i6 2 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Tliese are the words of " Jacob, the brother of Nephi," and words 

 could hardly be more distinct or emphatic ; but theologians can 

 generally manage to explain away inconvenient texts and hard say- 

 ings, while in this case it may be held by the Saints that the above 

 injunctions were repealed by the subsequent "Revelation on Celestial 

 Marriage." This tardy revelation, vouchsafed to Joseph Smith shortly 

 before the close of his career, is the sole warrant for plurality of wives 

 a practice which is general among the Mormon leaders, but not 

 throughout the community at large. With them, as with Mohamme- 

 dans or Hindoos, polygamy is doubtless very much a question of ex- 

 pense, and I was informed on good authority that probably about one 

 in four of the Saints is the husband of more than one wife. The ma- 

 jority, therefore, adheres in practice to the " Doctrine and Covenants," 

 which book is a recognized authority upon articles of Mormon faith, 

 and declares that " one man should have one wife, and one woman 

 but one husband, except in case of death, when either is at liberty to 

 marry again." The number of wives ascribed to eminent individuals 

 is usually exaggerated, sixteen being the largest number admittedly 

 married to one man, and six constituting the household of a wealthy 

 and influential elder. 



The Mormons compare themselves to the Jews, as well as to the 

 early Christians ; they have been a persecuted people, driven forth to 

 wander through trackless deserts,, and are now living apart from their 

 neighbors in a theocratic commonwealth of their own. Their pre- 

 cedents on behalf of polygamy are mainly drawn from the Hebrew 

 Scriptures ; but they also assert that they have in their favor the ex- 

 ample of the primitive Christian Church. Without going into their 

 arguments, it may be at once conceded that polygamy was sanctioned 

 by the ancient Hebrew law ; but it is not the less out of date in the 

 new world of America, and is a standing peril to the Church of the 

 Latter-day Saints. By an act of the Utah Legislature, the right of 

 suffrage has been conferred on " all American women, native or nat- 

 uralized," and it hardly seems possible that polygamy can long sur- 

 vive such legislation. At present the extension of the franchise among 

 persons, few- of whom are " native " Americans, and many of whom 

 . are very imperfectly educated, probably strengthens the hands of the 

 Mormon leaders by swamping entirely the Gentile element. But such 

 an effect is not likely to be permanent, for the rising generation will 

 be educated; in 1871, just after the passing of the act above referred 

 to, sixty per cent, of the girls between four and sixteen years of age 

 were enrolled as scholars throughout Utah Territory, being slightly 

 in excess of the percentage among boys of the same age. Equality 

 between the sexes in education and in electoral privileges must tend 

 to bring about social and religious equality also, and the example of 

 their independent sisters in Wyoming Territory, where women enjoy 

 complete civil rights, will not be thrown away upon the ladies of Salt 



