The Emigration Fund.
The published object and design of this fund is to emigrate the poor saints from Europe and other foreign countries to Utah, the Zion of the church. In those foreign countries there is a continual weekly subscription paid in for that purpose.
Every emigration season, each Conference is permitted to send persons at the rate of one for every £10 sterling so subscribed. Each one so emigrating, is required to enter into obligations, before leaving Liverpool, for the repayment
of the same, as soon as possible after his arrival in Salt Lake City. Parties in Utah, also, wishing their relations brought over, must pay the required amount, before they are sent for, unless in some special cases, where notes are accepted in payment. The sum of £4 10s. is required to pay the transportation of each person to the first American port, and the remaining £5 10s. thence to Salt Lake City. The emigrants are stowed away like cattle, on the freight cars and on the decks of the boats and vessels, and thus by having them conveyed in the cheapest manner possible, considerable of the amount paid for transportation is saved, making a large sum in the aggregate, all of which goes into that "treasury of the church,"—the pocket of Brigham Young.
Again: as all are obliged to pay their passage-money, either in advance or after their arrival in Utah, and as a large portion of the sum is previously raised by contribution, of course the amount, in thousands of cases, is duplicated, and paid twice into the same treasury.
The transportation across the Plains costs the church nothing at all, except a slight diminution of the tithing-fund prospective. The teams are furnished, so many from each ward and settlement, and the owners are given credit for the use of the same in tithing account. Large quantities of provisions are furnished and sent out to meet the incoming saints, but these, although donated and sent by their friends, are all charged to them by the careful priests and elders.
Before starting across the Plains, meetings are held, and the saints are counselled to give up all their money and valuables, so that they may be preserved on their journey. One man, in obedience to this "counsel," gave up his money, together with a valuable gold watch and chain. Afterwards, remembering that he had not provided any tobacco for the journey, he asked for a dollar back, to purchase some, which was refused him.
Much cruelty is exercised on the Plains for the slightest disobedience. A young man, brother of Walter Sanders, of
Salt Lake, was whipped nearly to death for being unable to travel as required.
Several years since, Brigham, with the view of saving still more from the emigration fund, projected the plan of bringing the saints across the Plains in hand-cart companies. Under this arrangement, every person, male and female, was expected to assist in drawing a hand-cart; each cart being drawn by three persons, and containing a certain quantity of provisions, clothing, &c.
One of the companies, under the lead of Franklin D. Richards, was detained on the frontiers until common prudence should have dictated their remaining until another year. In consequence of the lateness of the season, before the journey was half performed, winter was upon them, and their sufferings beggar all description.
Mrs. Chapman, a very intelligent English lady, who crossed the Plains in this company, related to me many incidents of this dreadful journey.
They started from the frontier very late, sometime in October, I think; and to allay the fears and forebodings of the saints, Richards prophesied, in the name of Israel's God, that the elements should be controlled; and that the winds and snows of winter should be stayed until the faithful arrived in Zion. Entirely unacquainted with the country and the route before them, they were reassured, and went boldly forward, trusting in their leader.
In order to lighten their loads and facilitate their progress, every article of clothing that they could possibly spare, was left behind; barely sufficient being taken to prevent them from freezing.
It may be supposed that only the very poor were subjected to this terrible ordeal. Not so. Many families of means made the journey in this way, being assured that this sacrifice would add to their exaltation in the eternal world. They had not proceeded far when the snow began to fall, and many became sick from want and exposure. When a
river was to be crossed, they were driven into the water,—men, women, and children,—and were told, if they had sufficient faith, they should, like the Israelites of old, go over dry shod. Many of the men carried their wives and children over the streams, as long as they were able. If any were unable longer to drag their carts, they were obliged to lighten them by throwing away clothing, cooking utensils, and even provisions,—thus necessitating a reduction from their daily allowance of food. Fuel was scarce, and it was often necessary to go into the snow, waist-deep, to procure it. Mrs. Chapman's husband, a strong, athletic man, formerly a member of the Queen's Guards, from constant exertion and exposure, at length fell sick, and though there were a few wagons for the sick and feeble to ride in, they were not admitted into them so long as they were able to walk.
The poor man continued to grow worse, and it soon became evident that he must die. One morning, when the train was ready to start, the Captain came to the tent of the sick man, and finding him dying, said to Mrs. Chapman, "Your husband must die; leave him in the hands of God, and proceed on your journey." "What!" said the heart-stricken woman, "leave my husband on this barren waste, a prey to wolves? No; while there is breath in his body, I shall remain by his side, and share his fate. Leave us if you will, for the wild beasts of the desert cannot be more cruel than you have been." In five minutes more, he breathed his last; and throwing him into a hole dug in the sand, they dragged the weeping wife and children from all they held dear on earth. In a few days the same woman left her baby, too, on the sands of the desert, a prey to wolves. She says, "I never see Franklin D. Richards, but I feel hand-carts from the crown of my head to the sole of my feet."
One day, as they approached their Mecca, an old white-haired saint said to the Captain, in a weak voice,—"Captain, I feel as if I should die, drawing in this hand-cart; can't I ride a little while?"—"Draw till you die then," replied the
hard-hearted wretch, "for I'll be d——d if you can ride." "Oh, well," said the old man, "I suppose I shall draw till I die." He took out his watch. "A quarter of four. It will soon be over. Ten minutes. Oh dear; oh, my God! Five minutes to four,—four;"—and the old man fell down in his place,—he was dead.
Every day witnessed the death of large numbers by cold and starvation. Those who survived were more like walking skeletons than human beings. They were covered with vermin, and loathsome to behold. Some were so badly frozen that their flesh fell from their bones. Many remained disabled for life.
"Oh Religion! what crimes are perpetrated in thy name!" When Mormons speak of the hand-cart company, they shudder and grow pale. All this suffering was the result of an attempt, on the part of the leaders of the church, to save a still larger sum from the emigration fund. It was a speculative experiment, which was never repeated. These people bought their carts with their own money; but on their arrival in Salt Lake, the carts were claimed by Brigham, in behalf of the church, and were afterwards sold from the tithing-office at five dollars each.
FOOTNOTES:
[143:A] Persons who are known to possess property, are called upon to pay for seats in the temple. A lady residing in one of the northern settlements, was cajoled into paying £50 for that purpose. The good lady, upon arriving in Utah, found that the famous temple, in which she had purchased a seat, was scarcely above its foundations.
[147:A] Jour. of Dis., Vol. I. p. 340.
[148:A] Jour. of Dis. Vol. I. p. 202.
CHAPTER IX.
BRIGHAM AS PROPHET, SEER, AND REVELATOR.
Brigham's Position as Head of the Church.—Mormon Theology.—Brigham's Theology, or Utah Mormonism.—Adam as God.—Brigham Young as God.—Human Sacrifice.—Introduction of Polygamy.—Polygamy no part of the original Mormon Religion.—The Revelation, or Celestial Marriage.—The Ceremony of Sealing.—Consequences and Incidents of the Doctrine.—Incest.—Summary of the Mormon Religion.
Not only is Brigham Young the temporal head of the church, its chief business agent, and the sole custodian of its funds, but he is the spiritual head, the established fountain, in whom is gathered from on high all spiritual blessings, and from whom they are expected to flow through the various officers of the priesthood, and thus be distributed to the faithful among the masses. Standing in this capacity between the people and the Supreme Being, he is at once Prophet, Seer, and Revelator. As Prophet and Seer, he sees and foretells to the people what is to befall them, as the result of certain courses of action. As Revelator, he reveals and translates, to the comprehension of the people, the hidden will of God concerning them.
An acknowledgment of this relationship of Brigham with the Divine Being is made a test of fellowship; as in the case of the Morrisites, who, although they admitted his right to preside over the church as its temporal head, denied him the attributes of prophet and revelator. Hence they were cut off from the church.
Acting in this capacity, he not only prescribes a course of conduct for his followers, but promulgates, from time to time,
doctrines, to be received, believed, and advocated. Thus the theology or creed of the church changes, from time to time, to suit the changing opinions, the whims and caprices, or the passions and lusts, of its head and leader. What is here said, therefore, of the Mormon religion, must be understood in reference to the received doctrines and tenets of the church in former years,—many of which still remain, but incorporated with new dogmas, and any part or all of which are liable at any time to be changed, modified, or entirely overthrown.