Mormon Dilemma 72
Mormon Dilemma 72
Polygamy, General Conference, 2nd Manifesto
Journal of Discourses 23:280; “…Whatever men’s laws may be we cannot deny the truth of God, the revelations of God. I cannot do it, I would be damned and go to hell if I were to do it….” – George Q. Cannon, Salt Lake City, October 8, 1882
LDS Second Manifesto; “Inasmuch as there are numerous reports in circulation that plural marriages have been entered into, contrary to the official declaration of President Woodruff of September 24, 1890, commonly called the manifesto, which was issued by President Woodruff, and adopted by the Church at its general conference, October 6, 1890, which forbade any marriages violative of the law of the land, I, Joseph F. Smith, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, hereby affirm and declare that no such marriages have been solemnized with the sanction, consent, or knowledge of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And I hereby announce that all such marriages are prohibited, and if any officer or member of the Church shall assume to solemnize or enter into any such marriage, he will be deemed in transgression against the Church, and will be liable to be dealt with according to the rules and regulations thereof and excommunicated therefrom.”
JOSEPH F. SMITH,
President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Earlier today we posted an article about the upcoming General Conferences being held for October 2011. We learned that General Conferences serve as a time for members to receive personal revelation from God and how that contradicts what the Church actually promotes. (Follow the prophets or else…)
The Second Manifesto issued by the Church in 1904 is another example of proof in how they do this. This manifesto caused me to wonder what George Cannon must have thought at the time considering his dogmatic public announcement and feelings about polygamy.
This type of situation is what breaks my heart for the Mormons. I’m sure Mr. Cannon wasn’t alone by feeling they’d go to hell if they didn’t practice polygamy. But now what? Now that polygamy’s outlawed in America do you still go to hell? If the Mormon god is omniscient wouldn’t he have known this would be a future problem for Smith’s church long after he was dead and gone?
Brother Cannon never says that not practicing it will send him to hell, but that denying it would. These are two very different things that many people seem to get mixed up.
The truth of the Gospel is that Plural Marriage is a divinely inspired and instituted practice for the benefit of the saints. However, practice of it is only required at certain times and by certain people or groups. God reserves the right to command this practice, as well as the right to deny this practice (he is God after all). Denying this is to deny the truths of God and thus deny God himself, which will have one cast out.
However, it is also true that God has granted certain men, or bodies of men, the right to govern sections of the world according to mortal laws, and he requires that his saints comply with those laws, in so far s they are not in direct opposition to his gospel.
Since the practice of Polygamy is not what is required, but the acceptance of it as a divinely inspired institution, nothing you give is contradictory and does not cause any dilemmas for the saints of God.
You and I have already visited the whole polygamy thing… so I will just say, “Hey, how have ya been?”
I got done with the temp work away from home, but then they sent me even further away for some more temp work. I still get to come home on the weekends, though it is an 8 hour drive…