Page:History of Utah.djvu/405

 tions.'

joined can never be divorced, except by the power of God. Ifa man's wife d ies and he marries another, and she dies and he marries a third, beheving in resurrection and a Hfe of purity beyond the grave but repudiating polygamy, how will he manage with his plural wives in heaven ? She who dies unmarried cannot enter into the full enjoyment of God; but as a man ma}^ be bap- tized for the dead and so save their souls, so he may be sealed to a husbandless woman in heaven. There is a, difference between marriage and sealing; the former is secular, and the latter both secular and celestial, as it may be either for time or for eternity, in person or by proxy, and with the living or with the dead. A woman may be sealed to one man for time and to another for eternity, the former being still living.^^

'^ Gentile mai-riage and divorce are not recognized as valid in the Mormon church. In its early days, the church had no marriage ordinances of its ov/n,. and the requirements, conditions, and ceremonies incident to the rite were similar to those of the various protestant sects. Nor had it officials legally qualilied to marry, other, perhaps, than a few such men as Sidney Rigdon». who, having been duly appointed to preside over churches of other denomi- nations, were still competent to join in legal marriage. In 1S3G, when the church was three years old and the Kirtland temple about to bo dedicated, we find Joseph petitioning the court of Medina county, Ohio, for licensee pennitting his elders to perform marriage ceremonies, which authority had been refused them by the Geauga county court. Mil. Star, xv. 708.

Later, when the church had gained power, the result of more complete organization, Joseph announced, as its belief respecting marriage, that it pose,' and that the celebrant should be 'a presiding high-pKiest, bishop, elder, or priest.' But no prohibition was issued against marriage by any other authority. Neither were church-members forbidden to marry out of the church, though any so doing would be considered weak in the faith. In the edition of Doctrine and Covenants, published at S. L. City in 1870, a revela-' tion of the prophet's purporting to explain 1st Cor., vii. 14, is construed as forbidding marriages between believers and unbelievers. Ann Eliza Webb, who was twice married according to Mormon practice, once by Brigham, and afterward to him, thus describes the ceremonies: After registration, which includes name, age, place of birth, with county, state, or country, ' we went before Brigham Young, who was waiting for us,' and who asked, ' Do you, Brother James Dee, take Sister Ann Eliza Webb by the right iiand, to re- ceive her unto yourself, to Ije your lawful and wedded wife, and you to bo her lawful and wedded husband, for time and eternity, with a covenant and promise on your part that you will fulfd all the laws, rights, and ordinances pertaining to this holy matrimony, in the new and everlasting covenant, do- ing this in the presence of God, angels, and these witnesses, of your ov.n freej will and accord?' 'Yes.' 'Do you, Sister Ann Eliza Webb, take Brother James Dec l>y the right hand, and give yourself to him, to be his lawful and, wedded wifo, for time £ind for all eternity, with a covenant and promise on your part that you will fulfil all the laws, rights, and ordinances pertaining to this lioly matrimony, in the new and everlasting covenant, doing this in Hist. Utah. 23
 * should be solemnized in a public meeting, or feast, prepared for that pur-