History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

ADVENT OF POLYGAMY. 159
determine. The evidence comes to ns in the form
of rumors, general assertions, and bold statements
from the mouths of men filled with deadly hate, and
cannot be altogether trusted. Some of these have said
that the leaders of the church, finding their power
over the minds and bodies of their female associates
so greatly increased, so rapidly becoming absolute,
could not resist temptation, but fell into grievous
sins like Jeroboam and David, and were thereby
obliged to adopt some plan either to cover or make
right their conduct.
It was easy for the gentiles to make such a charge
appear plausible, in view of the fact that about
this time the doctrine of plurality of wives as practised
and promulgated in the scriptures attracted
much attention. Most of the other acts, customs,
and ordinances of the old and new testaments had
been adopted in common with those contained in the
book of Mormon by the latter-day church; why
should not this? Wives and concubines without re-
striction had been permitted to the worthy men of
old; the holy scriptures had nowhere condemned the
custom; God had at no time ordered otherwise. On
the contrary, it seemed in the line of example and
dutjr; it seemed necessary to make the holy fabric
symmetrical and complete. True, it was not now in
vogue with either Jews or Christians; but neither
were miracles nor special revelations. Surely, if God
disapproved, he would have so declared; his commands
he makes clear; particularly acts heinous in his
sight he denounces loudly and with many repetitions.
Thus argued the elders. They did not consider, nor
indeed care for, the fact that, viewed from the standpoint
of intellectual progress, the revival of polygamy,
or concubinage, in common with other practices of
the half-savage Hebrews, was a retrogression, a turning
back toward savagism. They found it sanctioned
in the holy book in use by the most civilized nations
of the earth, and they felt themselves able to make