Letter to Benjamin Harrison, 19 December 1891
SALT LAKE, .
"We, the First Presidency and Apostles
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints, beg respectfully to represent
to your Excellency the following facts:
"We formerly taught to our people
that polygamy, or celestial marriage, as
commanded by God through Joseph
Smith, was right; that it was a necessity
to man's highest exaltation in the life to
come.
"That doctrine was publicly promul-
gated by our President, the late Brigham
Young, forty years ago, and was steadily
taught and impressed upon the Latter-
day Saints up to a short time before Sep-
tember, 1890. Our people are devout
and sincere, and they accepted the doc-
trine, and many personally embraced and
practiced polygamy.
"When the Government sought to
stamp the practice out, our people, al-
most without exception, remained firm,
for they, while having no desire to oppose
the Government in anything, still felt that
their lives and their honor as men were
pledged to a vindication of their faith;
and that their duty towards those whose
lives were a part of their own was a par-
amount one, to fulfill which they had no
right to count anything, not even their
own lives, as standing in the way. Fol-
lowing this conviction hundreds endured
arrest, trial, fine and imprisonment, and
the immeasurable suffering borne by the
faithful people, no language can describe.
That suffering, in abated form, still con-
tinues.
"More, the Government added dis-
franchisement to its other punishments
for those who clung to their faith and
fulfilled its covenants.
"According to our faith the head of our
Church receives, from time to time,
revelations for the religious guidance of
his people.
"In September, 1890, the present head
of the Church, in anguish and prayer,
cried to God for help for his flock, and
received permission to advise the mem-
bers of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, that the law command-
ing polygamy was henceforth suspended.
"At the great semi-annual conference
which was held a few days later, this was
submitted to the people, numbering
many thousands and representing every
community of the people in Utah, and
was by them in the most solemn
manner accepted as the future rule of
their lives.
"They have since been faithful to the
covenant made that day.
"At the late October conference, after
a year had passed by, the matter was
once more submitted to the thousands of
people gathered together, and they again
in the most potential manner, ratified the
solemn covenant.
"This being the true situation and
believing that the object of the govern-
ment was simply the vindication of its
own authority and to compel obedience
to its laws, and that it takes no pleasure
in persecution, we respectfully pray
that full amnesty may be extended to all
who are under disabilities because of the
operation of the so-called Edmunds and
Edmunds-Tucker laws. Our people are
scattered; homes are made desolate;
many are still imprisoned; others are
banished or in hiding. Our hearts bleed
for those. In the past they followed our
counsels, and while they are thus afflicted
our souls are in sackcloth and ashes.
"We believe there are nowhere in the
Union a more loyal people than the
Latter-day Saints. They know no other
country except this. They expect to
live and die on this soil.
"When the men of the South, who
were in rebellion against the government,
in 1865, threw down their arms and
asked for recognition along the old lines
of citizenship, the Government hastened
to grant their prayer.
