The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1854-08-16
MoRMONISM AS IT Is.

MoRMONISM AS IT Is.
JOE SMITH, the Prophet, in his early
visions condemned polygamy; but in his
latter days, after decreeing a special wife
to himself, proceeded to lay down the
general law, as it is now received by the
Mormons, as the prime article of their
faith, and the corner stone of their social
polity. Thus it runs:
g And, again, as pertaining to the law
of the priesthood, if any man espouse a
virgin, and desire to espouse another,
and the first give her consent; and if he
espouse the second, and they are virgins,
and have vowed to see no other man then
he is justified he cannot commit adul-
terry, for they are given unto him; for he
cannot commit adultery with that that
belongeth unto him, and to none else; !;
and if he have ten. virgins given unto
him by this law, he cannot commit adul-
terry, for they belong to him, and they
are given unto him therefore he is JUS
titled :"
Lest the first wife should not give her
consent, provision is made for dispensing
with it
"And, again, verify, verify, I say un-
to you, if any man has wife who holds
the keys of this power, and he teaches
unto her The laws of my priesthood as
pertaining to these things, then shall she
believe'and administer unto him, or she
shall be 2eStroyed, saith the Lord your
God for 1 will destroy her; for will
magnify my name upon all those who
receive and abide in my law. Therefore,
it shall be lawful in ne, if she receive not
this law, for him to receive all things what
soever L, the Lord his God, will give un-
to him, because she did not believe and
administer unto him according to my
word and she then becomes the trans
gressor, and he is exempt from the law
of Sarah, who administered unto Abra-
ham, according to the law, when COM
manded Abraham to take Hagar unto
wife. And now, as appertaining to this
law, verify, verify, l say unto you, 1 will
reveal unto you hereafter; therefore, let
this suffice for the present. Behold 1
am Alpha and Omega. Amen"
Let us look little at the practical
workings of the system, as seen and de-
scribed by Mr.. Ferris in his book just
published.
DOMESTIC ECONOMY.
Polygamy )" says Mr.. Ferris, is
introducing new style of building at
Salt Lake City. A man with a half
dozen wives builds, if he can, long, low
dwelling, having six entrances from the
the outside; and when he takes in new
wi:e, if able to do so, adds another apart
ment-The object is to keep the women
and babies, as much as possible, apart,
and prevent those terrible cat fights
which sometimes occur, with all the ac-
compartments of billingsgate, torn caps
and broom sticks. AS the divine insti-
tuition extends; these buildings increase,
and in few years the city will look d
collection of barracks for the accommo-
dation of soldiers. Some have separate
buildings in parts of the city remote from
each other, and others have farm houses,
and the wives ere thus kept separate,
the husband dividing his time between
them all )"
EFFECT OF PoLYaAMY UPON POPULATION.
The effect upon population is deci-
dedly deleterious. The prophet Joseph
had over forty wives at Nauvoo, and the
rest of the priesthood had various num-
bers, corresponding to their standing and
inclinations and nearly all the children
of these polygamous marriages died at
that place; indeed, it is alledged by
Mormons that none-.e ere taken to Utah.
Brigham Young has thirty children, of
whom eight are by his first and second
lawful wives, the remaining twenty-five
are by his spirituals. He has about fif-
ty wives, some of whom were widows of
Joseph Smith, and are probably past the
time of having children; but, supposing
him to have thirty who are capable Of
having issue-which is below the true
number-the twenty-five children would
be less than one child to concubine.
If each of these degraded females could
have been the honored wife of one hus-
band, the aggregate number of children,
accor ding to the usual average of four in
family would be one hundred and twen-
ty, showing loss in population of nine
ty-eight.
"The children are subject to frightful
degree of sickness and mortality. This
is the combined result of the gross sens
uality of the parents, and want of care
toward their offspring. AS general
rule, the sanity pretenders take as little
care of their wives as of their children,
and of both, less than careful farmer
in the States would of his cattle; and no
where out of the Five Points, in New
York city can more filthy, miserable,
looking, and disorderly rabble
of children be found than in the streets
of Great Salt Lake CITY. The Cover.