THE REVELATION ON “CELESTIAL MARRIAGE.”
And time flew by; and at length the dreaded Revelation came.
One very pleasant morning, early in January, 1853, two Elders of the
Italian Mission, Jabez Woodward and Thomas Margetts, took breakfast with
us; and with them also was Mons. Petitpierre from Geneva, the Protestant
minister of whom I have already spoken. While I was busy preparing the
meal, Mr Stenhouse and the two English elders went to the post office to
get their letters, for at that time they were expecting important news.
When they returned, breakfast was quite ready, and they took their seats
at the table. I asked if there were any letters from England; and my
husband said, “No, no letters; but there is a _Star_, and it contains the
Revelation on Polygamy.”
He handed me a copy of the _Millennial Star_, a Mormon paper published
in Liverpool; and as I took it, I felt as if I were receiving my
death-warrant. It was indeed the death-warrant to all my hopes of
happiness. I rose from the table, asking them to excuse me; and overcome
with agitation and conflicting emotions, I retired to my own chamber.
There, for the first time, I read that document which has since brought
such sorrow and misery to so many wronged and heart-broken women. The
reader may perhaps like to see the only foundation and authority for
the practice of polygamy ever produced by the Mormon leaders. So I copy
_exactly_ from the _Millennial Star_ what I then read, leaving out only a
few lines here and there, which had no special reference to the subject,
but helped to swell the size of the “Revelation:”—
CELESTIAL MARRIAGE:
A REVELATION ON THE PATRIARCHAL ORDER OF MATRIMONY, OR
PLURALITY OF WIVES.
_Given to Joseph Smith, the Seer, in Nauvoo, July 12th, 1843._
1. Verily, thus saith the Lord, unto you, my servant Joseph,
that inasmuch as you have inquired of my hand, to know and
understand wherein I, the Lord, justified my servants,
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; as also Moses, David, and Solomon,
my servants, as touching the principle and doctrine of
their having many wives and concubines: Behold! and lo, I
am the Lord thy God, and will answer thee as touching this
matter: Therefore prepare thy heart to receive and obey the
instructions which I am about to give unto you; for all those
who have this law revealed unto them must obey the same; for
behold! I reveal unto you a new and everlasting covenant, and
if ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned; for no one
can reject this covenant, and be permitted to enter into my
glory; for all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide
the law which is appointed for that blessing and the conditions
thereof, as was instituted from before the foundations of the
world: and as pertaining to the new and everlasting covenant,
it was instituted for the fulness of my glory; and he that
receiveth a fulness thereof, must and shall abide the law, or
he shall be damned, saith the Lord God.
2. And verily I say unto you, that the conditions of this law
are these: All covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths,
vows, performances, connexions, associations, or expectations,
that are not made or entered into, and sealed, by the Holy
Spirit of promise, of him who is anointed both as well for time
and for all eternity, and that too most holy, by revelation and
commandment, through the medium of mine anointed, whom I have
appointed on the earth to hold this power (and I have appointed
unto my servant Joseph to hold this power in the last days;
and there is never but one on the earth at a time on whom this
power and the keys of the priesthood are conferred), are of no
efficacy, virtue, or force, in and after the resurrection from
the dead: for all contracts that are not made unto this end,
have an end when men are dead.
...
4. Therefore, if a man marry him a wife in the world, and he
marry her not by me, nor by my word; and he covenant with her
so long as he is in the world, and she with him, their covenant
and marriage is not of force when they are dead, and when they
are out of the world; therefore they are not bound by any law
when they are out of the world; therefore, when they are out of
the world, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but
are appointed angels in heaven, which _angels are ministering
servants_, to minister for those who are worthy of a far
more, and an exceeding, and an eternal weight of glory; for
these angels did not abide my law, therefore they cannot be
enlarged, but remain separately and singly, without exaltation,
in their saved condition, to all eternity, and from henceforth
are not gods, but are angels of God for ever and ever.
5. And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife,
and make a covenant with her for time, and for all eternity,
if that covenant is not by me, or by my word, which is my law,
and is not sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, through him
whom I have anointed and appointed unto this power, then it is
not valid, neither of force, when they are out of the world,
because they are not joined by me, saith the Lord, neither by
my word; when they are out of the world, it cannot be received
there, because the angels and the gods are appointed there,
by whom they cannot pass; they cannot, therefore, inherit my
glory, for my house is a house of order, saith the Lord God.
6. And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife
by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting
covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit
of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have
appointed this power, and the keys of this priesthood, and
it shall be said unto them, Ye shall come forth in the first
resurrection; and if it be after the first resurrection, in
the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms,
principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and
depths—then shall it be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life,
that he shall commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood;
and if ye abide in my covenant and commit no murder whereby
to shed _innocent blood_, it shall be done unto them in all
things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them, in time, and
through all eternity, and shall be of full force when they are
out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the
gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all
things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall
be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds for ever and ever.
7. Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore
shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they
continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are
subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have
all power, and the angels are subject unto them.
...
9. Verily, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife
according to my word, and they are sealed by the Holy Spirit of
promise, according to mine appointment, and he or she shall
commit any sin or transgression of the new and everlasting
covenant whatever, and all manner of blasphemies, and if they
commit no murder, _wherein they shed innocent blood_—yet they
shall come forth in the first resurrection, and enter into
their exaltation, but _they shall be destroyed in the flesh_,
and shall be delivered unto the buffetings of Satan, unto the
day of redemption, saith the Lord God.
10. The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, which shall not be
forgiven in this world, nor out of the world, is in that ye
commit murder, wherein ye shed innocent blood, and assent
unto my death, after ye have received my new and everlasting
covenant, saith the Lord God; and he that abideth not this law
can in no wise enter into my glory, but shall be damned, saith
the Lord.
...
13. God commanded Abraham, and Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham,
to wife. And why did she do it? Because this was the law. And
from Hagar sprang many people. This, therefore, was fulfilling,
among other things, the promises. Was Abraham, therefore, under
condemnation? Verily, I say unto you, _Nay_; for I, the Lord,
commanded it. Abraham was commanded to offer his son Isaac;
nevertheless, it was written, Thou shalt not kill. Abraham,
however, did not refuse, and it was accounted to him for
righteousness.
14. Abraham received concubines, and they bare him children,
and it was accounted unto him for righteousness, because they
were given unto him, and he abode in my law. As Isaac also
and Jacob did none other things than that which they were
commanded, they have entered into their exaltation, according
to the promises, and sit upon thrones; and are not angels, but
are gods. David also received many wives and concubines, as
also Solomon, and Moses my servant; as also many others of my
servants, from the beginning of the creation until this time;
and in nothing did they sin, save in those things which they
received not of me.
15. David’s wives and concubines were given unto him of me, by
the hand of Nathan, my servant, and others of the prophets who
had the keys of this power; and in none of these things did he
sin against me, save in the case of Uriah and his wife; and
therefore, he hath fallen from his exaltation, and received his
portion; and he shall not inherit them out of the world; for I
gave them unto another, saith the Lord.
16. I am the Lord thy God, and I gave unto thee, my servant
Joseph, an appointment, and restore all things.... I have
conferred upon you the keys and power of the priesthood,
wherein I restore all things, and make known unto you all
things, in due time.
17. And verily, verily I say unto you, that whosoever you
seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever you
bind on earth, in my name, and by my word, saith the Lord, if
shall be eternally bound in the heavens; and whosoever sins
you remit on earth shall be remitted eternally in the heavens;
and whosesoever sins you retain on earth shall be retained in
heaven.
18. And again, verily I say, whomsoever you bless I will bless,
and whomsoever you curse I will curse, saith the Lord; for I,
the Lord, am thy God.
19. And again, verily I say unto you, my servant Joseph, that
whatsoever you give on earth, and to whomsoever you give any
one on earth, by my word, and according to my law, it shall be
visited with blessings.
...
20. Verily I say unto you, a commandment I give unto mine
handmaid Emma Smith, your wife ... let mine handmaid Emma Smith
receive all those that have been given unto my servant Joseph,
and who are virtuous and pure before me; and those who are not
pure, and have said they were pure, shall be destroyed, saith
the Lord God!... I give unto my servant Joseph, that he shall
be made ruler over many things, for he hath been faithful over
a few things, and from henceforth I will strengthen him.
21. And I command mine handmaid Emma Smith to abide and cleave
unto my servant Joseph, and to none else. But if she will not
abide this commandment, she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord;
for I am the Lord thy God, and will destroy her if she abide
not in my law; but if she will not abide this commandment,
then shall my servant Joseph do all things for her, even as he
hath said; and I will bless him, and multiply him, and give
unto him a hundredfold in this world, of fathers and mothers,
brothers and sisters, houses and lands, wives and children,
and crowns of eternal lives in the eternal worlds. And again,
verily I say, let mine handmaid forgive my servant Joseph his
trespasses, and then shall she be forgiven her trespasses,
wherein she has trespassed against me; and I, the Lord thy God,
will bless her, and multiply her, and make her heart to rejoice.
...
24. And again, as pertaining to the law of the priesthood: If
any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse another, and
the first give her consent; and if he espouse the second, and
they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then is he
justified. He cannot commit adultery, for they are given him;
for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto
him, and to none else; and if he have ten virgins given unto
him by this law, he cannot commit adultery, for they belong to
him; and they are given unto him—therefore is he justified.
But if one or other of the ten virgins, after she is espoused,
shall be with another man, she has committed adultery, and
shall be destroyed; for they are given unto him to multiply and
replenish the earth, according to my commandment, and to fulfil
the promise which was given by my Father before the foundation
of the world; and for their exaltation in the eternal worlds,
that they may bear the souls of men; for herein is the work of
my Father continued, that he may be glorified.
25. And again, verily, verily I say unto you, if any man has
a wife who holds the keys of this power, and he teaches unto
her the law of my priesthood, as pertaining to these things,
then shall she believe and administer unto him, or she shall
be destroyed, saith the Lord your God; for I will destroy her;
for I will magnify my name upon all those who receive and
abide in my law. Therefore it shall be lawful in me, if she
receive not this law, for him to receive all things whatsoever
I, the Lord his God, will give unto him, because she did not
believe and administer unto him, according to my word; and she
then becomes the transgressor, and he is exempt from the law
of Sarah, who administered unto Abraham according to the law,
when I commanded Abraham to take Hagar to wife. And now, as
pertaining to this law: Verily, verily I say unto you, I will
reveal more unto you hereafter; therefore, let this suffice for
the present. Behold, I am Alpha and Omega. Amen....
And this was the Revelation!—this mass of confusion, cunning absurdity,
and falsehood. _This_ was the celebrated document which was henceforth
to be law to the confiding men and women who had embraced Mormonism!
Looking at it now—noting its inconsistencies and its flagrant outrage
upon common decency and morality, I can hardly credit that I should ever
have been such a silly dupe as to give it a second thought. And yet, what
_could_ I do? I was bound hand and foot, as it were, and my very vision
itself was distorted. Unquestioning obedience, we had been taught, was
the highest virtue; rebellion was as the sin of witchcraft. I had been
convinced of the truth of some of the tenets of the Mormon faith; and
confident in them, I accepted without question all the rest. Never,
till the possibility that polygamy might some day be acknowledged by
the Church, began to be whispered among the Saints—never did a solitary
doubt respecting my religion intrude itself upon my mind; and after my
apprehensions were fairly aroused by those rumours, whenever I felt the
faintest shadow of unbelief or suspicion arising in my heart, I banished
it as an unholy thing. The time had not yet come when I could judge
dispassionately: the Revelation aroused within me feelings of horror
and dismay, but I did not dare to question its authenticity. It brought
bitterness to my soul, but I believed it was from God, and that I must
learn to bear the cross patiently.
I did not at that time read the document through from beginning to end.
No; my indignation was such that before I had read half of it I threw
it from me in anger. Perhaps if I had read it all, and considered it
carefully, my own judgment and my sense of right and wrong might have
pointed out its absurdity and wickedness. But I was far from being
tranquil enough to think calmly. I felt bitterly that this new doctrine
was a degradation to woman, and I wondered why God should see fit to
humiliate my sex in this way. I was willing to devote myself, my life, my
all to His service, but wherefore should He doom me to everlasting sorrow?
What now was to be a woman’s lot among the Mormons? A life without
hope! Who can express the terrible meaning of those words—_without
hope_? Yet so it was. Hereafter our hearts were to be daily and hourly
trampled upon; the most sacred feelings of our sex were to be outraged,
our affections were to be crushed. Henceforth we were to be nothing by
ourselves; without a husband, we were told, we could not even enter
heaven! But had our trials been limited to this life we might have borne
them, as many a weary soul has done, waiting for the relief of death.
But death was to bring no hope to us; we were told that in the other
world polygamy should be the only order of marriage, and that without it
none could be exalted in glory. We were told these things by men who we
believed were true and holy men of God; and we trusted in them.
Rebellious I felt, indeed, as I paced the room after I had thrown the
Revelation on the ground: I almost felt as if I should lose my reason.
A woman in the time of trouble always looks to some one in whom she can
confide; but to whom could I turn for one kind or cheering word? _who_
would comfort me? I had neither relation nor friend to whom I could
speak of _this_ trial; there was no one who could understand me. I could
not turn to my husband in _this_ sorrow, and I dared not even kneel to
my God to implore His aid. It was He, they said, who had declared this
Revelation was His will; how then could I turn to Him? No; my heart sank
within me; henceforth there was to be no hope, no peace, for me!
There was a knock at my chamber door, and my husband came in. He knew how
acutely I must feel, and he came to comfort me. I was almost choked with
emotion and tears, but he threw his arms round me tenderly, and spoke to
me as if I had been a child that needed consolation. He tried to persuade
me that God as a loving Father could never have intended the pain or
misery of His children, and that when we came to understand the doctrine
better, we should find that all would be well. He spoke also of his own
unchanging attachment; and appealed to me whether I thought he could ever
love me less, or place his affections on another.
I tried to believe, and when I felt a little better I went with him to
the breakfast-room, where the others were waiting for us.
We were not a very entertaining party that morning. The Elders present
of course knew what had kept me in my room, and their attempt at
cheerfulness was not very successful. My husband was in sympathy with me,
and I have no doubt that I looked sad enough. There was only one person
present who did not appreciate the situation—Monsieur Petitpierre, the
Protestant minister—and they handed the Revelation to him. Mr. Stenhouse
and the other Elders had some misgivings as to how he would receive it,
and they were afraid it might disgust him with Mormonism. But the old
gentleman stood the test bravely; and I saw then, as I have seen since,
that men can be easily satisfied that the Revelation on Polygamy, or _any
other_ revelation, is divine, if they desire, it to be so.
Here was old Monsieur Petitpierre, a man of more than threescore years,
and childless. To him the example of Abraham and Solomon appeared most
instructive—an example which might be followed with advantage. His wife,
like Sarah of old, had never been called by a mother’s name; and now,
although thus far he had no idea who might act the part of a second
Hagar, there seemed a fair chance that a little Ishmael might perpetuate
the race of Petitpierres on earth, if only the Revelation was acted upon
by the faithful.
“It ought to be prayerfully thought of,” he said.
Prayerfully thought of! Poor, silly old man! Before then I had respect
for his years and learning; but now—what could I think of a man who
talked such nonsense? Had the Revelation told him that the wife of
his youth, now tottering in step, and with hair silvered by age, was
commanded to take two or a dozen young husbands—I wondered whether he
would have added with such satisfaction “It ought to be prayerfully
thought of!”
From that day I learned to regard polygamy as an essential part of the
Mormon faith, and such for many years the world has considered it; but
when I first joined the church, such an innovation would have appeared to
the European Saints beyond the wildest fancies of a dream.