The Mormon Prophet and His Harem / Or, An Authentic History of Brigham Young, His Numerous Wives and Children

by C. V. Waite

ACT I. Scene I.

[Enter Candidates.

Clerk. Good-morning, brethren and sisters. Be seated. Brother White, please state the time and place of your birth, date of your marriage, and the time when you were baptized into the church.

Bro. W. I was born November 3d, 1801, in the town of Portsmouth, in New Hampshire. I was married January 1st, 1824, and was baptized into the church April 1st, 1860.

Clerk. Have you paid your tithing punctually? If so, produce your receipts. [These are read, and handed back.] That is sufficient. You are entitled to receive your endowments.

Sister White, will you state when and where you were born, and when you became a member of the church?

Sister W. I was born September 18th, 1815, in the State of New York, and became a member of the church in 1852.

Clerk. Sister Mary Brown, please state when and where you were born, and when you became a member of the church.

Sister Mary. I was born June 20th, 1849, in Great Salt Lake City, and was baptized into the church in 1860.

[The Clerk propounds the same questions to all the candidates, and enters their answers in the record.]

Clerk. You will now proceed to the washing-room, the brethren on the right, and the sisters on the left.

Apostle Peter. You will remove your shoes, that the dust of earth may not pollute the holy ground on which you are about to tread.

[The candidates are then washed in tepid water, and each member blessed with a blessing peculiar to each. They are then pronounced clean from the blood of this generation, and a new name is given to each by the Apostle Peter. They then return to the waiting-room, where the brethren are anointed with oil, the sisters receiving their anointing in their own washing-room.

This ceremony consists in pouring olive-oil upon the head of each, well rubbed into the hair, nose, eyes, and mouth, and allowed to run down over the person. It is accompanied by a blessing, similar to that received at the washing. Brain to be strong, ears to be quick to hear the words of God's servants, eyes to be sharp to perceive, and feet to be swift to run in the ways of righteousness. This is the anointing administered preparatory to being ordained a "King and Priest unto God and the Lamb."

Thus greased and blessed, the "garments" are put on. A dress of muslin or linen is worn next to the skin, reaching from the neck to the ankles and wrists, and in shape like a little child's sleeping garment. Over this a shirt, then a robe, made of fine linen, crossing and gathered up in plaits on one shoulder, reaching to the ground before and behind, and tied around the waist. Over this is fastened a small, square apron, similar in size and shape to a masonic apron, made of white linen or silk, with imitation of fig-leaves painted or worked upon it. A cap made from a square yard of linen, and gathered into a band to fit the head, and white linen or cotton shoes, complete the dress of the candidates.]

SCENE II. Creation.

Eloheim, seated upon his Throne.

[Enter Jehovah, Jesus, and Michael.

Eloheim. "Ye powers of Heaven!" This day hath Satan, our rebellious foe, been vanquished. Lest he again presumptuous rise, let us create new worlds, and people them with beings who by slow degrees shall rise and fill the place of those by him deceived. Go forth, ye heavenly messengers; examine well the boundless realms of space, and bring report from thence back to the Eternal Throne.

Jehovah, Jesus, and Michael, [all]. Eternal father! Great Eloheim, Maker and King of the celestial worlds. Joyful we go, thy mandates to fulfil.

[Exeunt Jehovah, Jesus, and Michael.

Eloheim. Far into chaos proudly ride my messengers. Winds bear them onward, o'er the deep profound.

[Reënter Jehovah, Jesus, and Michael.

Jehovah, Jesus, and Michael, [all]. Almighty Ruler. The way is clear. Send forth thy Word alone, and worlds will rise, and circle into space, obedient to thy call.

Elo. "Silence, ye troubled waves! your discord end. Thus far extend, thus far thy bounds. This be thy circumference, O world!"

Jeh. Behold the Earth. "Matter unformed and void; darkness profound covers the abyss."

Mich. But see, "the Spirit of God outspread, and vital virtue infused, and vital warmth throughout the fluid mass. Like things to like! The rest to several place disparted." And in the air, "the Earth, self-balanced, on her centre hangs."

Elo. "Let there be light."

Jesus. "Hail! Holy light. Offspring of Heaven, first born."

Elo. The light is good. Let darkness flee into the shades of night, and light make up the day.

Mich. Hark! "the celestial choirs, when orient light, exhaling first from darkness, they behold,—birthday of Heaven and Earth; with joy and shout, the hollow, universal orb they fill."

Elo. "Let there be a firmament amid the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters."

Jeh. "Behold the firmament,—expanse of liquid, pure, transparent, elemental air, diffused in circuit to the uttermost convex; partition firm and sure, the waters underneath from those above dividing."

Jesus. The water still doth compass all the Earth, moulding the plastic mass, and doth implant, within her genial breast, the seeds of various life.

Elo. "Be gathered, now, ye waters under Heaven, into one place, and let dry land appear." Land, freed from your prison-house, arise, and be called Earth. Ye waters,—seas. Now "let the Earth put forth the verdant grass, herb yielding seed, and fruit-tree yielding fruit after her kind, whose seed is in herself, upon the Earth."

Mich. Oh, sight sublime! The Earth, till now, barren and fruitless was; "her universal face" now clothed in "pleasant green." Listen, ye Gods! The morning stars, which in the vast expanse of Heaven, circle their rounds, together sing. The sons of God, swift-winged angels, shout for joy.

Elo. "Let there be lights, high in the expanse of Heaven, to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, for seasons and for days, and circling years; and let them be for lights, as I ordain their office, in the firmament of Heaven, to give light on the Earth." "Two great lights,—great for their use to man,—the greater to have rule by day, the less by night; the stars I also set in the high firmament, to illuminate the Earth, and rule the day in their vicissitude, and rule the night, and light from darkness to divide."

Jeh. Behold, "the thousand, thousand stars, that now appear, spangling the hemisphere," the luminaries bright, that rise and set, and crown the glory of the fourth new day.

Elo. "Let the waters generate reptile, with spawn abundant; living soul; and let fowl fly above the Earth, with wings displayed, on the open firmament of Heaven, and the great whales, and each soul living, each that creeps, and in the waters generate, and each bird of its kind,—let each be blessed;" "be fruitful, multiply, and in the seas and lakes, and running streams, the waters fill: and let the fowl be multiplied."

Jesus. Let Heaven rejoice, let Earth be glad, and hail the dawning of the fifth new day.

Elo. This is the sixth and last morn of creation. Let every creature forth, from his genial mother, cattle and creeping thing, and beast of earth, each of his kind. All, all is good, and pleasing in my sight.

Jesus. "Now Heaven in all her glory shines. Earth, in her rich attire, consummate, lovely, smiles; air, water, earth, fowl, fish, and beast are here, and yet there wants the master work of all yet done; a creature endued with reason, which erect may stand, and self-acknowledged, govern all the rest."

Elo. "Let us make man, in our own image, man in our similitude, and let them rule over the fish and fowl of sea and air, beast of the field, and over all the earth, and every creeping thing, that creeps the ground." Thou art created

male and female, in the form and likeness of the Gods. Go forth, be blessed; "be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, subdue it, and throughout dominion hold" over all, all else that breathes upon its bosom. Now all is finished, all complete and perfect. Immortal Gods, let us to our high seat ascend, that from our lofty throne our perfect works we may behold.

[To represent the creation of man, Jehovah, Jesus, and Michael stroke each candidate separately, pretending to form; and by blowing into their faces, pretend to vivify them. They are then supposed to be as Adam, newly made, and perfectly ductile in the hands of their makers. A deep sleep then falls upon the new Adam, and ribs are extracted, out of which, in another apartment, their wives are formed. They are then commanded to awake, and their wives are introduced to them; after which they file by twos into the garden.]

SCENE III. Garden of Eden.

[Enter Adam and Eve, and Endowees.

Eve. "Well may we labor, still to dress this garden,—still to tend plant, herb and flower, our pleasant task enjoined." "Let us divide our labors," each where seemeth good; and thus, as night draws on, our task will be accomplished.

Adam. "Sole Eve, associate sole, to me beyond compare, above all living creatures dear! A doubt possesses me, lest harm befall thee, severed from me; for thou knowest what hath been warned us, what malicious foe envies our happiness."

Eve. "Offspring of Heaven, and all Earth's Lord! That such an enemy we have, who seeks our ruin, both by thee informed, and from the parting angel overhead; but that thou shouldst my firmness therefore doubt, to God or thee, because we have a foe may tempt it, I expected not to hear."

Adam. "Daughter of God and man, immortal Eve,—

for such thou art; from sin and blame entire; I, from the influence of thy looks, receive access in every virtue. Why shouldst not thou like sense within thee feel when I am present, and thy trial choose with me,—best witness of thy virtue tried."

Eve. "If this be our condition, thus to dwell in narrow circuit, straitened by a foe, how are we happy still, in fear of harm?"

Adam. "O woman, best are all things as the will of God ordains them; therefore go; for thy stay, not free, absents thee more."

Eve. "With thy permission then, and thus forewarned," I go.

[Enter Satan, in the form of a serpent, half man, half snake. He discovers Eve in a bower of roses, and watches her at a distance.]

Satan. "Thoughts, whither have ye led me?—what hither brought us? Hate, not love, but all pleasure to destroy." [He approaches Eve.] "Wonder not, sovran mistress, fairest resemblance of thy Maker fair, at my appearance, half man, half beast, but approach and view this goodly tree, the fruit of which such wonders work."

Eve. "Serpent, we might have spared our coming hither," for "of this tree we may not taste or touch; thus hath our God commanded."

Satan. "Indeed! Hath God then said, that of the fruit of all these garden trees ye shall not eat, yet lords declared of all in earth or air?"

Eve. "Of the fruit of each tree in the garden we may eat, but of the fruit of this fair tree, amidst the garden, God hath said, 'Ye shall not eat thereof, nor shall ye touch it, lest ye die.'"

Satan. "O sacred, wise, and wisdom-giving plant; mother of science! Now I feel thy power within me clear, not only to discern things in their causes, but to trace the ways of highest agents, deemed however wise. Queen of this

Universe! Do not believe these rigid threats of death;—ye shall not die." Your tyrant ruler knows full well, that in the day ye eat thereof, ye shall be as Gods, and good from evil know. "Goddess humane, reach then, and freely taste."

[Satan plucks the fruit and presents it. Eve receives it, and after considerable hesitation, tastes, and finally eats it. Adam soon after enters.]

Eve. "Hast thou not wondered at my stay? Thee have I missed;" for I have tasted of the tree to us forbidden, and such delight till now have never felt. Taste thou, [offers him the fruit,] and be a God.

[Adam stands amazed and sorrowful, dropping a garland from his hand.]

Adam. "O fairest of creation! Some cursed fraud of enemy hath beguiled thee, and me with thee hath ruined; for with thee certain my resolution is to die." [He eats.] Oh, fruit delicious, fit indeed for Gods. From us withheld, lest being Gods, we cease to obey our tyrant Lord.

[They soon begin to see their true condition. They reproach each other. They discover their nakedness, make aprons of fig-leaves, and wear them. The voice of Eloheim is heard in another part of the garden.]

Elo. "Adam, where art thou? Why hast thou fled and hid thyself? What hast thou done?"

Adam. O Lord, my Maker and Preserver! Thy voice I heard, when thou didst walk amid the trees, but being naked, I did fear to see thy face. Confusion dire and shame filled all my soul.

Elo. "Who told thee thou wast naked? Hast thou then eaten of that tree, to thee forbidden?"

Adam. The woman whom thou gavest me did give this fruit unto my lips; and I did eat.

Elo. O woman, fair but frail. Why hast thou done this deed of sin?

Eve. "The serpent me beguiled, and I did eat."

Elo. "Because thou hast done this, thou art accursed

above all cattle, each beast of the field. Upon thy belly grovelling thou shalt go, and dust shalt eat, all the days of thy life. Between thee and the woman I will put enmity, and between thine and her seed: her seed shall bruise thy head, thou bruise his heel." And thou, O Eve, "thy sorrow I will greatly multiply by thy conception: children thou shalt bring in sorrow forth, and to thy husband's will thine shall submit; he over thee shall rule." And thou, O Adam, "because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife, and eaten of the tree concerning which I charged thee, saying, 'Thou shalt not eat thereof;' cursed is the ground for thy sake; thou in sorrow shalt eat thereof all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles it shall bring thee forth unbid; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for thou out of the ground wast taken; know thy birth; for dust thou art, and shalt to dust return."

Elo. [To Jehovah, Jesus, and Michael.] "Behold the man is become as one of us, knowing good from evil; and now, lest he in some unguarded hour put forth his hand, take of the tree of life, and live forever, we must forth from hence expel him." We will place from Eden eastward cherubims, and flaming sword, turning which way soever he may attempt an entrance.

Adam. "O miserable of happy! Is this the end of this new, glorious world?—and me, so late the glory of that glory? Accursed of blessed, hide me from the face of God, whom to behold was once my height of happiness."

Eve. "O unexpected stroke, worse than of death! Must I thus leave thee, Paradise?—thus leave thee, native soil,—these happy walks and shades, fit haunt of Gods, where I had hoped to spend, quiet though sad, the respite of that day that must be mortal to us both? O flowers! that never will in other climate grow, my earliest visitation and my last at even, which I bred up with tender hand, from the first opening bud, and gave ye names! Who now shall rear ye

to the sun, or rank your tribes, and water from the ambrosial fount? Thee, lastly, nuptial bower! by me adorned with what to sight or smell was sweet! From thee, how shall I part, and whither wander, down into a world, to this obscure and wild? How shall we breathe in other air, less pure, accustomed to immortal fruits?"

Elo. O man, thy cries of penitence and woe have reached my ears. I will a plan unfold, obedience to which, rendered with deep humility, shall by degrees redeem and bring you back to Heaven.

My holy priesthood I henceforth establish upon Earth. To those endowed with that high calling, as unto me, shalt thou with reverence bow. Their power supreme, commands indisputable, in my stead, I appoint them unto you. They are to act henceforth as I myself.

[Here oaths of inviolable secrecy, with the penalty of throat-cutting, are administered to the awe-stricken and intimidated neophytes. They are sworn to render implicit obedience to the priesthood, and to depend upon them for everything; especially not to touch any woman, unless given through the priesthood.

A sign, a grip, and a key-word are given to the endowees, and the First Degree of the Aaronic Priesthood is conferred.]

Elo. You are now endowed with one law of purity, one key of truth, and one power of priesthood. Go forth into the world, ye fallen ones, and seek for truth. Obey the voice of God and his holy priesthood, and I will send to Earth a Saviour, that through faith and obedience you shall again inherit your lost estate, again enjoy the ambrosial fruits in the celestial kingdom of the Gods.

[Exeunt all.

SCENE IV. The World.

[Enter Adam, Eve, Endowees, and Sectarians.

Timothy Broadbrim. I feel the movement of the Spirit to speak unto thee. Thou knowest that the world is lost in

sin and wickedness. But ye should "resist not evil," but "overcome evil with good." "If a man take away thy cloak, give him thy coat also." Raise not thy hand to harm a fellow-creature. "Charity suffereth long and is kind!" See that no brother be in want; look ye after the widow and the fatherless.

Deacon Smith. Brethren and Sisters,—I rise to address you a few words, founded upon the following passage of Scripture:—"And there shall be weeping and wailing, and gnashing of teeth." Oh, this is a fearful doom. Oh, ye sinners, hear. There is a lake which burns with fire and brimstone; you are on the very brink; do you not see thousands of the damned weltering in its burning waves? You are, as it were, on a greased plank, sliding, and sliding, as swift as the wheels of Time can roll, down to this awful gulf. [Sisters begin to shriek and faint.] Flee from the wrath to come; fly to Jesus; come to the mourners' bench; cry mightily to God for help. He alone can save you. Come, come, come to Jesus. Brethren and sisters, sing,—

"Where shall the guilty soul find rest?" etc.

Parson Peabody [speaking through his nose]. My dear hearers, this is a fallen world. We are all in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. Satan, the great enemy of mankind, is ever seeking our destruction. Let us close our hearts against his wiles, and come to Jesus, and if we are of the elect, foreordained from before the creation of the world, we shall be saved; and if not, we shall be lost. We can do nothing of ourselves. We are in the hands of a just and wise God, who doeth all things well.

In the language of the divine poet,—

"If you can, if you can't;

If you will, if you won't;

You'll be damned if you do,

You'll be damned if you don't."

Let the brethren remember their covenants, and let them bring their offspring to the altar, and there consecrate them

to God, through the ordinance of sprinkling; and if they are to be saved, they will be saved. Otherwise, though not a span long, they will go down to the bottomless pit.

Elder Longface. Brethren,—The subject of my discourse will be found in the following text: "Whom he did predestinate," &c.

We learn from this,—1st, That we are sinners. 2d, We need a Saviour. 3d, That we must be baptized by immersion. 4th, That we should exclude from the communion-table all such as are not immersed. 5th, That many are called, but few chosen. 6th, That those who are chosen will be saved, without their own action in the matter. 7th, That those who are not chosen will be damned, no matter what they do, in and of their own strength; and lastly, in order to have the least opportunity to be saved, you must join the Baptist Church.

The Lord grant that many may embrace the truth as it is in Christ Jesus, and unite with "our church," and be saved. The brethren will sing,—

"O, when shall we see Jesus," &c.

Father Boniface [with pages, robes, candles, &c.]. Te Deum laudamus. [They sing.] O Divine Queen of the skies, Holy Mother of God, to thee we lift up our voices. Grant us thy divine intercession with thy dear Son, that we, through his precious blood, may be made clean. Bless thy believing children, make them faithful to their Holy Father the Pope, diligent in counting their beads, and saying their matins and vespers. O Holy Mother, keep them from all sin; especially grant them grace to eat no meat on Friday, and we will ever adore and bless thee, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let the choir sing Ave Maria. Benedicite.

[Enter Satan.

Satan. Good-morning, brethren. I love you all; you are my friends. I am gratified to find you so faithful in

assisting me to build up my kingdom. Rest assured, you shall be rewarded. You shall be kings and princes when I succeed in setting up my throne upon the Earth.

[Enter Apostles Peter, James, and John.

Peter. Why dost thou tempt the children of men, and lie in wait to deceive them?

Satan. "Let me alone. What have I to do with thee," thou follower of Jesus? I know thou hast the holy priesthood of God,—

Peter, James, and John, [all.] And in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and of the holy priesthood, we command you to depart from hence.

[The Devil foams, hisses, and rushes out, chased by the Apostle Peter.]

James. My children, hearken now unto my voice. When in these last days God saw the lost condition of mankind, his heart was moved with pity, and He sent with me Peter and John, and commanded us, saying, "Go ye to Earth, and seek me a good man, of the lineage of Joseph, who was carried away into Egypt, and of the lineage of the prophets, even Joseph Smith. Restore to him the lost priesthood. Bestow upon him the keys of power; make him Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, and let him reëstablish my church upon the Earth." Behold, this was done, and the same power and authority has now descended from Joseph to Brigham. Hear ye him, the representative of God on Earth. Him reverence and obey, and ye shall advance toward the kingdom of Heaven.

[An oath, penalty, the heart to be plucked out, with agonizing details, is administered. The utmost secrecy is impressed, and the Second Degree of the Aaronic Priesthood is conferred, with signs, grips, &c.]