Vol. I.
Pittsburgh, October 15, 1844.
No. 1.
TO THE PUBLIC.
In presenting this paper to the reading public, long established usage with editors, has made it a matter of respect
to our readers, that we should say a few things in relation to the course we shall pursue in managing the editorial
department.
We have held it as a maxim from early life, that there was a degree of courtesy and condescension, due from one member
of society to another, from which men are not at liberty to depart, only when measures of self-defence rendered it
an imperious duty a man owed himself. Men have their religious belief, which to themselves, if to none others, is
sacred: they also have their feelings; both of which should be regarded, and treated in a manner becoming the true
character of man. It is our intention, in conducting this paper, to exclude from its columns, all matters tending to
lessen the character of any person in the estimation of society, or injure their feelings, unless the attempt to
maintain our own religious belief should have this effect, or setting forth that of others in its true light.
We have never, at any time, supported a system of religion which rendered necessary an attack on the character of any
person to support it, nor never expect to. If our religious belief cannot be maintained on the principles of truth,
it is our intention to let it fall.
An appeal to the revelations of heaven, in all disputed points, is an end of all strife with us. To the law and to
the testimony, and not men's characters, shall be our standing motto. Attacks made on our own character by others,
we have rarely, very rarely condescended to notice, and this course we will carry out in conducting the editorial
department of this paper. We have always let our general course of conduct sustain our character, and if this will
not do it, we have but little faith in our being able to do it by our pen.
We are told by him, whom the world ought to reverence, that all the law, and all the prophets, hang on two principles,
love to God, and love to man, and it is our wish that these principles should govern us in the management of this
paper; but, if our patronage will justify it, our readers shall know more of this hereafter.
SIDNEY RIGDON.
Steamboat Osprey,
Sept. 25th, 1844.
Mr. Sam'l. Forgeus.
Dear Brother: -- I take my pen in hand, this morning, to write you a few lines -- informing you of some matters
and things as they exist at the present time among the Saints, particularly in Nauvoo. * * * *
I think that, if I succeed in my business in St. Louis to-morrow, I shall send my wife and children to Pittsburgh
next week...
The 12th paragraph of Sec. ed [D&C]... expressly says that the Twelve act under the direction of the First Presidency.
Much more might be said in support of this position...
On the subject of Joseph Smith having informed the Twelve that they must bear off this kingdom to the nations, I
answer there was no necessity of his repeating this admonitiuon to them, inasmuch as the Lord made this duty
obligatory upon them by repeated revelations through him; but the Lord never said through Joseph that they should be
leaders without a head or First Presidency. They assert that the burden of the church was put upon them by Joseph...
examine the 3d and 4th chapters of Isaiah. The first three verses of the 3d chap. tell who the Lord will take away
from Jerusalem. (I will just say perhaps you will see its application upon Nauvoo fulfilled.) The subsequent part of
the chapter tells an awful tale about oppression -- the spoil of the poor -- the beating of the people to pieces --
the sin of Sodom, which was more particularly whoredom; also women rule over them, the princes, and if you
please, the Twelve and others; and mark what is said about the daughters of Zion, and their corruptions; and after
the Lord positively mentions the horrible disease which usually follows such abomination, and also the judgment of
God upon them....
The 3d paragraph of 101 Sec. Book of Cov.... says, "the Lord will raise up a man who shall be great like unto Moses,
and like him shall he lead this people out of bondage." This could not be Joseph Smith, for he was raised up seven
years before this revelation was given; here then are two testimonies, and the one actually given by Joseph Smith.
Now the only question that can arise, is, who remained on earth at the death of Joseph and Hiram, with the ordination
of Prophrt, Seer, and Revelator? I answer peremptirily, Sidney Rigdon was the only man that was then in the church on
earth, who was ordained to this office, and that too by revelation. You will find an account of this ordination in
the Times and Seasons, bearing date, June 1st 1841.
Prior to this he was ordained by revelation to be one of the 1st presidency of the church... made equal with Joseph
in holding the keys of the kingdom, and also the keys of the school of the prophets, which was to be organized and
instituted for the salvation of the Gentiles, Jews, and as many as will come....
the Lord gives him still a greater calling, which is, that he shall be a spokesman before the Lord's face, not
Joseph Smith: and also this very remarkable promise, that he shall again lift up his voice upon the mountains.
When he commenced his ministry among the Campbellites, it was among the mountains of Pennsylvania. Recollect that
Nephi says, that a spokesman will the Lord raise up unto Joseph, who shall be mighty in word and writing, and who
shall carry the word of the Lord to the fruit of his loins, (Lamanites.) Has S. Rigdon ever this? if not, must he
not yet do it, or the word of God fails? Yes verily....
I will now remark to you that the objection is presented at every step by the Twelve and their adherents, that S.
Rigdon has not been faithful, but conspired against Joseph and the Church. As regards his being faithful, I will not
assert that he is free from errors; and perhaps he was negligent with regard to the discharge of his duty; but I
answer, the Lord has said he would scourge him, and I think it will not be pretended to the contrary by any one that
he has borne more persecution, slander, falsehoods, privations, and afflictions of various kinds, than most men in
this age; at all events Joseph said that he had. And as for Joseph saying he would have him no longer for counsellor,
it was not his prerogative to shake him off; he did not call and consequently could not reject him, but at any rate
we all know when he was tried before the conference last October, every thing was there disposed of, and Elder Rigdon
was sustained by the people and honorably acquitted of all charges against him... You may now ask what our views are
relative to Joseph? to which I reply, just what the Lord has said about him, that he should hold the keys which he
had received, which were the keys of Elijah or in other words the keys of the doctrine, but we do not believe that he
has ever received the keys of David, spoken of by John in the 3d chap. of Rev. which opens and no man closes, &c.
But, enquires the objector, you believe Joseph transgressed? I answer, he himself confessed he was but a man and
liable to sin like other men. But, says one, do you believe that he was cut off for transgression? I reply, he had the
promise, if he remained faithful, he should translate the other plates of the Book of Mormon, which are now sealed;
also that he said and did many things in direct opposition to the word of God, as given through himself; but we do
not judge him, we leave him in the hands of a just and merciful God....
And now I will bring my case to a close by referring to the case of David, as given in the 12th Chapter of the second
Book of Samuel, where it is said, "the Lord rebuked David for wickedness, in having Uriah killed," but told him he had
given him all his master's wives &c. &c., and would have given him more if he had not enough, but this is not true,
the language of the Lord, as represented, is, "I would have given thee such and such things," but here I will observe
that I do not wish to cavil or dispute the translation, only I shall claim the privilege of saying that, as the Book
of Mormon was translated by the gift and powder of God, it is more precious and more to be esteemed by the saints than
ten thousand garbled translations of uninspired linguists of King James' day, or any other day, and now remember, that
the 2d chapter of the book of Jacob says emphatically, that David and Solomon truly had many wives, but this thing was
abominable before my face, wherefore this people shall not seek to excuse themselves for committing whoredoms; but if
they do, (andthey did,) they were to be scourged, and the Lamanites, whom they hated, were to destroy them... I say,
let the saints of God, but especially the corrupt leaders and people, look out that those wicked Gentiles do not spoil
them and their possessions, for the Lord said to them in 1834, through Joseph Smith in revelation, section 101, and
paragraph 3d, that if they pollute their inheritances, they shall be thrown down. And now to conclude, I will say,
David is said to have done wickedly in these things, and was punished for it....
Yours respectfully,
JOHN A. FORGEUS.
Minutes of a Conference held in Pittsburgh, Oct. 12th 1844.
The conference was opened in the usual manner, and on motion, Elder R. Savery was appointed President, and Elder J.
Logan, Secretary.
Elder B. Winchester then stated the object of the meeting which was, to distinctly ascertain the minds of the
members of the church in this place, relative to the heretical doctrines taught and practiced in Nauvoo, by the
quorum of the Twelve and some of their associates, and also the claims of Elder S. Rigdon. On these points Elders
Winchester, Savery, and several others, made some very appropriate and forcible remarks; after which, the following
preamble and resolutions were adopted without a dissenting vote: --
Whereas the quorum of the Twelve, and their adherents in Nauvoo, having rejected Elder S. Rigdon as the presiding
officer of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and thus violating the law of the church, as found in
the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, which we esteem most sacred and dear to all lovers of truth, for no other
reasons, in our opinion, than his having claimed his lawful standing in the church, and his
decided opposition to the nefarious doctrine of polygamy, and other things odious in their nature and tendency;
for the truth of which, it now becomes our painful duty to say to all our friends and brethren in Christ, we have the
most positive and decisive evidence; wherefore, --
1. Resolved, that we feel it our imperative duty, to receive and sustain Elder S. Rigdon in the office of first
president of the church, whereunto, according to the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord has called him; and
also that we uphold him in this office by our faith and prayers.
2. Resolved, that in consequence of the most flagrant violation of the original, or true principles and order of the
church, by the Twelve and their abettors, by rejecting Elder Rigdon, and practising the doctrine of
polygamy, despoiling female virtue and chastity by seducing them, and tyranizing over those who will not
sanction their works of darkness, and many other like things, for which we regard them as apostates, and men fallen
from the true order of the church, into a state of wickedness and corruption; therefore, we hold no fellowship with
them, and as a branch of the true church, standing upon the original platform, and the acknowledged and received
doctrine of said church, we do not consider ourselves identified with them.
3. Resolved, that we sincerely request and advise all our friends and brethren that stand connected with us in the
true cause of God, to join with us in our effort and that we may redeem our characters from the odium and disgrace
that the Twelve and others have brought upon us all, or in other words, all the church, by their evil practices, as
mentioned in preamble and previous resolution.
4. Resolved, that we hereby avow to all men both far and near, that we have the most implicit confidence in the Bible,
Book of Mormon, and Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and that we receive them as our rule of faith and practice.
5. Resolved, that Elders Wingate, Wm. Richards, J. B. Newton, and B. Winchester, have authority from this conference
to go as messengers to the eastern branches of the church, and set before them the true state of the church, and
regulate the affairs of the same.
6. Resolved, that a copy of these minutes be handed to the editor of the "Messenger and Advocate," for publication.
On motion, conference adjourned sine die.
All things passed off quietly in the conference. The saints were cheerful and seemed to be in good spirits, and a
general spirit of union pervaded the whole congregation.
RICHARD SAVERY, Pres't.
James Logan, Sec'y.
Pittsburgh, Oct. 15, 1844.
Br. J. Gregg -- Dear Sir: -- Yours of the 14th inst., was received per mail this morning... I have been
informed, since Mr. Page published his Bull,
and subsequent departure from this place, that he had attempted to teach the doctrine of spiritual wives in this city
some time since. This will account for his sudden departure from both this place and yours.
It would seem almost impossible that there could be found a set of men and women, in this age of the world, with the
revelations of God in their hands, who could invent and propagate doctrines so ruinous to society, so debasing and
demoralizing as the doctrine of a man having a plurality of wives...
Those who read the New Testament with care, cannot avoid seeing that the apostles have declared that a corruption like
that we complain of, was to make its appearance in the last days. See Second Timothy, 3d chapter, from the 1st to the
9th verse inclusive. These sayings which the apostles, at Nauvoo, have applied to the professing world, are as
applicable to themselves as to any others now living, or any others who have lived since the days of Paul. In the 6th
verse we are told that "For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with
sins, led away with divers lusts."...
That the Twelve and their adherents have entered into houses and led silly women astray, is a fact susceptible of the
highest proof; and we are authorized by Paul to apply all the rest he has said to them. "For if this sort enter into
houses and lead astray silly women," what sort? we ask; the before described religionists, for says Paul,"they have a
form of godliness." The conclusion then is, that they effected the ruin of silly females by, or through a form of
godliness...
It is a fact, so well known, that the Twelve and their adherents have endeavored to carry this
spiritual wife business in secret, that I hardly need mention it here, and have gone to the most shameful and
desperate lengths, to keep it from the public. First, insulting
innocent females, and when they resented the
insult, these monsters in human shape would
assail their characters by lying, and
perjuries, with a multitude of desperate men to help them effect the ruin of those whom they had insulted, and all
this to enable them to keep these corrupt practices from the view of the world.... No falsehood too great and no
perjury too darying, in order to conceal these heaven-daring abuses of mankind...
Yours respectfully,
SIDNEY RIGDON.
[ EDITORIAL ]
The "Times and Seasons," and the "Nauvoo Neighbor," published at Nauvoo, Illinois, are busying themselves about us
exceedingly, though the editor says he reluctantly obtrudes our name before the public. Now if he would be as
reluctant to publish falsehoods about us when he does obtrude our name upon the public, it would be as creditable
to him.... We wrote a letter which was
published in the People's Organ, at St. Louis,
Mo., stating facts and nothing else but facts, in relation to what took place on our visit at Nauvoo a few weeks
since; and the editor and Mr. Hyde, who have
both written on the subject, knew this as well as we...
But there was another and greater cause for their [the Twelve] opposition to us than the crime of having those at
Nauvoo whose personnal friendship made them desire to be where they could enjoy our society. Gentle reader, do you
desire to know what it was? Well, it is your right, as well as the right of saint and sinner to know it. Know then,
that the so called Twelve apostles at Nauvoo, are now teaching the doctrine of, what is called
Spiritual Wives; that a man may have more wives than one, and they are mot only teaching it but practising it,
and this doctrine is spreading alarmingly through that apostate branch of the church of Latter Day Saints. Their
greatest objection to us was our opposition to this doctrine, knowing, as they did, that we had got the fact in
possession; it created alarm, great alarm; every effort was used while we were there to effect something that might
screen them from the consequences of exposure. This is what Mr. Hyde had allusion to on the steam boat at St. Louis,
when he felt such an interest in our welfare,
as he said, as to request
us not for his sake or his fellow apostles sake, but for our own sake and salvation, to make any disclosures, lest
we should have to retract and thereby be injured. Kind man! how fatherly and apostolical this!...
To satisfy the public that it was the Spiritual Wife system that caused our opponents at Nauvoo to oppose us, we
give the following certificate, from a gentleman whose character stands too high for truth and veracity to be
impeached by any man:
"I was at Nauvoo during all the time that Elder Rigdon was there on his last visit to that place, and am well
acquianted with the cause of all the difficulties that existed, and now exist between him and the twelve and their
adherents. It was said to me by many that they had no objection to Elder Rigdon but his opposition to the
Spiritual Wife System.
"JOSEPH H. NEWTON."
Note 1: Elder Sidney Rigdon's denunciation of the Twelve's secret "spiritual wifery" at Nauvoo, and elsewhere in the
LDS Church, was the first such disclosure from a top ranking Mormon, since the defection of John C. Bennett in 1842.
Actually, Rigdon was uncovering nothing particularly new here -- the Nauvoo Expositor had already
published
the secret of polygamy to the world, and many newspapers had helped spread its reports. However, Rigdon's previous
stature within the Mormon movement gave his 1844 denunciations a credibility which was missing from the accounts
given by other ex-leaders. Newspapers like the St. Louis People's Organ of
Nov. 1, 1844 were quick to pick up Rigdon's
scathing message and pass it on to the American reading public. Only later (via a surrogate writer in his
second issue) would Rigdon provide the damning allegations
suggesting that Joseph Smith, Jr. had been the one who initiated this evil practice among the Saints. However, Orson
Hyde had already heard Rigdon claims, made in St. Louis, that he was "in possession of facts and power [sufficient]
to have hurled Joseph from his station long ago" (Orson Hyde letter to Brigham Young. written from St. Louis on
Sept. 16th, 1844, orgiginal in LDS Church Archives, Brigham Young Collection, Box 39, folder 18).
Note 2: Apostle Orson Hyde adroitly managed to convey a sense of Mormon denial of polygamy, without making an
outright statement on the sensitive issue. In his Oct. 1, 1844 letter to the Editor of the New York Prophet,
Hyde says: "since the expulsion of the Laws, Higbees, Fosters, and Elder Rigdon and his followers; the people
there [Nauvoo] are now settling down in a strong and heavenly union; everything moves on like clock-work, and I will
now venture a prediction, that since Nauvoo has thrown off so much bile from its stomach it will be more healthy, and
less complaints and noise about spiritual wives, adultery, bogus making, &c." The Nauvoo Neighbor of
Dec. 4, 1844 reprinted Hyde's accusations, giving
the impression that since Rigdon's followers had left that city, wicked polygamy had disappeared along with them. Of
course the men and women there, who were "in on the secret" knew better -- but they could rest easy, knowing that God
forbade them from disclosing their "patriarchal order of marriage" and "blessings of Jacob" -- which was something
rather different ("not just secret, but sacred") from what the foolish Gentiles denominated "polygamy" and "spiritual
wifery."
|
