# Mormonism: Its Leaders and Designs/Chapter 4
### Chapter IV.

* Sealing for eternity
* Women married to one and sealed to another husband
* Spiritual wives
* Smith's death
* Smith's widows
* "Proxy doctrine"
* Marriage and sealing for the dead
* The endowment
* Washing
* Anointing
* Creation
* First degree of Aaronic priesthood
* Second degree of Aaronic priesthood
* First degree of Melchisedec priesthood
* Second degree of Melchisedec priesthood
* "Behind the vail"
* Obedience
* Examples
* Murders
* Sealing at the altar
* Initiative lectures
* Sealing to Indian squaws
* Adoption
* Selling their daughters.
The married relationship, say the Mormons, was intended as eternal. As marriage is a religious ceremony more than a civil institution, they urge, therefore, it must be performed by an ecclesiastical dignitary. All other marriages are mere contracts sanctioned by law, but dissolvable at the option of both contracting parties. As marriage, ordinarily administered, is only "till death;" it is perfectly null and void for any period after death. As they believe that unless married, the saved will not enjoy any "glory" in the next world; and if not married on earth, can not be married afterward, therefore they "marry for eternity."
This power is vested in Brigham only. He can, however, transfer it at option to any other Apostle. Heber C. Kimball ​usually performs the ceremony. These marriages are always performed in their sacred and secret Temple, in a singular manner—of which hereafter—and are termed sealings. People, according to Mormon technology, are married for time, but sealed for eternity.
It is impossible to state all the licentiousness, under the name of religion, that these sealing ordinances have occasioned. A woman has been married to a man she does not like. She comes to Salt Lake and sees some one whom she does like. The man's position, however, is such that she does not wish to leave her husband, but only desires to secure another for an eternal husband. She can be sealed to this other man and still remain with her first husband; and the Mormons believe that all her children will belong to the man to whom she is "sealed." "No marriage is valid till physically consummated," is a maxim of all human and divine law. These marriages or sealings are therefore consummated to make them valid. But the husband may know of the sealing ordinance, and desire to get his wife sealed to him. To tell him the real facts might make him apostatize; convert a warm adherent into a devoted enemy; and, therefore, the Mormons will perform a "mock ceremony," contending that it is better one man be deceived, rather than the whole Church should suffer. In this way no man, unless his position be so high as to make it impolitic, is certain of his dearest wife's virtue, or his warmest friend's honor. Suspicion and jealousy are the inevitable results.
There is a Mrs. Dibble living in Utah, who has a fine son. She was sealed, among others, to Joseph Smith, although liv​ing with her present husband before and since. On the head of her son, Smith predicted the most startling prophesies about wielding the sword of Laban, revealing the hidden Book of Mormon, and translating the sealed part of the records. There is not a person at Salt Lake who doubts the fact of that boy being Smith's own child.
It is these wives, who, married to one man and sealed to another, are the "spiritual wives" of those to whom they are sealed. Joseph Smith lost his life entirely through attempting to persuade a Mrs. Dr. Foster, at Nauvoo, that it was the will of God, she should become his "spiritual wife;" not to the exclusion of her husband, Dr. Foster, but only to become his in time for eternity! This nefarious offer she confessed to her husband. Some others of a similar nature were discovered, and Dr. Foster, William Law, and others began to expose Smith. Their paper was burned, type and press demolished, for which Smith was arrested and afterward shot, by Missourians, at Carthage, Ill. Of course, all this is denied by the Mormons, but the same men denied that Smith practiced polygamy at all. One of their denials is proven to be a falsehood; may not the other be equally false! Not only did they deny the action, but also the principle involved in the action. Not only have they subsequently acknowledged polygamy, but they now admit the principle; but still persist in denying this action of Smith. Two of the facts being admitted, when all three were previously denied, makes the third very probable. It is certain Mrs. Dr. Foster knew of the principle, else she could not have told her husband. It is also certain that she would not have known it had Smith not ​revealed it to her. It is, therefore, strongly presumptive that as Smith certainly did reveal to her the principle, that he did so for the object she states: and I think that her testimony, which is very positive, is irrefutable in the matter.
The Mormons do not now seek to deny the fact that women married to one, may be sealed to another husband; only asserting that such marriages go no further. But as they contend that no marriage is valid till consummated, and insist that these marriages are valid, either they destroy their own system, or else there is licentiousness and corruption. There would be only one choice in the mind of any believing Mormon. 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 thought. When the promptings of affection are sanctioned by religion and legalized by precedent, few persons would hesitate at indulgence.
As a man's "kingdom" depends solely on the size of his family; and as all the children that the woman may have belong to her sealed husband, whether by him begotten or not; and as if the husband dies, all his anticipated glory seems to be arrested; the "Saints" have, therefore, adopted the plan of appointing brethren as their agents to continue their "glorifying," after their decease. Alexander McRae, an old Mormon and companion of Joseph Smith, but not a polygamist, was called on abruptly, at Fillmore, in 1855, to "increase the kingdom" of a dead brother by taking his widow; she having seen, liked, and wanted him, and having gone to. President Kimball and solicited to have him counsel ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/99 ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/100 ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/101 ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/102 ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/103 ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/104 ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/105 ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/106 ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/107 ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/108 ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/109 ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/110 ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/111 ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/112 ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/113 ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/114 ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/115 ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/116 ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/117 ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/118 ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/119 ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/120 ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/121 ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/122 ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/123 ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/124 ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/125 ​Page:Mormonism its leaders and designs.djvu/126