OCR Text |
Show THE FAIR APOSTATECONTINUED. 333 Prophet, just returned from a two years' mission in England, and an-nounced that two divisions of the hand- cart emigrants were on the plains, and in danger of starvation. Then Brigham roused himself, and became, in the estimation of his people, indeed " The Lion of the Lord." Without giving his son a day's rest, he started him at once on the return, with authority to press all the wagons and available bedding and provisions in the settlements he passed through. The people contributed gladly, and in all the assemblies of the Saints pray-ers were continually offered that God would stay the storms of win-ter; but instead thereof, as though heaven would rebuke the pre-sumptuous, the storms of 1856 ( it is the testimony of all mountain-eers) came on earlier and with more severity than for many years be-fore or since. The poor emigrants were brought in only when one-fifth of their number had died of cold and starvation, and as many more been maimed in various degrees. Among the fortunate few were Elwood Briarly and his little Marian, and their kinsman, young Thomas James. The arrival of the sufferers only added to the prevailing madness. " Surely," said fanaticism, " God is angry with His people, or His promise to temper the winds would have held good;" and in an amazingly short space of time most of the new- comers were as insane as the rest for, indeed, it did seem that at that time all Utah was per-vaded by an epidemic madness. Jedediah Grant and Orson Hyde ranged the Territory, breathing out threats ugainst dissenters, and teaching bloody doctrines in figures of speech. The New Testament was laid aside; Hebraic precedents only were cited: Phinehas, who killed his brother and the Midianitish woman; Jael, who slew the heathen ; the king who massacred idolaters, and the priest who hewed the transgressor in pieces before the Lord. " The time is nigh at hand," said Grant, " when we will walk up and down these streets with the old broadsword and say, ' Are you for God?' and whoever is not will be hewn down !" Marrying and giving in marriage went on constantly, as fast as the ordained officials could put the Saints through the Endowment House ceremonies proper to " plural mar-riage." Every eligible woman in the Territory was appropriated, and girls of twelve and fourteen years were " sealed " to old elders. In one month after he entered the city, in six months after he was an honest citizen of Christian and monogamous England, Elwood Briarly was the " husband" of two girls who came with him in the hand- cart company. Where now were the lofty ideals with which the English Saints had |