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Show THE MORMON LION it to the brethren. Mebbe you've heard tell how some of the leading members, whose wives Joseph wanted to seal up to hisself, had their printing plant smashed when they tried to scandal him in their journal. That was in May, only 'bout two months before the Gentile cusses murdered the Prophet." " That May. Yes, I remember sometlung about that," I muttered. Before me had arisen a vivid vision of the drive with my father through Nauvoo, bearing away the body of my mother. The trouble at the printing shop that had saved us from the interference of the " whittlers " must have been this wrecking of the newspaper plant. Waller talked on, without noticing my expression : " That was twelve year ago last spring, and there's slews of sisters what ain't yet reconciled to sharing their husbands. But jest let me tell you, they've got to hump their shoulders to bear their afflictions and stop talking agin the principles of plurality, or Brigham')) know why. It's more'n two months now since him and ]eddy Grant and Heber Kimball and Brother Chilcott got down to business a-preaching agin the sinfulness of the brethren and sisters what ain't been obeying counsel." " You mean, they've started a revival ? " I asked. " Revival? Gosh all hemlock! Let me tell you, a Cam'llite camp-meeting ain't in it 'longside the Tabernacle these days. We've got a reformation a-going full blast. It's the biggest clean-up you ever see. Folks are confessing their sins and gitting rebaptized in slews, and some are making blood atonement." "Yes," I said, only half heeding his words. "But about poly-about spiritual wifeism. Is it really true, as charged by the Gentiles, that Brigham has a great number of wives? " "Well, no, not so many, when you come to figger that he's the President of the Church. Counting out THE MORMON LION 37 the six of Joseph's widders what he took as proxywhich in course he's got only for time- there am't more'n fifteen or sixteen women what he lives with regular." " Fifteen- or sixteen- regular! " I muttered. " But didn't yon say that three- No, it was five that Chilcott- Five I and even that is not the limit! " "Five? " said Waller. " Why, Apostle Kimball has twenty or more. Even John D. Lee has nineteen, and he ain't only an Elder." " But-but if every man has more than one wife, and some have so many, how can there be enough women for all ? " "Every brother don't have more'n one," he answered with pious disapproval. " They ain't all of 'em zealous to live up to the doctrine. As for us what're willing to increase and multiply according to the Lord's revelation unto Joseph, Brigham has took good care to import plenty of ewe lambs." This, then, was the meaning of the wagonloads of orphaned young girls in our train! They were being brought all this long and terrible journey to gratify the lust-or fanaticism- of men whom I had believed worthy of the utmost respect and veneration. The very foundations of my faith shook and seemed about to crumble away. Yet I had come to regard Joseph Smith as divinely inspired and Brigham Young as his successor in the holy work of establishing God's Kingdom on earth. If Joseph truly was the Prophet of God, sent to announce a new dispensation, then even this repulsive doctrine of polygamy might not be against morality. Had not the people of the South and thousands of the citizens of the Northern States justified negro slavery by quotations from the Bible ?-And Waller had referred to a divine .revelation. Doubt, condemnation, then doubt of condemnation, all flashed through my mind. " I have been told that the doctrine would be |
