made, but that was because she had lost the spirit. God commanded
the human race to multiply and replenish the earth. Abraham had
two wives, and the Almighty honored the second one by a direct
communication, Jacob had Leah and Zilpah. David had a plurality
of wives, and was a man after God's own heart. God gave him
Saul's wives, and only condemned his adulteries. Moses, Gideon,
and Joshua had each a plurality of wives. Solomon had wives and
concubines by hundreds, though we do not believe in the concubine
system. We leave that to the Gentiles. Virtue and chastity wither
beneath the monogamic institution, which was borrowed from the
pagan nations by the early Christians. It was prophesied that in
the latter days seven women would lay hold of one man and demand
to bear his name, that they might not be held in dishonor. The
Protestants and Catholics assail us with very poor grace when it
is remembered that the first pillars of the religion they claim
to profess were men like the saints of Utah--polygamists. The
fact can not be denied. Polygamy is virtually encouraged and
taught by example by the Old Testament. It may appear shocking
and blasphemous to Gentiles for us to say so, but we hold that
Jesus Christ himself was a polygamist. He was surrounded by women
constantly, as the Scriptures attest, and those women were His
polygamous wives. The vast disparity between the sexes in all
settled communities is another argument in favor of polygamy, to
say nothing of the disinclination among young male Gentiles to
marrying. The monogamic system condemns millions of women to
celibacy. A large proportion of them stray from the path of
right, and these unfortunates induce millions of men to forego
marriage. As I have said, virtue and chastity wither under the
monogamic system.

There are no illegitimate children in Utah; there are no
libertines; there are no brothels, excepting where the presence
of Gentiles creates the demand for them. Even then our people do
what they can to root out such places. There is a positive
advantage in having more than one wife. It is impossible to find
a Gentile home, where comforts and plenty prevail, in which there
is only one woman. No one woman can manage a household. She must
have assistance. Hence we claim that when a