MICROFILMED 1985 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - BERKELEY GENERAL LIBRARY BERKELEY, CA 94720 COOPERATIVE PRESERVATION MICROFILMING PROJECT THE RESEARCH LIBRARIES GROUP, INC. Funded by THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES THE ANDREW W. MELLON FOUNDATION Reproductions may not be made without permission. THE PRINTING MASTER FROM WHICH THIS REPRODUCTION WAS MADE IS HELD BY THE MAIN LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY, CA 94720 FOR ADDITIONAL REPRODUCTION REQUEST MASTER NEGATIVE NUMBER <5 - < 60 auTHOR:L Taylor, Tohn \1so3-1837. TITLE : An adress (© the mem bers of the Chursh of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints . PLACE :[ Salt Lake Gi€y2 3 DATE a $8 2] VOLUME F is T CALL ‘x MASTER 989 - NO. NEG. NO. ¥ocO 35 26 F835 T26 F ony for Bana ery Pg AN ADDRESS TO THE ik MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST oF LATTER-DAY SAINTS. DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS: There have been many-times in our past history when great’ exigencies have arisen, and it has been the imperative duty of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to give plain and pointed counsel to the ‘peo- ple over whom, in the'providence of God, they have been called to preside. A condition of: affairs exists at the present time, which makes it eminently proper that we, as the First Presidency of the Church, should address you this’ epistle. We hear from many quarters, that many of you ‘are not clear in your ‘minds as to the eourse you should take in view of the extraordinary circumstances in which you are placed by the action of Congress and "the Exeéitive’ ‘at Washington, and of the Commissioners created ‘By - the Edmunds law since their arrival in this’ ‘city—some- view- ing the requirements which are proposed as iniquitous; ‘others having scruples about taking “an oath which em" bodies all the odium of a religious test; and, still others, who feel so indignant that they ‘would rather suffer thé Toss of citizenship than to seek to maintain ‘it by such’ -a method as has been proposed by the ‘Commissioners. It is‘as'a reli- - gious community that we are assailed; it is your religious ‘be- lief and practices that are the objects of attack; because you belong to a religious body. * Nearly nine-tenths of you, who have never been guilty of even alleged crime, and whose only | offenceis a belief ina doctrine which the prophets and holy men" Q ~ of God practiced, and the fruits of which was the Redvemer of the world himself, are deprived of the most precious rights of’ freemen; therefore, it becomes your duty, as believers in re-. ligion, to defend yourselves by exercising to the proper extent the few privileges left to you, among which are those of reg- istration and voting, and not yourselves.and your own rights. alone; but the right of every man, woman and child in this broad land to believe and practice their religion, as their con- sciences may dictate, so long as such practice shall not inter- fere with the rights of their neighbors. The Edmunds law, designed for the repression and -des- truction of a portion of your religion, by disfranchising all persons in the territories or other places over which the United States have exclusive jurisdiction, who had adopted, in obedi- ence to the requirements of their religion, the principle of celestial marriage—became the law of the land on March 22d, 1882. As thatlaw required, five Commissioners, selected by the President and confirmed by the Senate, were sent to this Territory to enforce its provisions. These Commissioners reached Salt Lake City on the 18th of this present month. Since their arrival they have, in interviews with prominent citizens, given assurances of their intention to carry out the law, Ting by line, strictly and fairly. Their first public an- nouncement was that, in accordance with the law of Con- gress, an election of a Delegate to Congress would be held on the seventh of November next. Following this announcement, the Commissioners have published nine rules, which they have adopted for the appointment and gov- ernment of Registrars, Judges of Election, etc., for that No- vember election. The second of these rules contains the fol- lowing oath or affirmation, which the registration officer of each precinct is required to administer to every one who ap- plies to have his name placed or retained on the registration list: TERRITORY OF UTAH, CouNTY OF Sarr LAkE. } » I,~—————, being first duly sworn (or affirmed), depose and say that I am over twenty-one years of age, and have re- sided in the Territory of Utah for six months, and in the pre, \ 3 cinet of —«<—— one month immediately preceding the date hereof, and (if a male) am a native-born or naturalized (as the case may be) citizen of the United States, and a tax-payer in this territory, (or if a female) I am native-born, or natural- ized, or the wife, widow or daughter, (as the case may be) of a native-born or naturalized citizen of the United States ; and I do further solemnly swear (or affirm) that I am not a biga- - mist nor a polygamist ; that I am not a violator of the laws: of the United States prohibiting bigamy or polygamy ; that I do not live or cohabit with more than one woman in the marriage relation, nor does any relation exist between me and any women which has been entered into or continued in’ violation of the said laws of the United States, prohibiting bigamy or polygamy, (and if a woman) that I am not the wife of a polygamist, nor have I entered into any relation with any man in violation of the laws of the United States concerning polygamy or bigamy. Subscribed and sworn to before me this —— day of, 1882. Registration Officer, Precinct. It will be perceived by all who have read the Edmunds law, that the words “in the marriage relation,” incorporated in this oath, are not to be found in that law. The language of the Edmunds law itself is: “That no polygamist, bigamist, or any person cohabiting with more than one woman, and 10 woman cohabiting with any of the persons described as afore- sald in this section, in any territory or other place over which the United States have exclusive jurisdiction, shall be enti- tled to vote at any election held in Any such territory or other place,” etc. Whatever the intention of the author of this law may have been, this is certain, the words, “in the mar- riage relation,” are not a part of the law. If the law, therefore, were strictly enforced according to its literal tenor, not only would those who have obeyed the doctrine of celes- tial marriage, as a divine command, be excluded from vot- ing and holding office, but it is more than probable that many persons who have urged legislation against the Latter- | | 4 day Saints, and made war upon this feature of their religion, would ‘also be “disfranchised and disqualified “for holding office. - EE BT a ‘As a church, we have repeatedly testified in the most - solemn tnanner that the institation of marriage, which this law is aimed at, has been revealed to us by the Almighty, and that it is a part of our religion; that it is interwoven with our dearest and holiest hopes conpécted with eternity; and that—not from any lustful motives, but because we believe we should incur the eternal displeasure of our Heavenly Tdther if we did not comply with its ‘requirements—we have _espoused this doctrine. It has been argued by those who are ignorant of the true nature of this doctrine, and how insep- ‘arably connected it is with all our hopes of ‘eternal happiness in that world beyond the tomb, that this is not a part of our religion; that this system cf marriage is not religion; that it is ‘an immoral and an odious practice; that it is shocking to the religious sense of the nation and to the civilization of our ‘age; and that legislation, framed for its repression and extir- pation, should be enacted. The Federal legislature has, therefore, passed this act, and the Federal Executive has af- fixed to it his signature. ee bo If proof were needed respecting the truth of our protest- ‘ations and testimonies, that this is a part of our religion, and that the object of this law is not the eradication of immoral practices, but that it is intended as a direct blow at our reli- gious faith and practice, we have it’ furnished in this oath prescribed by the Commissioners. It is marriage under the forms of religion, and not immorality, which disfranchises ‘and disqualifies the citizen under this oath. Every man and ‘woman, who, in good faith, in all solemnity, and in strict ac- cordance with the requirements of their holy religion, have entered into sacred covenants for time and all eternity, ac- cording to the patriarchal order of marriage, are excluded by this oath from registration; while those of both sexes, who may be living the vilest of lives, in adultery, fornication, or the practice of licentiousness of any kind, can take the oath and be registered, vote and hold office | - This oath is -ex- pressly framed so as not to interfere with or disturb them— b one class of citizens to be siripped of citizenship for obeying divine law ; while the violation of the mest sacred. of divine laws on the part of another class does not render them ineli- gible to hold the highest office in the Territory ! at It has been with feelings of profound regret that we have seen the Commissioners, men of high position and bearing honored names; take this view of the law, and frame sueh an oath as this to be administered unto the people, yet on. the: other hand, it is with unmixed satisfaction. we perceive that the oath draws the line so sharply and distinctly between marriage and licentiousness. By the attempt in the construe-- tion of this oath to shield from injury those who, by their illicit connections with the other sex, might, under the provi- sions of the Edmunds law, be disfranchised, the Latter-day Saints, who, in all sincerity and honor, have: obeyed a revela-.. tion from God, are not reduced to their degraded level. ‘Qur counsel, then, is to the Latter-day Saints, who can truthfully take this oath, there is no reason that weknow of : in.the Gospel, or in any of the revelations of God, which pre- vents you from doing so. You owe it to yourselves; you owe it to, your posterity; you owe it to those. of your co-religionists who, by this law, are robbed worse than even many of your- selves, of their rights under :the Constitution; you owe it to humanity everywhere; you owe it to that free and constitu- tional form of government, which has been bequeathed to you through the precicus sacrifices of many of your fore- fathers—to do all in your power to maintain religious liberty : and free, republican government in these mountains, and to preserve every constitutional right intact, and -not to.allow, . either through supineness or indifference, or any feeling of resentment or indignation because of wrongs inflicted -: upon you, any right or privilege to be wrested from you. ; Very many of you can take this oath with conscientiousness . - and entire truthfulness, as you could even if it were in a form which many of ‘your traducers could not take without perjury; and yet there would be no impropriety, while you do take it, in protesting against it as a gross wrong imposed upon you. Then having done this, and everything else in your power to preserve. constitutional government and full re- | , } : ¢ ie | iH i } | 1 EH ii i | | | a 1 a 6 tigious: Sedona ‘in the ‘land, you cali safely {rust the Loid for the rest. He has promised to fight your: ‘battles. ‘Hig word has never failed. You Have proved him’ in’ times of trial and fierce persecution in the past, and he is the same God to-day that He was then. He has neither gone to sleep, nor is, He upon a‘jeurney; and if you are faithful to Him, He will as surely deliver you in the future, and fulfil all His promises to Zion as He has delivered you in the past. In regard to our religion, or our eternal covenants, we’ have no compromise to make, nor principles to barter away; they emanate from God and arefounded upon the rock of eter- nal ages; they will live and exist when empires, powers and nations shall crumble and decay; and with the help of: the Almighty we will guard sacredly our covenants and maintain our interests and be true to our God, while time exists or eternity. endures. ; In regard to your political Em the Terri- “torial Central Committee is an organization that has for its object the preservation of the rights of every citizen of this Territory, without regard to party or sect. They will doubtless issue such instructions, from time to time, as circumstances may demand. It is in the interest of every ‘patriot to faithfully observe and practically carry out the sug- gestions that they may make. Let us guard well our franchise, and in one ‘unbroken phalanx, maintain and sustain our political status, and, as patriots and freemen, operate together, in the defence of what few liberties are left us, in the defence of the Constitution, and in the defence of the inalienable rights of man; which rights al ways exist and are before and above all constitutions, and thus perpetuate to posterity the inestimable blessings of freedom: including the right to live, the right to be free, and the right to pursue happiness, unmolested by any Fees power, or combination. Your brethren in the me JOHN TAYLOR, Geo. Q. CANNON, Jos. F. Smith. . Salt Lake: City, Utah: Teriiory; August: 29th, 1882. © END OF REEL. PLEASE REWIND.