In the midst of the agitation and bitterness which led up to such a conclusion as this, though unaided and alone—sustained only by his own conviction of the truth of the system of marriage that God had revealed, and conscious of the support and approval of Almighty God—Elder Taylor stood unmoved and fearlessly sustained the rightfulness of Mormon plural marriage against all who opposed it.
In the very first issue of the Mormon, under the caption "Polygamy," he said:
"Since this doctrine has been promulgated by us as a part of our religious creed, every variety of opinion has been expressed by men in all classes of society. It has been talked about by religious and irreligious, professors and profane. It has been the theme in the legislative hall, the pulpit, the bar-room and the press. Polygamy and the Mormons, Mormons and polygamy have resounded everywhere. * * * In this our first issue it may be expected that something would be said in relation to this matter. This we undertake as cheerfully as any other task; for we are not ashamed here in this great metropolis of America * * * to declare that we are polygamists. We are not ashamed to proclaim to this great nation, to rulers and people, to the president, senators, legislators, judges; to high and low, rich and poor, priests and people, that we are firm, conscientious believers in polygamy, and that it is part and parcel of our religious creed. We do this calmly, seriously and understandingly, after due deliberation, careful examination and close investigation of its principles and bearings religiously, socially, morally, physically and politically! We unhesitatingly pronounce our full and implicit faith in the principle as emanating from God, and that under His direction it would be a blessing to the human family."
After drawing a vivid picture of the immoral state of the world, and allowing that some who opposed polygamy did so because they considered it as a scheme devised to still further plunge humanity into licentiousness, he continues:
"We are not surprised, then, that men of reflection and virtue, and having a knowledge of the world should feel indignant at polygamy. They look upon it as something pandering to the brutal passions of man; and from the exceedingly low standard of virtue, can scarcely conceive of anything but lasciviousness associated with the sex. We respect the conscientious feelings of such men; for we know that with their ideas of such things, they must be extremely revolting. But we would respectfully ask such persons if they ever seriously reflected upon the matter? and further: Is it prejudice, education and the corrupt state of society that has led them to these conclusions [respecting plural marriage]; or matters of fact deduced from scripture, reason, history or precedence? Did they ever think that Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon and a host of other good men mentioned in the scriptures were polygamists? That the Twelve Tribes of Israel, to whom belong the covenants and promises, descended from four women, the wives of one man? Did they ever reflect that those men were more virtuous than this generation; and that for such things that are practiced here every day with impunity—adultery—a man would be stoned to death by all Israel? Did they ever reflect that it might be possible for the Lord to be unchangeable? That He had not learned much from man in a few thousand years; and that possibly He was not in error then; and if not then, the same principles might probably be as correct now as they were at that time? It is well for us not to be too hasty."
Referring again to the sexual corruption everywhere prevalent, and the vain endeavors of philanthropists, statesmen, kings and presidents to check it, he concludes by saying: "The Lord's way [plural marriage] as practiced by ancient men of God—the restitution of which has lately taken place—we think will stop it among us."
Upon these lines he continued to defend the marriage system which God revealed; and when the press, for want of better argument, denounced it as immoral, and pretended to be shocked at Mormon wickedness, because they believed it right under certain conditions for a man to have more wives than one; Elder Taylor drew aside the flimsy veil covering the licentious practices of monogamous "Christian" communities, and reminded his opponents that the cities and towns and states in which they themselves lived, were not so immaculate in their purity that ministers, editors and moralists must needs cross the plains and the mountains, in order to find impurity to suppress. He reminded them that the demon of licentiousness stalked abroad unchallenged in their own midst; that he was to be found in their guilded ball-rooms and opera houses; met them upon their streets, mingled in their best society and even sat in their pews.
This was no attempt to justify the practice of one evil by pointing to the existence of another; but to remind them of the fact that even if Mormon polygamy was as bad as they represented it to be, there were evils infinitely worse rotting and festering in their very midst, and which they sought in vain to ignore, as they met them at every street corner, flaunted in their public highways, and were disgustingly placarded on their walls; while the victims thereof filled their poor houses, shrieked out their madness in their asylums, lay slowly rotting in their hospitals or sought relief in self-destruction. He referred to these things to show up the hypocrisy of a generation that could live in the midst of such social corruption, without an effort to check its ravages; and at the same time pretend to be horrified at supposed social evils existing in distant Utah. In this he further resembled Tertullian, of whom it is said, that being arraigned as a criminal at the bar, he accused and condemned his judges.
But while he uncovered for an instant the corruptions of monogamous Christian communities, in order to reprove their hypocrisy, he by no means regarded that exposure as a defense of plural marriage. His defense of that doctrine he based upon the sanction which Almighty God gave to it, as clearly demonstrated in holy writ; upon well known physiological facts; upon moral and social necessities, and his defense was unassailable.
While he was in New York a number of plans were suggested for the overthrow of Mormonism. Among the more humane ones was that of the American Bible Society, which proposed flooding the settlements of Utah with Bibles, being under the impression, doubtless, that the Mormon people did not accept the Bible as the word of God. Hearing of the project Elder Taylor called at the office of the society and offered his assistance in the enterprise, urging them to send well bound books, and gave them the following advice through The Mormon: