The Story of the Mormons, from the Date of Their Origin to the Year 1901Linn, William Alexander
History
The Story of the Mormons, from the Date of Their Origin to the Year 1901
Linn, William Alexander
Latter Day Saints -- History; Utah -- History
The Mormon, under polygamy, was taught that he "married" for time,
but was "sealed" for eternity. The "sealing" was therefore the more
important ceremony, and was performed in the Endowment House, with the
accompaniment of secret oaths and mystic ceremonies. If a wife disliked
her husband, and wished to be "sealed" to a man of her choice, the
Mormon church would marry her to the latter*--a marriage made actual in
every sense--if he was acceptable as a Mormon; and, if the first husband
also wanted to be "sealed" to her, the church would perform a mock
ceremony to satisfy this husband. "It is impossible," says Hyde, "to
state all the licentiousness, under the name of religion, that these
sealing ordinances have occasioned." **
* One of Stenhouse's informants about the "reformation" of 1856
in Utah writes: "It was hinted, and secretly taught by authority, that
women should form relations with more than one man." On this Stenhouse
says: "The author has no personal knowledge, from the present leaders
of the church, of this teaching; but he has often heard that something
would then be taught which 'would test the brethren as much as polygamy
had tried the sisters."'--"Rocky Mountain Saints," p. 301.
** "Mormonism," p. 84.
A Mormon preacher never hesitated to go to any lengths in justifying
the doctrine of plural marriages. One illustration of this may suffice.
Orson Hyde, in a discourse in the Salt Lake Tabernacle in March, 1857,
made the following argument to support a claim that Jesus Christ was a
polygamist:--
"It will be borne in mind that, once on a time, there was a marriage in
Cana of Galilee; and on a careful reading of that transaction it will be
discovered that no less a person than Jesus Christ was married on that
occasion. If he was never married, his intimacy with Mary and Martha,
and the other Mary also, whom Jesus loved, must have been highly
unbecoming and improper, to say the best of it. I will venture to say
that, if Jesus Christ was now to pass through the most pious countries
in Christendom, with a train of women such as used to follow him,
fondling about him, combing his hair, anointing him with precious
ointments, washing his feet with tears and wiping them with the hair of
their heads, and unmarried, or even married, he would be mobbed,
tarred and feathered, and rode, not on an ass, but on a rail.... Did
he multiply, and did he see his seed? Did he honor his Father's law by
complying with it, or did he not? Others may do as they like, but I
will not charge our Saviour with neglect or transgression in this or any
other duty."*
* Journal of Discourses, Vol. IV, p. 259.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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