Lot 764
[Woodruff, Wilfred] Manifesto Outlawing Polygamy. This landmark ten page pamphlet is the official record of "President Woodruff’s Manifesto," in which Mormon Church president Woodruff officially outlawed polygamy. The piece is in extremely fine condition, with only one minor fold, no discoloration or marks, and sharp corners. It was found in an attic in Salt Lake City several decades ago.
Mormons had long practiced plural marriages, known as "polygamy" since the inception of the religion. The group however, came under heavy political fire for this practice, which was considered sinful in most other religions. Over the 1840s to 1880s, this sensitive issue became a core argument against the faith, and prevented the admission of Utah as a state. President Woodruff took the bull by the horns: "Press dispatches, having been sent for political purposes, from Salt Lake City, which have been widely published, to the effect that the Utah Commission in their recent report to the Secretary of the Interior, allege plural marriages are still being solemnized… and that… the leaders of the Church have taught, encouraged, and urged the continuance of the practice of polygamy… I, therefore, as president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do hereby in the most solemn manner, declare that these charges are false. We are not teaching polygamy, nor plural marriage, nor permitting any person to enter into its practice. In as much as there have been laws enacted by Congress forbidding plural marriages, … I hereby declare my intention to submit to those laws, and to use my influence with the members of the Church over which I preside to have them do likewise. There is nothing in my teachings to the Church or in those of my associates,… which can be reasonably construed to calcate or encourage polygamy… I now publicly declare that my advice to the Latter-day Saints is to refrain from contracting any marriage forbidden by the law of the land." Polygamy was outlawed in the fall of 1895 and on January 4, 1896, Utah was admitted as the 45th state in the union.
Estimated Value $1,000 - 2,000.
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| Realized $600 |
