The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1869-12-01
''
NO. AZ.
From the Now York World.1
Among the Mormons.
MARRIAGE LITTLE BETTER THAN, 4
MOCKERY. we.

.,...r,
The murriagcs az now cxistine'in the
Church Of tho Luttcr-Day Saints arc
vile mockery. Tor instance, an elder
in tho church, or one of tho apostles,
desires to marry, and ono of his neigh
bors has a daughter he informs the
ncighbor thut God has directed him
to take her for wife, and, although
she may at the same time be engaged
to a man of her own choice, she il
compelled to submit This is not
often the case, but there arc six in
stances now in my mind where elders
in the Mormon church have married
young girls undor these circumstances,
the marriage ceremonies being por-
formed Ivy the elders themselves. In
othcr..cascs the marriage ceremonies arc
performed by an elder or. bishop in
whatever parish the party may live.
Often the marriages arc performed
by means of spiritual letter from
Brigham Young, said by him to be
specially endowed with power from
God. This, very naturally seems i'm
possible; but when ono has ocular
evidence of the truth, he is compelled
to believe. A young mana Mormon
''-was to be married last spring, but
when the lay camo Brigham was
aw"y in the lower part of tic Territory,
attending to matters pertaining to his
mills. Not wishing to wait until his
return my friend wrote to one of Brip-
ham s counsellors requesting pormis-
sion to marry and also to be married.
Brigham replied, through tho medium
of tho Secretary, that it was not no.
ccssary for him (Brigham) to bo pre-
sent, but that, as the Prophet of Jesus
Christ Of Iattcr-doy Saints, he pro
''o"'''cu Ilctil man ana wife. My
fricnd-poor ignorant fellow that ho
was-so firmly believed in his religion
that ne imagined what Brigham said
was the word of God, and went to
housekeeping. ,,.at
SO implicitly do the people of Utah
Territory believe in their religion and
tho doctrine Of marriage and polygamy,
as prcachcdby Brigham Young and his
sclf-appointcd appostlcs, elders and
bishops, that in many cases mon take
wives merely rs matter of form.
and young girl over seventeen years
Of ago who is unmarried is not con
sidcrcd ogood member Of the church,
and is looked upon with horror by her
companions. When man marrics
one of family where there arc young
or sisters, nc enters into an agreement
to marry Gael, ono of them as they
become of age, and, with tho full con-
sent of tho parents and all relatives
concerned, sometimes takes her into
his own house to instruct her in tho
duties of married life. This is of dailv
occurrence. In nearly all the poorer
familics of Mormons, if they hayo
only roof over their heads, and the
wife has many sisters, the husband
almost Immediately cndcayors to mako
accommodations for them. by dint of
perseverance and frugality, he manages
to accumulate n sullicioncy to bo mar
rlcd and support the next sister arriv-
ing at maturity. Thus it continues,
from one to another, until all arc mar
ricd, when they separate to different
houses, and with jealousy and en-
Wy watch each Others advancement.
The only love which exists in tho
church of" Moroni" in married life is
the love of mother to her offspring,
or the love Of tho first vito to bor
husband.