The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-03-28
THE IDAHO SCIMITAR.


Temple recorder and also his private clerk placing
all records books. papers, etc, in my care and
charging me to take care Of and preserve them,
his closing words being: "When | have any revel-
ations to write you the one to write them"
During this period the Prophet Joseph frequent
y visited my house in my company, and became
we'll acquainted with my wife, Ruth, to whom
had been married five years One day, in the month
of February, 1S43 date not remembered the prophet
invited me to walk with him. During walk he
said that he had learned that there sister back
IN England to whom | very much attached
replied there was, but nothing further than an
attachment such brother and sister in the
church might rightfuly entertain for each other
He then said: "Why don't you send for her?'
replied: ''In the first place I have authority to
send for her. and if | had I have not the means to
pay the expenses" To this he answered: 81 give
you authority to send for her. and I will furnish
you the means" which he did. This the first
time the Prophet Joseph talked with me the sub
Ject of plural marriage. He informed me that the
doctrine and principle right in the sight of our
Heavenly Father, and that it was a doctrine which
pertained to celestial order and glory. After Civ
ing me lengthy instructions and information con-
corning the doctrine of celestial plural marriage,
he concluded his remarks by the words, "It is your
privilege to have all the wives you want" After
this introduction our conversations on the subject OF
plural marriage very frequent and he appeared
to take particular pains to inform and instruct me
in respect to the principle. He also informed me that
he had other wives living besides his first wife,
Emma, and in particular gave me to understand that
Eliza R. Snow, Luisa Beman, Desdemona c. Full
and others, his lawful wives in the sight
of heaven.
On the 9th of April, 1S43, the Prophet Joseph
Smith married to me Margaret Moon, for time and
eternity at the residence of Elder Heber c. Kimball
and on the 22nd of July 1S43, he married to me,
according to the order of the church, my first wife,
Ruth
On the list day of May, 1S43, I oficiated in the
office of an elder by, marrying Lucy Walker to the
Prophet Joseph Smith, at his residence.
During this period the Prophet Joseph took sew
eral other wives. Amongst the number | well re-
member Eliza Partridge, Sarah Ann Whitney Helen
Kimball and Flora Woodworth These all, he &C
knowledged to me, were his lawful, welded wives,
according to the celestial order. His wife Emma,
was cognzant of the fact of some, if not ALL of these
being his wives and she generally treated them very
kindly.
On the morning of the 18th of July, 1843, Joseph
and Hyrum Smith came into my office in the upper
story of the brick store the bank of the Miss
issippi river They were talking the subject of
plural marriage Hyrum said to Joseph: II you
will write the revelation celestial marriage,
will take and read it to Emma, and believe can
convince her of its TRUTH and you will hereafter have
peace" Joseph smiled and remarked: "You do not
know Emma as well as DO E1t,I repeated MS
opinion and further remarked: "The doctrine is so
plain | can convince any reasonable man or woman
of its truth, purity and heavenly origin or words
to that effect Joseph then said We'll L will write
the revelation and we will see" He then requested
me to get paper and prepare to write. Hyrum very
urgently requested Joseph to write the revelation by
means of the Urim and Thummim but Joseph, in re-
pv, said he did not need to, for he knew the reve-
alton perfectly from beginning to end.
Joseph and Hyrum then sat down and Joseph
began to dictate the revelation celestial marriage,
and I it sentence by sentence, as he dictated
After the whole written Joseph asked me to read
it through slowly and carefully, which did and he
pronounced it correct He then remarked that there
was much more that he could write, the same
subject but what was written sufficient for the
present.
+1,o a1ot;o 70
Joseph remained with me in the office until Hyrum
returned. When he back, Joseph asked him
how he had succeeded. Hyrum replied that he had
never received a talking to in his life;
1of-