The Kanzas news., 1857-08-08

! of q crowd of gold-seekers. The resem
blance of Salt Lake to the Dead Sea could
be presented as Proyidential design, and
an indication of the place where the New
Jerusalem should be founded. The colony
chose a position extremely advantageous,
upon the strait between the two Lakes, and
founded there the city of Deseret, name
which signifies ssbee hive in the pretended
Reformed Egyptian" language. The as
pect presented by this young city is very
picturesque: 1t is divided into twenty
quarters, each forming separate inclosure
The houses are built of ado6es, or bricks
dried in the sun, are only a single story,
and are surrounded by gardens. The
springs which descend from the mountains
flow in little rivdlets into the gardens and
streets. The stores are numerous and ele-
CANT. The State house is 80 by 90 feet.
The town is protected by a fortified iiclo-
sure, and the number of inhabitants is
about 80. 900. The neighboring country is
admirably cultivated, and returns with usu-
ry the products which are confded to it.
The waterfall between the Lakes is utilized
for turning numerous mills. In fact, this
colony is new and striking example of
the creative and directing genius which
seems to be the privilege of the Anglo
Saxon race.
The Prophet, Brigham Young is man
of about forty-tive years of age, of ordinary
stature, and of a fine corpulence, as becomes
the husband of sixty wives. He enjoys
influence without limit, and the Mormons
believe in his infalibility, as they did in that
of his predecessor, Joe Smith. He is
man of much intelligence. In the inter
course of ordinary life, he is sociable, con-
versatile, ioyial even, and loves fun; but
when he assumes his Pontifcal functions,
he takes another character, becomes intoler-
ant and fanatic, and sows in the hearts of
those who are his instruments the germs of
hatred against the s'Gentiles.'' These
germs fructify only too much, for nothing
seems too bad to be permitted to believers
against those who do not partake of their
faith In imitation of the Mussulmans, the
Latter-Day Saints have no right to more
than seven wives. The Prophet can have
more of them.
We quote the following description of the
multiplication of nuptials from the Seer,
published by Apostle Orson Pratt.
The man having already one wife, and
desirous of taking another, has no right to
ask any one in marriage until he has re-
ceived revelation from God on the SUBJ
iect: If this revelation interdicts the mar
riage, it cannot take place. If it approves
it, the man then addresses himself to the
parents of the young girl, but never TO the
girl herself. Before all these events take
place, it is the duty of the husband to con-
suit his first wife, and to obtain her consent
to his second nuptials, in conformity with
the 24th paragraph of the Revelation
When the day chosen for the ceremony of
the marriage has arrived, the husband and
his wife, and also the new bride, with all
their respective relations, assemble together
in some place agreed upon. The President,
who is prophet, pastor, and reyealer over
all the Church, and who alone holds the
keys of authority in this solemn ordinance,
fso it IS written IN the second and fifth par
agraphs of the Revelation upon Marriage
requests the husband. wife and bride to
arise, which they do, facing the President;
the wife standing to the left of her husband,
and the bride to his right. Phe President
then addresses himself to the wife: "Do
you consent to give this woman to your
husband as his legitimate wife for time and
eternity? Manifest your intention by pla.
cling her right hand in the right hand of
your husband The right hands of the
bridegroom and bride being joined, the first
wife then draws his left arm under his right
arm. The President then addresses him
self to the husband "My brother, viii, or
do you take Sister - as your legitimate
wife, promising to be faithful to all the laws
ordinances and practices of this holy mar
riage, in the presence of God and Shis an.
gels go
Upon the affirmative response Of the
bridegroom the President puts the same
question to the bride, after which he declares
them united, and recommends them to be
fruitful, to grow and multiply and fill the
earth with their posterity.
1t is in this point of view, 1.-THE growth
of population, that polygamy appears so
powerful an Institution to the Mormons and
a logical necessity of all new society. It
IS thus, say they, that patriarchal society
was formed The Latter-Day Saints sup
port and defend themselves by the exam
pie Of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
That which is less easy to be understood
is the voluntary return of the feminine sex
to this ancient community regimen. Wives
are not wanting, however, In the bosom of
Mormon society.
/ But nature win carry them away some
times, and the households do not always eI-
hibit the most perfect state of domestic har-
mony. A few months since, jealousy and
rebellion had extended to such an alarming
degree that the prophet resolved to stife
these germs of anarchy by vigorous meas
ure. He eonyoked the women of Deseret,'
and signifed to them that be had decided
to expel all those who could not resign
themselves to live In perfect agreement with
the companions their husbands desired
them to associate With. Brigham said he
was ready to commence with his own wives,
and he gave them only fifteen days for re-