of God revealed by his own mouth about four hundred years before the law of Moses was given: making death the penalty of adultery. This penal law then, was part and parcel of the laws, statutes, and covenants under which Abraham and his neighbor lived, and it seems to have been an ancient and general law handed down by the fathers, to which Abimelech was no stranger; he did not plead his ignorance of the law, but the innocency of his intentions, and his ignorance of the true circumstances.

Again, Genesis, chapter 34, records a case of fornication, committed by Sechem, the son of Hamor, the Hivite, prince of the country, with Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, the grandson of Abraham; and how punished. Two of the sons of Jacob, viz: Simeon and Levi, took their swords and slew this fornicator and all the men about him, who had been accessory to the seduction of their sister, or who had consented thereto; and they took their goods for a spoil. They may in this case have transcended the bounds of the law; but still it goes to show with what abhorrence these sons of a chaste and plural marriage held the crime of fornication.

We will now inquire whether the law of Moses, or the gospel ever changed the covenant of Abraham, or disannulled the law of marriage, or the penalty of death affixed to adultery and fornication. For this purpose we shall trace the subject down through the different ages and dispensations, bringing a few instances out of many, illustrative of the subject. But first of all we will take the direct testimony of the Apostle Paul, found in Galatians, 3rd chapter, 14th to 18th verses inclusive, which reads thus:

“That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth it, or addeth thereto. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made, he saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ. And this I say, that the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ;—the law (of Moses) which was four hundred and thirty years after, can not disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance be of the law, (of Moses,) it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.”

Again, verse 29th, Paul says to the Gentiles, “If ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Here we have the most direct and positive testimony, in the New Testament, that the covenant and promise made to Abraham were intended for all time, and for the believing Gentiles, and all true Christian people; and that they were entirely distinct from the law of Moses, and were never disannulled, or changed, either by Moses or Christ. Hence we affirm that the law of plural marriage, and death as the penalty of adultery and fornication, has been in force through all time, and through every dispensation, from Abraham till the present: and that of right it should be of force among all truly Christian nations:—that the carrying out of these holy laws in righteousness would greatly multiply and bless a nation;—and that the breach, or change of them, would corrupt the world, and defile the very earth with abominations.

But let us now come to historical illustrations. In the 25th chapter of Numbers we have an account of Zimri, a prince in Israel, who committed fornication with Cosbi, the daughter of Zur, a prince of Midian: and how Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, the priest, took a javelin and thrust them both through the body, and slew them: and how the Lord staid the plague on account of this act; and rewarded Phinehas with an everlasting covenant of priesthood, for his zeal in thus punishing the crime of fornication. We should remember too that Moses, who was himself a polygamist, both in practice and as a legislator, was the prophet and legislator, under whose administration this crime was thus severely punished.

In the 1st book of Samuel, chapter 1st, we find an account of Elkanah, and his two wives, Hannah and Peninnah; and of Samuel, the son of this pluralist, who was a promised child, devoted to the service of God, and brought up in the holy temple. To this child came the word of the Lord against the house of Eli the priest, saying: 1st Samuel, 3rd chapter, verses 11th to 14th: “Behold I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that day will I perform against Eli all the things which I have spoken concerning his house: where I begin I will also make an end. For I have told him that I will judge his house forever, for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons make themselves vile, and he restraineth them not. Therefore, I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.”

Here seems to be certain sins which the ordinances of remission could never cleanse. God swore that neither sacrifice nor offering should ever atone for them. What were these sins committed by the sous of Eli? The answer is found in 2nd chapter of 1st Samuel. They, as priests, robbed the sacrifices, and committed whoredoms with the women who came to the tabernacle: this they did repeatedly and would not repent. In the 4th chapter of said book, we find the record of the fulfilment of the words of the young child, Samuel. Israel was worsted in a battle with the Philistines; the two priests, the sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain; the sacred ark which they bore was taken by the enemy; their father Eli, on hearing this news, fell backward and his neck brake; and Phinehas’ wife died on hearing the same news. Here we have a most striking example and illustration of God’s blessing on plural marriage, and of his curse and death, attendant on adultery and fornication. Samuel, the son of Elkanah the polygamist, was blessed as a holy prophet, to denounce death upon adulterers.