The Mormon woman is Sarah in the covenant, as she is Eve in the creation and fall. She has appropriated the text of the covenant. She claims her mother Sarah's rights. She invokes her mother Sarah's destiny: "She shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her."
Thus in the mind of the Mormon woman is patriarchal marriage established by her God. Be it confessed that woman was a listener to the Abrahamic promise in the days of Sarah; was she not also a listener in the days of Joseph the prophet? Could the heavens thus speak and woman fail to hear? Could such promises be made and motherhood fail to leap for joy?
If she dared to bear the patriarchal cross, was it not because she saw brightly looming in her destiny the patriarchal crown? In this life only the cross—in all the lives to come a crown of glory!
The Mormon woman knows nothing of "polygamy" as conceived by the Gentiles. She is constantly declaring this. There is no "many-wife system" in Mormondom. It is patriarchal marriage. There is the destiny of a race in the Mormon woman's vision. For this came she into the world. In her is motherhood supremely exalted, and woman is redeemed from bondage to her husband.
Glance at the story of Sarah again. Mark its stupendous import to motherhood. Witness the introduction of polygamy into the Abrahamic family. And, if the wondrous sequel has any meaning, Isaac was the Lord's answering gift to Sarah's act, to fulfil the covenant.
And while remembering the sacrifice of Sarah and Hagar let us also remember the compensation. Those two mothers are without parallel in all history. Races and empires came of them. Sarah and Hagar, in their sons Isaac and Ishmael, have divided the world.
From Isaac's line was given to the world the Christ; from Ishmael came Mohammed, the prophet of hundreds of millions.
Weigh those two mothers, with their sons, their races, and their civilizations. What a weight of empire! What were Egypt and Babylon, compared with Sarah and Hagar?
The Abrahamic subject is the most stupendous of all history. That subject has been reincarnated in Mormonism. Its genius and covenants are with the Mormon people; the age is witnessing the results.
Patriarchal marriage is one of those results. Sarah is a live character of our times. She will fulfil her destiny.