Mr. Eslie D. Jenson,

Millville, Utah.

Dear Brother:

Answering your letter in which you say that you are anxious to do everything you can to uphold the position of the Church on the question of plural marriage, I am offering the following suggestions in answer to your questions:

The law of plural marriage was not given as a law to the Church for everybody; it was destined only for those who were prepared and worthy to receive it. My own father, as a Bishop, told me that he had denied more men that privilege than he had granted.

As to your second question will say that while the Church does not teach the practice of plural marriage, so far as the principle is concerned it is a correct principle and every man holding the Priesthood ought to believe in that revelation as divine and of the Lord. The Church does not deny the right to take the Sacrament to members who do not profess their belief in the law of plural marriage. They do not ask converts in all the world to profess their belief in this principle before they are baptized because the Church is not teaching that doctrine. The Church itself has taken action against either the teaching or the practice of the principle of plural marriage, however, not denying its divinity.

Now on your questions Nos. 4 and S, I should like to repeat what I have stated to you heretofore—that the position of the Church always has been that which is set forth in the earliest editions of the Doctrine and Covenants with reference to Section 132, namely, that it is a revelation on the eternity of the marriage covenant including the plurality of wives. This distinctly recognizes the eternity of the marriage covenant as one thing and the plurality of wives as another. In the fourth verse the Lord declares that He is about to reveal a new and everlasting covenant and then in the seventh verse it states what the conditions of this covenant are and it does not herein deal with plural marriage at all but it deals with the contract between a man and a woman married until death do they part, setting forth very clearly that that ends their associations when death comes, but that the new and everlasting covenant provides for their eternal union. In no place here is the Lord discussing two women but only one man and one woman. And he also makes it clear that there is only one man on the earth at a time who holds the keys of this sealing power and that is the President of the Church. The fifteenth verse again states that if a man marry a wife—not two wives but one—and he marry her not by me or by my word then that covenant ends when death comes. The eighteenth verse again states it in the affirmative way—"if a man marry a wife—not two wives but a wife—and make a covenant with her for time and for all eternity, if that covenant is not by me or by my word, which is my law, and is not sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, through him whom I have annointed and appointed unto this power, then it is not valid." And that is exactly what these folks are doing, making covenants with each other without the Lord's approval or the sealing authority of His Holy Priesthood.

And again in the nineteenth verse it states that if a man marry a wife and abide the Lord's word, by His law and by the new and everlasting covenant and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise then it stands. Then there follows afterwards great and wonderful promises to that man and woman when they shall, these two, pass by the angels and the gods to their glory and exaltation and quoting again from the nineteenth verse, "and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, *** to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever." And that describes the special blessing which belongs to those who attain unto the highest degree of Celestial glory as set forth in the 131st Section. That refers to this new and everlasting covenant and only those who enter into it shall attain unto this power of endless increase. Yet the promises made in the 19th verse of the 132nd Section—that any man or woman who enters into this covenant and is faithful shall attain unto this power shows very clearly that the Lord designed the highest degree of Celestial glory for one man and one woman who enter into this Holy covenant and keep their covenants.

The 20th verse holds before them the possibility of be coming even what God is. And all this is pronounced upon the one woman in association with the one man. And after having set forth in detail the new and ever lasting covenant of marriage the Lord then turns in the 28th verse to a consideration of plural marriage as it was practiced by Abraham and sets forth terms and conditions under which men may enter into plural marriage by reason of the new and everlasting covenant and receive added blessings and privileges through faithfully observing this law of the Lord. So as I said once before to you plural marriage would never have been possible at all had it not been for the new and everlasting covenant of marriage. But the new and everlasting covenant of marriage is the eternal union of a man and a woman.

There are blessings and privileges when the Lord gives approval to the practice to those who faithfully have observed the law of plural marriage, and that blessing is not the exclusive admittance into the highest degree of Celestial glory but a power to grow more rapidly and attain unto the glories and privilege sooner than one who has only the one wife.

But the whole secret of the matter rests with the Lord's approval and the approval of those who hold the keys of His Holy Priesthood. Any man or woman who undertakes to seize these blessings illegally and unlawfully shall find that they are null and void and they will find that they have forfeited all their rights and privileges through their self-willed course.

I find no serious difficulty with the statements quoted in the books published by those who are urging plural marriage at this time.

I notice no difficulty also with the statements made by various of the brethren who perhaps in their zeal held up before members of the Church the plural marriage system as the only one that should obtain in the Celestial Kingdom. Certainly plural marriage when entered into under the new and everlasting covenant and approved by the Lord would grant admittance to the highest degree of Celestial glory according to those revelations that would apply to any man and one woman. I am not familiar with any additional information promised in the 132nd Section. I know of nothing further. The pretended revelation of President John Taylor never had his signature added to it but was written in the form of a revelation and undoubtedly was in his hand writing; nevertheless it was never submitted to his own associates in the Presidency and the Twelve nor to the Church and consequently does not bind the Church in any sense. But still there is nothing in the revelation that the Church disputes because the correctness of that principle is set forth with emphasis, and the Church has never disputed the truthfulness of the 132nd Section when the right to practice that principle has been sanctioned by the Lord and the Church.

And if the Lord had wanted plural marriage to continue according to the interpretations some give of President Taylor's revelation, he would have allowed President Taylor to have lived and enforced it but He took him and raised up President Wilford Woodruff who was inspired to give the Manifesto that stopped the practice of plural marriage. This indicates that the Lord's approval is with the course of the Church.

I trust this may be helpful to you and assure you that my anxious desire is that those who are blinded by the arguments of men shall have their eyes opened to see the sorrow and distress that is coming to those that are living now in wilful violation of the rules of the Church which is only a foreshadowing of sorrow and trouble that shall come to every man and woman who violates the rules and regulations of the Church and disobeys the counsels of heaven.

Praying that the Lord may help you to rescue some of them from their folly and delusion, I am

Sincerely your brother,

(Signed) MELVIN J. BALLARD