Page:History of Utah.djvu/413



OPPONENTS OF POLYGAMY. S6I

that we touch the core of the matter. Those who wax the hottest against the latter-day saints and their polygamous practices are not as a rule among the purest of our people. They care no mure, indeed,

left behind, and account to the proper owners. Mormonism Exposed, 66-70. Says Ex-elder John Hyde, juu.: 'In 1854 Brighatn Young commanded the people to oonseciate by legal transfer all right and title to all personal prop- erty. Quitclaim deeds were drawn up, and froiii their land to their wear- ing apparel the majority transferred everything to Brigham or his successor as trustee in trust for the latter-day saints; and some, in the exuberance of enthusiasm, threw in their wives and families.' Mormonism., 37-9. The legis- lature, by act approved Jan. 18, 18o5, legalized these transfers, and provided a form in blank therefor. See Utah L<tws (ed. ISoo), 268-9; (ed. 1S6G), 92-3. At the semiannual conference held in Oct. 1873, the subject of reviving thcoi'der was again agitated. Elder David McKenzie touched upon the ultimate es- tablishment of the order of Enoch in a very emphatic manner. Deseret News, Oct. 15, 1873. The Salt Lake Tribune of March 21, 1874, quotes the elder as follows: ' We should give thanks and praise to almighty God that there is a chance, a door opened, by which we may take a step towards establishing the order of Enoch.' JNIrs Steuhouse says efforts wei'c made to revive the order Ijefore the completion of the railways, which were not finished until 1869. Englishicoman in Utah, 371-2. Rev. Clark Smith, author of a 12mo pamphlet entitled Mystery and Crime in the Land of the Ute, states that the plan for reviving the order was matured during the winter of 1873-4 at St George, where Brigham and a few of his leaders were at that time. During the early part of ] 874, scarcely a sermon was delivei-ed without a reference to the order and an assurance that all joining would be benefited both spiritually and temporally. On May 9th an election of officers was held. Brigham was was chosen president; Geo. Smith, Danl H. Wells, and the twelve apostles, vice-presidents; David McKenzie, George Goddard, D. 0. Calder, P. A. Sehettlcr, John T. CaLne, and James Jack, secretaries; Thos W. EUerbeck, general book-keeper; Edward Hunter, treasurer; and Hoiuee J. Eldridge, John Sharp, Fcrezmore Little, James Van Cott, Moses Thatcher, Thos Dinwiddle, and Elijah Sheets, directors. S. L. G. Tribune, May 16, 1874.

The dogma of adoption for eternity originated after Joseph's time. Hall says he first heard of it about the date of the expulsion from Nauvoo. Mor- monifim Exposed, 70. It was ascertained that many of the saints had inter- married with gentile stock, and were thus debarred from a fall enjoyment of the rights and privileges of the house and lineage of Abraham. But tiiese lost blessings could be restored by ingraftment upon the stock of one of the twelve tribes of Israel, represented by the twelve apostles, each of whom was deemed as in lineal descent from Abraliam, tracing his consanguinity to Isaac and Jacob, and thence to himself as a chief of one of the tribes. Romans, xi. ] 6, is quoted as authorizing the doctrine, which requires every member of the church, except the twelve, to choose a f.ither from one of the latter. The father may be either younger or older than the son, but in any case assumes the character of guardian, with full control of the labor and estate of the adopted son. j\Iany young men give themselves over to the leaders as ' eter- nal sons,' in the hope of sharing the honor of their adopted parents. W. C Staines was Brigham's adopted son, and D. Candland, Heber C. Kimball's. Jtyde, Jj'onnoniiii, ] 10. Wubert Earls is also mentioned as Kimball's son. JIall, Mormonism Exposed, 70.

About 1840, in obedience to a special revelation, Joseph Smith established a secret society known as the Order Lodge. None save persotis of high stand- ing iu the church could gain admission, the avowed object of the organization being induction into the higher mysteries of the priesthood. J. C. Bennett writes as follows of this order: ' The lodge-rocm is carefully prepared and