Again. In 1845, the year after Smith's death, an Appendix was authoritatively added to the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, containing the following, which is extracted from the section entitled "Marriage":—
"2. Marriage should be celebrated with prayer and thanksgiving; and at the solemnization, the persons to be married standing together," etc., "he [the person officiating] shall say, calling each by their names, 'you both mutually agree to be each other's companion, husband and wife, observing the legal rights belonging to this condition; that is, keeping yourselves wholly for each other, and from all others, during your lives.' And when they have
answered 'yes,' he shall pronounce them 'husband and wife,' in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by virtue of the laws of the country, and authority vested in him. . . .
"4. . . . Inasmuch as this church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication and polygamy; we declare that we believe that one man should have one wife; and one woman but one husband, except in case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again."[165:A]
Can anything be more explicit than this? Polygamy is not only expressly repudiated by the church, but is classed by the side of fornication as a crime.
Thus we find that polygamy is contrary to both books of the Mormon Bible. That it is, in fact, strongly condemned in those volumes.
It is, therefore, no part of the Mormon religion, as given to the world by Joseph Smith.
But polygamy is practised in Utah. Whence did it arise, and upon what foundation does it rest?
Like slavery, and all other great social evils, it had its origin, doubtless, in an abuse of the passions of man.
It was first publicly announced and recommended in Utah Territory on the 29th of August, 1852, by Orson Pratt and Brigham Young, at a politico-religious meeting, held in Great Salt Lake City.