The Jackson herald., 1907-02-07
know such a thing"-his faith made /.

brave rally-"but even so, II he
sought you, why, the more honor to
you-and to me, If you still clung to
me-"
Listen. I was afraid to tell you be-
| fore-ashamed-bu told my people.
It's three years ago. | was II. II
was just after we had become en-.
gagged. My people were then strong
in the faith. as you know. One morn.
ing after you had left for the East,
Brigham Young and Heber Kirlball
came to our house for me. They said
the Prophet had long known me by
| sight, and wished to talk with me.
| Would | go with them to visit him
and he would bless and counsel me?
OF course | was fattered. l put on
my prettiest frock and fetchingest
bonnet and set off with them, after
mamma had said yes. On the way
| they kept asking me II was willing
| to do all the Prophet required | said
| was sure of it, thinking they meant
| to be good and worshipful. Then they
would ask If 1 was ready to take coun-
sci, and they said, Many things are
revealed unto us in these last days
that the world would scoff at but
| that 1t had been given to them to
know all the mysteries of the King
dom. Then they said, You will see
Joseph and he will tell you what you
are to do"
He was listening with a serious,
| confident eagerness, rs If he knew she
could say nothing to dim the Proph.
| cts luster.
when we reached the building
where Joseph's store was, they led
me upstairs to a small room and
sent down to tho store for the
Prophet. When he came up they in
troduced me and left me alone in the
! little room with him. Their actions
had seemed queer to me, but | re-
membered that this man had talked
| face to face with God, so | tried to
feel better. But all at once he stood
before me and asked me to be his
wife. Think of 1t! | was so fright
ened! | dared not say no, he looked
at me sol can't tell you how; but
l said it would not be lawful. He
said, Yes, Prudence. / have had a
revelation from God that it is lawful
and right for a man to have as many
wives as he wants-for as it was in
the days of Abraham, so it shall be in
these days. Accept me and | shall
take you straight to the celestial
Kingdom. Brother Brigham will
marry us here, right now, and you can
| go home tonight and keep it secret
from your parents If you like Then
said But | am betrothed to Joel
Rae, the son of Giles Rae, who is
| away on mission L know that he
said-I sent him away, and anyway
| you will be safer to marry me. You
will then be absolutely sure of your
| celestial reward, for in the next
world, you know, am to have pow
ers, thrones, and doininions. while
Brother Joel Ia very young and has
not been tried in the Kingdom. He
may fall away and then you would
be lost"
The man in him now was Strug-
Cling witlS his faith, and he seemed
about to interrupt her. but she went
on eXcitedly.
|
thing of the kind without delibera-
ton. He urged me to have it over,
trying to kiss me, and saying he
knew it would be right before God:
that If there was any sin in it he
would take it upon hilns self. He said.
You know / have the keys of tho
Kingdom, and whatever | bind on
earth is bound in hea"en. Come he
said, nothing ven. ufed, nothing
gained Let me call ErDther Brigham
to seal us, and you shgl be star in
my crown for ever
Then | broke down and cried, for
was so afraid, and la put his arms
around me, but | pustsd away, ard
after awhile | coaxed ii N to give me
until the next Sabbuth to think 1t
over, promising on ny life to say not
one word 10 any perDup. | never let
him see me alone again, you may be
sure and at last when other awful
tales were told about him here, OF
wickedness and his Glunkenness--he
told in the pulpit that he had teen
drunk, and that he did it to keep
them from worshipping him as God
i saw he was a baa, common man,
and | told my people everything and
soon my father was daapunced for an
apostate. Now, sir, VII Il do you say"
When she finished sIe was silent for
a time. Then he spGSe. very gently,
but with undaunted hInHess.
Prudence, dearest, | tave tod you
that this doctrine is DeW to me | do
not yet know its jI I1sitcation. But
that | shall see it "a be sanctitied
after they have taught me, this /
know as certainly As | know that
Joseph Smith dug III the golden
plates of Mormon and tIoront on the
hill of Cumorah wh.l the angel Of
the Lord moved him. f. will he saE G.