History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

OPPONENTS OF POLYGAMY. 361
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, 60-70.
Says Ex-elder John Hyde, jun. : 'In 1S54 Brighain Young commanded the
people to consecrate by legal transfer all right and title to all personal property.
Quitclaim deeds were drawn up, and from their land to their wearing
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 legislature,
by act approved Jan. IS, 1S5.5, legalized these transfers, and provided a
form in blank therefor. See Utah Laws (cd. 1855), 2G8-9; (ed. 1SGG), 92-3. At
the semiannual conference held in Oct. 1S73, the subject of reviving the order
was again agitated. Elder David McKenzie touched upon the ultimate establishment
of the order of Enoch in a very emphatic manner. Deseret News,
Oct. 15, 1873. The Salt Lake Tribune of March 21, 1S74, 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.' Mrs Stenhouse says efforts were made to revive the
order before the completion of the railways, which were not finished until 1SG9.
Englishwoman 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 1S73-4 at St George,
where Brigham and a few of his leaders were at that time. During the early
part of 1874, scarcely a sermon was delivered 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 waa
was chosen president; Geo. Smith, Danl H. Wells, and the twelve apostles,
vice-presidents; David McKenzie, George Goddard, D. 0. Calder, P. A.
Schettler, John T. CaLne. and James Jack, secretaries; Thos W. Ellerbeck,
general book-keeper; Edward Hunter, treasurer; and Horace J. Eldridge, John
Sharp, Ferezmore Little, James Van Cott, Moses Thatcher, Thos Dinwiddie,
and Elijah Sheets, directors. S. L. C. 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. Mormonism
Exposed, 70. It was ascertained that many of the saints had intermarried
with gentile stock, and were thus debarred from a full enjoyment of
the rights and privileges of the house and lineage of Abraham. But these
lost blessings could be restored by ingraf tment 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 Abraham, tracing his consanguinity to Isaac
and Jacob, and thence to himself as a chief of one of the tribes. Romans, xi.
1G, is quoted as authorizing the doctrine, which requires every member of the
church, except the twelve, to choose a father 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. Many young men give themselves over to the leaders as eternal
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.
Hyde, M ormo ni-m, 110. YVilbert Earls is also mentioned as Kimball's son.
Hall, Mormonism Exposed, 70.
About 1 S40, in obedience to a special revelation, Joseph Smith established
a secret society known as the Order Lodge. None save persons of high standing
in 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