Tag: Plural Marriage

I now come to a very important part of this “ Endowment “ business which I name “Weddings in Hell.” I will state right here, that most, if not all the marriages solemnized in this place are Polygamic. A man may marry a first or lawful wife without going there, but no man can marry a second or plural wife unless he and his victim wade through all the filth of the “ Endowment House” and he must be so married within its “ Sacred “ walls. When the various “Temples” now being erected are completed, Polygamic marriages are to be solemnized therein also. Up to the time I left “ Zion “ only the “Temple at .St. George” was finished. There such marriages have taken place; and I am told by those who ought to know, that a far worse, and much more filthy ceremony is gone through within the “ Temple “ than within the “Endowment House.”

I know this much, “The Prophet” has often that “There are degrees of glory and blessing which can only be obtained in Temple consecrated to God for the purpose!” Knowing, therefore, what I do, I can readily believe there will be nice goings on in these temples w finished.

Before describing my wedding in this Hell, I will state that my English wife was not only willing, but desired that I should marry another. As a marriage according to the English Law was of no avail in the Mormondom, and as we had to be married over again, she concluded that I had marry two at once, and thus secure my eternal salvation, and the power raise her up at the resurrection, This is only secured by Polygamy; the wife becomes anxious that her husband should take a second wife in order to secure the salvation of the man she loves, and her own eternal glory. Many of the first wives are lured into sanctioning the plural marriage.

(Misc comments on plural marriage edited out)

Now that everything is lovely, and my wife consenting to the plural marriage, I take her on my right arm and the bride-elect on the left, and walk them both into the “Sealing Room.” Here I present the slip of paper containing my name, the name of my wife that was, or is to be, and that of the intended bride, to the Priest who sits at the Altar. He bids me and my spouses to be seated, which we do, and await further developments. He carefully examined the slip, or certificate, the Priest calls upon me the bride groom, my wife, and bride to arise, which we do, fronting the Priest.

I and my wife are now married for time and eternity, a very simple affair; its simple being married over again. Having been married to my legal wife she then stands on my left-hand side, while the bride-elect stands on her left. The Priest then put this question to my wife, “Are you willing to give this woman to your husband to be his lawful and wedded wife for time and for all eternity? If you are you will manifest it by placing her right hand within the right of your husband.’,’

This she willingly did, and this bridegroom and bride stood “hand-in-hand.” My wife was now told to take my left as if in the attitude of walking: The Priest then asked me as follows: “Do you, Brother Jarman, take sister (calling the bride-elect by her name by the right hand, to receive her unto yourself, to be your lawful wedded wife, and you to be her lawful and wedded husband, for time and for all eternity, with a covenant and promise, on your part, that you will fulfill the laws, rites, and ordinances, pertaining to this holy matrimony, in the and everlasting covenant, doing this in the presence of God and angels of own free will and choice? “ I, of course, answered, “Yes.”-The Priest then put this question to the bride:

“Do you, sister” (calling. her by name), “take brother Jarman by right hand, and give yourself to him, to be his lawful and wedded wife for time and for all eternity, with a covenant and promise on your part that you fulfill all the laws, rites, and ordinances, pertaining to this holy matrimony, the new and everlasting covenant, doing this in the presence of God angels?

The bride meekly answered “Yes.”

The Priest then said: “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the authority of the Holy Priesthood, I pronounce you legally and lawfully husband and wife for and for all eternity: and I seal upon you the blessings of the holy resurrection with power to come forth in the morning of the first resurrection, clothed with glory, immortality, and eternal lives; and I seal upon you the blessings thrones, and dominions, and principalities, and powers, and exaltations, together with the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and say unto you Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth, that you may have joy rejoicing in your posterity in the day of the Lord Jesus. All these blessing; together with all other blessings pertaining to the new and everlasting covenant, I seal upon your heads, through your faithfulness unto the end, by authority of the Holy Priesthood, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.”

The Priest then wrote on the slip of paper “O. K.,” which signified the thing had been done “up to dick,” that I was “done brown,” and was now a thoroughly married man. This bachelor had hitherto been playing at marriage. Now it was a reality, and a fearful one at that, as you will presently see. The Priest opened the door and told me to hand the slip of paper to the Prophet, and watched me do it. The Prophet looked at it, then gave it to the Scribe, who entered it on the general record. I saw him write my name, the maiden names of my two dear wives, and the place and date of this singular plural marriage in the big register. I for asked for a certificate, but was immediately told that such “nonsensical documents” were not required; that I had “the two women to show for it,” and, says the Prophet, “If that ain’t enough go out, look up a few more, fetch ’em here, and we’ll splice you on to them mighty quick. You are all O.K., so take your women home and make the best of ’em.”

A Mormon wife has no certificate to show marriage, and if occasion should require and to shield their Polygamous brethren, the Mormon officials, will positively swear that they did not perform the marriage, while the big book will never be found, for that is safely hid.

The Great High Priest, Elias Smith, who is also Probate Judge, then confirmed me, and made me an “Elder and a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” Moreover my “ Patriarchal “ documents show that I also held wonderful position, viz.: “A virgin without guile.” As these papers appear full presently, I will merely say here that the “Endowment ceremonies” shook my faith in Mormonism, making a shipwreck of faith quite possible. I began to doubt the sincerity of its leaders, which is the first step to apostasy. It seemed to me they were more like vile sinners than “Saints,” and the words Sir Jahn Birkenhead:-

“If these be saints, ’tis vain indeed, To think there’s good or evil.”

The world will soon be of this creed, No God, no king, no devil.” came to my mind, remained uppermost, and I could not forget them.

At the wedding, please observe, I and my bride were asked “Are you doing this of your own free will and choice?” my wife was only asked “Are you willing.” He should have asked “Are you subdued? Has the priesthood and this holy religion blunted every womanly feeling in your breast, and caused you to immolate yourself on the altar of Polygamy?” The marriage ceremony being now concluded we are permitted to don our worldly clothing and leave the place, this being the conclusion of the “ Endowment “ ceremonies. We are cautioned to be sure and keep on the “Holy Garment” which covers the “Sacred Oil,” and forms a complete coat of mail always proof against all the fiery darts of the Devil.

All secular clothing must go on over this. Having put on my clothes as ordered, and being again fit to appear in decent society, I soon found my empty lunch basket and my way out. I left that building a wiser’ sadder, and muchly married man: I could not help being wiser, but why should I be sad on this my TRUE AND REAL wedding day? Had not God commanded in the Mormon Revelation to take TWO wives, and had sworn to damn me if I failed to thus many. Had I not obeyed and was now saved man, and ought I not to be happy? But somehow I could not feel nippy. There seemed to be a fearful dread of something terrible just about to happen, and it did happen as you will see, for my home was ever after “A perfect Hell upon Earth.

After giving such an expose as I have of this infernal institution I must state, that though in England, and far removed from Mormon Assassins, Mormon vengeance would reach me if it could. I know how mad they will be, and further I know they have thousands of men who gladly do the bidding of their Prophet, Priests, and Bishops. Hence the people of England must not be surprised to hear that the writer of this book is vilified, for Mormons will swear to anything, as I show presently; and would stop at nothing short of my death. They always defame the character of those who leave them, for as they cannot meet the serious charges which I or any other recusant Mormon can bring against them, if they can but get the public to believe me unworthy of credence and thus prevent my obtaining an audience, they would gain their point.

The Author of “The Rocky Mountain Saints, on page 212, says:-” From the beginning of Mormonism, the ruling authorities have accepted defamation of character as the best weapon with which to assail the discontented or apostates.” They also assure their British converts that all Apostates are full of the Devil, and very wicked, and strictly caution them never to listen to one, or credit a word they say. I find it hard work to get at those who have been converted to Mormonism in England; but am happy to state that I failed but in one instance to effect a recapture, and that one seemed to me more fit for a lunatic asylum than anything else. I have saved hundreds from going into bondage, crime and misery in Utah, and when I have saved the whole of Great Britain, and driven every Mormon scamp from our shores, I shall consider my work done, and not till then.

MY HOME A PERFECT HELL.
In treating of my own domestic affairs I shall do so like a man, for man would attempt to give the public all the peculiarities thereof, which the said public have no business to enquire into, while I shall give enough trust that “ Enough’s as good as a feast.”

I was now a married man in every sense of the word. My “ Wives “ having dressed themselves fit for decent society also, each made a grab for left arm. Wife No. I (as I shall now call my “old stand-by” wife) managed to grab it successfully, while the bride proper awfully chagrined snatched at the arm hugged it tight and looked daggers at No. 1. Whatever their respected thoughts may have been, and though awful fiery glances were exchanged between them, we left the house in solemn silence. I felt that a storm of more than ordinary portentions was brewing-I was downcast, though it was my wedding day and I had a DEAR wife on each arm, and was, of course, ripe for Heaven, yet I could not help feeling I was much nearer Hell. Both wives and myself as we jog along, look down, as if to find consolation on the earth. All I could read upon the ground, and it seemed printed in big letters, was HELL UPON EARTH. No. 1 hangs heavily on the left arm; The Bride drags sulkily though tightly upon my right arm. Behold this rose between two thorns, and if there is such a thing as sympathy in human nature, sympathize with this suffering trio. Men put yourselves in my place (metaphorically of course). Ladies put yourselves on my left or right arm which ever you please (figuratively) and find out our respective feelings on this very remarkable occasion. Must I, can I, attempt to describe them? I will try.

This disconsolate hubby feels about “done up” and is ready to “pass in his checks,” get up the “flume,” “kick the bucket,” or do anything to avoid what I feel sure is coming, and that without delay. I say to myself “I am in a nice fix, I’ve done a nice thing for myself and put my foot in it.” Why was I born, why did I not commit suicide, or rob a bank, forge a cheque, or do something that would have transported me for life, then I should not have known this dreadful suspense. I glance, but for a moment, at wife No. 1, she that had so often shared my sorrow, but it’s no use looking there for sympathy now; I see in her, a worse than Mary Magdalene, who knew nothing of polygamy, and had but seven devils in her, whereas Mormon polygamy makes the women complete Devils. It’s useless looking to her—-the pride of the morning, but now the bride of the hour-for sympathy for she also seems very much “put out” and anything but satisfied with the situation.

But how shall I describe the feelings of my better halves. Were I a devil, one of those accustomed to getting inside the women, I might be able to tell exactly how they felt, but I can only judge from external appearances, and what I afterwards found out. The most interesting person and the most interested, on wedding occasions should be the Bride. Therefore we will gauge her feelings. Though this is the first time she has been married; she is not satisfied. She feels that being the latest spouse and the only real bride of the occasion, she should have the place nearest her husband’s heart. The left arm on hers, and she reasons thus-This is my first wedding day; that old wife of is has been married to him for years. It’s no novelty to her; this is my honeymoon, not hers. She might yield a little to me on this occasion. I have as much right to my husband as she has, why should she seek to claim the best place in his affection? I have just married him, and I’ll just let her know it-he wished me to many him, or I am sure I should not. Now that I have I’ll not go back on him, I’ll stick to him through thick and thin, and show her I have as much right to him as she has. If she wanted to keep him all to herself why did she wish me to share him with her; if she don’t look out I’ll make it so sweet for him that he will slight her considerably, and perhaps let her flicker solitary and alone. She must not trifle with my feelings just now I’ll make her rue it.

Wife No. 1 ruminates thus:-I never thought it would make such a difference. I and my husband were one, I could speak confidingly and pour out my soul to him in deep sympathy when I had him all to myself, but now I find the truth of the old adage “Two is company, but three is none.” This interloper deprives me of my conjugal felicity, I’ll teach her to mind her own business, and not seek to mar the happiness of man and wife that have been so long wedded to each other. She evidently thinks she ought to have my husband’s left arm; she will have to learn that his left arm is mine. She may consider that she, being the youthful bride has a perfect right to it, but I shall leach her that I am THE WIFE OF HIS YOUTH, and therefore have the greatest right to him. I shall not relinquish any of my rights for that stuck up thing.

Thus the mischief keeps fermenting, and not a word is spoken by either. What a wedding day? Did the All-wise God give that Revelation commanding such marriages? No Never! No, a thousand times, No! It’s worse than Blasphemy to say it emanated from the All-wise Creator.

In the Endowment House the “new names” given to my wives were those of “ Sarah” and “Rebecca,” but amid the excitement I got them mixed, and when we came out I could not “tell t’other from which;” for the life of me I could not tell which was Rebecca or which was Sarah, both new names to them and me. What to do I knew not, for we must never reveal the one wife’s name to the other, or speak of it at all; it is to remain a perfect secret between the husband and the particular wife.

Yet I was anxious to know “which was which.” Shortly we arrived at a small stream, over which there is no plank or bridge of any kind. Foot passengers jump over it. Now we newly-married trio, triune, triplets, tripartite party, or whatever we may be termed-do not get scared, we were merely three souls with but a thousand thoughts-three hearts that failed to beat as one. Now it is not to be expected that we three in one and one in three will try to jump the stream conjointly. Oh dear no, It can’t be did.” We would have another ‘washing if we tried to do so. The wives now release their hold of the husband’s arms. Wife No. 1, in a vexatious moment, clears the stream with a bound. Now, thinks I, this is just my time to find out if that is Sarah or Rebecca that has just flopped over the stream. So I said to my bride, who was yet on this side of Jordan (the stream), “Let me see, your new name is Rebecca.” She affectionately replied, “No, my dear, my new name is Sarah.” ‘ “Rebecca,” who stood just on the brink of the other side, heard the word “Rebecca “ and very wickedly surmised, or at least the devils in her prompted her so, that I was confidentially telling the bride her new name. That was enough. “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” and to make a bad matter worse I jumped the stream and lovingly assisted the bride over. I and the bride would have got along O. K., if the other “dear charmer” had been a thousand miles away, but she was right there to pay particular attention to my left arm, &c., &c.

In helping my bride over the stream I had taken her right hand, and guided by a strong instinct, or else the Devil was prompting the batch of us to mischief, I did not release her hand until I had placed her right arm in my left. I not thinking of what I was doing, but the bride designedly, as she afterwards told me, for says she “I was determined to have my rights.” Well, she had them “right and left,” so did I, and between the two I wished myself in Heaven out of it.
My readers will not expect me to waste pen, ink, and paper and take up the valuable space in my book by describing the fracas, suffice to say the first round wag won by Wife No. I, time 5 minutes 57 seconds. My arm by this time was ready for a sling. The bride, overcome by the superior fighting qualities of No. 1, resolved to make good use of her weapon, the tongue, and give her “a good tongue lashing.” In this she was successful, or at least equal to the emergency and managed to get in “six to-the half-dozen.” As it often happens in a wrangle of words, something the bride said, amused the ire of wife No. 1, and without calling “ time! “ round. second was commenced with increased vigor.

(Note: This continues Mr Jarman’s temple experience and observations. Some of them are quite different than the temple ceremonies today. This may be the first temple humor I have ever come across as Mormons treat the subject with extreme seriousness.  Even though I haven’t been a member since 1978 I did go through the temple several times when I was younger and did promise to not reveal the signs and tokens so I have edited the pertinent information out.  It can be readily found in other places though.)

I must now describe further how we are “made meet to be partakers of an inheritance with the saints in light; “ or rather, how we are made “citizens of the Kingdom of God.” A month prior to this I had been made a citizen of the United States, as I thought. Now I had to change my Nationality again, and I watched the “new departure” with considerable interest.

The Priests gave us “The first grip of the Aaronic, or lesser Priesthood,” which consists in placing the thumb on the knuckle of the index finger, and. clasping the hands around. We were then made to swear “to never speak against the Lord’s Anointed Prophet (the Mormon Prophet.), but to obey him and the laws of the Mormon Church, and all they enjoin, in preference to the laws of any kingdom or nationality, and more especially those of the United States.” The penalty for refusing to obey, or revealing this oath and grip is, “that we will have our throats cut from ear to ear, and the tongue torn from the mouth: “ the sign of the penalty is …

There was a small altar on one side, at which there now appeared three rough-looking specimens of humanity. These, we were informed, were-

.. “ Peter, James and John.” Peter had two big keys which were “the keys of Death and Hell.” He had been in the wet and got the keys awfully rusty. They seemed to have been out of use lately for “the used key is always bright. It struck me forcibly that no one could unlock either Death or Hell with keys. So unless they get new keys I feel safe enough, for I know of none but Mormons who wish me dead and in Hell; of course, every good Mormon has that kind wish toward me.

“Peter,” with his rusty keys, stood between “James and John.” At this juncture different men came in one by one, each making an effort to represent their various religious sects’ presented their different dogmas and professed to be very anxious to save us fallen children of Adam. Each of these celebrated preachers coarsely satirized the various Christian sects. The one proclaiming Methodism ridiculed Calvinism, and repudiated the idea of infants a span long being in Hell, and dwelt most -emphatically upon “The final perseverance of the Saints.”

The Calvinist, in turn, abused the Methodist, and assured us that “The Elect once saved was saved for ever; he cannot fall from grace and be lost.” The Baptist was surprised to find there were people presuming to teach and believe “That mankind could get to heaven without rinsing. To think of being saved without immersion or even wetting the feet was preposterous.”

We had to listen to harangues from the Ana-Baptist and the Pedo Baptist, the Quaker and the Shaker; in fact, from most of the well-known sects of Christendom. But the great wind up came when “Peter” preached unto us “The Mormon Gospel.” Peter being an old hand at it, could dish it up in high style-

“He could deep mysteries unriddle, As easily as thread a needle.”-Hudibras.

At one time during his Sermon when he arrived at his highest pitch of eloquence, a country girl that stood by my side gave me a poke in the ribs and whispered “How’s that for high? “ I answered “It’s high you bet.” She smiled and seemed disposed to carry on a flirtation. Peter twig’d it, and fearing a reprimand we “shut up” and did not flirt. Peter reviewed the gibberish of the “Christian Parsons,” as he called the previous preachers, and said “these Gospel sharps are running various Gospel mills on their own hook. Here’s these miserable one wife scoundrels among the Baptists, Methodists, Independents, and the various sects trying to get into heaven all of a flippety flop, humpety hump, dot and carry one; with a solitary Wife jagging ’em down at one arm “-(great laughter).

“It’s no go,” cried Peter. “No man can get into celestial glory that way. I hold the keys, and no man can pass in unless EVENLY BALANCED with a wife on each arm; and he should have a score or two more hanging on to his coat tails, otherwise his glory in heaven will be no great shakes.

This great “Apostle of the Gentiles” assured us that “ All the sects were wrong.” The Catholic Church he described as the Great Mother of Harlots.”

The Church of England having sprung from this “Mother Church,” was .nothing more or less than “a daughter of the Great Whore.” The Methodists, Congregationalist, Baptists, Independents, and every other body of so-called Christians of whatever name were stigmatized as “ Bastards; “ whose existence was shown to be the result of a vast amount of “Religious harlotry.”

Peter admonished us that as we had “drunk of the wine of her fornication” we had committed fornication with her, and now the word of the Lord which he called upon us to obey was:-“Come out of her my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.”

Another command was loudly vociferated by the “Apostle,” “Come out from among them, and be ye separate saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you and will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

“Peter “ spun a long yam, sailor like, of course, and in a manner becoming a fisherman. He could spin it out with great rapidity, and in a style peculiar to fish fags, including the choicest Billingsgate. Mixed up with this amount of his balderdash we gathered that, “All the Christian Churches of our day were fearfully corrupt, and groping in worse than Egyptian darkness.” The World was in darkness, and had been for eighteen centuries until God appeared to Joseph Smith, a few years ago. That the, only light in the world at the present time was in the Mormon Church. “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” was the only true Church of God upon the Earth; this was established with Prophets, Apostles, &c., as in days or yore, and all would be damned who rejected the Gospel as proclaimed by this latter-day Church.

When Peter finished his wrangle: the Devil who had loitered around and assisted the “Divines” (all except Peter), came bustling up to the Altar, and offered to shake a paw with Peter. This “ Apostle “ tried to be polite, and giving him a hearty grip said to him “Halo, Mr. Devil, why how do you do? It’s a fine day, ain’t it? What are you doing around here: are you seeking whom you may devour?”

“Oh dear no!” replied the devil: “When the sons of God come together, Satan comes also among them you know: and from what I can discover, these friends here (pointing around at us) don’t seem to take to any of these religions: why don’t you quit hankering after Christianity and have a jolly time like I do.”

Here Satan danced, and skipped about as merry as a cricket; and just in the midst of a jolly good “sailor’s horn pipe.” Peter pointed to the devil, caught his eye, and cried with a loud voice “You git! hurry up!” Satan gave a regular “break down “jump, stood looking at Peter a second then bounced out of the room singing “The girl I left behind me.” The last of the refrain he sang as he stood just outside the door was:-

“Let the night be ever so dark, or ever so wet and windy, I must and I will return again to the girl I left behind me.”

The Devil is not only a Poet, but a very fair ballad singer, and would do well for a “penny gaff,” or low pot house of a Saturday night. Many a publican would like to engage him for a Saturday night’s” free and easy.” but I must not digress.

When the Devil “shut up” and went off; Peter said “Resist the Devil and he will flee from you.” He then gave us the second grip of the Aaronic or lesser Priesthood. ‘ … The penalty for revealing this is to be sawn asunder and our members cast into the sea.

The men then took the oath of chastity, and the women likewise. This as may be supposed is very chaste-very indeed! The man swears to be true to his numerous wives, together with his spiritual wives and proxy wives-his wives for time, and his wives for eternity. He swears to “cleave unto theirs, and none else.” Imagine the concomitant, conjugal conjugation that must inevitably follow when a man attempts to “cleave unto” a lot of women. I have seen it tried, and tried a little of it myself: it don’t work worth a cent. Men and brethren, hearken unto me! if you dent believe it, you just try to conjoin a dozen or so of wives to yourself, and I’ll guarantee you will speedily find that the word “ cleave “ means “deft,” and if you come out of the fracas with a sound mind in a sound body, consider yourself in luck.

The woman is made to swear that she will prove faithful to whatever part or parcel of her respective husband may be assigned to her, and to be fully and thoroughly satisfied with a tenth, fiftieth or hundredth part of a man-his attention, affection, &c., &c., &c. Except, that it is hereinafter provided. Should there be no issue from this fractional union, then the lady aforesaid shall select another man, drag him before the Prophet, and both get another oiling; after which they are made man and wife pro tem on the Q.T., and thus shall the sin of barrenness be removed far from Mormondom [See Par. x6. Revelation on Polygamy, Appendix E].

A man-led lady is informed that she is not yet tied to the man she thought she had married in England or elsewhere-” That all marriages performed. outside the Mormon Church are illegal. No man but a Mormon Priest has any authority from God to bind on earth, hence God has not joined them together,” and Mrs. Jones can leave Mr. Jones, Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Robinson, ditto, and they are at liberty then and there to marry Brigham Young or any “faithful brother” they choose; that all the little Joneses, Smiths and Robinsons are altogether illegitimate until adopted by some “true saint” and thus made “children of God and inheritors of the Kingdom.”

If Mrs. Jarman concludes to stick by Brother Jarman she must see to it that there are other Mrs. Jarmans united to her husband at once, for until that is done the said Jarman is not saved, his children are not heirs, and she herself will receive no resurrection. This is very trying to most wives and mothers, but then this is “The Cross” which they are called upon to take up, and “No Cross, No Crown! “ I ask, what Greater Cross can a true woman be called upon to bear, than to share her husband with dozens, aye, scores of other women?

Having passed this “Fiery ordeal” a man rushed in hurriedly, and proclaimed the joyful news, that the Gospel which had lain dormant 1800 years was now restored to the earth. “The Holy Angel had appeared to Joseph. Smith, and given him the keys of the kingdom and restored the blessings of the Ancient Gospel.” This was called “The Latter-day Dispensation.” The Priests pretended to accept this joyfully, and said it was the very thing they had been hunting for, nothing else having had the power to satisfy them.

They then proceeded to give us the first grip of the “Melchizedek or higher Priesthood,” which is said to be the same Christ held …  We were then made to swear to avenge the blood of Joseph Smith and that of his brother Hyrum on the American Nation, and to teach our children and children’s children eternal enmity toward the United. States Government. The penalty for divulging this grip and oath is disembowelment…

The next, being rather strong, and as I say so much that I myself could not believe had I not witnessed it, I give the next part from Beadels Life in Utah. On page 495, it says:-” The initiates are then ranged in order to listen to a lecture-

“Peter. Brethren and Sisters, light is now come into the world, and the-way is open unto men; Satan hath desired to sift you as wheat, and great shall be his condemnation who rejects this light.-(The ceremony is explained up to this point.)-The holy priesthood is once more established upon earth, in the person of Joseph Smith and his successors. They alone have the power to seal. To this priesthood as unto Christ, all respect is due; obedience implicit, and yielded without a murmur. He who gave life has the right to take it. His representatives the same. You are then to obey all orders of the priesthood, temporal and spiritual, in matters of life or death. Submit yourselves to the higher powers, as a tallowed rag in the hands of God’s priesthood. You are now ready to enter the kingdom of God. Look forth upon the void and tell me what you see.” (Curtain is raised.)

“Adam and Eve. A human skeleton.”

“Peter. Rightly have ye spoken. Behold all that remains of one unfaithful to these holy vows. The earth had no habitation for one so vile-The fowls of the air fed upon his accursed flesh, and the fierce elements consumed the joints and the marrow.”

“Michael. Here all hearts are laid open, all desires revealed, and all traitors are made known. In council of the gods it hath been decreed that here the faithless shall die. Some enter here with evil intent; but none with evil intent go beyond this veil or return alive, if here they practice deceit. If one among you knows aught of treachery in his heart, we charge him now t speak, while yet he may and live. Brethren, an ordeal awaits you. Let the pure have no fear; the false-hearted quake. Each shall pass under the Searching Hand, and the Spirit of the Lord decide for his own.’

“The initiates are placed one by one upon the altar, stretched upon the back, and the officiating priest passes an immense knife or keen-edged razor across their throats. It is understood that if any are false at heart, the Spirit will reveal it to their instant death.”

In the “Argument of Judge Hemingrey before the House Sub-committee on Territories, he says:-The horrible scenes enacted in the Endowment house,’ are graphically described in the book called Wife Number 19 Ann Eliza Young, Brigham’s apostate wife. A portion of these ceremonies now present from page 368 of that work:

“We raise our right hand heavenward, and take the oath of implicit obedience and inviolable secrecy. The women promised entire subjection to their husband’s will; the men that they would take no woman as a wife without the expressed permission of the Priesthood. We all promised that we would never question the commands of our authorities in the church, but would grant them instant obedience. We swore also to entertain an everlasting enmity to the United States Government, and never to reveal the mysteries of the ‘Endowment House.’

“The breaking of this latter oath was to be followed by, the most horrible penalties; torture of the most excruciating kind was to be inflicted upon any one who should disregard this oath-his bowels should be torn from him while he was yet alive; his throat should then be cut from ear to ear; his heart and his tongue cut out; and in the world to come he should inherit eternal damnation. There should be, nor could be, no chance of salvation for him.

“These promised penalties are by no means mere forms of words, given merely to add impressiveness to the ceremony.

“The Blood Atonement’ shows that they are carried out, and hundreds of cases could be cited in addition to those already given, to prove that the Endowment House penalties are by no means dead letters in the Mormon Church law.

“The cutting of every Gentile and Apostate throat, and the sending to hell across lots, ‘that have been so openly and emphatically urged from the stand by Brigham Young and others, is only a public expression of the mysteries of the Endowment Oaths.”

Did I possess “Wife No. 19” I should extract profusely there from with ‘pleasure, for as the Authoress was one of the numerous wives of Brigham Young, she certainly had opportunities of, prying into secrets which I never had. I regret that I failed to secure such a valuable treasure as “Wife No. 19.”

We are now marched into another room designated “The Prayer Circle Room.” The sash and robes that had been put on wrong were now righted. Here we were made to take an oath of obedience to the Mormon Priesthood, which means “The Prophet, Apostles, Bishops, Priests, Elders, Teachers,” and all in authority over us. Just like a private soldier has to obey everyone above him, from a Lance-Corporal to the Commander-in-Chief. We were to obey these “ sacred “ rascals “in all things.” No matter whether we were ordered to cut a child’s throat, or stick a pig, “ WE MUST OBEY AND ASK NO QUESTIONS.” All their sermons point to this “Blind Obedience.” (I have hundreds of them, and if there is room will give some further on).

Now the highest, or Grand Grip of the Melchizedek Priesthood was given.  … The penalty for revealing this oath and grip is to have the heart torn out, cut up in small pieces, and given to the fowl of the air.

We men now form a circle round the altar, link our arms straight across, and placing our hands on each others shoulders. The “High Priest” knelt at the altar, took hold of one of the men’s hands with his left, raised his right hand heavenward, and prayed.

He first prayed in an unknown tongue, and afterwards in English about as near as I can remember as follows, “Oh Lord, avenge now the blood of thy martyred prophet, Joseph Smith on these United States; hasten the day when they shall be United no more, grant that they may fight like Kilkenny Cats, and use each other up so that not one may he left to tell the tale; that thy kingdom established here in the mountains may roll forth and fill these States preparatory to filling the whole world: for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory for ever Amen!”

The Priest told us that the Electric current of prayer passed through that circle, and went straight to Heaven and “moved the arm that moves the world.” Before he-prayed in English he told us the nature of the prayer about to be uttered, and said we must all be united and “will strongly” every word uttered by him, adding if our wills were firmly united with his this unity of will penetrating the whole of us, and him, would pass as an Electric current right up to the throne in heaven. We are cautioned not to be alarmed at the idea of “Electric Prayer” that we live in an advanced age; Science produces wonders with Electricity and why not Electric Prayer?

When anything important is required from above the electric current of prayer is set in motion, and they say this kind of prayer is always answered. This is the kind of prayer offered for President Lincoln, when, after he had abolished Slavery, he sought to extirpate Polygamy. The Endowment House rang with “Oh God curse Lincoln!” and in answer to this prayer we are told God smote Abraham Lincoln and the “ Saints “ rejoiced and gave glory to the God of Heaven for the assassination of that “stinking Abolitionist. They also had a big feast. The people came from all parts of the territory and there was a time of rejoicing such as was never before known there.

(NOTE: LDS church historians maintain that the early Mormons supported Lincoln. The Deseret News Feb. 12, 2009 published this:

“On March 4, 1865, a mile-long parade was held in Salt Lake City to celebrate Lincoln’s re-election. Andersen said that event was significant because it brought all different types of people in the area together, including federal soldiers.

“Five weeks later, an event was held in the unfinished Salt Lake Tabernacle to mourn Lincoln’s death.” [3000 are said to have attended]

On the other hand, there were probably numerous Mormons who didn’t like Lincoln for he signed into law the first of the anti polygamy laws, the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act of 1862.

Many were also probably resentful of him because his party platform lumped he evils of polygamy in with slavery calling them both “the twin relics of barbarism.”

Lincoln agreed to not act against the Mormons if they would support the North over the South during the Civil War.  Here is an interesting account:

“Having signed the Morrill Act, Abraham Lincoln reportedly compared the Mormon Church to a log he had encountered as a farmer that was ‘too hard to split, too wet to burn and too heavy to move, so we plow around it. That’s what I intend to do with the Mormons. You go back and tell Brigham Young that if he will let me alone, I will let him alone.’”

Zion in the courts, Edwin Brown; Mangrum, Richard Collin 2001, University of Illinois Press, p. 139)

Back to the story…

When President Garfield was shot there was. great rejoining among “the Saints.” And during that never-to-be-forgotten period, while Garfield lay between life and death, and while all Christendom prayed earnestly for his recovery, the Mormons put in motion their Electric Battery of Prayer, and prayed that the “puny man” Garfield, who had dared to oppose Polygamy might be cut off from the earth: and now they rejoice and boast that their prayer has been answered, that God does not listen to the false Christians of the world, but only to his true people the Mormons. Missionaries are making use of this as an argument right now, to convince their poor dupes that everything is O. K. in the Mormon kingdom, and this, it will be at once seen, is a powerful argument.

While the “Electric prayer” was going on the women stood outside the-circle of men, with their veils covering their faces, the only time throughout the ceremonies that they did so. The prayer being over, we were all ordered up stairs. This was supposed to mean going up to heaven. On arriving at the top of the stairs we found ourselves in a very peculiar place. Here was a big room partitioned off with a large greasy dishrag or screen. This screen had once been white, but now filthy dirty. It was called “The Vail,” and is said to be in imitation of the veil in Solomon’s Temple. Some Mormons assert that it is the actual one, being preserved from the days of Solomon, and now in the possession of “God’s peculiar people,” the Mormons.

On this veil marks, like those on the “Wedding Garment,” such as the square, co pass, &c., together with various holes for putting the arms, and a hole at top to speak through. It was also rent in twain. This rent was “the way opened up” whereby we could enter through the veil into “The Holy. Holies.” The very holy place was inside of where we stood, and before go through to “ t’other side o’ Jordan,” as the Priest expressed it, we received general outline of instructions, similar to those received down stairs, “down the kitchen,” as the Mormon Bishop remarked. This over, the Priest took me straight up to one of the holes in the veil, where he knocked with a mallet.

voice (Peter’s of course) from the other side, asked “Who’s there? “ Priest answered for me by saying “Adam having been faithful desires enter.” It appears I was now transformed into “Adam.” I was then led where there was two holes in the veil. Here I had to poke both hands arms through and “hug old St. Peter,” who stood on the other side was for the embrace. While hugging this lecherous old humbug there was a strong smell of that Mormon “ Heavenly “ incense commonly called Whiskey. I had to whisper in Peter’s ear my new name. To do this aright I had to put head in at the hole; when I popped my head in the smell of whiskey was enough to knock anybody down. I stood my ground, however, for I was interested in the thing by this time, and was eager to see it through.

Having divulged my New Name to “Saint Peter,” I was now considered ripe for Heavenly Glory, and was permitted to go through the veil into “ Heaven. ‘ I now entered and took a good square look around; I must say I was very much disappointed. The bright notions I had hitherto entertained of Heavenly Glory, first flickered, then vanished; for anything more unlike Heaven I cannot conceive. It was a Hell within a Hell. What it lacked in purity was made up in filth. If I kept a pig and expected to eat the pork, I should not keep the animal in that place.

Here I found the same Dramatis Persona of “ God’s, Holy beings,” &c., that I had seen below, minus “ The, Devil.” Of course, he had been kicked out of this “ Holy “ assembly just before he visited Mrs. Eve, and I noticed it was a different “ Peter “ to what we had down stairs: I asked one of the Priests why that was, he said “we had to put a ‘super’ in Peter’s place because his women where raising hell at home, and he had gone with a good stout rope to cast out devils.”

Not wishing to enjoy this’“ Heavenly Glory” alone, I was informed that if my wife wished to marry me properly now was her chance. “ Eve “ was on the t’other side of Jordan (the veil) instructing her daughters in regard to this I matter. My wife (or “ missus “ I spose up to this time) very prudently concluded to marry the father of her children. The chap who was playing the part of “ Peter, ‘ while the real “ Peter “ was home larruping his wives, said to me, “How many women are you going to hitch on to?”

I replied, “I have two outside the veil, which I brought for that purpose, if they have not changed their minds since they came into this house.”

“Come here and fetch ‘ern in, for here’s where you get spliced for time and for eternity,” says Peter’s super. I said, “ What! are we to be married in Heaven? I thought that in Heaven they neither marry nor are given in marriage! “

“All a pack o nonsense,” replied the “super,” “that’s yer old sectarian foolishness which you’ve fetched with you from wicked Babylon. You must drop all that stuff here. Come git yer women in,” and added, “Tell Jehovah that you feel lonely and desire the companionship of a woman or two to help cheer your weary pilgrimage.” I did so, when Jehovah “ answered, “It is not good for man to be alone, I will make help meets for him.” Then I had to give the super my wife’s worldly maiden name, for notwithstanding we had been married by the English Law–the best Marriage Laws in the World-she was not yet Mrs. Jarman. Besides this “mock Marriage” in England was only till Death us do part.” I should lose her at death and never have her again. Death ends that contract, but now we were to be made one FOR EVER.

I was now taken to the holes where I had previously hugged the Apostle,” and stood just where he had stood. I then called for the woman was about to marry, when she, I had hitherto erroneously called wife, stepped up to the holes, aforesaid, on the outside of the screen, to receive her hugging. Here we stood with the dirty screen between us, Eve was on the outside instructing my “ missus,” and Peter’s super prompting me on the inside.

Our knees were peculiarly placed, the feet also were properly adjusted, and with both arms around each other we were told to “squeeze tight.’ We managed to do a bit of tolerably good squeezing considering the circumstances. First she gave me her maiden name, and to make assurance doubly sure I heard Eve” say, “Give him your New Name, and kiss him through the veil.” This lone, Eve told my wife to repeat after her a most disgusting formula or oath, which moral decency compels me to omit here.

The highest Melchizedek grip was again given, when we released our hold if each other. A “Priestess” or “ Prophetess “ then took my wife to the entrance through which I had been admitted, and rapped as the Priest had done in my case. “ Peter “ (or rather the super) for the real Peter had not ret returned. It takes time to wallop the devils out of eight wives. The super spoke out, “Who’s there? “ The Priestess replied, “Eve having been faithful desires to enter.”

Eve “was accordingly ushered into Heaven.” I then had to go through the same rigmarole to “fetch in t’other woman,” as they said, who was also to become a Mrs. Jarman. Having “gathered in” these two of my “lost ribs” I was directed to take them both to a table at which “The Gods,” the heads of the Mormon Church were seated. Here I had to give first my own name, that of my parents, and place and date of birth. The two women I was about to marry did the same, and all was entered in a large hook or marriage register. A copy of this register was then given me on a slip of paper, and I was directed to take that and the two women into the “Sealing Room,” and give the piece of paper to the officiating priest, who would marry me to both those women according to the “Order of Heaven.” I obeyed orders.

In this “Sealing Room” is the “Marriage Altar. Here we are married for “time and all eternity.” Think of it! it’s serious enough to be bound to a woman for time only, and how many wish they had married on probation. But what is that compared with marrying a wife for all eternity? It would scare most men. But every cloud has a silver lining somewhere, so also in this case. We can console ourselves with the thought that if the thing don’t work right or is not exactly O.K: Smith, the Great High Priest, who is also the Probate Judge, and who prominently officiates in the tying up biz., will untie the knot and divorce us at any time; notwithstanding the fact that he married us for all time, and eternity into the bargain. Then again this fact is very consoling to the men-that at the resurrection – he need not raise up the bad with the good: he has his pick then, and can call up only those of his wives who have been very loving, very faithful, very quiet, &c., &c., &c.

So far as I could learn from this celebrated “Angel,” I should stand at the graves of my forty wives, provided I had so many, and should soliloquize thus: There’s Jane, she was a first-rate wife, and very faithful, I’ll have her up, hence I would bawl out, Jane come forth! and up she’d come. Well, there’s Maria, she was a vixen, I had enough of her during this life, I don’t want any more Maria in mine, she lies there and don’t come up. I then turn to the grave of lovely Susan, she was a darling. Susan arise! Up she comes, bright as a daisy, and so on, with Alice and Angelina, Lucy, Betsy, Bertha, and Bridget, Dora, Dina and Dorothy, Caroline and Catherine, Louisa, Martha, Matilda, Miriam, and Elizabeth; Pauline, Jemima, Priscilla, Rachel and Rebecca; Mabel, Agnes, and Abigal; Isabel, Rosabell, and all the other bells, be they many or few.

Thus I their lord and master, resurrect those wives that have been faithful and obedient to me, while the disobedient and unfaithful are doomed to everlasting oblivion. “You see,” said the “Angel,” continuing his strange theology, “This doctrine makes the women obey their husbands when nothing else will.” Polygamy is a peculiar affair, and it requires strong doctrine to regulate the domestic concerns of plurality; hence we teach that the husband is the only Lord and God the wife will ever know or be answerable to, and that her salvation depends entirely upon her husband, he alone can damn or save her.

Even this don’t keep Polygamic wives from fighting, scratching and hairpulling, and off times when they continue in a disobedient course, the husband has to resort to the means which Bro. Kimball preached, viz:-To cut them off, and send them back to their mother earth. Just like brother Andrews cut off that unfaithful wife of his by cutting her throat, and by such measures being adopted, we can often regulate the family affairs when all other efforts fail.”

With a cunning wink Gabriel tapped me on the shoulder and said, “I tell you what it is brother,” (fancy singing “I want to be an Angel, and with the Angels stand,” here I was an Angel’s brother.) “This doctrine of Polygamy is a queer thing to get along with anyhow.” I confessed that the Singularity of Plurality was a matter I could never understand, to which the Angel replied, “Practice makes all things perfect, even in Polygamy. You must practice plurality, young man, before you can understand its singularities.”

I thought the most fitting prayer for the occasion was “I pray thee have me excused.” But to return to the matter the “Angel” wished to convey when he cast that knowing wink, he said, “sometimes the terrible consequences of polygamy will drive a man into apostasy, then it becomes the duty of the “Destroying Angels” to attend to him as you will learn further on; but sometimes they evade the grasp of our blood atoners, and get away. Now then, this theology of ours teaches that the man being the only Lord and Saviour of the woman, when he leaves our church, the wives must leave him and marry some faithful brother that can save them. Hence you will find women in this territory who have been married to ten or a dozen different men.” I knew a woman that claimed 53 fathers for her three children, but then this is only a small part of the singularities of plurality. It’s a queer thing when you come to.go into it.

Having received such soul stirring and refreshing doctrine from an “Angel,” and anticipating more information such as I could not get, in any of your worldly, sensual, and devilish schools, I was somewhat sorry to find, that all the 40 men and 6o women had by this time got rid of all their sin in the bath tub, and stood before me looking very slick, having each received a coating of oil and the “Wedding Garment.” The women had also put themselves inside their chemise, and we men to match them had to don our shirts; in this condition we were all ushered into a dark room and made to squat higgledy-piggledy upon the bare floor; we were now supposed to represent the Sons of God which sang together at the Creation.

I did not sing, who could sing in the dark and not see what they were singing about? I failed to see the point. Presently there was a sound as of a mighty rushing wind that filled the place; in the dark we could hear considerable mumbling and jumbling; this we were given to understand was the “ Gods “ in conversation. I thought if they had anything to say they might as well speak out. Shortly a voice which we were told was that of “ Elohim “ rang out “Michael go down and gather the elements together and prepare to make a world.’ “ Aye! aye”! responded Michael, “behold it shall be done according to thy word.” Then the sound of footsteps tramp, tramp, tramp, convinced us that Michael was on the march to fulfil the command of “Elohim.”

After fumbling about in the dark awhile, the same footstep was again beard, conveying the idea that Michael having performed the task assigned him was returning from whence he came. When he got back he called out, “All right Elohim, behold all things are done as thou hast commanded.” Michael is thus sent to and fro by Elohim on several errands in connexion with the Creation now supposed to be taking place, and finally when the command is given “Let there be light,” and when “ there was light,” we the unfortunate candidates were in a curious predicament, here we were squatting around looking worse than a group of” Digger Indians,” and right before us stood the “ Gods “ and “Holy Angels.” Here was “ Elohim the boss God,” impersonated by Brigham Young,”

Jehovah “ was represented in the person of a Murderer, who ought at that time to have been dangling at the end of a rope. The “ Messiah “ or “ Christ “ was impersonated by a man with a Glass Eye. “ Michael “ being represented by a thorough “Masher and Smasher” that could captivate and thrash wives to perfection. There were “Gods many” and “Lords many,”-” Angels” and “bright personages” too numerous to mention; I shall describe some of them further on.

Now being in the light we could see as well as hear all that was going on, but I must necessarily omit a great deal of what transpires in this “Holy place.” I pass on to where we find ourselves after the world is completely organized and made ready for the habitation of man. Now “Elohim,” “ Jehovah “ and “ Christ “ say. “Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness, and let him have dominion over all these our works.” Then up jumps “ Adam, “ a fine looking specimen of humanity: he was a stranger to me at the time, but I afterwards found he was as good a man as ever cut a throat or scuttled a ship. Poor Adam looked kind of lonely and forsaken standing there alone, which drew out the sympathy of the “ Gods “ who noticed his forlorn condition.

The result was the “ Gods “ came to the conclusion that it was “not good for man to be alone,” and they decided there and then to make a “help meet for him,” but for some reason we were not permitted to see how the thing was done. Adam was mesmerised on the spot, then we were all told to go to sleep, and being obedient, we stretched ourselves on the floor and began to snore. As we are not supposed to know what takes place during our sleep (though at this particular time I slept with one eye open) my readers must be content to know that we were aroused from our slumber, and, on arising we beheld “Mother Eve” in all her beauty-Venus like, courting her Adonis, or rather Adam, and persuading him to get married, not that she feared a rival or had other choice, but Eve seemed to be on the marry, and looked determined to give Adam no rest until she obtained her “marriage lines.” While Adam and Eve were making such a confounded fuss over each other, we, the candidates for “future glory,” were ushered into another room called the “Garden of Eden.” The walls of this room were painted to imitate shrubbery and trees, the ceiling was .frescoed with numerous stars, while sky and clouds were roughly outlined; there was also large pots containing bushes and shrubs of various sorts to give the place the appearance of a garden; this was “Eden.” Here “Adam and Eve” were married, but the “ Gods “ having made but one woman there was no plurality of wives for Adam. I could not help thinking that surely this was the time and place for Polygamy, if such was necessary at all during any portion of the world’s history, why it was excluded from Eden I have yet to learn. Mormonism is a jumble of blasphemy, tragedy, and burlesque; although I treat some of the subjects in a bantering style, they are nevertheless true. Let the reader, however, here pause for a solemn consideration of the fact that Adam was only furnished with one wife notwithstanding the command, “Be fruitful and multiply.” Aye, and at the Flood only four women went into the Ark-one mate for each, male. According to Mormonism. man, who has degenerated, and cannot be said to posses the pristine vigour of primitive times, is now (after thoasands of years), and contrary moreover to philosophy, physiology, and psychology to have wives ad libitum. Let the dupes of the “ religious “ libertine consider this, and, however some parts of Scripture may be perverted, use only their commonsense. [To continue the Endowment House story]-

“Adam” and “ Eve “ being now man and wife, the “Gods” strictly charge them to be fruitful, and multiply and replenish the earth: after showing the consequence of disobedience, the Gods leave the garden. Adam having got over his honeymoon starts out for a walk by himself, like many a married man in this our day, leaving his dear wife to look after the garden and herself at the same time. No sooner is Eve left alone among the shrubs, when the Devil appears. Yes, dear reader, I have seen the Devil. This being the first time I ever saw his Satanic Majesty, I must describe what he is like.

To select a man to impersonate Satan requires something more than ordinary shrewdness. It is not every man one meets with who is adapted to make a first-class devil. Here we see the craftiness of Brigham Young in choosing Judge Phelps; could any one imagine a more fit and proper person to represent the Devil than a Lawyer,-a sombre Judge.

Brigham always despised the legal fraternity, and would often brand, and define them as a set of devils. I suppose this to be one reason why a Lawyer was selected to play the part of Satan in this Endowment drama. This devil of a Lawyer, or Lawyer-Devil, stands about five foot two and a button-hole-a withered shrivelled up old fogy.

I had always felt a dread of meeting the Devil; there seemed to be so much sulphur, brimstone, and pitchforks connected with him and his trade; and as he was supposed to be carrying on a roasting concern, or a sort of old-fashioned bake-oven on a large scale, I must confess that ray thoughts and ideas of the Devil were anything but refreshing. You may imagine how relieved I felt when standing before that small “wee bit” of a Satan-there he stood-all there was of him. How ridiculous the thought of being afraid of him; any man present could have snapped the life out of him at one pop. But he was of such a very pleasing disposition that no one could entertain the thought of doing him any harm.

When I was introduced to him I shook the old chap’s paw heartily: I wasn’t afraid; no, not I. Why should I? He smiled a sort of Satanic grin: this was performed very poorly; I could have done it better myself; however, I thought it best to make friends with his Devilship in case I may need a situation in his establishment in the future, and as the goodwill of a dog is better than its ill-will; I thought surely the goodwill of the Devil was far preferable to his ill-will; besides I concluded that it was more than possible I may be able to learn a trick or two from him; hence I sought to be on friendly terms with the Devil. As we “ Sir “ everyhody in America, except women, and this particular Devil being of the masculine gender,. I smiled and said, “Good morning, sir, happy to meet you, for I presume you are an American Citizen! “

“You bet yer boots that’s just what I am” he replied.

“Do you exercise the franchise, and vote at elections? “ I ventured to ask.

“Why certainly, and so does all my better  haffs,” he answered.

“What! Are you married?” I asked.

“Oh yes! and a daddy!” said the Devil.

I ventured to remark pleasantly that I had heard him spoken of as “the Father of Lies,” but that there should be a Mother of Lies had never entered my mind till now. He asked, “How can there be a father unless there is a mother?”

To get at what I started in to know I said, “Pray tell me, did Apostle Pratt give a true account of the Fall, &c., in his curious book called “The Seer.”

“Oh dear, Yes!” says the Devil, “Pratt is right, and the Bible and all the God forsaken Ministers are wrong. I can’t help grinning to think how the blind lead the blind. The Garden of Eden was in Jackson County Missouri where Eve “fell flat,” as they call it, and showed her wisdom, by being convinced the forbidden tree was good and pleasant, and a tree to be desired to make one wise and become as Gods. You will see presently how she became convinced, and took of the fruit thereof, so you need ask no more on that point. I’ll guarantee to make it all plain to every God forsaken child of man present before you get out of here.”

The Queen of Sheba’s remark to Solomon, “The half has never been told,” was given to me with “New Light,” too dazzling for these pages. Furthermore Great Salt Lake was fresh water before “Old Mother Lot suicided by steeping herself in it; she was a briny old cuss and made the water devilish salty. That’s why it is called The Great Salt Lake’ to this day. Remember Lot’s wife.”

I asked “Are there infants in Hell a span long, or any unfortunate babies whose parents failed to have them Christened?

“Look you here my friend,” said the Devil (fancy I was now the friend of Satan.) “There is no Hell! except what we get upon earth.”

“But we read of a bottomless pit,” I replied.

“Git out,” says “Satan.” “How can there be a pit without a bottom: besides it also says, it’s full of fire and brimstone. How can a bottomless pit ever get full? Where can you get the brimstone to keep the thing agoing? Brimstone burns out rapidly, and there ain’t enough in the universe to keep the thing running night and day for a month on the stretch, and yet they say the fire is never quenched.’ If the fire is always burning how can it be a place of darkness as they say. Its all humbug, you hear me! Don’t you believe such nonsense my friend.”

Then Satan enquired “How many wives are you going to marry today?

“I answered “Only two.”

Says the Devil “If you don’t get Hell enough out of that two, you can eat me, boots and all.”

I said “Are we not commanded to take more wives than one?”

“Yes,” replied the Devil, “but the hell of it is you are a darned sight too miserly over the thing, take my advice young man and marry at least a dozen, or you’ll have Hell upon Earth with them two. Two is always bound to fight and kick up hell, the one is jealous of ‘tother all the time, and you wont have a minute’s peace: but if you marry a dozen and mind your P’s and Q’s it’ll be a darned sight better for you, and-”

I was vexed to have this interview cut short, I wanted to ask more about these Lucifer matches as they are namesakes of his, and various other matters, but this chat occurring “behind the scenes, between the acts,” the time was up, and the Devil had to proceed to business.

To describe him more fully-he was clothed in a suit of black velvet; on his head he wore a sort of scull cap of the same material; this cap had two large ears which made him look somewhat Devilish, he also wore an apron made of a square of white satin on which was worked in with dark silk floss two large pillars representing the pillars of Solomon’s Temple, and a lot of serpents. He was a tricky customer, and oh, how he could lie! It is no wonder he is termed the “Father of lies “: and as the Mormons have been well trained by the Devil, it is no marvel that they are the greatest liars upon the face of the earth. The Devil is also a great deceiver, and the fact that Mormon Missionaries are well trained by the Devil in Utah is the reason why they manage to deceive so many people in England and other places when they come in search of dupes.

With this description of the Devil I will now describe the part taken by this “ Lucifer “ in the ceremonies which follow. Of course, Eve so pure, so beautiful has to fall, and “no devil no fall,” hence the Devil has a very important part to play in this hellish drama.

Satan, who had been in close proximity peeping through the bushes when “ Jehovah “ commanded Adam and Eve “to be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth,” now finding Eve alone seeks to instruct her in regard to this very important command; for this purpose he steps forward and shaking hands says, “Good morning, Eve, it’s a fine morning, and what a beautiful place you have here!” Looking all around he adds, “what beautiful fruit! “ and going straight to the tree containing the forbidden fruit Satan plucks some, tastes it, pronounces it very good, and offers some to Eve. She, of course, very politely refuses, and gives the reason-it is forbidden. Eve assumes a very maiden-like and innocent touch-me-not attitude.

Then the Devil, with much adroitness, convinces Eve that in order to fulfil the command “Be fruitful,” she must partake of a particular fruit_ I cannot here explain what takes place between Eve and the Devil, these matters are not intended for the “unregenerate,” they are to be “ spiritually discerned.” If you cannot discern I can only help you a little by referring to “The Seer,” vol. t, page 85, par 69 That our first parents would have had no mortal children if they had not partaken of the forbidden fruit, is not only reasonable, but it is clearly revealed in the Book of Mormon. The Prophet Lehi says, If Adam had not transgressed, he would not have fallen. AND THEY WOULD HAVF.HAD NO CHILDREN; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin. Adam fell that men might be; and men are that they may have joy,’ (2 Book of Nephi, 1st chap., page 58.)

“ And in that day the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam, and Adam blessed God and was filled, and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth: blessed be the name of God for my transgression, for in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh shall I see God.

“And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying, were it not for our transgression, WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAD -SEED The capitals in these quotations are as in the book], and should never have known good and evil. And Adam and Eve blessed- the name of God, and they made all things known unto their sons and daughters.”

This is why the sons and daughters of Adam know so much now-a-days. It has been handed down, and the Devil has had a hand in it also, as we learn in the same paragraph from which I have quoted, thus:-” BECAUSE THAT ADAM FELL WE ARE: and by his fall came death, and we are made partakers of misery and woe. Behold Satan hath come among the children of men, and tempteth them to worship him: and men have become carnal, sensual, and devilish, and are shut out from the presence of God.”

It appears from this book also that we have cause to be truly thankful that Eve fell and then managed to seduce Adam, for the prophet Lehi continues; “Therefore I lift up my heart in praise and thanksgiving before the Lord yea, I bless God with all my soul, that our first parents did transgress; for, because of this transgression my spirit has been permitted to come from Heaven and enter a tabernacle of flesh and bones-because of this transgression, I am permitted to know, in this life, good and evil, joy and misery, justice and mercy, love and hatred-because of this transgression, I learn by experience things which I never could have learned in any other way: and but for this transgression the great family of spirits in Heaven would have been disappointed in their anxious longing expectations to receive bodies.” “The Seer, p. 88, see Appendix C. for more of the Seer.

I have conversed with thousands who have been through these ceremonies and from what I learned from them it is very evident that some parts of the performances are varied at times, so that should we attempt to expose them there would be conflicting statements. At one time Satan himself consummates the fall of Eve; at another time Satan only explains matters to Eve, and Adam accomplishes the fall. Sometimes men and women are huddled together entirely nude; at other times partly dressed. Mormon leaders are very tricky, and I have no doubt the ceremonies are varied occasionally. I can only give the facts as I saw and heard them. While they vary in regard to some particulars, they all agree as to the washing and oiling part of it.

“It is quite probable the ceremony is frequently changed,”-” Beadel’s Life in Utah,” p. 492.

It is a matter of surprise among decent people that a woman could be found in this our day and generation to take the character of Eve in such a place, and the question naturally arises, who is she? To answer briefly. She styles herself  “Miss Eliza R. Snow.” That you may form a correct idea of this Miss I will state that I have heard her say in public that when the “Revelation on Polygamy” was first given she immediately married Joseph Smith, while his wife, Mrs. Emma Smith, was still living with her affectionate husband. In fact, this Miss Snow constantly boasts that she was the first to obey the Revelation and to enter into Polygamy.

When Smith died, Miss Snow married the “ Prophet “ Brigham Young, and since the demise of this worthy I understand our Miss has united herself in holy Wedlock to the present “ Prophet “ John Taylor. I have no doubt this latter is correct for she seemed wonderfully “stuck after Prophets.”

She is termed by the “ unwashed “ of Salt Lake the procuress of the Church, as she spends most of the time when not engaged performing “Eve,” in seeking to induce young girls to marry the lecherous old scamps who are ever seeking fresh victims for their filthy Polygamic harems.

Mrs. Smith, on page 45, “Fifteen Years among the Mormons” says:-” Eliza Snow performed the part of Eve more than any other woman. Now at fifty years of age she is even yet very beautiful, and she may be said to perform infamously well.”

Having said this much in regard to Eve, we will again turn to the scenes in “Eden.” The Devil having thoroughly instructed Eve concerning the forbidden fruit and other details concerning the fall, proceeds to show how it is to be accomplished, and having finally adjusted matters the Devil goes off and hides behind a tree to await further developments. At this juncture Adam, who has taken a stroll alone, now returns when Eve plays well the part consigned to her by the Devil. Here, then, we have before us the sad picture of the first fallen woman, who, being created as the “help meet” of the man, helps him to his downfall, and we are informed that “Adam is the first, but not the last man thus drawn aside from the path of virtue by a woman.”

Some think that Adam should have remained firm and not have yielded to Eve. Had they stood with me and witnessed what I did, they would never blame him. Many men fall by “Temptation,” less than Adam’s. I can assure you Adam deserves credit; he stood out like a man, and it seemed doubtful if Eve would succeed in her undertaking so proof was he against all her subtleness. But finally human nature, even in Adam gave way and he fell.

The first chance I got between the acts (for all this is similar to a theatrical drama) I said to “Adam “-” How is it that you, so pure, and before the fall, could allow a poor fallen man like Joseph, to beat you in purity and virtue? “

“Look you here,” says Adam, “If you read that yarn about Joseph carefully, you’ll find he had a coat on at the time of his temptation, which makes a darned sight of difference: ’twas his coat saved him. But, say! “ continued Adam, thinking I was chiding him. “You fetch your Josephs’ in here, and strip ‘ern, and let old Mother Eve git a hold on ‘ern bet six bits,* she’ll hold ’em, they won’t slip away from her.”

Eve fell first, then Adam fell, and just as the fall was completed, we, the candidates for initiation, were supposed to realise the condition of our first parents, when “they knew that they were naked,” and being aroused to our true condition with much shamefacedness (for our eyes were now opened, they were supposed to have been shut up to this time), we dive into our little bundles and get out the “Fig-leaf Apron” wherewith to cover our nakedness. Then there is a fearful commotion in the garden. A loud noise of tramping, and thump, thump, is heard, which is supposed to be the approach of “Jehovah.” Adam and Eve the fallen, are hid in the bushes.

The Devil who has been watching all the proceedings from behind a tree, continues his devilish grins; while “Jehovah” appears, and loudly calls “Adam where art thou?” Adam comes sneaking out from the bushes looking very criminal; Eve follows looking awful sheepish and very pale. Poor Eve, I really felt sympathy for her, she looked like a mother of twins on her way to be churched.

Satan comes forth from his hiding place and the remarkable trio stand confronted by “Jehovah.” Adam was the first to break the silence that ensued; speaking to Jehovah, he said, “I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I wast naked, and I hid myself.” Then Jehovah replied, “Who told thee thou wast naked? Hast thou partaken of the forbidden fruit? “ Adam pushing the blame on his wife as men are apt to do now-adays, answered, “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she got the best of me and I had to give in, it’s no use talking.”

At this, Jehovah turns to the woman and snappishly enquires, “What is this that thou hast done?

“Eve, like her daughters of the present day, was not minus an excuse, she threw the blame on the Devil who had beguiled her. Then “Jehovah’s “wrath Was kindled, and I saw the Devil quiver as he received the cursing. Up to this point Satan had stood erect as a man, but when the words were uttered by “Jehovah,” “Upon thy belly thou shalt go,” the Devil stooped, placing his hands upon the floor, and ran around the place on his hands and feet, like we sometimes see boys when playing monkeys. Satan stopped occasionally to taste his new victuals, the “ dust “ but he did not seem to like it, and cast many a glance at the fruit on the tree with a nod and a wink, which was interpreted to mean that he’d have some when the way was clear.

The woman also came in for a share of “ divine “ vengeance. “In sorrow shalt thou bring forth children,” now rang in her ears; and not only was she to have sorrow where she anticipated so much joy, but the multiplication table was to be lavishly used in her case, “I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception,” were the words now used for her edification. Hitherto she had held the upper hand: she was indeed “the better half.” She could make Adam conform to her ideas and desires, but now her desire was subject to her husband, and she was dismissed with the consoling words: “And he shall rule over thee.” It is this that gives Utah husbands the power they so freely exercise to rule their wives as with a rod of iron.

Adam was let off pretty easily,-he was merely turned into a farm labourer. He had tried his hand at tailoring, but at this he was not a success, his fig leaf apron was a poor specimen of workmanship, besides tailors were in poor demand, for the woolen manufactories had not yet started-in fact there had been no sheep shearing.

The first requirements were husbandmen, especially as there was to be now some weeding to attend to besides the cultivation of the soil. We now file out of the garden, clothed with our fig leaf aprons, and in this “light marching order” costume, we are thrust out of Eden into the cold, cold world. Now we are in a bitter cold room without fire in the depths of winter, the thermometer registering ten degrees below zero. I found there was not much warmth in fig leaves. My apron was of little service, either as a non-conductor of heat, or to keep out the cold. The mercury of our enthusiasm drop’d below zero also.

I had a chat with the “Archangel Michael,” and was surprised to learn from him that he was also Adam our Father and God; that after the war in Heaven, having beaten the Devil he came upon this earth as Adam. He was the first spirit to enter a fleshly tabernacle. The earth had been formed just prior to this “Holy War” and as there is no hell, the Devil and his Angels, when thrust out of Heaven made a bee-line for America, and landed in Missouri where the Garden of Eden was situated. He said get “The Seer” and read page so and 51, that will give the straight of it. I did so and straightway got the “straight of it” thus. “In the revelations which God gave through Joseph Smith the Prophet, we are informed that Adam was Michael, that the war in Heaven had ended before Michael left Heaven, and entered a body of flesh and bones under the name of Adam.”

The glass-eyed “ Messiah “ came to me picking his teeth, and said that He, Elohim and Jehovah had just been having a nice snack of the cold chicken and ham in my lunch basket, and told me where to find the empty basket. I tried to draw him out on matters spiritual, but he was too worldly-minded. He had heard that I possessed some cash, and as he owned some saw mills, he wanted to strike up a partnership. But having heard of him as “the one-eyed pirate” I was on the look out, and though he was playing “ Messiah “ I was up to his trick and no bargain was struck.

This was between the acts of the expulsion from the garden, after the fall, and the next act where we are “clothed upon with our holy garments,” or in plain English before we donned our togs, I should think about one o’clock, but my watch was in my vest pocket, and I had not seen my clothes since I stripped six hours before, and of course there were no clocks or watches in “Eden.”

Just as we were concluding that we had better freeze to death and thus wind up the ceremony, “ Jehovah “ appeared, seemingly in a much better mood than when we last saw him in the garden. He had been out helping himself to the cold chicken and ham in my lunch basket, and having refreshed himself, felt better. He deeply sympathized with us in our shivering condition and in the new mile of tailor, dressmaker and outfitter, promised to make “coats of skins” for every man and woman in the place.

We were now ordered to untie our bundles, the Priest who gave the orders sublimely saying, “Fetch out yer duds; “ this was the signal to don our “Endowment Robes.” There was considerable fumbling in the operation, the sash being purposely put on wrong to necessitate a change again at another part of the ceremony. We were now cautioned that if any of us ever attempted to reveal what we saw and heard in the “ House “ our memories would be blighted, and we should be everlastingly damned, for these “ Holy” matters must not be mentioned after leaving the “Sacred Place.” Hence, I suppose my damnation is secure, but how far my memory has been blighted my readers can judge for themselves.

I must not forget to notice the emblems one finds -connected with this matter; my blighted memory shall only fail me in matters too indecent to publish-these I must forget. On the right breast of the “Wedding Garment” we have the “Square,” and on the left the “Compass.” There is also a small hole in the centre, and on the knee a large hole called the “stone.” I once took this “ garment “ to a Chinaman to ascertain what that heathen would think of it. John carefully scrutinized it all over, especially in the middle, where he thought I had joined drawers and vest together to cheat him of one piece in the wash bill; then pointing to the “square,” the Chinaman said, “You no good mason, you try cheat me one. No go. Shirt and drawers all-same two pieces.”

I failed to convince the heathen that it was but one garment, the pattern of which had been revealed from Heaven. He made me pay for two pieces. I have been asked, “is the Devil a Freemason? “ I give it up, don’t know; he said he was, but he lies so who can believe him? But this I know, I have seen the Devil wear an apron similar to that worn by freemasons. It contained the pillars of Solomon’s Temple, which are used so. much in Masonic emblems, but as we are coming to the grips, signs, etc., the fraternity will discover much that is “ emblematic ‘ as we proceed.

The first Mormon Prophet was a “Mason,” so was Brigham Young. General Beadel, in his “Life in Utah,” p. 499, says:-” The Mormons all became Masons. Joseph Smith out-masoned Solomon himself, and declared that God had revealed to him a great key-word which had been lost, and that he would lead Masonry to far higher degrees, and not long after their Charter was revoked by the Grand Lodge. How much of Masonry proper has survived, in the Endowment, the writer will not pretend to say; but the Mormons are pleased to have the outside world connect the two, and convey the impression that this is ‘Celestial Masonry.’“

Knowing this I was not much surprised to find Masonic emblems in the room, such as “The Compass, Square, Level, and Plumb-bob.” To convince the Masonic Fraternity of the truth of this, I quote from page 48 of “Fifteen years among the Mormons,” by Mrs. Mary E. V. Smith, where she says:- “ Certain marks were cut with a small pair of scissors, besides others, the Masonic square and compass, upon the right and left breast of our garments, and upon the right knee, a gash, deep enough to make a scar, by which we were to be recognized as Mormons. It was a noticeable feature that the outside show of some of the regalia and furniture connected with these “ Endowments “ were made to conform with those of Masonry; and Mormons are anxious to have the ‘ Gentiles ‘ associate all they know of these beastly ‘.Endowments’ with Masonry, or as being a modified form of it, made eligible to women, as a blind to cover the real objects of this Institution.’

Note from JJ. This should be particularly interesting to those who are familiar with the current temple ceremony.  Apparently there were significantly different ceremonies and procedures in the early days.

There are other features very amusing, which show that the dear men often get in for it, but as I give a chapter on “He and She Devils “-Raising the Devil,” &c., further on, just to show what you may expect I give one wee bit here from a paper published in Salt Lake City-” The Salt Lake Tribune.-

“One of the Saints who took unto himself recently a second wife has been brought to law by the first. On the morning after the nuptials had been celebrated, the newly-married couple were rather late rising. Wife No. 1 went up about 10 o’clock, and finding the couple still in bed took a rope and larruped the two soundly, with the remark to her lord and master, “I’ll learn you to stay in bed until after 10 o’clock when you have business to attend to.”

“Tis not restraint or liberty that makes men Prisoners or Free. Hudibras.

Nature has not provided for polygamy in the United States. The census report for 1880 shows that there are a million males in excess of females in that country. If the ” Revelation “that one man should marry 20 or 100 wives is to be adhered to, where are the women to come from? As it is for every 25 men, one is left out in the cold, with “no one to love, none to caress,’ -doomed to be an old bachelor. Polygamy could not be kept up, were it not that Mormon Missionaries drag so many girls to Utah from the manufacturing towns of England, Scotland, and Wales, and the British Government should arrest these scamps who come here to make white slaves Of our English girls, -and to procure inmates for their filthy harems.

I shall give a chapter of horrors in regard to the brutal and murderous practices of polygamy further on, here I pass over tragedy, and merely relate one case. To show this in a proper light, I will introduce a paragraph of Apostle Kimball’s sermon preached at Salt Lake. “What power has any one of my wives to act independently; she has not a particle of power. She must act in connection with me as the limb acts in connection with the tree from which it springs. If not she is a dead limb; will they ever come to life again after they are dead? No! They must be cut off and thrown back into the earth to return to their mother element.” [Journal of Discourses, vol. 6, p. 67]. The case I give is that of a Mormon who had ten wives. One of them disobeyed him, or in the words of the sermon quoted, “acted independently of him.” Her lord and master sharpened his razor; then taking this wife upon his knee he lovingly kissed her, and then cut her throat from ear to ear, and held her till she expired. He afterwards dug a grave in his garden, and consigned her to mother earth “to return to her mother element.” This man still lives in Utah, with his other nine wives, and no law reaches him. On page 469 of “The Rocky Mountain Saints” is the following:-

“KISSED HER AND CUT HER THROAT.?

“One of the wives of a Polygamist was unfaithful during his absence when he was on a mission. On his return, the ” Reformation ‘ was in full blast, and the unhappy wife believed that, from this faux pas she was doomed to lose her claim to motherhood over the children which she had already borne; that she would be cast aside in eternity as well as in time, by her husband; that, in fact, she would only be an angel, and with the angels stand; and that she could not reach the circle of the gods and goddesses unless her blood was shed. She consented to meet the penalty of her error, and while her heart ‘ was gushing with affection for her husband and her children, and her mind absorbed with faith in the doctrine of human sacrifice, she seated herself upon her husband’s knee, and after the warmest and most endearing embrace she-had ever known-it was to be her last-when the warmth of his lips still lingered about- her glowing cheek, with his own right hand he calmly cut her throat and sent her spirit to the keeping of the gods. That kind and loving. husband still lives near Salt Lake City, and preaches occasionally with great zeal. He seems happy enough.” [See Chapter of Horrors for more.]

Polygamy produces curious consanguinity. A man married a widow and two of her daughters. Shortly after he married another of his wife’s daughters, who had also been left a widow with three girls, and when these girls grew up he married these three stepdaughters also, so as to keep them in the family. This man was, therefore, the husband of grandmother, mother, daughter, grandaughters, and step daughters. In addition to this he married two of his nieces, and to cap the climax, married his half sister, and they all bear him children. Now what relation do these children bear to each other? and what is the relative position of the father in this case? Figure it up, and you will find that this man is his own uncle and stepson, and if you trace further you will discover that this very individual is his own grandfather.

The creed and practice of the ‘Saints” in Utah differs vastly from the Mormon Missionaries’ statements in England. There were about 3,000 dupes gathered there at the time I was. It must not be said that I was the only fool in Great Britain, or the only one here who could possibly be duped and “roped in” by these Mormon Missionary scamps; I wish it were so, but the ‘ facts show otherwise.

On the Sunday we, 3,000 “Greenhorns” as they term fresh arrivals from Europe, went to the Tabernacle.  Apostle ” Pratt preached for our edification as follows:-

“I want to talk to the new comers, and let me tell you plainly, you have come from Babylon-the churches or Christendom-but you might as well remained in your Baptist, Methodist, and other Churches, unless you fulfill the whole counsel of God and go into Polygamy. No man can be saved unless he has at least two wives. You can’t get into Heaven lop-sided like a crab, with one woman pulling you down on one arm; you must be evenly balanced with a wife on each arm, then you can get into Heaven but not else. If you have a dozen or so hanging on to your coat tails, all the better: the more wives the more glory you will have, but if you stick to the one wife and refuse to take others, I tell you every one of you will be damned, and any woman who refuses to give her husband another wife will be eternally damned. Utah expects every man this day to do his duty, and take all the wives possible. Any wife found raising objections to this shall be destroyed, for thus saith the Lord in his Revelation commanding Polygamy.”

This was the kind of preaching we all had to listen to.

Deseret News,” October 1, 1856.

” Apostle ” Grant, in the Salt Lake Bowery, September, 1856, uttered the following:

“We have women here who like anything but the Celestial Law of God, and if they could break asunder the cable of the Church of Christ, (Polygamy) there is scarcely a mother in Israel but would do it this day. And they talk it to their husbands, to their daughters, and to their neighbours, and they say they have not seen a week’s happiness since they became aquatinted with that law, or since their husbands took a second wife.”

“A JOHN BULL YANKEE,” BOSS DEVIL OF “HELL UPON EARTH.”

At Brigham Young’s death, seven years ago, the World said, “Mormonism will fall to pieces,” but today it is stronger than ever. The fact is people know very little about it. A greater than Brigham exists. John Taylor, the present Prophet, a Church of England man, from Manchester, understands Church and State and kingdom affairs, much better than Brigham did. Americans admit that English, or “John Bull Yankees,” as they call them, beat the Natives. The Prophet Taylor knows well how to instruct his Missionaries in the art of seducing Britishers; and having himself been a missionary and lied like the Devil, he makes a first-class Boss Devil in this “Hell upon Earth.” In France, at a public debate, he denied Polygamy, although at the same time he had five wives at home. On page 8 of “Three Nights public discussion at Boulogne-sur-mer,” published in Liverpool by the same John Taylor, I find the following:-

“We are accused here of polygamy and actions the most indelicate, obscene, and disgusting, such as none but a corrupt and depraved heart could have contrived. These things were too outrageous to admit of belief; therefore leaving the sisters of the white veil,’ the black veil,’ and all the other ‘veils’ with those gentlemen to dispose of, together with their authors, as they think best, I shall content myself with reading our views of chastity and marriage, from a work published by us containing some of our articles of faith, ‘Doctrine and Covenants,’ page 330.” Inasmuch as this Church of Jesus Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication and polygamy, we declare that we believe that one man should have but one wife, and one woman but one husband, except in case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again.,”

The “High Priest” Journalist, on page 193 of “The Rocky Mountain Saints,” says:- “At the very time that Brother Taylor’ read these pages in Boulogne-sur-mer, he had himself, living in Salt Lake City, five wives: one of his two companions who likewise testified during the discussion, had also two wives there; and the other companion had likewise two wives in the persons of a mother and her own daughter!

Taylor also read:-” We believe that it is not right to prohibit members of this Church from marrying out of the Church.” To show that Taylor preached one thing and practiced another, “I quote from “Fifteen Years among the Mormons,” by Mrs. Mary Ettie V. Smith:- (Available free at Googlebooks)

“When Col. Steptoes’ regiment halted a short time in Salt Lake City on its way to California, she says:-” One of the officers formed an acquaintance with a daughter of John Taylor-Mary Ann. She was a very interesting girl; and the intimacy ripened into a mutual attachment. Her father is one of the Twelve Apostles (now Prophet), and a man of great influence in the Church, and at the time edited a paper in New York known as the Mormon. She succeeded in getting married. This was a termination more fortunate than she could have expected had the father been at home. For when he heard of it, he wrote to the Prophet blaming him very severely for not preventing the marriage by the sacrifice of her life. He wrote that he should always feel dissatisfied because the blood of his daughter had not been shed to atone for the sin of marrying out of the Church.” This work is published by Belknap and I Bliss Hartford, Con., U.S., 1870.

If you want the nightmare, or your hair to stand on end, get Mrs. Smith’s book. I give her affidavit and what else I can in future chapters, but my quotations must be brief.       .

THE “ENDOWMENT HOUSE,” ITS SECRETS AND FREEMASONRY-

THE DEVILS’ PINAFORE-WEDDINGS IN HELL.

Having heard so much about the “Endowment House” I had a great desire to go through and see what it really was. Mormon leaders will not allow converts to enter that ” Holy ” place until tried and found faithful, which sometimes take years. I managed to get my necessary papers, which are required to gain admission, four months after I arrived at Salt Lake. Here I was to see Gods, Angels, the Devil, Gabriel, Michael, Peter, James, and John, and learn from them my whole duty as a man and a brother.

It may be termed the Secret Lodge of Mormonism, where candidates for future glory are initiated into the “Mysteries of the Kingdom.” The Saints in England are assured that in this House they will meet Jehovah and “learn the ways of the Lord more perfectly.” It is held up to us as “a very sacred place.” They disclose no more than Free Masons, and other kindred societies before initiating a candidate; it is all mystery till we get in, and then it’s too late to get out with clean hands and a pure heart. No man or woman can possibly go through that sink-hole of iniquity without becoming totally oiled and very much soiled.

I will tell all that I can with decency, and as this book will not be sold in a sealed envelope, or be given to the public as obscene literature, I am compelled to omit very much that I would like to have an opportunity to whisper in men’s ears. Those gentlemen who have heard my private lecture to men only, are better posted in the things transpiring in that ” sacred ” place. To give a faint idea of what it is like, I quote from a work written by a lady who passed through it. On page 50 of “Fifteen years among the Mormons,” Mrs. Smith says:-

“Now in conclusion of my disclosures upon this ‘Endowment’ subject, associated as it is with hateful memories of that peculiar kind, most distasteful to the recollection of a pure woman, I deem it my duty in compensation for what I have felt compelled to omit, especially of that never-to-be-forgotten scene in the Garden of Eden,’ to state that the ‘moral’ and object of the whole is, socially to unsex the sexes … and when I call the attention of the reader to the fact that while I have described the dress of all the parties to this inhuman display and ocular demonstration, I have not mentioned the dress of Adam and Eve,’ nor the nature of the FRUIT by which each was in turn tempted; I think, he will admit, that while I have said enough I have also left more unsaid than the imagination, held with the loosest possible rein, would be likely to picture; and I have only to add, that the reality is too monstrous for human belief.” See Mrs. Smith’s Affidavit, &c., Appendix D.

I coincide with her publisher, who adds this foot-note:-” It would scam to be a misfortune that a false estimate of propriety should be allowed to interpose a barrier against the exposure of these Mormon debaucheries.”

Mormon Leaders defy Apostates to tell it, and well they may. The indecencies, oaths, and penalties effectually bar its exposure in most instances; many have attempted it and checked themselves suddenly, just where they should go ahead. Not that I blame them. Life is dear to most people, and these attempts at exposure were made in America, within reach of Mormon “Destroying Angels.” General Beadel, in his work “Life in Utah,” page 500, says:-

“Apostates universally have a horror or fear of speaking about it, and never do until they are safe beyond the power of the Church.” I am 7,000. miles away, and can snap my finger at all the Mormon infernal devils, so fond of cutting throats and sending people “to Hell across lots.” Moral decency and a great desire to have this book pass through the Post, is all that checks me from giving a complete exposure, and every word used in that Hell within a Hell. I give all that anyone can possibly give in public, and much more than has ever before been given. Men can learn more at my private lectures..

“H. Jenson, the Apostate Mormon who was threatened with blood atonement for revealing the Endowment House Oaths, died on Sunday at Brigham City, Utah.”-Salt Lake Tribune.

The secret place of initiation into Mormon mysteries is called the “Endowment House,” where we are said to receive our “Endowments.”

It takes nine hours to go through all the rites and ceremonies, grips, signs, oaths, covenants, obligations, and filthiness. We enter the Endowment House at 7 a.m., taking with us a well-filled lunch basket, and a bottle or more of olive oil. If a man is to take one wife, two bottles of oil are sufficient, but should he be matrimonially inclined, and is about to take unto himself two wives at the same time, he must have three bottles of oil, and so on, adding another bottle for each additional wife.

It takes a pint of the best oil to slide each individual through these ceremonies. At the time I went through and received my “Endowments” there accompanied me some forty men and sixty women who were fellow candidates for the same “Blessing.” Each person, in addition to the lunch and oil, has also a little bundle; the man’s bundle contains a clean white shirt, a pair of white socks, the “Holy Endowment” or “Wedding Garment,” a white linen robe, or loose gown-somewhat after the style of the ancient eastern costume, and a linen sash, a turban or cap, also of white linen, and the “fig leaf apron; ” this is made of a square of green silk, upon which is worked with brown floss nine fig leaves.

These articles, together with a pair of white linen moccasins form the contents of each man’s bundle. Pardon me for peeping into the woman’s “little bundle,” but being of a curious and sort of “Paul Pry” disposition, I must take the consequence. The “Daughters of Zion” not only slide into the kingdom a la olive oil, but a certain paraphernalia of dress is also requisite to complete the modes operandi. In the female’s bundle we find such interesting articles as a chemise, purely white and clean, a snow white bed gown, a pair of white stockings, garters with the motto “Boni soit qui mal y pense ‘ omitted, a sort of night cap (white of course) with a huge veil; this veil is used but once to cover the face, although it is very badly needed for that purpose during the disgusting ceremonies.

There is also a large flowing linen robe, a sash, a pair of white linen moccasins, the “fig leaf apron” of the same material and description as the men’s, and likewise the “Endowment,” or “Wedding Garment.” Much importance is attached to this article of apparel, and we are here reminded of the man who got into the feast without the Wedding Garment; and we are given to understand by the Priests that should any of us happen to get in without this garment, we shall be “kicked out.”

I cannot better describe this garment than by saying it is under shirt and drawers in one. If my readers wish to possess a “Wedding Garment” just take a pair of drawers and a vest or undershirt; stitch them together making one garment of the twain and you have it, only be sure to cut off the buttons and sew up the button holes and put tape strings in their places for tying instead of buttoning, for buttons and button holes are patterning after the ” Gentiles ” and considered -very worldly: there’s nothing ” Heavenly ” about buttons and button holes.

We are cautioned never to be found outside of this “Holy Garment.” It must ever after be worn next to the skin, for with this garment on we are told it’s impossible for the Devil to enter one’s body, if we are in a building on fire without means of escape, this Garment will keep us from burning, we shall pass through the fire like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, with our hair singed and no smell of fire upon us; so you see it’s a complete fire escape. Then again if shipwrecked and no lifeboat handy this Garment becomes a swimming apparatus which beats Paul Boyton’s: we cannot sink. It is a wonder to me that no “Yankee” has yet patented the thing. Think of it; here we have a Garment warranted Devil-proof, fireproof, waterproof, and what not, and the patent not applied for yet. What a chance for some enterprising Yankee. So careful are the ” Saints ” never to be without this garment, that when changing the soiled for a clean one, they first pull off a sleeve of the dirty one and immediately slip the arm (bare but an instant) into the sleeve of the clean garment; then the corresponding leg is slipped off and replaced at once within the leg of the clean, and so on, till finally the whole garment is changed.

Having thus described the contents of the “little bundles,” I will merely say in passing, the lunch we take with us is for the ” Priests ” that minister before the ” Lord ” in that “Holy Place.” We get none of this, we get meat to eat the world knows not of, strong meat at that. What we get in the Endowment House” can in no way be termed “milk for babes,” Oh no! we are supposed to have grown by this time to the stature of full men and full women in the Lord; in fact before entering we obtain from the Bishop a Certificate that we are strong enough in the faith to endure the scorchings and searchings, the fire and awful grandeur of this sublime place. This Certificate also states that the holder thereof is in good standing in the “Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day-Saints “-has paid up his tithing and is in every particular worthy to receive his or her “Endowments.” If a man intends to marry two or more wives at this particular time the certificate states that he is worthy and recommends that he be allowed the “privilege.”

On entering the “Endowment House” we present the Certificate to the officiating Priest, who examines it and, if found correct, enters the same in a book kept for that purpose; the name, place and date of birth, and the Parents’ name of the person presenting the certificate are also entered. We hand over to the Priest the lunch and the olive oil, keeping the little bundle ourselves. When all the Certificates and names are duly registered and the house is full, we are ushered into another room called the bath room and ordered to disrobe; 40 men and 60 women had now to get rid of their vast sins by means of a bath. A Mormon “Order of the Bath.” I saw at a glance that the first in the tub would get the cleanest bath, for many of my brethren showed unmistakable signs of having neglected their ablutions for a very long time past, hence I preferred to take my bath before; rather than after them, and being quick at undressing I was the first to spring into the bath tub.

Here the High Priest stood ready to manipulate. He began by scratching into the roots of my hair like a barber shampooing a man, and as he kept scratching away he said Bro. J.-by this process I now wash away all the unholy thoughts that have previously occupied your mind, at the same time passing his hands over my forehead. He then washed my eyes thoroughly saying, “I now wash away all that you have ever beheld of iniquity.” My mouth received a cleansing and was rinsed out with cold water, The Priest said “I now cleanse you from all the evil you have ever said,” thus all the naughty words I had uttered, and all the little and big lies I had told up to this time were washed away.

My ears next received attention, and all the evil and sin I had heard was cleansed. My hands received a complete washing, so that if I had helped myself to anything that did not belong to me, or had given anyone a blackened eye, or any and every sin my hands had committed was also washed away. My arms, breast, in short away down through the whole body every part was carefully attended to right down to the soles of the feet, so that if my feet had been swift to do evil those sins were also removed; in fact I was pronounced “clean every whit.”

Having been thus cleansed from all my sins I was shoved over to another Priest, the Priest who had washed me bawled out ” Next ” as he gave me a push, and another victim took my place at the same bath tub, and in the same water that contained all my sin. The Priest I was so unceremoniously pushed toward was the ” Aaronic Priest Called of God as was Aaron.” It was this individual’s prerogative to attend to the ” Anointing ” business; he took my bottle of olive oil and poured the whole pint into an old cow’s horn, called the “Holy Horn of Anointing.” First of all he poured Oil on my head “that ran down upon the beard, even down to the skirts of”-here the quotation fails for we had no garments on; however it ran down to the toe nails, then the Priest vigorously scratched the oil into the roots of my hair like a barber when he uses bay rum after a good shampoo.

Now says the Priest “I anoint your head so that for the future nothing but holy thoughts shall occupy your mind, your eyes that you may turn them away from beholding of vanity or evil, your mouth that you may always speak the words of truth and righteousness,” and so he kept on rubbing in the oil at every part, and mumbling nonsense right down to the tips of the toes and soles of the feet. I was thoroughly greased, oiled all over. I felt just then that I certainly was a slippery customer; this oil is supposed to remain upon the person as-” The Holy Oil of the Anointing,” but its stay on me was of short duration “you bet,” for I found no rest until a hot bath removed all that ” Holy ” or rather oily stuff.

Talking with a good Mormon ” Saint ” whose presence I did not like, especially in hot weather, he told me that he was oil’d 25 years ago and the consecrated stuff was still on him, for he had not taken a bath since. My apostasy was attributed to the fact that I had washed off the consecrated oil, so that the sacred influence refused to stick to me. In addition to the sin of divesting myself of all oily substances, I also found the “Wedding Garment” most uncomfortable to wear, and having to sleep with the thing on, my rest was so much disturbed, I concluded to leave it off. Thus the Devil got possession of my body again and entered in, “And the last state of this man was worse than the first,” at least, so say the Mormons. After being oiled, I had to put on the “Wedding Garment,” but how to get into it was a caution, I suppose I never should have got the thing outside of me had not the Priest very materially assisted in the-operation; having got the sacred rags on (for I had split the concern in making the rash attempt) the Priest whispered in my ear the “New name, which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it.”

He first ascertained that my Christian name was William, and then gave me the name of “James.” All the names are either John, Peter, James, David, Solomon, Abraham, or such like; there are no surnames given in the “Endowment House.” This new name must never be divulged only to St. Peter. (Dear reader, don’t tell him I told you or I shall “catch it.” It’s between you and I, you know). ‘

At this juncture I was introduced to the “Angel Gabriel.” I shook hands cordially with his Angelic Majesty, but being unaccustomed to meeting angels I was somewhat embarrassed, and knew not what to say; however, I summoned up courage to remark, “happy to meet you Mr. Gabriel, its a fine day ai’nt it,” forgetting that angels usually live so far above the clouds that they are unaffected by atmospheric influences.

I also ventured to say that I had expected to have heard him blow his trumpet before having the pleasure of his acquaintance. He smiled, and this relieved me, for I had expected to find angels very grave and solemn, but here was an angel that could actually laugh. I began to feel at home with him, and thinking that he knew something about future and eternal affairs, I proceeded “to draw him out,” and gained considerable information in regard to the resurrection and other matters, for at this point of the proceedings we, who had been washed and oiled, had to wait while the rest of the men and women received similar treatment, for be it remembered that all sin must be washed away from the candidates in the manner described, and the Holy Oil must be applied to each person before we are considered fit to associate with the ” Angels ” and the “Gods,” to whom we are introduced afterward.

The women undergo the same process as the men, only that it takes a little extra effort to extract sin from a woman, she being so full of the Devil; and possessed of very many devils, it takes some scrubbing and washing to thoroughly cleanse a woman, judging from the splashing and splurging-the giggling and chattering-it seemed the women were highly delighted at the way and manner in which they were getting rid of their sins. Women also receive a new name. Sarah being a pet name, whose daughters they are so long as they consent to give their lords a concubine, and obey their Abrahams as Sarah of old did. The women’s new names are taken from those of the women of Scripture. This difference is observed in regard to the new name of the man and that of the woman-while the former reveals his name to no one but Peter.

The latter must reveal hers to her husband. I asked the “Angel Gabriel” why this difference? and received from him this choice piece of theology. “You see” said the “Angel,” “Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression; she gave way to the Devil in Eden when she had no business to, and then she coaxed and wheedled around ‘ her old man Adam, until he yielded to her. He did not yield to Satan only inasmuch as the Devil was in Eve. Now the woman having given way to Satan, it will never do to entrust her with Salvation, for she would give it over to the Devil in five minutes; the husband holds the wife’s Salvation, and has power to raise her up at the resurrection.”

Interrupting, I asked what became of the spinsters and old maids? “Gabriel “laughed heartily this time, and said, “When they die their spirits are shoved into prison with the spirits of all the old bachelors, and that’s hell enough for both parties; there the Gospel of Matrimony is preached unto them and if they get over their prejudice and join in wedlock, they are let out of jail and go straight into glory.” Here the ” Angel ” paused, then said “let me see we had got so far as the resurrection; now don’t you see that it is very important that a man should have the power to resurrect his own wives. It will not be as you have supposed, that I shall toot my horn and wake ’em up, oh no 1: it’s not my business to wake up the women. At the resurrection I shall only call forth the men; for instance, take your own case, supposing you marry forty wives, perhaps several of them will have perplexed or bothered you so much in this life that you won’t want to be troubled by them in the next world; no one would know better than yourself who to resurrect out of the lot. It will be my duty to call you up, there you will stand at the graves of your forty wives and you will then call forth those you wish. The remainder will sleep on in their graves, and never see the light of eternity. Not one woman’s name is found in the Book of Life.”