115 years ago today - Mar 22, 1904

Carl A. Badger, secretary to apostle and embattled U.S. Senator Reed Smoot writes in his diary: "I am afraid I believe more in the inspiration of the Manifesto than of the selection of the D&C which says we 'must' practice that principle." Badger records Joseph F. Smith's response after his own testimony before the Senate committee: "I am sorry for Reed. I am sorry for Reed." Reed Smoot writes in a letter: "[W]e have not as a people, at all times, lived strictly to our agreements with the Government, and this lack of sincerity on our part goes farther to condemn us in the eyes of the public men of the nation than the mere fact of a few new polygamy cases, or a polygamist before the manifesto living in the state of unlawful cohabitation." Smoot writes in another letter that he wished "President Joseph F. Smith would see his way clear to announce at this coming Apr Conference that since his visit to Washington he had learned that public sentiment outside of the State of Utah is opposed to a man living in unlawful cohabitation." Smoot hoped "that hereafter" President Smith's "advice would be to the Mormon people to arrange their affairs so as to obey the law, and further, that he himself intends to do so. It is my opinion that if this is not done that there will be considerable trouble ahead for our people." Joseph F. Smith had testified that he was living with his plural wives in violation of the laws of the land and the laws of the church.