The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1872-04-19
HORRORS OF POLYGAMY.
Revelations by An Elders First wife.

Revelations by An Elders First Wife
Mrs. I. B. H. Stenhouse, whose
husband has been widely known for
the past twenty years as Mormon
"Elder" and missionary, has just
written o book exposing the secrets
of the Mormon delusion. 1t is ell
titled "a Lady's Life Among the
Mormons; A Record of Personal
Experiences as One of the Wives of
n Mormon Elder during Il period of
more than twenty years" A few
extracts from her history will show
the nature of her revelations, and
the bitterness of her resentment
toward the leaders of the Norman
Church.
Mrs. Stenhouse describes at great
length the methods employed by
the Mormons to force the first wives
to consent to the introduction of
other wives into the household, and
adds:
When woman's consent" is
asked, she knows very well that she
will have to give it, if she is not pre-
pared to live in warfare with her
husband. She knows, too, that he
will take that other wife indepen-
IDENTIFY of her, and she is powerless
to prevent it. She may as well con-
sent. But some brave women have
never given their consent, and have
never allowed the second wife to en-
ter their homes. Some refined la
dos, with excellent families, have
had the happiest of homes destroy
ed by withholding their consent; and
whore peace and warm affection
were proverbial, the bitterest strife
ensued.
The men who have acted in this
way are not the gross and ignorant
brethren, but more often the parti-
cularly "pious" men, who make long
prayers in their families, who preach
in the ward meetings, and in the
Tabernacle f.; men of smooth words,
with the name of the Lord always
upon their lips. These are the men
who have mercilessly wrung the
hearts of the wives of Utah. What
to such men are wife's tears and
sorrows? Nothing.
If the vile shows temper" it
makes it only worse. He wants
peace, go he says ; and if he cannot
find it there, it furnishes him with
the better excuse for going back
again 10 his younger wife-just
where he wants to 50!
Many women, itappears, become
insane under this treatment:
MRS. srENuoUsE' 'spERsoNAL EXPERIENCE
When I had more expert
ence in the ways of men, | discov-
cred several never-failing signs by
which one might know when mali
wished to take another wife. He
would suddenly awaken to a sense of
his duties, and would have great
fears that "the Lord" would not
pardon him for any neglect. He
would become very religious; attend
to his "meetings'- testimony meet
ings, singing meetings, and various
other meetings! In fact he would
show q great determination to
leave nothing undone which ought
to be done. My husband, being q
good conscientious Mormon, expert
enced all these feelings. Of course
he did and his kind brethren,
knowing just how he felt, sympathi-
zed, urged, and even aided him in
his noble efforts to carry out the
commands of God"
The young lady was at last select
ed. She was very pretty, and very
youthful. The last qualification is
very necessary in MoImon's wife,
for then it is expected that she will
have more time to bear children to
the glory of the kingdom. 1t must
not be supposed that any other
consideration influences Mormon
mind. 0, dear no. They are such
very pure minded men.
Then commenced the task, the
!, painful task of paying his addresses
10 her. IT is q "painful task"
know, for my husband told me it
was, and of course |, as dutifu]
wife, believed him. He seemed
however, to bear it remarkably well
and went at it with zeal that was
PERFECTLY astonishing to me, who
knew, from what he had said, how
painful it was to him.
I had really to detain him a little
} for the benefit of his health; fol
when the duties Of the day We're
over, and evening came, he would
scarcely take time to eat his supper
80 anxious was he to continue this
1ouo