Monday, March 15, 2021

Charles W. Penrose (1886) on John Taylor's 1852 Denials of Polygamy in France

  

It has been frequently asserted by the enemies of the Church that President John Taylor, in France, publicly denied that the Church entertained the doctrine of plural marriage. Investigation for the purpose of learning facts will show that he did no such thing. Directly he denied nothing; indirectly he disputed the assertion that polygamy and certain infamous doings were part of the creed of the Church. In answer to the charges he simply read a section of the Doctrine and Covenants relating to the subject of marriage.

 

Until the open enunciation of the doctrine of celestial marriage by the publication of the revelation on the subject in 1852, no Elder was authorized to announce it to the world. The Almighty has revealed things on many occasions which were for His servants and not for the world. Jesus enjoined His disciples on several occasions to keep to themselves principles that he made known to them. And His injunction, "Cast not your pearls before swine, lest they trample them upon their feet and turn again and rend you," has become as familiar as a common proverb. In the rise of the Church the Lord had occasion to admonish his servants in regard to revelations that were afterwards permitted to be published:

 

"I say unto you, hold your peace until I shall see fit to make all things known to the world concerning this matter."

"And now I say unto you, keep these things from going abroad into the world until it is expedient in me."

"But a commandment I give unto them that they shall not boast themselves of these things, neither speak of them before the world, for these things are given unto you for your profit and your salvation."--(Doc. &. Cov.)

 

Under these instructions Elders had no right to promulgate anything but that which they were authorized to teach. And when assailed by their enemies and accused of practising things which were really not countenanced in the Church, they were justified in denying these imputations and at the same time avoiding the avowal of such doctrines as were not yet intended for the world. This course which tye have taken when necessary, by commandment, is all the ground which their accusers have for charging them with falsehood.

 

The doctrine of celestial marriage, including the plurality of wives, was revealed to Joseph Smith the Prophet by the same power and from the same source as all the other revelations contained in the book of Doctrine and Covenants, and they stand or fall together. The Church was commanded at its inception to receive the revelations and percepts which God would manifest through him, and this is one of them, to the truth of which the heavens have borne witness at least as much as to the divinity of any others. (Charles W. Penrose, "Joseph Smith and Celestial Marriage," Deseret Evening News [20 May 1886]:2)

 

Further Reading


FairMormon, John Taylor's statements regarding polygamy


Brian C. Hales, "'Denying the Undeniable'": Examining Early Mormon Polygamy Renunciations," Journal of Mormon History volume 44 no. 3 (July 2018):23-44