Revision as of 13:58, 6 December 2014

1. REDIRECTTemplate:Test3

Response to claims made in "Chapter 14: The Politics of Compromise"

313

Claim

•  Author's quote: "...prosecuting polygamy would be virtually impossible given Mormon leadership’s willingness to lie under oath."

• Supreme Court Case Miles v. the United States

• The United States had no difficulty prosecuting polygamy under the Edmunds-Tucker legislation. Many members of the Church admitted their plural marriages, and went to prison as a result.
• Loaded and prejudicial language

313, 585n10 (PB)

Claim

• George Q. Cannon said “I have taken plural wives, who now live with me, and have so lived with me for a number of years and borne me children…as a teacher of my religion in Utah territory, I have defended said tenet of said church as being in my belief a revelation of God.”
•  Author's quote: Such admissions, rather than coming from any sincere desire on Cannon’s part to be forthright, likely resulted from the excessive publicity engendered by the controversy.

• House Misc. Doc. 49 (43-1), 1873, Serial 1617, 5.

• Mind reading
• Loaded and prejudicial language

315, 585n12 (PB)

Claim

• Was the First Presidency statement “They who fight against Zion shall be destroyed; and the pit which has been digged shall be filled by those who digged it" contrary to the command in DC 58꞉21 to obey the laws of the land?

• First Presidency (John Taylor, George Q. Cannon, and Joseph F. Smith). Quoted in James R. Clark, Messages of the First Presidency, 5 volumes, cited in Samuel W. Taylor, Rocky Mountain Empire, 13.

• LDS doctrine endorses the civil law, but does not grant the civil law supremacy over conscience or religious conviction.
• Illegality and civil disobedience (non-wiki)

315

Claim

• Why did LDS leaders hide in Europe, Canada and Mexico to avoid prosecution for polygamy?

• No source provided

• Illegality and civil disobedience (non-wiki)

316, 587n15 (HB) 585n15 (PB)

Claim

• Did John Taylor receive a revelation on September 27, 1886 that promised that “polygamy would never be abandoned?”

• Fred C. Collier, Unpublished Revelations, vol. 1, 145-146, 180-183.

•  Misrepresentation of source: John Taylor 27 September 1886 revelation

317, 588n20 (HB) 586n20 (PB)

Claim

• Did Wilford Woodruff receive a revelation that indicated that polygamy was “absolutely essential to godhood" and promise that anyone who hindered plural marriage would be "damned?"

• Wilford Woodruff, Wilford Woodruff’s Journal, 9 vols., ed., Scott G. Kenny (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1985), 7:546, 615-617, 621 (journal entry dated January 26, 1880). ISBN 0941214133.

• Use of sources: Absolutely essential for godhood?
• Polygamy/Requirement for exaltation

317, 587n25 (PB) - Why did Brigham say that “the only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy"?

The author(s) of One Nation Under Gods make(s) the following claim:

Why did Brigham say that “the only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy"?

Author's sources: Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 11:269.

FAIR's Response

Question: Is plural marriage required in order to achieve exaltation?

Critics quote Brigham Young saying that "[t]he only men who become Gods, even the sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy"

Critics of the Church point to a statement made by Brigham Young to make the claim that Latter-day Saints believe that one must practice plural marriage in order to achieve exaltation (i.e. become like God not just be saved).^[1]

The relevant text is as follows:

The only men who become Gods, even the sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy" (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 11:269.)

This quotation is often used in anti-Mormon sources. They do not include the surrounding text which explains what Brigham Young had in mind on this occasion:

We wish to obtain all that father Abraham obtained. I wish here to say to the Elders of Israel, and to all the members of this Church and kingdom, that it is in the hearts of many of them to wish that the doctrine of polygamy was not taught and practiced by us...It is the word of the Lord, and I wish to say to you, and all the world, that if you desire with all your hearts to obtain the blessings which Abraham obtained, you will be polygamists at least in your faith, or you will come short of enjoying the salvation and the glory which Abraham has obtained. This is as true as that God lives. You who wish that there were no such thing in existence, if you have in your hearts to say: "We will pass along in the Church without obeying or submitting to it in our faith or believing this order, because, for aught that we know, this community may be broken up yet, and we may have lucrative offices offered to us; we will not, therefore, be polygamists lest we should fail in obtaining some earthly honor, character and office, etc,"—the man that has that in his heart, and will continue to persist in pursuing that policy, will come short of dwelling in the presence of the Father and the Son, in celestial glory. The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy. Others attain unto a glory and may even be permitted to come into the presence of the Father and the Son; but they cannot reign as kings in glory, because they had blessings offered unto them, and they refused to accept them.^[2]

Brigham was stating that the command to practice plural marriage was from God, and it is wrong to seek to abolish a command from God.

It is clear from the quote that Brigham was making several points which the critics ignore:

• The command to practice plural marriage is from God, and it is wrong to seek to abolish a command from God.
• To obtain the blessings of Abraham, the Saints were required to be "polygamists at least in your faith": i.e., it was not necessary that each enter into plural marriage in practice, but that they accept that God spoke to His prophets.
• It was wrong to avoid plural marriage for worldly, selfish reasons, such as believing the Church would fail, and hoping to have political or monetary rewards afterward.
• Faithful Saints cannot expect to receive "all that the Father has" if they willfully disobey God. When the people have "had blessings offered unto them," and if they refuse to obey, God will withhold blessings later because of that disobedience now.

Finally, it must be remembered that Brigham Young is speaking to a group who had been commanded to live the law of polygamy. There is no basis for speculating about what he would have said to a group who did not have that commandment given to them, as present-day members do not.

See also: Question: Does D&C 132 state that polygamy is required for our exaltation?

319, 588n35-36(PB) - Did Joseph Smith promise in 1835 that most of the Saints then living would see Jesus’ return by 1890?

The author(s) of One Nation Under Gods make(s) the following claim:

Did Joseph Smith promise in 1835 that most of the Saints then living would see Jesus’ return by 1890?

Author's sources:

• History of the Church, vol. 2, 182.
• History of the Church, vol. 5, 324, 336.

FAIR's Response

1. REDIRECTAlleged false prophecies of Joseph Smith#Did Joseph Smith prophesy that Jesus Christ would return in 1890?

320, 588n40 (PB)

Claim

• Did Wilford Woodruff demolish the Church’s Endowment House in response to agreement with the U.S. to “cease practicing plural marriage?”

• Samuel Taylor, 19.

•  History unclear or in error: Demolish Endowment House?

323, 588n48 (PB)

Claim

• Did Wilford Woodruff receive a revelation on November 24, 1889 the said that the Church would prevail against the Government effort to seize the Church's assets?
•  Author's quote: "Despite Christ's assurances that the ruling would favor the Saints, May 19, 1890, saw a five to four decision by the Supreme Court to uphold the government's right to close the LDS church, seize its property, and redistribute it."

• Samuel Taylor, 19.

•  The author's claim is false: Wilford Woodruff 1889 revelation
• Sarcasm

323, 589n51-52 (PB) - Was the Manifesto a revelation? Wasn't it re-written and edited many times before it was released?

The author(s) of One Nation Under Gods make(s) the following claim:

Was the Manifesto a revelation? Wasn't it re-written and edited many times before it was released?

Author's sources: *Joseph F. Smith, letter to Sarah E. Smith, September 24, 1890, Joseph F. Smith Papers (Letterbook). Quoted in Edward Leo Lyman, Political Deliverance, 138.

FAIR's Response

• That's why it is labeled "The Manifesto" and not included in the D&C as a revelation. Pres. Woodruff insisted that he had "been struggling all night with the Lord about what should be done under the existing circumstances of the Church. And [a draft of the Manifesto] is the result."
• Writing the Manifesto (non-wiki)

324-325, 589n53 (PB)

Claim

• Did the Manifesto included "blatantly false statements" since over 200 plural marriages were performed after the Manifesto was issued?

• Doctrine and Covenants-Manifesto
• B. Carmon Hardy, Solemn Covenant: The Mormon Polygamous Passage, 394ff.

•  Internal contradiction: On p. 325, the author tells us that "countless" post-Manifesto marriages were performed. Yet, the best evidence suggests the number is 262. See also p. 328.
• The Manifesto stated only that it was Pres. Woodruff's "intention to submit to those laws, and to use my influence with the members of the Church over which I preside to have them do likewise."
• The Manifesto and its implementation (non-wiki)
• Lying after the Manifesto? (non-wiki)

325, 591n54 (HB) 589n54 (PB)

Claim

• Why did Brigham Young say "I live above the law, and so do this people?"

• Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 1:361.

• Use of sources: Above the law?

325, 589n55 (PB) - Did "countless" plural marriages occur in Utah, Canada, and Mexico after the Manifesto, as the author claims?

The author(s) of One Nation Under Gods make(s) the following claim:

Did "countless" plural marriages occur in Utah, Canada, and Mexico after the Manifesto, as the author claims?

Author's sources:

• Joseph F. Smith, letter to Reed Smoot, April 1, 1911, Reed Smoot Correspondence. (The first letter mentions Canada and Mexico)
• George Gibbs, letter to Reed Smoot, April 12, 1911, Reed Smoot Correspondence. (The second letter states that inclusion of Canada was a mistake)

FAIR's Response

•  Internal contradiction: On p. 324-325, the author tells us that "over two hundred" post-Manifesto marriages were performed. On p. 328 we learn about 262 known marriages. How does this become "countless"?
• The first of two letters referenced by the author mention Canada and Mexico, with the second letter stating that "Smith's inclusion of Canada in the telegram was a mistake." The author further states regarding the second letter that removes Canada that "the certainty of this claim is questionable since no record exists of Smith correcting himself."
• How does the author convert this to "countless" plural marriages in "Utah, Canada and Mexico?"

325, 590n56-57 (PB)

Claim

• Did Wilford Woodruff's testimony before the Federal Master-in-Chancery, Charles Loofbourow constitute perjury?

• J. Reuben Clark, Messages of the First Presidency, vol. 3, 230-231.
• Wilford Woodruff testimony. Quoted in Richard S. Van Wagoner, Mormon Polygamy: A History (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1989), 149-150.

• Wilford Woodruff's post-Manifesto administration (non-wiki)

326, 590n58-59 (PB) - "Lying, either to bring about a 'greater good' or to protect the church, has always been an acceptable practice within Mormonism"

The author(s) of One Nation Under Gods make(s) the following claim:

 Author's quote: "Lying, either to bring about a 'greater good' or to protect the church, has always been an acceptable practice within Mormonism, and continues to be an unspoken tenet of the faith."

Author's sources:

• Matthias F. Cowley, minutes of Council of the Council of the Twelve, May 10, 1911. Quoted in Richard S. Van Wagoner, Mormon Polygamy: A History (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1989), 151.
• Abraham H. Cannon. Quoted in Richard S. Van Wagoner, Mormon Polygamy: A History (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1989), 150.
• D. Michael Quinn, "LDS Church Authority and New Plural Marriages, 1890-1904," Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, vol. 18, no. 1, 61.

FAIR's Response

• Lying for the Lord (non-wiki)
• Revelatory integrity of the Church (non-wiki)
• Loaded and prejudicial language

"Lying for the Lord"

Summary: Some have long accused Mormons of organizationally and systematically “lying for the Lord,” equating such with a policy of using any means necessary to achieve some “good” goal. This claim is false, and a biased reading of Church history. One must not use ethically questionable tactics because one believes the “end justifies the means.”

Jump to details:

• Question: Does the Church teach that it is okay to "Lie for the Lord"?
• Question: Are there circumstances in which lying is necessary in order to avoid a greater harm?
• Question: How do critics of Mormonism define "lying for the Lord"?
• Question: Did Gordon B. Hinckley cite false information regarding an 1820 Palmyra revival in a book called Truth Restored?
• Question: Does the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints distort its membership numbers and rate of growth for public relations purposes?

326, 590n60 (PB) - Did Joseph F. Smith defy the Manifesto?

The author(s) of One Nation Under Gods make(s) the following claim:

Did Joseph F. Smith defy the Manifesto by saying:

"Take care of your polygamous wives; we don't care for Uncle Sam now."

Author's sources: *Joseph F. Smith. Quoted in William Edward Biederwolf, Mormonism Under the Searchlight, 65.

FAIR's Response

• The author fails to tell us that the leaders of the Church did not intend to have men abandon their wives and children. The government insisted that they had to abandon these families. Most members thus persisted in civil disobedience, refusing to leave wives they had married and children they had fathered in good faith without support.
• Refusal to abandon plural families (non-wiki)

327, 590n62 (PB)

Claim

• Did polygamy continue to "thrive" when Lorenzo Snow became Church president in 1898?
• The endnote states the Snow said during his trial: "Though I go to prison, God will not change his law of celestial marriage. But the man, the people, the nation that oppose and fight against this doctrine and the Church of God, will be overthrown."

• Andrew Jenson, "Lorenzo Snow," HR, February 1887, vol. 6, no. 2, 144.

• How does Lorenzo Snow serving jail time and making a statement 13 years before he became President of the Church prove that "polygamy continued to thrive?"
• Lorenzo Snow's administration (non-wiki)

328, 591n66 (PB)

Claim

• Did Joseph F. Smith take additional polygamous wives himself after the Manifesto, and enourage at least 63 others to do so as well?

• Richard S. Van Wagoner, Mormon Polygamy: A History (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1989), 159.

• Joseph F. Smith's administration (non-wiki)

328, 591n67 (PB) - "These were but a small portion of the documented 262 post-Manifesto marriages between October 1890 and December 1910 involving 22 different Mormon men"

The author(s) of One Nation Under Gods make(s) the following claim:

 Author's quote: "These were but a small portion of the documented 262 post-Manifesto marriages between October 1890 and December 1910 involving 22 different Mormon men."

Author's sources:

• Hardy, 389-425.
• D. Michael Quinn, "Plural Marriages After The 1890 Manifesto," lecture delivered August 1991 at Bluffdale, Utah. (The author includes a lengthy excerpt from this speech in the endnote.)

FAIR's Response

•  Internal contradiction: On p. 325, the author tells us that "countless" post-Manifesto marriages were performed. Yet, the best evidence suggests the number is 262. See also p. 324-325.