The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1869-11-10
Love and Marriage in Utah

York World writing from Salt
Lake City gives tho following
statement in regard to tho mar
riagc relation in Brigham Young's
dominions: .u. ......'
Tho marriages as now existing
in the Church Of tho Lattcr-Day
Saints are vilo mockory. For
instance, an elder in the church,
or one oftho apostles, dcsircs to
marry, and ono Of his ncighbors
has n daughter. He informs tue
ncighbor that God has directed
him to take her for n wife, and,
although she may at tho same
/ time be cngngcd to man Of her
own choice, she is compelled TO
submit. This is not often the
case, but there arc six instances
now in my mind where elders in
the Mormon church have married
young girls under these circum-
stances, tho marriage ceremony
being performed by tho elders
themselves. In other cascs the
ceremony is performed by an elder
or bishop in whatever parish the
party may live. Often marriages
are performed by means Of spirit
ual letter from Brigham Young,
said by him to be specially en-
dowcd with power from God.
This, very naturally, seems impos-
siblc, but when ono has ocular cvi-
dcnce Of tho truth of it, ho is com.
pollcd to bcliuve. A young man,
personal friond Of minc-;, Nor
mon--was to DO married last
Spring, but whom tho day came
Brigham WAS away in the lower
part OF tho Territory attending to
matters pertaining to his mills
Not wishing to wait until his re-
turn, my friend Nrotc to ono Of
Brigham's counscllors, requesting
permission to marry and also to
be married. Brigham replied,
through the medium Of his Sccrc-
tary, that it was not necessary for
him (Brigham) to be present, but
that, rs the prophet Of Jesus Christ
Of Lnttcr-Duy Saints, he pro
nounccd them man and wife. My
friend poor ignorant fellow that
io was-so firmly believed in his
religion, that Ic imagined what
Brigham said was tho word Of
God, and went to housekeeping.
So implicitly do tho people Of
Utah Territory believe in their
religion and tho doctrine of mar
riage and pol Jgamy, as preached
by Brigham Young and his sell.
appointed apostles, elders, and
bishops. that in many cases mon
take wives merely as q matter of
form, and u young girl over seven
teen years Of ago who is unmar-
ricd is not considered a good mem
Der Of the church. and is looked
upon with horror by her compnn-
ions. When Il man marrics one
member Of u family where there
arc younger sisters, he enters in
to an agreement TO marry each as
they become Of age, and, with the
full consent Of the parents and>all
relatives concerned, ofttimcs takes
her into his own house and in
structs her in The duties Of mar
ricd life. This is Of daily occur
renee. In nearly all tho poorer
families Of Mormons, if they have
only a roof over their head, and
tho wife has many sisters, tho hus.
band almost invariably cndcavors
to make accommodations for them.
BY dint Of perseverance and fru-
gality, he manages to accommo-
date sufficicmcy to DO married
and support the next sister arriv-
ing at maturity. Thus it contin-
ucs, from one to the other, until
all arc married, when they sepa-
rate to different houses, and with
Jealousy and envy watch each
others advancement.
Tho onl y love which exists in
tho Church Of "Moroni" in mar
ricd life is the love Of IL mother TO
her offspring, or the love Of the
first wife to her husband.
[ heard Mormon lady of great
intelligence, a leader Of one OF the
ladies' cooperative societies in
Salt Lako City, whose husband
had four wives besides hcrsclf(shc
being the ti,sO, say, upon being
asked why she never went ont
with her husband TO tho theatre
or other places Of amuscmcnt,
that when sho was first married
she loved her husband, bnt as she
now saw so little Of him, and as
ho apparently thought SO littlo of
her children, sho enjoyed moro
comfort with the latter than with
him. And yet these self:samo wo-
men vii! defend their husbands
honor and standing in society with
all tho ardor and vigorof II GcntiIo
wife. Truly, poIygamy and mar
riod life in Utah Territory arc II
mystory:
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