164 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



haps more than any other, the master-spirits of the age are breaking loose from 

 the old moorings, and withdrawing from established and venerated systems." 



Holding these views, Mr. Parley Pratt has aimed at embodying, 

 in his introductory key, a general view of what he calls the Science 

 of Theology, " in a concise and somewhat original manner and style, 

 as gathered from revelation, history, prophecy, reason, and analogy." 

 The revelation and prophecy referred to and founded upon are partly 

 those accepted by all orthodox Christians, partly those of recent 

 date (such as the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants) 

 peculiar to the followers of Joseph Smith. It is hard to reconcile 

 polygamy with " the progressive principles of the age," and with 

 modern ideas as to the social position and dignity of woman ; but 

 Mr. Parley Pratt is not without a scientific plea on behalf of his theo- 

 logical dogma. He maintains that 



" The principal object contemplated by this law is the multiplication of the 

 children of good and worthy fathers, who will teach them the truth, and this is 

 far preferable to sending them into the world in the lineage of an unworthy or 



ignorant parentage A wise legislation, or the law of God, would punish 



with just severity the crimes of adultery or fornication, and would not suffer 

 the idiot, the confirmed, irreclaimable drunkard, the man of hereditary disease, 

 or of vicious habits, to possess or retain a wife ; while at the same time it 

 would provide for a good and capable man to honorably receive and entertain 

 more wives than one. . . . The restoration of pure laws and practices has already 

 commenced to improve or regenerate a race. A holy and temperate life ; pure 

 morals and manners ; faith, hope, charity ; cheerfulness, gentleness, integrity ; 

 intellectual development, pure truth, and knowledge, will produce a race more 

 beautiful in form and features, stronger and more vigorous in constitution, hap- 

 pier in temperament and disposition, more intellectual, less vicious, and better 

 prepared for long life and good days in their mortal sojourn. Each generation 

 governed by the same laws will still improve." 



This sounds plausible enough in theory, and perhaps the result of 

 polygamy as practised in Utah is, that a large proportion of offspring- 

 is born to the most energetic, intelligent, and industrious citizens. 

 In an age when there is reason to fear an increasing tendency to 

 "non-survival of the fittest," such a result may be admitted as tend- 

 ing to counterbalance some of the disadvantages attending plurality 

 of wives. 



The highest types of domestic animals have been developed under 

 a system of breeding and selection, very similar to that which is ad- 

 vocated in the above quotations, and the burden of proof seems to 

 rest upon those who maintain that a high type of humanity cannot 

 be developed after a similar fashion. Should the Mormons succeed 

 in carrying out practically, for a few generations, any such ideas as 

 are above alleged to be the main objects contemplated in their law of 

 polygamy, they would have fair grounds for the belief that they are 

 destined to inherit the whole earth. 



