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fornications, licentiousness, all unlaw. | weeping, and wailing, and gnashing

ful connections, all uncleanness, all of teeth. fleshly lusts, all unvirtuous and unholy From the foregoing quotations and desires, and from all lustful thoughts remarks, it will be seen, that the and carnal affections; for we have Latter Day Saints have stricter no. been faithfully warned, again and tions of virtue, and consider themagain, by the voice of that great pro- selves under greater obligations to phet and revelator, Joseph Smith; refrain, not only from unvirtuous acts, we have been warned by the voice but from unvirtuous thoughts, than of inspiration-by the voice of an any other people under Heaven. gels-by the voice of the ancient But do the Saints actually demonstrate prophets of America, speaking as it by their practices, that they believe were from the dead through the me- what the Lord has taught them upon dium of their ancient records-we these subjects? Do they practice have been warned by the voice of virtue, as well as deliver the precepts God, threatening us with destruction, thereof? We answer, let the prac and with the miseries of the second tices of the thirty thousand Saints in death, if we do not keep ourselves Utah, speak; let strangers who have entirely free and pure from all these travelled through our flourishing tersinful soul-destroying lusts. If we ritory, declare; let the records of the reject so great warnings, and sin courts of justice bear witness; let against so great light, how can we the injured females, if there be any, obtain forgiveness, or escape the whose character and reputation have damnation of hell? The Lord our been destroyed by the vile seducer, God is a holy and just God-faithful publish their wrongs; let illegitimate and true in all His words, and will children, if Utah affords them, come in nowise vary from that which He forth as a public monument of our hath said; for judgment goeth before disgrace; if a house of ill fame can His face, and justice and righteous- be found throughout the length and ness is the habitation of His throne! breadth of our territory, then let the O ye Saints of the last days, do you Saints hide their faces in shame, and realize the fearful-the infinitely im. the sons and daughters of Utah blush portant the eternal responsibilities before the Heavens; if an adulterer which rest upon you, to watch over or seducer of female virtue, can be yourselves, your children, and all found in all that land, then let the eld who are placed under your charge? ers be clad in sackcloth, and the Saints Do you realize that your condemna. put on the garments of mourning, and tion and punishment will be in pro-weep before the Lord, day and night, portion to the light and knowledge until the evil be taken from their midst. against which you sin? If you fully But have not some of the Saints understand and appreciate the warn- in Utah more wives than one? Yes: ings which you have received, happy and they take good care of them too; are you, if you give heed and obey and teach them and their children the the voice of the Lord your God, for great principles of virtue and holiness great shall be your reward, and eter. by example as well as by precept. nal shall be your glory. But if any But is it not sinful, for a man to have among you harden their hearts, and more than one wife living at the same yield themselves unto the wicked time? If it is, the Bible has not told lusts of their flesh, and suffer them- us of it. But is it not contrary to the selves to be defiled by cherishing in christian religion? If it is, the christheir minds unvirtuous thoughts and tian religion has not revealed it as an unholy desires, they shall speedily evil. But do you not really think that be visited by sore judgments, and it is contrary to the will of God for a their names shall be blotted out from man, in these days, to take a plurality under heaven, and they shall be of wives? Yes, unless God shall thrust down to hell, where there is give them to him by a revelation

Do you believe that the Book of Mormon is a divine revelation ? We do. Does that book teach the doctrine of plurality of wives? It does not. Does the Lord in that book for.

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through a holy prophet. Is it not He would have them practice differcontrary to the Constitution and laws ently from what He had previously of the United States for the the cit- taught them, it must be by his comizens of Utah to practicethe plural-mand. It reads as follows: "For if ity of wives? No; neither the Con. I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise stitution nor the laws of the United up seed unto me, I will command my States, have said anything on the sub- people; otherwise, they shall hearken ject of marriage or domestic relations unto these things." Thus we see, But is it not contrary to the laws of that a man among the Nephites, by the Territory? No; the Legislature the law of God, had no right to take of that Territory do not feel disposed more than one wife, unless the Lord to debar her citizens of any blessings should command for the purpose of or privileges, enjoyed under the san-raising up seed unto Himself. Withction of the Almighty, by holy pro- out such a command, they were strictphets and patriarchs of old. ly limited to the one wife doctrine: "otherwise," says the Lord, "they shall hearken unto these things; that is, without an express command, they should hearken to the law, limiting them to one wife. So it is in this church bid the plurality doctrine? He forbid of Latter Day Saints, every man is the ancient Nephites to have any strictly limited to one wife, unless the more than one wife. What does the Lord, through the President and ProBook of Mormon say on this subject? | phet of the Church, gives a revela. It says, as follows, "Thus saith the tion permitting him to take more. Lord, I have led this people forth out of the land of Jerusalem by the power of mine arm, that I might raise up unto me a righteous branch from the fruit of the loins of Joseph. Wherefore, I, the Lord God, will not suffer that this people shall do like unto them of old. Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord; for there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife ; and concubines he shall have none.” Now in the early rise of this church, (Book of Jacob, 2: 6.) Why were the Lord gave no command unto any the ancient Nephites restricted to the of His servants authorizing them to one wife system? Because, first, the take more than one wife, but on the number of males and females among contrary, said unto them that they them, at the time the command was should give heed to that which was given, was about equal. Secondly, written in the book of Mormon ; there was no probability that judg. therefore, they were under the strictments, wars, or any other calamities est obligations to confine themselves which were to befall their nation, to one wife, until a commandment would produce a disproportionate came to the contrary, which the number of males and females. Third. Lord did not see proper to give unto ly, this small remnant of the tribe of Joseph were, at that time, about equally righteous; and one was about as capable of raising up a family in righteousness as another. And last ly, the Lord, Himself, informs them, in the same connection with the quotation which I have just made, that if

Without such a revelation it would be sinful, according to the Book of Mormon, which this church are required to obey. Hence, the Book of Mormon is somewhat more strict than the Bible; for there is nothing in the Bible that limits mankind to one wife, but the Book of Mormon does absolutely forbid a man to have more than one wife, unless God shall command otherwise.

any of them, until about thirteen years after the first organization of the church. The church, therefore, are still restricted, by the severest penalties, to one wife, according to the Book of Mormon, unless in indi vidual cases where the Lord shall, by revelation, direct otherwise.

No man in Utah, who already has the bride stands on her left. The a wife, and who may desire to obtain President, then, puts this question another, has any right to make any to the wife: "Are you willing to propositions of marriage to a lady, give this woman to your husband to until he has consulted the President be his lawful and wedded wife for over the whole church, and through time and for all eternity? If you are, him, obtains a revelation from God, you will manifest it by placing her as to whether it would be pleasing right hand within the right hand of in His sight. If he is forbidden by your husband." The right hands of revelation, that ends the matter: if, he bridegroom and bride, being thus by revelation, the privelege is grant- joined, the wife takes her husband by ed, he still has no right to consult the left arm, as if in the attitude of the feelings of the young lady, until walking: the President, then, prohe has obtained the approbation of her ceeds to ask the following question her parents, provided they are living of the man: Do you brother, (calling in Utah; if their consent cannot be him by name,) take sister, (calling the obtained, this also ends the matter. bride by her name,) by the right hand But if the parents or guardians freely to receive her unto yourself to be give their consent, then he may make your lawful and wedded wife, and propositions of marriage to the young you to be her lawful and wedded huslady; if she refuse these propositions, band for time and for all eternity, this also ends the matter; but if she with a covenant and promise, on your accept, a day is generally set apart part, that you will fulfil all the laws, by the parties for the marriage cere- rites, and ordinances, pertaining to mony to be celebrated. It is neces- this holy matrimony, in the new and sary to state, that before any man everlasting covenant, doing this in takes the least step towards getting the presence of God, angels, and another wife, it is his duty to consult these witnesses of your own free will the feelings of the wife which he al- and choice?" The bridegroom anready has, and obtain her consent, as swers, yes. The President, then, recorded in the 24th paragraph of puts the question to the bride: "Do the revelation, published in the first you, sister, (calling her by name,) No. of "The Seer." take brother, (calling him by name,) When the day set apart for the by the right hand, and give yourself solemnization of the marriage cere- to him, to be his lawful and wedded mony has arrived, the bridegroom, wife for time and for all eternity with and his wife, and also the bride, to- a covenant and pronise, on your part, gether with their relatives, and such that you will fulfil all the laws, rites, other guests as may be invited, as- and ordinances, pertaining to this semble at the place which they have holy matrimony, in the new and appointed. The scribe then proceeds everlasting covenant, doing this in to take the naines, ages, native towns, the presence of God, angels, and counties, States, and countries of the these witnesses of your own free will parties to be married, which he care and choice?" The bride answers, fully enters on record. The Presi- yes. The President then says, "In dent, who is the Prophet, Seer, and the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Revelator over the whole church throughout the world, and who alone holds the keys of authority in this solemn ordinance, (as recorded in the 2d and 5th paragraphs of the Revelation on Marriage,)-calls upon the bridegroom, and his wife, and the bride to arise, which they do, fronting the President. The wife stands on the left hand of her husband, while

and by the authority of the Holy

riesthood, I pronounce you legally and lawfully husband and wife for time 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, immor. tality, and eternal lives; and I seal upon you the blessings of thrones,

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All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, See Ye, when He lifteth up an Ensign on the Mountains.-Isaiah XVIII, 3.

VOL. I.

MARCH, 1853.

No. 3.

FIGURE AND MAGNITUDE OF SPIRITS. Both animals and vegetables con- in the form, likeness, and magnitude sist of two substances, very differ- of the natural apple tree; and so it is ent in their nature, viz: body and with the spirit of every other tree, or spirit. The body is composed of dif. herb, or blade of grass, its shape, its ferent kinds of matter, such as oxygen, magnitude, and its appearance, rehydrogen, nitrogen, carbon, lime, &c. semble the natural tabernacle intendThese, united or chemically com-ed for its residence. It is the organbined, form, in animals, flesh, bones, ized spirit that manifests life; it is arteries, veins, nerves, muscles, sin- the spirit that animates the vegetaews, skin, and all the various parts ble, that causes it to grow, that of the animal tabernacle; and these shapes its different parts, that preparts, being properly organized, form serves it from decaying, that enables the physical peculiarities which dis- it to bud and blossom and bring forth tinguish the species. By a combina- seed. When the spiritual vegetable tion and organization of the above withdraws, the natural one decays elements, the roots, trunks, branches, and returns to its original elements; leaves, &c., of trees and other vege. tables, are formed. Connected with these corporeal bodies, composed of the coarser materials of nature, there is another material substance called spirit, of a more refined nature, possessing some properties in common with other matter, and other qualities far superior to other matter. Vegetable and animal life is nothing more nor less than vegetable and animal spirit. The spirit of a vegetable is in the same image and likeness of its tabernacle, and of the same magnitude, for it fills every part thereof. It is capable of existing in an organized form before it enters its vegetable house, and also after it departs from it. If the spirit of an apple tree were rendered visible when separated from its natural tabernacle, it would appear

but its spirit, being a living sub. stance, remains in its organized form, capable of happiness in its own sphere, and will again inhabit a celestial tabernacle when all things are made new. The spirits of fish, birds, beasts, insects, and of man, are in the image and likeness of their natural bodies of flesh and bones, and of the same magnitude, filling every part of the same. It is this spiritual substance, and not the body, that sees, hears, tastes, smells, feels, thinks, enjoys, suffers, and manifests every other affection or passion characteristic of the animal creation. It is this self-moving, powerful substance, that quickens, animates, and moves the natural body-that forms and fashions every part-that preserves the organization from decay and death. None

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