RISE OF NAUVOO--INTRODUCTION OF POLYGAMY--MARTYRDOM OF JOSEPH AND
HYRUM--CONTINUATION OF ELIZA R. SNOW'S NARRATIVE--HER ACCEPTANCE OF
POLYGAMY, AND MARRIAGE TO THE PROPHET--GOVERNOR CARLIN'S TREACHERY--HER
SCATHING REVIEW OF THE MARTYRDOM--MOTHER LUCY'S STORY OF HER MURDERED
SONS.
Meanwhile, since the reader has been called to drop the historical
thread of the saints in America for a view of the rise of Mormonism in
foreign lands, Nauvoo, whose name signifies "the beautiful city," has
grown into an importance worthy her romantic name and character as the
second Zion. Nauvoo was bidding fair to become the queen of the West;
and had she been allowed to continue her career for a quarter of a
century, inspired by the gorgeous genius of her prophet, although she
would not have rivaled Chicago or St. Louis as a commercial city, yet
would she have become the veritable New Jerusalem of America--in the
eyes of the "Gentiles" scarcely less than in the faith of our modern
Israel.
Polygamy, also, by this time has been introduced into the Church, and
the examples of the patriarchs Abraham and Jacob, and of kings David
and Solomon, have begun to prevail. That the "peculiar institution"
was the cross of the sisterhood in those days, it would be heartless
to attempt to conceal, for, as already seen, the first wives of the
founders of Mormondom were nearly all daughters of New England, whose
monogamic training was of the severest kind, and whose monogamic
conceptions were of the most exacting nature.
Polygamy was undoubtedly introduced by Joseph himself, at Nauvoo,
between 1840 and 1844. Years afterwards, however, a monogamic rival
church, under the leadership of young Joseph Smith, the first born
of the prophet, arose, denying that the founder of Mormondom was the
author of polygamy, and affirming that its origin was in Brigham Young,
subsequent to the martyrdom of the prophet and his brother Hyrum. This,
with the fact that nearly the whole historic weight of polygamy rests
with Utah, renders it expedient that we should barely touch the subject
at Nauvoo, and wait for its stupendous sensation after its publication
to the world by Brigham Young--a sensation that Congress has swelled
into a national noise, and that General Grant has made the hobgoblin of
his dreams.
Nor can we deal largely with the history of Nauvoo. It is not the
representative period of the sisters. They only come in with dramatic
force in their awful lamentation over the martyrdom, which was not
equaled in Jerusalem at the crucifixion. The great historic period
of the women of Mormondom is during the exodus of the Church and its
removal to the Rocky Mountains, when they figured quite as strongly
as did the women of ancient Israel in the exodus from Egypt. We can
scarcely hope to do full justice to that period, but hasten to some of
its salient views. And here the historic thread shall be principally
continued by Eliza R. Snow. She, touching the city of the saints, and
then slightly on the introduction of polygamy, says:
"The location of the city of Nauvoo was beautiful, but the climate
was so unhealthy that none but Latter-day Saints, full of faith, and
trusting in the power of God, could have established that city. Chills
and fever was the prevailing disease. Notwithstanding we had this
to contend with, through the blessing of God on the indefatigable
exertions of the saints, it was not long before Nauvoo prompted the
envy and jealousy of many of the adjacent inhabitants, and, as the
'accuser of the brethren' never sleeps, we had many difficulties to
meet, which ultimately culminated in the most bitter persecutions.
"To narrate what transpired within the seven years in which we built
and occupied Nauvoo, the beautiful, would fill many volumes. That is a
history that never will, and never can, repeat itself. Some of the most
important events of my life transpired within that brief term, in which
I was married, and in which my husband, Joseph Smith, the prophet of
God, sealed his testimony with his blood.
"Although in my youth I had considered marriage to have been ordained
of God, I had remained single; and to-day I acknowledge the kind
overruling providences of God in that circumstance as fully as in
any other of my life; for I have not known of one of my former
suitors having received the truth; by which it is manifest that I was
singularly preserved from the bondage of a marriage tie which would,
in all probability, have prevented my receiving, or enjoying the free
exercise of, that religion which has been, and is now, dearer to me
than life.
"In Nauvoo I had the first intimation, or at least the first
understanding, that the practice of a plurality of wives would be
introduced into the Church. The thought was very repugnant to my
feelings, and in direct opposition to my educational prepossessions;
but when I reflected that this was the dispensation of the fullness
of times, embracing all other dispensations, it was plain that plural
marriage must be included; and I consoled myself with the idea that
it was a long way in the distance, beyond the period of my mortal
existence, and that, of course, I should not have it to meet. However,
it was announced to me that the 'set time' had come--that God had
commanded his servants to establish the order, by taking additional
wives.
"It seemed for awhile as though all the traditions, prejudices, and
superstitions of my ancestry, for many generations, accumulated before
me in one immense mass; but God, who had kept silence for centuries,
was speaking; I knew it, and had covenanted in the waters of baptism to
live by every word of his, and my heart was still firmly set to do his
bidding.
"I was sealed to the prophet, Joseph Smith, for time and eternity, in
accordance with the celestial law of marriage which God had revealed,
the ceremony being performed by a servant of the Most High--authorized
to officiate in sacred ordinances. This, one of the most important
events of my life, I have never had cause to regret. The more I
comprehend the pure and ennobling principle of plural marriage, the
more I appreciate it. It is a necessity in the salvation of the human
family--a necessity in redeeming woman from the curse, and the world
from its corruptions.
"When I entered into it, my knowledge of what it was designed to
accomplish was very limited; had I then understood what I now
understand, I think I should have hailed its introduction with joy,
in consideration of the great good to be accomplished. As it was, I
received it because I knew that God required it.
"When in March, 1842, the prophet, Joseph Smith, assisted by some
of the leading elders in the church, organized the Female Relief
Society (now the great female organization of Utah), I was present,
and was appointed secretary of that society, of which I shall say
more hereafter. In the summer of 1842 I accompanied Mrs. Emma Smith,
the president of the society, to Quincy, Ill., with a petition signed
by several hundred members of the society, praying his Excellency,
Governor Carlin, for protection from illegal suits then pending against
Joseph Smith. We met with a very cordial reception, and presented
the petition, whereupon the governor pledged his word and honor that
he would use his influence to protect Mr. Smith, whose innocence he
acknowledged. But, soon after our return, we learned that at the time
of our visit and while making protestations of friendship, Governor
Carlin was secretly conniving with the basest of men to destroy our
leader. He was even combining with minions of the great adversary of
truth in the State of Missouri, who were vigilant in stirring up their
colleagues in Illinois, to bring about the terrible crisis.
"The awful tragedy of the 27th of June, 1844, is a livid, burning,
scathing stain on our national escutcheon. To look upon the noble,
lifeless forms of those brothers, Joseph and Hyrum Smith, as they lay
side by side in their burial clothes, having been brought home from
Carthage, where they had been slaughtered in their manhood and in
their innocence, was a sight that might well appal the heart of a true
American citizen; but what it was for loving wives and children, the
heart may feel, but the tongue can never tell.
"This scene occurred in America, 'the land of the free and the home of
the brave,' to which our ancestors fled for religious freedom--where
the 'dear old flag yet waves,' and under which not one effort has been
made to bring to justice the perpetrators of that foul deed."
To the aged mother of the prophet and patriarch of the Mormon Church
shall be given the personal presentation of the subject of the
martyrdom; for although the mother's heartrending description cannot
be considered as a sufficiently great historical word-picture of the
scene, yet there is much of tragic force in it. She says:
"On the morning of the 24th of June, 1844, Joseph and Hyrum were
arrested for treason, by a warrant founded upon the oaths of A. O.
Norton and Augustine Spencer.
"I will not dwell upon the awful scene which succeeded. My heart is
thrilled with grief and indignation, and my blood curdles in my veins
whenever I speak of it.
"My sons were thrown into jail, where they remained three days, in
company with Brothers Richards, Taylor, and Markham. At the end of
this time, the governor disbanded most of the men, but left a guard of
eight of our bitterest enemies over the jail, and sixty more of the
same character about a hundred yards distant. He then came into Nauvoo
with a guard of fifty or sixty men, made a short speech, and returned
immediately. During his absence from Carthage, the guard rushed Brother
Markham out of the place at the point of the bayonet. Soon after this,
two hundred of those discharged in the morning rushed into Carthage,
armed, and painted black, red and yellow, and in ten minutes fled
again, leaving my sons murdered and mangled corpses!
"In leaving the place, a few of them found Samuel coming into Carthage
alone, on horseback, and finding that he was one of our family, they
attempted to shoot him, but he escaped out of their hands, although
they pursued him at the top of their speed for more than two hours. He
succeeded the next day in getting to Nauvoo in season to go out and
meet the procession with the bodies of Hyrum and Joseph, as the mob
had the kindness to allow us the privilege of bringing them home, and
burying them in Nauvoo, notwithstanding the immense reward which was
offered by the Missourians for Joseph's head.
"Their bodies were attended home by only two persons, save those who
went from this place. These were Brother Willard Richards, and a Mr.
Hamilton; Brother John Taylor having been shot in prison, and nearly
killed, he could not be moved until sometime afterwards.
"After the corpses were washed, and dressed in their burial clothes,
we were allowed to see them. I had for a long time braced every nerve,
roused every energy of my soul, and called upon God to strengthen me;
but when I entered the room, and saw my murdered sons extended both at
once before my eyes, and heard the sobs and groans of my family, and
the cries of 'Father! husband! brothers!' from the lips of their wives,
children, brother, and sisters, it was too much; I sank back, crying
to the Lord, in the agony of my soul, 'My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken this family!' A voice replied, 'I have taken them to myself,
that they might have rest.' Emma was carried back to her room almost
in a state of insensibility. Her oldest son approached the corpse, and
dropped upon his knees, and laying his cheek against his father's and
kissing him, exclaimed, 'Oh! my father! my father!' As for myself, I
was swallowed up in the depth of my afflictions; and though my soul
was filled with horror past imagination, yet I was dumb, until I arose
again to contemplate the spectacle before me. Oh! at that moment how
my mind flew through every scene of sorrow and distress which we had
passed together, in which they had shown the innocence and sympathy
which filled their guileless hearts. As I looked upon their peaceful,
smiling countenances, I seemed almost to hear them say, 'Mother, weep
not for us, we have overcome the world by love; we carried to them
the gospel, that their souls might be saved; they slew us for our
testimony, and thus placed us beyond their power; their ascendency is
for a moment, ours is an eternal triumph.'
"I then thought upon the promise which I had received in Missouri, that
in five years Joseph should have power over all his enemies. The time
had elapsed, and the promise was fulfilled.
"I left the scene and returned to my room, to ponder upon the
calamities of my family. Soon after this Samuel said: 'Mother, I have
had a dreadful distress in my side ever since I was chased by the mob,
and I think I have received some injury which is going to make me
sick.' And indeed he was then not able to sit up, as he had been broken
of his rest, besides being dreadfully fatigued in the chase, which,
joined to the shock occasioned by the death of his brothers, brought on
a disease that never was removed.
"On the following day the funeral rites of the murdered ones were
attended to, in the midst of terror and alarm, for the mob had made
their arrangements to burn the city that night, but by the diligence of
the brethren, they were kept at bay until they became discouraged, and
returned to their homes.
"In a short time Samuel, who continued unwell, was confined to his bed,
and lingering till the 30th of July, his spirit forsook its earthly
tabernacle, and went to join his brothers, and the ancient martyrs, in
the paradise of God."