OCR Text |
Show PRACTICAL POLYGAMY. 135 eternity, she loses all claim to exaltation in glory. Then there is marrying for time, and sealing for eternity, and either may exist without the other. A woman may have a pretty good fellow for a husband, so far as his social rela tions with her here are concerned ; but she may be a little dubious about his standing in the celestial world, hence she becomes " sealed " to Brigham Young or Heber C. Kim-ball, or to the late Joseph the Prophet, by getting some one to act as his proxy. Such a course I should think would excite jealousy on the part of the earthly husband, if the man's esteem for his wife ( for I cannot admit the exis tence of a stronger feeling) is sufficient to render him ca pable of feeling jealous. Only those who are " sealed," I suppose, know all the privileges connected with the relation here, and Mr. Hyde seems to doubt the chastity of such, as he says in his work, u when a woman sinks low enough to prefer another man for her pseudo- eternal husband, she is certainly sunk low enough to sin in deed as well as in thought." Marriage to a first wife is comparatively a very trifling affair, and the ceremony may be performed by an Elder, Deacon, Priest, Bishop, or any other church official and their name is legion after a mutual agreement between the interested parties, as in Christian communities. But this is only marrying. If the parties wish to be " sealed," anoth er, and what is regarded as a more sacred and spiritual ser vice, is required. Formerly this was performed only by th<? President, and must take place before the altar in the En dowment House. A press of business in that line caused Brigham to delegate to Heber C., his first colleague, this duty. It is not quite so simple for a saint to become a polyg-amist as the terrestrial husband of a first wife. The second, and all suosequent marriages, must be performed by the President before the altar. The several necessary prelimin ary steps are as follows : The man must make known to the President his desire to marry a particular lady. Then the President pretends to |