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 have
kept my obligations sacred and inviolate to this day.
Others refused to enter into these obligations, but separated
from each other, dividing their substance, and mutually
dissolving their former relations on friendly terms. Some agreed
to exchange wives by virtue and authority of the holy Priesthood.
One of Brigham's brothers, Lorenzo Young, now a bishop, made an
exchange of wives with Brother Decker.
All people are 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 must be adopted to the parents,
and become heirs to the Kingdom only through the law of adoption.
The children that are born to parents after the baptism of the
parents are legal heirs to the Kingdom.
This doctrine extends further. All persons must be adopted by
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 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 practiced by men and
women who had covenanted to live together, and plural marriages
are stepping-stones to celestial exaltation. Without plural
marriage a man cannot attain to the fullness of the holy
Priesthood and be made equal to our Saviour. Without it he can
only attain to the position of the angels, who are servants and
messengers to those who attain to the Godhead. These inducements
cause every true believer to exert himself to attain that exalted
position - both men and women. In many cases the women 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, was then a young lady, gentle and beautiful, and we never
had an angry word while she lived with me. She and her sister
Emeline were both under promise to be sealed to me.
One day Brigham saw Emeline and fell in love with her. He asked
me to resign my claims in his favor, which I did, though it
caused a struggle in my mind to do so, for I loved her dearly. I
made known to Emeline Brigham's wish, and went to her father's
house 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 Emeline was sealed to Brigham, and Louisa
was sealed to me. Brother Amasa Lyman officiated at the ceremony.
At the same time Sarah C. Williams, the girl that I baptized in
Tennessee when but a child, at the house of Brother William Pace,
and who later 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
only lived with me one year after her babe was born. She then
told me that her parents were not satisfied to have a daughter
sealed to the one highest in authority and the other below her.
Their teasing caused us to separate, not as enemies, however. Our
friendship was never broken.
After we got to Salt Lake she offered to come back to me, but
Brigham would not consent. Her sister became a favorite with
Brigham, and remained so until he met Sister Folsom, who
captivated him to such a degree that he neglected Emeline, and
she died broken-hearted.
Plural marriages at first 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 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 Emeline 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 to me as true as I have been to Brigham, and
always tried to make my will her pleasure. I raised her in my
family from five years of age. She was a sister of 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
endless 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 the Saints, both in Illinois and Iowa.
Many of my friends from Tennessee, and some from Kentucky, joined
us during the summer and fall, as well as numbers 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 hands put to 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
pilgrimage across the plains in search of a home, we knew not
where.
Our time was limited, and our Gentile friends who surrounded us,
and whose ire had been aroused to the highest pitch, were not
likely to allow us to remain longer than the appointed space. The
killing of the Prophet Joseph and Hyrum had led to other acts of
violence, and many Mormons whose houses were burned and property
destroyed, and who had come to Nauvoo for protection and shelter,
retaliated by driving in Gentile stock from the range to subsist
upon. No doubt the stock of many an innocent Gentile was driven
away, and this served to brew trouble. Thus things went from bad
to worse while the saints remained at Nauvoo.
Much of the trouble that came upon the Church was brought down
through the folly of the Saints. A company was organized called
the "Whittlers." They had long knives, and when a stranger came
to town they would gather around him and whittle, none of them
saying a word, no matter what question was asked. They would
watch any stranger, gathering close to him, until they ran him
out of town.
During the fall of 1845 companies were formed to make wagons for
the contemplated move, as many of the Saints were poor and had
neither wagons nor teams. Teams - with Gentile horses loose on
the range - were more easily obtained than wagons. People traded
off their lots and personal property for outfits. Many of the
wagons had wooden hoops in place of tires, 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
Temple 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 riverside, and one of their
number, of the order of the Melchisedek Priesthood, officiated.
They were baptized in behalf of all the dead friends they could
remember, the men for men, and the women for 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 those of the clerk and
witnesses must be entered in the record. All who are baptized
must also be confirmed. Men and women alike pass through the same
ceremony, and the fact is 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, 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 his washings or anointings, unless he has paid his
tithings and has a certificate to that effect. In many cases,
also, where men require it, just debts must be settled before one
is permitted to be baptized, washed, or anointed.
In the Endowment a list is made out the day previous, of those
who are 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. 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 of the Priesthood, with 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 rank in the
Priesthood, including the twelve apostles and Brigham, and to
them was intrusted the keeping of the records. I was the head
clerk; Brother Richards was my assistant clerk. My office was in
room number one, of Brigham's apartments. I kept a record of the
sealings, anointings, marriages, and adoptions.
Also, I was the second son adopted of Brigham. I should have been
his first adopted son, being the first who proposed it to him,
but, ever ready to give preference to those in authority, I
placed Brother Rockwood's name first on the list. I had also had
my children adopted to me in the Temple. Brigham had his children
adopted to himself, and we were the only ones, to my knowledge,
that had our children so adopted in the Temple of Nauvoo.
Officers were on the alert to arrest Brigham. He often hid in the
different apartments of the Temple. One day about sunset an
officer, knowing that he was in the Temple, waited for him to
come out. Brigham's carriage was standing at the door.
Brigham threw his cloak around Brother Miller, who resembled
Brigham in build and stature, and sent him to the carriage with
Grant, his driver. As they got to the carnage Grant said to
Miller:
"Brother 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."
"Shall I take my carriage?" Miller rejoined.
"You may, if you choose, and I will pay the bill," the officer
answered.
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 to see him. When he beheld Miller he said
to the marshal:
"By heavens! you are sold this time. That is not Brigham; that is
Miller."
The marshal was a deal nettled, and, turning, he said to Miller:
"I am much obliged to you."
"You are quite welcome. I hope you will pay my bill as you agreed
to do."
"Why did you deceive me?"
"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 may return in the morning, if you choose."
This gave Brigham to understand that it was time for him to get
away; many such tricks would not be wholesome.
In the Temple I took three wives - Martha Berry, Polly Ann
Workman, and Delithea Morris, and had 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
there was not time to attend to.
On the 10th of February, 1846, Brigham 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 aimed to wait there until all who could
fit themselves out should join him. Such as were in danger of
being arrested were helped away first.
Our Danites crossed over to guard Brigham. Those who were not
liable to be arrested remained behind and sent their teams
forward. I took one of Brigham's wives, Emeline, in the first of
the wagons, with Louisa, her sister, as far as 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 the 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 the leading men. Among them was
Brother Joseph L. Heywood and myself. Heywood was a merchant at
Quincy, Illinois, 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 kindness 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
selling the property of the Saints, and see to fitting out the
people and starting them forward. He proposed that I, with
Brothers Babbitt, Heywood, and Fulmer be that committee. Brother
Heywood was asked to turn over his whole stock of goods to fit
out Brigham and the apostles for their 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 goods,
and that he did not dare defraud them; that he had been taught
from childhood to deal honorably with all men. He was told by
Brigham that he might take the money to pay his Eastern creditors
from the sales of the Mormon property at Nauvoo. This Brother
Heywood thought a doubtful method, as the property of the
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 could write to his
creditors and tell them that, owing to the trouble among the
people, business had fallen off, and he was not able to pay them
then, 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 he (Brigham) 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 Brother
Heywood to turn over his goods.
For my services to 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, a keen financier, and had plenty. I
always had money on hand. These were considered by Brigham noble
traits in my character.