| 491 The following article appeared in the Salt Lake Tribune in the latter part of June, and was reproduced in the Advocate for July, which assists so materially in correctly reflecting the then doubly interesting Utah situation, that we insert it:
JOSEPH SMITH EXPRESSES HIMSELF ON THE UTAH CHURCH.
Joseph Smith, oldest son of the founder of the Mormon church, and President of what is known as the Josephite branch, arrived in the city Wednesday night. A Tribune representative called on him last evening at the residence of Mr. Warnock, for the purpose of ascertaining the objects of his trip to Utah, his opinion of the Utah branch, etc.
Mr. Smith is a pleasant gentleman, about fifty years of age, gray haired, with full, flowing beard and rather venerable looking. He received the Tribune man courteously and declared his willingness to impart any desired information.
"What object have you in visiting Utah?" asked the reporter.
"I have two objects. One is to become acquainted by observation with the Territory, its resources and its people; the other is to present the views of the church with which I am identified."
"Your church is not in harmony with the Utah church?"
"No, sir; in many respects it is not. In much that appertains to the origin and rise of the church, there is not a great difference. Antagonism, if it exists, occurs from different views touching polygamy and the union of church and state, in a political sense. It is possible that some part of it results from mutual misunderstanding, and consequently misrepresentation."
"Are you a believer in the mission and calling of your father?"
"I am; most decidedly so."
"Does that not make the perpetuity of plural marriage a necessity?"
"We do not so believe. The church flourished from 1830 to 1844 without polygamy, and we see no vital reason why it may not so exist and prosper again. With others, I have made this the basis of thought and labor for a number of years. At first the ground seemed untenable to many, but we have verified the stability of the position in a good many places from which the Saints were driven, both before and after the death of Joseph and Hyrum Smith."
"What are your feelings toward the people of Utah?"
"I have no feeling other than that of good-will toward the people. I knew many of them when I was a boy, and my remembrances of them are still clear. The introduction of polygamy was a serious mistake, and the consequences of it have created a crisis in the history of the people of Utah that is very grave. It seems that there is nothing in the principles of the church at its organization that would have produced such a crisis. Myself and cobelievers have foreseen that such crisis must occur, sooner or later, if polygamy was perpetuated, and not finding warrant for that contingency, we have felt that innocent persons would suffer. This we
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