Tabernacle.
Sunday, May 22, 10 o’clock, a.m., Elder Orson Pratt read paragraphs 2 and 3 of section 10, Book of Doctrine and Covenants. Spoke on the necessity of treasuring up doctrine and principle, wisdom and knowledge; briefly alluding to the reign of Christ, his Apostles and Saints upon the earth; told of the great work to be performed prior to the second advent of the Messiah—of the famines, earthquakes, pestilence, sword and other destructions to come upon the wicked; spoke of the American government as one of the best forms of government upon the earth; proved by a revelation given to Joseph Smith, that God raised up wise men to write the Constitution of the United States; cited the congregation to the character of the governments on the continent of Europe.
He alluded to the indefatigable exertions of President Brigham Young to show the people of necessity of keeping the commandments of God. He denounced anything that had a tendency to subvert that religious liberty guaranteed to us by the Constitution of our country.
Elder Pratt then took up the subject of polygamy and challenged the world to put their finger upon a single passage in the Bible, Book of Mormon, Book of Doctrine and Covenants, a saying of an Apostle Prophet, angel, or Jesus Christ himself, that said it was a crime.
The nations of Christendom, he said, in their marriage institution, had adopted an old Roman custom, after which legislators continued to pattern—thus perpetuating the monogamic system, introduced to encourage licentiousness—enacting laws to punish that which is just as virtuous as it is to have two children.
The Latter-Day Saints, he continued, are looking for a more pure order of things. When Jesus comes they expect he will bring a holy and pure people with him—among the number will be Abraham, the polygamist.
Concluded with a powerful and conclusive argument, chiefly on the 1st verse of the 4th chapter of Isaiah which, when correctly rendered reads: “And seven women shall be united to one man in that day, saying, we will eat our own food, and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by thy name, exalting us to take away our reproach.”
[Deseret News, May 25, 1859]
[transcribed and proofread by David Grow, Aug. 2006]