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CHAPTER XIV.

INSIDE VIEW OF POLYGAMY AND THE DOCTRINE OF "SEALING."

    IN THE Winter of 1845 meetings were held all over the city of Nauvoo, and the spirit of Elijah was taught in the different families as a foundation to the order of celestial marriage, as well as the law of adoption. Many families entered into covenants with each other - the man to stand by his wife and the woman to cleave unto her husband, and the children to be adopted to the parents. I was one of those who entered into covenants to stand by my family, to cleave to them through time and eternity. I am proud to say I have kept my obligations sacred and inviolate to this day. Others refused to enter into these obligations, but agreed to separate from each other, dividing their substance, and mutually dissolving their former relations on friendly terms. Some have mutually agreed to exchange wives and have been sealed to each other as husband and wife by virtue and authority of the holy priesthood. One of Brigham's brothers, Lorenzo Young, now a bishop, made an exchange of wives with Mr. Decker, the father of the Mr. Decker who now has an interest in the cars running to York. They both seemed happy in the exchange of wives. All are considered aliens to the commonwealth of Israel until adopted into the kingdom by baptism, and their children born unto them before the baptism of the parents are to be adopted to the parents, and become heirs to the kingdom through the law of adoption. But the children that are born to parents after the baptism of the parents are legal heirs to the kingdom.

    This doctrine extends much further. All persons are required to be adopted to some of the leading men of the Church. In this, however, they have the right of choice, thus forming the links of the chain of priesthood back to the father, Adam, and so on to the second coming of the Messiah. Time will not allow me to enter into the full details of this subject. The ordinance of celestial marriage was extensively practiced by men and women who had covenanted to live together, and a few men had dispensations granted them to enter into plural marriages, which were taught to be the stepping-stone to celestial exaltation. Without plural marriage a man could not attain to the fullness of the holy priesthood and be made equal to our Saviour. Without it he could only attain to the position of the angels, who are servants and messengers to those who attain to the Godhead.

    These inducements caused every true believer to exert himself to attain that exalted position, both men and women. In many cases the women would do the "sparking," through the assistance of the first wife.

    My second wife, Nancy Bean, was the daughter of a wealthy farmer, who lived near Quincy, Illinois. She saw me on a mission and heard me preach at her father's house. She came to Nauvoo and stayed at my house three months, and grew in favor and was sealed to me in the Winter of 1845. My third and fourth wives were sealed to me soon afterward, in my own house. My third wife, Louisa, is now the first wife of D. H. Wells. She was then a young lady, gentle and beautiful, and we never had an angry word while she lived with me. She and her sister Emmeline were both under promise to be sealed to me. One day Brigham Young saw Emmeline and fell in love with her. He asked me to resign my claims in his favor, which I did, though it caused a great struggle in my mind to do so, for I loved her dearly. I made known to Emmeline Brigham's wish, and even went to her father's house several times and used my influence with her to induce her to become a member of Brigham's family.' The two girls did not want to separate from each other; however, they both met at my house at an appointed time and Emmeline was sealed to Brigham, and Louisa was sealed to me. Amasa Lyman officiated at the ceremony. At the same time Sarah C. Williams, the girl that I had baptized in Tennessee, when but a child, at the house of Wm. Pace, and who came to Nauvoo, stood up and claimed a place in my family. She is yet with me and is the mother of twelve children. She has been a kind wife, mother and companion. By Louisa I had one son born, who died at the age of twelve. She lived with me about one year after her babe was born. She then told me that her parents were never satisfied to have one daughter sealed to the man highest in authority and the other below her. Their constant teasing caused us to separate, not as enemies, however. Our friendship was never broken. Her change made her more miserable than ever. After we got into Salt Lake Valley she offered to come back to me, but Brigham would not consent to her so doing. Her sister became a favorite with Brigham, and remained so until he met Miss Folsom, who captivated him to a degree that he neglected Emmeline, and she died brokenhearted.

    Plural marriages were not made public. They had to be kept still. A young man did not know when he was talking to a single woman. As far as Brigham Young was concerned, he had no wives at his house, except his first wife, or the one that he said was his first wife. Many a night have I gone with him, arm in arm, and guarded him while he spent an hour or two with his young brides, then guarded him home and guarded his house until one o'clock, when I was relieved. He used to meet his beloved Emmeline at my house.

    In the Spring of 1845 Rachel Andora was sealed to me - the woman who has stood by me in all my troubles. A truer woman was never born. She has been by me true, as I was to Brigham, and has always tried to make my will her pleasure. I raised her in my family from five years of age. She was a sister to my first wife. Her mother, Abigail Sheffer, was sealed to me for an eternal state. The old lady has long since passed away, and entered into eternal rest and joy.

    But to resume the narrative of events at Nauvoo. In the year 1845 the building of the Temple was progressing. Through the Summer trouble was brewing among all the Saints, both in Illinois and Iowa. Many of my friends from Tennessee, and some from Kentucky, emigrated and joined us during that Summer and Fall, as well as some from other places. An effort was made to complete the Nauvoo House if possible, but finding the storm approaching too fast the work on the House was abandoned, and all bands put at work on the Temple. We were anxious to complete the Temple, in order that we might receive our promised blessings in it before we commenced our exodus across the plain in search of a home, we knew not where. Our time was limited, and our Christian friends who surrounded us, whose ire had been aroused to the highest pitch, were not likely to allow us to remain longer than our appointed time. The killing of the Smiths had aroused their friends to acts of violence, and many whose houses were burned and property destroyed, who had come to Nauvoo for protection and shelter, retaliated by driving in stock from the range to subsist upon. No doubt the stock of many an innocent man was driven away, and this served to bring others into trouble.

    Thus things grew worse the longer the Saints remained at Nauvoo. It was an unfortunate matter, and much of the trouble that came upon the Church was brought on through the folly and fanaticism of the Saints. I have seen relentless cruelty practiced by those who directed this cattle stealing. I cannot call it anything else, though they called it getting back what had been taken from them. It caused many strangers to come to the city to look for traces of their cattle. A company was organized, called the "Whittiers." They had long knives, and when any of these strangers would come to town, they would gather around him, and whittle; none of them saying a word, no matter what question was asked. They would thus watch any stranger, gathering close to him, until they finally ran him out of town. I never took part in such low, dirty doings. I was taught from a child to respect all persons, as every spirit begets its like. I never did think any good came of such conduct. A man must respect himself, or he can never command others.

    During the fall of 1845 companies were formed for making wagons for the contemplated move, as a great many of the Saints were poor, and had neither wagons nor teams. Teams were more easily obtained than wagons. People traded off their lots and loose property for teams. Many of the wagons had wooden hoops in place of tires, for the want of iron, though iron and everything else was at the lowest price. Common labor was only twenty-five cents per day, but money was hard to get.

    About the 1st of December, 1845, we commenced filling up the rooms for giving endowments. I assisted in putting up the stoves, curtains and other things. It was about fifteen days before we got everything ready. I must mention that when the doctrine of baptizing for the dead was first introduced, the families met together, down by the river side, and one of their number, of the order of the Melchisedek Priesthood, officiated. They were baptized in behalf of all they could remember, the men for the men, and the women for the women. But when the fount was ready in the Temple, which rested on the twelve carved oxen, they went and were baptized in it, after the same order, except that a clerk must make a record of it, and two witnesses must be present, and the name of the person baptized and for whom he or she was baptized, and the date of baptism, together with the name of the officiating elder, and the name of the clerk and witnesses entered in the register or record. All persons who are baptized must also be confirmed. Male and female alike pass through the same ceremony, and the fact entered in the record kept for that purpose.

    This is done for all who have died without the knowledge of the gospel. As Jesus, while his body lay in the tomb, went and preached to the spirits, in the spirit world, the doctrine of his gospel to all who had died before hearing it, since the days of Noah, so through baptism for the dead, can our friends, and those who have gone before us, be made partakers of this new and last gospel sent to us, and receive its blessings and eternal reward. No person, however, is allowed the privilege of this baptismal fount, or their washings or anointings, unless they have paid their tithings promptly, and have a certificate to that effect. In many cases, also, where men require it, their just debts must be settled before they are allowed to be baptized, washed or anointed. In the order of Endowment, a list is made out the day previous, of those who wish to take their endowments. Every person is required to wash himself clean, from head to foot. Also to prepare and bring a good supply of food, of the best quality, for themselves and those who labor in the house of the Lord. In the latter about twenty-five persons are required in the different departments to attend to the washing, anointing, blessing, ordaining, and sealing. From twenty-five to fifty persons are passed through in twenty-four hours.

    I was among the first to receive my washings and anointings, and even received my second anointing, which made me an equal in the order of the Priesthood, with the right and authority to build up the kingdom in all the earth, and power to fill any vacancy that might occur. I have officiated in all the different branches, from the highest to the lowest. There were about forty men who attained to that order in the Priesthood, including the twelve Apostles and the first presidency, and to them was intrusted the keeping of the records. I was the head clerk; Franklin D. Richards was my assistant clerk. My office was in room number one, at President Young's apartments.

    I kept a record of all the sealings, anointings, marriages and adoptions.

    I was the second one adopted to Brigham Young. I should have been his first adopted son, being the first that proposed it to him, but always ready to give preference to those in authority, I placed A. P. Rockwood's name first on the list. I also had my children adopted to me in the Temple. Brigham Young had his children adopted to himself, and we were the only ones, to my knowledge, that had our children so adopted at the Temple at Nauvoo. As time would not permit attending to all the people, the business was rushed through day and night.

    Officers were on the alert to arrest Brigham Young. He often hid in the different apartments of the Temple. One day about sunset, an officer, knowing that be was in the Temple, waited for him to come out, as his carriage was waiting for him at the door. Brigham threw his cloak around Wm. Miller, who resembled Brigham in build and stature, and sent him to the carriage with Geo. D. Grant, his driver. As they got to the carriage, Grant said to Miller, "Mr. Young, are you ready to go?" As he spoke to him, the officer said: "Mr. Young, I have a writ for you. I want you to go with me to Carthage, twenty miles distant." Miller replied, "Shall I take my carriage?" The officer answered, "You may if you choose, and I will pay the bill."

    Grant then drove Miller to Carthage, and the marshal took him to the hotel and supplied him with refreshments. After supper an apostate Mormon called in with the marshal to see him. When he saw Miller, he said to the marshal: "By heavens I you are sold this time. That is not Brigham, that is Mr. Miller."

    The marshal was a good deal nettled, and said to Miller:

    "I am very much obliged to you."

     Miller replied:

    "You are quite welcome. I hope you will pay my bill as you agreed to do."

    "Why did you deceive me?" demanded the marshal.

    "I did not," replied Miller, "you deceived yourself." I said nothing to deceive you."

    "All right," replied the marshal, "I will settle your bill, and you can return in the morning, if you choose."

    This friendly warning gave Brigham to understand that it was time for him to get away, that many such tricks would not be wholesome.

    In the Temple I took three more wives - Martha Berry, Polly Ann Workman and Delethea Morris, and had all my family sealed to me over the altar, in the Temple, and six of them received their second anointings, that is, the first six wives did, but the last three we had not time to attend to.

    On the 10th of February, 1846, Brigham Young and a small company crossed the Mississippi River, on the ice, into Iowa, and formed an encampment on a stream called Sugar Creek. I crossed, with two wagons, with the first company. Brigham did this in order to elude the officers, and wait there until all who could fit themselves out could join him. Such as were in danger of being arrested were helped away first. Our police crossed over to guard the first Presidency. Those who were not liable to be arrested remained back and sent their teams forward. I took one of Brigham's wives, Emmeline, in one of my wagons, with Louisa, her sister, as far as Florence or Rainsville. All of Brigham's wives, except the first, were taken by the brethren, as he did not at that time have the teams or means to convey his family across the plains, but was dependent on the brethren for help, though he had used every means in his power to raise an outfit.

    Brigham called a council of some of the leading men. Among them was one Joseph L. Heywood and myself. Heywood was a merchant at Quincy, Illinois, and was doing a fair business before he joined the Mormon Church, and was considered an honorable man. When the Mormons were driven from Missouri many had occasion to bless him for his many kindnesses to them in their hour of trouble. At the council, after some conversation upon our present move, Brigham proposed to appoint a committee of men, against whom no charges could be brought, to return to Nauvoo and attend to the selling of the property of the Saints, and to see to fitting out the people and starting them forward. He proposed that I, A. W. Babbitt, Joseph L. Heywood and David S. Fulmer be that committee. Brother Heywood was asked to turn over his whole stock of goods to fit the first Presidency and the Apostles for the journey. This to Brother Heywood was a stunner. He replied that he was indebted to honorable men in the East for the most of his stock, and that be did not dare to defraud them; that he had been taught from childhood to deal honorably with all men. He was that he could raise the money to pay his East creditors from the sales of the property at Nauvoo. This brother Heywood thought very doubtful, as the property of a deserted city would not be very valuable. Brigham then said that this was a case of emergency, and they must have the goods; that Brother Heywood must write to his creditors and tell them that owing to the trouble among the people business had fallen off, and that he could not pay them, but would in the future. Brigham told him if he failed to raise money from the sale of city property, as soon as the Church was established that he would raise the money for him to satisfy his creditors, and this would give him more influence than ever among the outside world. They finally persuaded Heywood to turn over his goods. If time permits I will hereafter tell how he came out of the matter. For all of my services for the leading men I never received a dollar. I have managed, however, to maintain my family in good style, to pay my tithing and live independently of help from the Church. I was called a shrewd trader and a good financier, and always had plenty.

    I usually had some money on hand. These were considered by Brigham noble traits in my character. He would rather a person would give to him than beg from him.