Following the revelation is this explanation :
"Plurality of wives is a doctrine very popular among most of mankind at the present day. It is practiced by the must powerful nations of Asia and Africa, and by nu- merous nations inhabiting the islands of the sea, and by the aboriginal nations of the great western hemisphere. The one-wile system is confined principally to a few small nations inhabiting Europe, aud to those who are of Euro- pean origin inhabiting America. It is estimated by the' most able historians of oiir day that about four fifths of the populatiou of the globe believe and practice, accord- ing to their respective laws, the doctrine of a plurality of wives. If the popularity of a doctrine is in proportion to the numbers who believe iu it, then it follows that the plu- rality si/stem is four times more popular among the in- habitants of the earth than the one-wife system.
" Those nations who practice the plurality doctrine con- sider it as virtuous and as right for one man to have many wives as to have one only. ' Therefore they have euacted laws, not only giving this right to their citizens, but also protecting them in it, and punishing all those who in- fringe upou the chastity of the marriage covenant by com- mitting adultery with any one of the wives of his neigh- bor. Those nations do not consider it possible for a rnau to commit adultery with any one of those women to whom he has been legally married according to their laws. The posterity raised up uuto the husband through each of his wives are all considered to be legitimate, aud provisions are made iu their laws for those children, the same as if they were the children of one wife. Adulter- ies, foruications, aud all uuvirtuoiis conduct between the sexes are severely punished by them. Indeed, plurality among them is considered not only virtuous aud right, but a great check or preventative agaiust adulteries and unlawful connections, which are among the greatest evils with which nations are cursed, producing a vast amount of suffering aud misery, devastation and death ; uuder- mining the very foundations of happiness, aud destroy- ing the framework of society and the peace of the do- mestic circle.
" Some of the nations of Europe who believe iu the one- wife system have actually forbidden a plurality of wives by their laws ; and the consequences are that the whole country among them is overrun with the most abomina- ble practices;' adulteries aud unlawful connections pre- vail through all their villages, towus, cities, aud country places to a most fearful extent. And among some of these nations these sinks of wickedness, wretchedness, and misery are licenced by law; while their piety would be wonderfnlly shocked to authorize by law the plurality system as adopted by many neighboring nations.
" The Constitution and laws of the United States, being ': founded upon the principles of freedom, do not interfere with marriage relations, but leave the nation free to be- lieve iu andpractice the doctrine of a plurality of wives, or to confine themselves to the one-wife system, just as they choose. This is as it should be: it leaves the con- science of man untrammelled, and so long as he injures no person, and does not infringe upon the rights of others, he is free by the Constitution to marry one wile or many, or uone at all, and becomes accountable to God for the right- eousness or unrighteousness of his domestic relations.
"The Constitution leaves the several states and terri- tories to enact such laws as they see proper in regard to marriages, provided that they do not infringe upon the rights of conscience and the "lilierties guaranteed in that sacred document. Therefore if any state or territory feels disposed to enact laws guaranteeing to encli of its citizens the right to marry many wives, such laws would be perfectly constitutional; hence the several states aud territories practice the one-wife system out of choice, and uot liecause they are under any obligations so to do by the National Constitution. Indeed, we doubt very much whether any state or territory has the constitutional right to make laws prohibiting the plurality doctrine iu cases where it is practiced by religious societies as a matter of conscience or as a doctrine of their religious faith. The first article of the Amendments to the Constitution says expressly that 'Congress shall make no law respectiug an establishment of religion, or prohibilinci the free exer- cise thereof.' ,Now if even Congress itself has uo power to pass a law 'prohibiting the free exercise of religion,' much less has any state or territory power to pass such an act.
"The doctrine of a plurality of wives was believed and practiced by Abraham, the father of the faithful ; and we find that while iu tliis jiractice the angels of-^^d frequent- ly ministered to him, and at one time dii. ■ Yith him; aud God manifested himself to him, and t. ^'cd into familiar couversation with him. Neither Go> nor his angels reproved Abraham for being a polvirim; i, but ou the contrary the Almighty greatly blessed him, and made promises uuto him concerning both Isaac and Ishmael, clearly showing that Abraham practiced what is called polygamy under the sanction of the Almighty. Now if the father of the faithful was thus blessed, certainly it