--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Smith, Joseph F. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 5 number: 12 published: 1902-10 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'President Joseph F. Smith, "Editor’s Table—Plural Wives of Joseph Smith, the Prophet," *Improvement Era* 5, no. 12 (October 1902): 988–990.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0512unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera0512unse start_page: 988 end_page: 990 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1902-10) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0512unse publication_year: 1902 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1902, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Editor's Table—Plural Wives of Joseph Smith, the Prophet for the purpose of effecting some special mission in the interest of the Church. The Catholic priests in the Philippines have usually belonged to one of three orders, the Dominicans, the Augustinians, and the Fran- ciscans. The Franciscans are not permitted by their rules to own property, but the other two orders that are generally designated as friars owned, at the time the Americans took possession, more than four hundred and three thousand acres of land in the single province of Luzon, and one hundred thousand acres in two other provinces, making a total of more than one half million acres held by these organizations. They have, therefore, become a body of landowners, and, since 1880, they have been exempt from all taxes on these lands, which they rent out in small parcels to the Filipinos. They also possess enormous wealth, by which they were able to have the government affairs regulated largely accord- ing to their wishes, so that they have also come into possession of great political power. In the town, the friar was about the only man that could speak Spanish. He was a sort of a judge, jury, landowner, and village counselor, and carried on affairs very much to his own liking; and, frequently, exercised the most arbitrary and oppressive authority. When the Filipinos, therefore, rebelled against Spain, to them the Friars and Spain were synonymous terms. As a result of the oppressions prac- ticed by these religious orders, the Filipinos have come to thoroughly despise and hate them. There was little or no check upon the exercise of authority by these Friars, because they were exempt from civil pro- cedure. Filipinos are themselves Catholics, but they look upon the Friars rather as emissaries of Spain than as religious brethren. In 1898, there were in the Islands more than six million Roman Catholics. The Moros are Moslems, and the wild tribes are pagans, in religion. The Filipinos want these great landed properties divided into small holdings, that they may each own his little farm. It is now proposed by the United States that these large holdings be purchased, and sold to the Filipinos on easy terms, both as to terms and the time of payment. It is also felt that be- fore peace, or any satisfaction whatever, can come to the Filipinos, the Friars must go; and the aid of the Pope has been sought for their re- moval. But the Friars are citizens of Spain, and, by the terms of our treaty of Paris, they are entitled to all the rights and privileges of other inhabitants of the Islands. It is a perplexing question, but it is believed that the Friars themselves will not insist on remaining in the presence of so great an opposition to them. Adjusting History by Statute. A state legislature has recently passed a bill preventing the use of CURRENT SToRY OF THE WORLD. 987 any United States school history which does not give to Admiral Schley the credit for the victory at Santiago. That historical question ought now to be considered authoritatively passed upon. What partisan folly! what next How can a legislature thus hope to determine by any enact- ! ment a troublesome question of history ? But why stop there ? Why not have the legislature settle disputed questions of science and agricul- ture, and determine whether potatoes planted in the dark of the moon grow best ? There is one trifling difficulty, in thus disposing of open controversies in history or in science. States may not all take the same view, and if the law-making body of Illinois puts Schley in command of the fleet, while an Iowa legislature decides in favor of Sampson, there will be a distinct conflict in the history made by the different states. Of course, an amendment to the Constitution could be passed, and such troublesome questions of historical disputation be adjusted for all time to come, so far as this country is concerned. What a world of perplex- ity some legislatures might rescue us from, if they only would ! TOM TIT. Thou pretty warbler, why so shy, Art thou afraid of such as I? Sing on, sweet bird, thy notes are sweet, I love to see such joy complete. As fills that little soul of thine, So tune thy throat with love divine. If I, sweet bird, could sing like thee, I'd praise the Lord on earth and sea. I'd stand upon the highest trees, And send my notes along the breeze, To all the creatures on the earth, And bid them send such praises forth. Sing on, my soul with rapture bounds; Tom Tit I love to hear such sounds ! As thou hast warbled forth to me, Thou emblem of sweet ministrelsy. —Mathonihah Thomas. EDITOR'S TABLE. PLURAL WIVES OF JOSEPH SMITH, THE PROPHET. A subscriber in Oregon writes: "I have it in the 'Succession in the Presidency' that the Prophet Joseph Smith had plural wives. A Josephite preacher proselyting here says that the prophet never had plural wives, and that Brigham Young was the author of the revelation on plural marriage; and the founder of polygamy. In view of this, will you kindly name the plural wives of the Prophet Joseph Smith?" Taking into account the interest in this subject, awakened by a recent article in the Arena, by Joseph Smith, president of the Re-organized church, and the replies thereto touching the origin of polygamy in America, an answer to the question, is timely and appropriate, although it can be given here only in brief. I can positively state, on indisputable evidence, that Joseph Smith was the author, under God, of the revelation on plural mar- riage. On this subject, we have the affidavit of William Clayton, private secretary of Joseph Smith, that he wrote the revelation as it was given through the lips of the Prophet, and that he himself sealed to Joseph Smith as a plural wife, Lucy Walker, at Joseph Smith's own residence, on May 1, 1843. This lady is still living, in Salt Lake City, and is willing to testify at any moment to this fact. Following are some of the names of young ladies who were sealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith in Nauvoo, as testified to under oath — by themselves this during the lifetime of the prophet: Eliza R. Snow, Emily D. Partridge, Eliza M. Partridge, Melissa Lot, Lucy Walker, Sarah Ann Whitney, Helen Mar Kimball, Fanny Young