free law journal - volume 3, number 1 (18 january 2007)

FREE LAW JOURNAL - VOLUME 3, NUMBER 1 (18 JANUARY 2007)the legislative powers of the government reach actions only andnot opinions,-I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act ofthe whole American people which declared that their legislatureshould ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion orprohibiting the free exercise thereof, ’thus building a wall ofseparation between church and State. Adhering to this expressionof the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights ofconscience, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to hissocial duties. Reynolds v.United States 98 US. 145(1878) 23After Reynolds decision, John Taylor, the new church president,declared a revelation, encouraging all priesthood officers tocontinue practicing plural marriages. 24 Despite of Taylor’sresistance, the most importmant blow on the Mormons came upwith the Edmunds Act of 1882 and the Edmunds/Tucker Law of1887 that put pressure on the Church by menacing Mormons’civil rights and Church property rights. 25The Edmunds Act prohibited not only bigamy, but also bigamouscohabitation. Furthermore, polygynists barred from jury serviceor public office. All registration and elective offices in UtahTerritory were vacated; an independent committee was appointedto control elections to break Mormon influence and only men whoswore that they didn’t practice plural marriages were allowed tovote. 2623242526“U.S. Supreme Court Reynolds v. U.S., 98 U.S. 145 (1878)”,http://thisnation.com/library/print/ reynolds2.html“…Polygamy is a divine institution.It has been handed down direct fromGod. The United States cannot abolish it. No nation on also bigamouscohabitation earth can prevent it, nor all the nations of the earth combined .I defy the United States. I will obey God.”, Altman-Ginat, p. 34“History of Polygamy in Utah”,http://www.onlineutah.com/polygamyhistoryembry.shtmlFor further information, see “History of the Church of Jesus Christ ofLatter-day Saints”, http://www.answers.com/topic/history-of-the-churchof-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints”,Barrus, Roger M., “Political History”,122DIDEM ÖZALPAT - LEGAL AND JUDICIAL STRUGGLES WITHPOLYGAMOUS MARRIAGES IN MORMON SOCIETY (1830-1887)