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Show 154 PRACTICAL POLYGAMY. nothing of Him, for thousands upon thousands of years. Faith in the principle and the practice of it when and where necessary, are just as incumbent on the people as faith in and the practice of any other divine truth. The rejection of one truth is sin, just as much as the rejection of another. " So far as the people of this territory are concerned, they believe and practice polygamy not because any other people did or do, or did not or do not the same thing, but because it is a part of the law of God to them. If the great Jehovah were to make known to them that He wished them to discontinue the practice of polygamy, those of our citizens who are now foremost in the observance of this doctrine would, with corresponding alacrity and faithfulness, cease to observe it, but until such shall be the case, they cannot relinquish the doctrine and remain acceptable before God. lt Let us ask our friends how they would regard our peo ple, if they, convinced that polygamy were a part of the law of God incumbent on them, were to weekly renounce it through fear of the threatenings of puny man, and most all of such specimens of the race as many politicians are ? What account of their stewardships could our people render to their Father in Heaven, if they were to abandon His truths at every breath of powerful or popular disfavor ? They would be unworthy of the regard or esteem of either God or man. Better, far better, for them to abide in God's truths and risk the consequences. By so doing they will win and retain the favor of heaven, and the fellowship of the illustrious and worthy of our race in all ages, and having the blessings secure, they can afford to risk the bad will and vaporous threatenings of the rest of mankind." Let me caution my Massachusetts friends before they read the following not to get up a female emigration society to Utah, after they learn the advantages of polygamy to women as taught by the Mormons, for it might not prove a more successful one than the famous Washington Terri tory enterprise : " Are the wives of polvgamists injured ? Wherein are they |