



Produced by the Mormon Texts Project
(http://mormontextsproject.org), with thanks to Christopher
Dunn for proofreading.







THE

BIBLE & POLYGAMY.


DOES THE BIBLE SANCTION POLYGAMY?


A DISCUSSION

BETWEEN

PROFESSOR ORSON PRATT,

One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints,

AND

REV. DOCTOR J. P. NEWMAN,

Chaplain of the United States Senate,

IN THE NEW TABERNACLE, SALT LAKE CITY,

August 12, 13, and 14, 1870.


TO WHICH IS ADDED

THREE SERMONS ON THE SAME SUBJECT,

BY

PREST. GEORGE A. SMITH,

AND

ELDERS ORSON PRATT AND GEORGE Q. CANNON,


SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH,

1874.





CORRESPONDENCE

BETWEEN

REVEREND DR. J. P. NEWMAN,

Pastor of the Metropolitan Methodist Church, Washington, D. C.,

AND

BRIGHAM YOUNG,

President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

-----

                                         Salt Lake City, Aug. 6th, 1870.

TO PRESIDENT BRIGHAM YOUNG:

Sir:--In acceptance of the challenge given in your journal, "The Salt
Lake Daily Telegraph," of the 3rd of May last, to discuss the question,
"Does the Bible sanction polygamy?" I have hereby to inform you that I
am now ready to hold a public debate with you as the head of the Mormon
Church upon the above question, under such regulations as may be agreed
upon for said discussion; and I suggest for our mutual convenience
that, either by yourself or by two gentlemen whom you shall designate,
you may meet two gentlemen whom I will select for the purpose of making
all necessary arrangements for the debate, with as little delay as
possible. May I hope for a reply at your earliest convenience, and at
least not later than 3 o'clock to-day?

                                     Respectfully, etc.,

                                                     J. P. NEWMAN.

-----

                                      Salt Lake City, U. T., Aug. 6th, 1870.

REV. DR. J. P. NEWMAN:

Sir:--Yours of even date has just been received, in answer to which I
have to inform you that no challenge was ever given by me to any person
through the columns of the "Salt Lake Daily Telegraph," and this is the
first information I have received that any such challenge ever appeared.

You have been mis-informed with regard to the "Salt Lake Daily
Telegraph;" it was not my journal, but was owned and edited by Dr.
Fuller, of Chicago, who was not a member of our church, and I was not
acquainted with its columns.

                                            Respectfully,

                                                     BRIGHAM YOUNG.

-----

                                           Salt Lake City, Aug. 6, 1870.

TO PRESIDENT BRIGHAM YOUNG:

Sir:--I confess my disappointment at the contents of your note in reply
to mine of this date. In the far East it is impossible to distinguish
the local relations between yourself and those papers which advocate
the interests of your Church; and when the copy of the "Telegraph"
containing the article of the 3rd of May last, reached Washington, the
only construction put upon it by my friends was that it was a challenge
to me to come to your city and discuss the Bible doctrine of polygamy.

Had I chosen to put a different construction on that article, and
to take no further notice of it, you could then have adopted the
"Telegraph" as your organ and the said article as a challenge, which
I either could not or dared not accept. That I am justified in this
construction is clear from the following facts:

1. The article in the "Telegraph," of May 3rd, contains these
expressions, alluding to my sermon as reported in the N. Y. "Herald,"
it says: "The discourse was a lengthened argument to prove that the
Bible does not sustain polygamy. * * * * * * * * The sermon should have
been delivered in the New Tabernacle in this city, with ten thousand
Mormons to listen to it, and then Elder Orson Pratt, or some prominent
Mormon, should have had a hearing on the other side and the people been
allowed to decide. * * * * * Dr. Newman, by his very sermon, recognizes
the religious element of the question. * * * * Let us have a fair
contest of peaceful argument and let the best side win. * * * We will
publish their notices in the "Telegraph," report their discourses as
far as possible, use every influence in