Year: 1869

throats should be cut from ear to ear


our hearts and tongues be torn out


and that we should be disembOwelied


We were instructed in various sign:


representing these fearful penalties


and also given a grip peculiar to TN;


degree. A mark was cut in the len


breast of the mems shirts and the


sacques of the women, to repre-


sent one penalty. The garments


worn by Us had a similar mark


over the abdomen and on the leii


knee, the one upon which the person


knelt when the oath was taken. We
were then invested with the robe,


which is a long, loose and flowing
garment, reaching down to the ankles,


made of white muslin. The apron


which we had been wearing was taken
Off and placed outside OF this robe, the
strings passing around the waist and
tying behind. The robe was made so
as to rest upon one shoulder, and,


passing across the breast and back,
was fastened underneath the arm
upon the opposite side of the body.
At this time the robe rested upon the
right shoulder, leaving the LETT arm
entirely free. This was subsequently
changed in another place. A sort OF
square cap, made of muslin, was
placed upon our heads, and slippers
of the same material upon our feet.


We We're now hurried into another
room, to pass through the third and
last degree of Melchisidech priest
hood. Having been arranged upon
one side of the room, number Of in
dividuals entered, who represented
the ministers of various denOmina-
tiOns, among which were the Roman
Catholic, Episcopalian, Methodist,
Baptist, Presbyterian, etc, and COM
menced advocating the different doc
trInes peculiar to each. The devil
now made his appearance for the
third and last time, and set the
ministers at variance, so that they
left off preaching and commenced
to fight among themselves. At this
moment enter persons repre-
senting Peter, James and John, the
apostles, who command the ministers
and the devil to depart il the name
of the Lord. They then proceed to
organize a church and teach the true
principles of the gospel, and also
change our robes from the right to the
left shoulder, as a token that we have
been set right spiritually, and show
ing our dependence upon the priest
hood in all things. Another grip Is
then given to US in the third degree Of
the Aielchisidech priesthood. a new
name is whispered in our ears, which
is taken from the Bible, and We are
charged 10 communicate ii to no one,
except that a wife may communicate
her name to her husband. We are
now in a small room, separated from
a large one by 2 canvas partition
reaching half way to the ceiling, and
on the other side we can hear the hum
of many voices. There is q door in
this partition and a small hole, with a
canvass flap over it, beside the door.
We are now taken through the vail,
the men first and the women next.
The person to pass through knocks at
the door in the partition. Some one,
representing the Apostle Peter, ap-
pears at the opening and demands
who is there. He is informed that 4
person desires admission. The appli-
cant is then required TO put his hand
through the opening and give the last
grip received and the new name which
has been given him. He is then
permitted TO enter. Women are ia
ken through the vail by their hus-
bands, if they have any, but if not
married some person officiates for
then, generally the one VINO has given
them their new names. My name, /
remember, was Leah. Soon passing
through the vail, we found ourselves
in a large room, at one end OF which
was q high pulpit, from which the lee
ture was to be delivered. There were
a number Of people in this room who
had received tEgir endOWments, and
who congratulated Us upea our pass
ing through. Those to be vailed were
now conducted to a desk, at which a
clerk was seated, VINO made a record
of our names, the maiden name OF the
woman, etc. We were then conduct
ed into a side-rOOm with q low altar in
the center and q large chair at one
end, in which sat the person Oficiat-
Ing, Sometimes Brigham otticiatesi 6
sometimes [;mball before his death),
and sometimes DanIei Il Wells, both
Of whom were present, although t3sisy tH3r,g-
ham OfiiCiated upon this occasion.
My husband knelt on one side OF the
altar and I on the other, our hands
clasped over it in the grip Of the
third degree. We were then sealed
for time and eternity as husband and
wife. My husband was then told TO
kiss me, and the ceremony ended.


"After the sealing was finished, We
were obliged to listen to long lecture
delivered by H8ber c. kimball, eX-
planning the meaning Of the different
degrees We had passed through, and
full of the most indelicate and disgust
ing illusions. The same kimball had
accompanied US through the different
degrees and made many disgusting re-
marks. [ recollect that the man who
was selected to kneel at the altar,
probably through ignorance of what
he had to pass through, and provided
himself with q very short shirt. The
apron being tied around his waist
made il still shorter, and when he
knelt at the altar in front OF US, the
garments being opened behind, he was
exposed. The women would
not, perhaps, have noticed this, but
Kimbal. always on the lookout for
vile to crafty his desire
for the vulgar, did, and stepping along
took hold of the lower edge of the
shirt and pretended to pull it down.
Having accomplished his object in
attention to the mans
exposed situation, heretired, laughing
at the success Of his scheme.
the women were permit
ted TO sit down on benches and rest
awhile. At such times kimball would
squeeze himself in between two of the
Unmarried women and sit with an
arm around each, hUgging and con-
versing with them until ready to pro-
ceed again. A story is told Of an Ir-
ishman who had neglected to provide
with a clean shirt. He was
the last one washed, and, as the rule
will not permit anything unclean to
be worn, he was told that he could not
wear the shirt. At this moment the
signal was given, the curtain rolled
aside, and the lriShman marched in
with no shirt and nothing bat the
garments on, which, Of course, proved
insufficient to hide his naked
ness"


My informant now said that she
must go, and, having received my
thanks for the information she had
given me upon Mormon endoWments,
she withdrew.


ROME.