In Defense of Plural Wives

My friend, Mr. Briggs, in the fullness of his charity as a "peacemaker," the other evening kindly, gently, and in a Christian-like manner merely suggested a few pious ideas concerning myself such as theft, robbery, murder, etc., being considered no crime by me and the "Mormons," provided these crimes were committed on the Gentiles, and in favor of the Church treasury, etc.

This puts me in mind of the good, peaceable Quaker who said to a poor dog which he wanted killed, "I will not kill thee, but I will give thee a bad name." So he cried, "Mad dog! Mad dog!" And on hearing this cry the people soon despatched the poor animal.

Perhaps my friend thinks to get the Mormons killed off in the same pious and Christian-like manner. Even should he succeed in his peaceful, pious purposes, it would not be the first time that the blood of martyrs has stained our soil through the influence of such Christian benevolence. I am truly sorry to see so worthy a fellow citizen--so pious a man--one so full of charity and benevolence--so uninformed, so utterly at fault on the most familiar subjects of Bible history and morality, or of right and wrong, as to insinuate that there is no difference between Polygamy and adultery; between a house full of wives and children and a house full of harlots.

He takes Polygamy, adultery, theft and murder, and compounds them all together as crime! And then seems to infer that a man would steal, commit adultery, etc., simply from the fact that he has a house full of wives and children! And even my good friend the learned and candid Mr. Hittell, although very just in the main drift of his argument, the other evening seemed to recognize no very clear distinction between Polygamy and adultery, or between a man having his own wife, or robbing a neighbor of his wife. Sir, in justice to myself and the cause I represent, and in charity to those whose judgments are so warped by tradition and custom; whose otherwise keen perceptions are so blunted by Roman superstitions and Puritan littleness, I must call the attention of these gentlemen to the recognized standard of all Christian nations-- "The law and Testimony"--and give them a lesson on the first principles of right and wrong, or of virtues and vices, according to the laws of God and nature.

I will state the question direct, as inferred or inquired, by my friend the "peace maker." What is the difference between a house full of wives and children or a house of "ill fame," or of "harlots?"

Sir, I will tell you. The one leads to life and the other to death--I mean literally--or, in plainer language, one rightly conducted the blessings and law of God, multiplies, preserves and trains our species in the highest order of physical, moral and intellectual endowment the world with cities; gives rise to nations; and has given to the world its principal rulers, kings, prophets, apostles, and, finally, its Messiah, and is the lineage and order through and in which all nations shall be blessed.

The other perverts the order of nature; prostitutes the most holy principles and affections to the vilest of purposes; checks the reproduction of our species; spreads disease and death as a sweeping pest through the world; degenerates the race; and if it fills the world fills it with a mean, grovelling, sickly, puny, lustful, deformed an miserable race of beings, whose misfortune is that they were born at all.

Such were the people of the flood; the people of Sodom and the Canaanites, who were so far degenerated that the Lord in mercy interfered, and doomed them to utter destruction, that nations and races degenerate should no longer propagate their species: and then, by his own holy laws of marriage, repeopled those same countries with a better race.

As polygamists Abraham and Jacob were the friends of God; worthy to converse with Him, and to receive His blessing on themselves and their wives and children; worthy of associating with angels from Heaven, and of being filled with the holy and pure spirit of prophecy and of revelation; while, for their sakes, kings were reproved, saying, touch not mine own anointed, and do my prophets no harm."

As a polygamist Jacob gave twelve tribes to the world instead of two, which was the number born by his first intended, his beloved Rachel. While, on the other hand, his sons visited a whole city with the sword, because its ruler had seduced their sister Dinah.

As a polygamist Moses beheld the face of God, and was filled with His glory to that degree that his face shone like that of an angel.

As an adulterist, a prince of Israel, named Ziniri, was killed in the very act by Phineas the priest, the grandson of Aaron; which act of justice so pleased the Lord that he stayed the plague which was consuming the camp on account of their whoredoms.

The law of God regulating and sanctioning Polygamy was thundered from Mount Sinai in awful majesty, from the mouth of the God of Israel, although it had existed before, and also among the eternal and unchangeable principles of morality, virtue and purity.

While, on the other hand, the same God, in a voice of thunder, proclaimed, "Thou shalt not commit adultery, nor covet thy neighbor's wife, or anything that is thy neighbor's."

As a bigamist, Elkanah, who had two wives, became the father of Samuel, the Prophet; he being a child of promise, obtained by the fervent prayer of Hannah, his mother, in the Holy Temple, and by her vows devoted to the service of the Temple from his childhood. While, on the other hand, had he been a child of whoredoms, instead of a child of bigamy, he would have been excluded from the house of the Lord, and his children after him, for ten generations.

The first revelation ever given to this child of bigamy rebuked the priests, the sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, for their whoredoms and other sins, and revealed their dooms. In fulfillment of his words these two fornicators fell in battle while bearing the very Ark of God.

As a polygamist, David, the anointed King and Prophet of Israel, was called a man after God's own heart; and God Himself expressly declares, by the mouth of Nathan the Prophet, that he gave him his wives.

While, as an adulterer with the wife of Uriah, and the murderer of her husband, he is reproved by the word of the Lord; and, although he sorely repented, yet the child of his adultery died; and his punishment was, that the sword should not depart from his house; that his wives should be taken from him and given to another; and his own salvation was suspended for ages--the Apostle Peter himself declaring, in his day, that the patriarch, David, had not yet ascended into Heaven. As polygamists, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are approved and commended by Jesus Christ, who expressly declares that, "many shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south; and shall set down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God." While, at the same time, he declares that, "those wicked and adulterous persons, who, in that age, considered themselves the children of the kingdom, should be thrust out." I sincerely hope my mistaken friends here will learn, ere that eventful day, to distinguish between a house of Polygamy and a crowd of adulterers; but they might by mistake consider the kingdom of God a house of ill fame, and go with the wrong crowd.

Sir, the Apostle Paul sets forth Abraham, the polygamist, as the father of the faithful; worthy of all imitation, as heir of the eternal covenants and promises; in whose seed all nations shall be blessed. He shows, most clearly, that the gospel introduces us into the family of polygamists; makes us children of Abraham, and heirs to the same covenants.

On the other hand, this same Apostle declares that adulterers and fornicators shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Again, sir, John the Revelator describes the eternal Jerusalem of Heaven, the Royal City of our God, as peopled and governed by the great family of polygamists; which, in its lineage, includes Jesus and the holy prophets and apostles of all ages. The pearly gates are embellished with the names of twelve polygamists, the sons of four women by one man.

While, on the other hand, this same John expressly declares, that the place for all liars, sorcerers, whoremongers and adulterers is outside; and that there shall in no wise enter into the city anything that defileth or maketh a lie.

Now to come to Utah. There, sir, the law of God is honored; by it we determine what is virtue and what is vice. Here, sir, if nowhere else in Christendom, our virtuous wives and children, given us by the law of God, are our glory; our crown of rejoicing; our kingdom in embryo, big with thrones of power and immortality. There, sir, the local administration carries out the principles of the glorious Constitution and laws of our common country--even to the protection of prophets and apostles, who have dared to restore the Laws of God, and to organize and regulate their household by the same. And--

Sir, I have yet to learn by what constitutional or moral right a local state sovereignty makes a crime of that which, rightly conducted, never has been recognized as a crime by God, or angels, prophets or apostles, or even by the Saviour of the world.

I have yet to learn by what right a State of this Union dooms a man to prison for a conscientious act, in embracing the everlasting covenant, made with Abraham and the fathers; while, at the same time, a fornicator, who by the law of God, is worthy of death, runs at large, or, at most, pays a fine for his damnable deeds of seduction, and then is at liberty to repeat them, while his purse will hold out to pay the repeated fines and damages.

I have yet to learn that a State has the constitutional right to deprive a Mormon, a Jew, or even a Mahomedan or Pagan of his most sacred rights of conscience in regard to marriage relations or family ties; while they are regulated by the recognized laws of the Bible, or of most civilized nations of ancient and modern times.

Now, sir, let me say that, on account of the corrupt institutions, and the prevalence of whoredoms in modern Christendom, the race is degenerated; the cities and nations are corrupted till earth groans; the heavens weep; the sun will, ere long, veil his face in shame; the moon be arrayed in crimson blushes; the starry heavens tremble; the planets be thrown from their orbits, and tremble for very anguish; while plagues, earthquakes, storms and tempests sweep the earth, and famine and the sword devour the wicked; while fire consumes the mystic Babel, the great whore of all the earth.

Then will prevail the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ; "and the saints shall possess the kingdom and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven," while the meek inherit the earth; and the house of Israel, under the new and everlasting covenant of eternal matrimony, blossom and bear fruit, and fill the face of the world with cities.

Men, brethren and fathers: It is for the hope of Israel the eternal laws, promises and covenants of God made to the fathers, that myself and the "Mormons" are called in question.

We believe the prophets, sir, and, therefore, expect the wreck of nations; the casting down of thrones; the crash of states, and the winding up of all mere human institutions; while a new dynasty, as a universal Theocracy, shall succeed and stand forever.

The nucleus of this kingdom, sir, is formed; this grain of mustard seed is planted and has sprung up, and is beginning to grow and flourish in the heart of our country, under the fostering care and constitutional guarantee of the very best human government now existing on this earth.

Sir, God raised up the United States and influenced her constitutional institutions for the very purpose of shielding and protecting the Church in the wilderness, and all men in their liberties, and of throwing a guard around His embryo kingdom till He should come, whose right it is to reign and subdue all enemies under his feet.

His kingdom, sir, when organized, in the United States, is a constitutional kingdom of God. It has the perfect liberty and right, guaranteed by our institutions, to organize itself under the administration of prophets and apostles, and to receive the ministrations of angels, and of visions and revelations from Heaven.

Sir, one of the strongest reasons I urge for the reappointment of Governor Young is, that as a polygamist, civilian and an ecclesiastic, he has given the strongest proof of his skill in the science of government, whether of Family, Church or State.

Parley P. Pratt