Prest L. E. Harrington spoke upon our duties as members
of the school. When we come here do we come praying for the spirit of God, we
should try to have the spirit of unity amongst us, we should not bring subjects
up here that does not pertain to us. Vice Prest Evans proposed the following
question, Can a man be exalted without celestial marriage and whether we must
have one, two, or three wives, some say one some two &c. Bro Mulliner spoke
upon the subject & told about Abraham, said Joseph Smith asked the Lord concerning
it & the Lord told Joseph that if we were not thus married we would be
damned.
Bro Evans asked whether it was not belonging to the
marriage of this church instead of the gentile marriage. Several spoke upon the
subject some had it that we can get exalted without more wives others that we
cannot. (Record of Theological School American Fork City, March 16, 1869)
Pres. Wells spoke about the brethren making their mills especially
those in Polygamy and thought that it was a matter that should be attended to,
and then spoke about a great many of our young men abusing themselves by the
habit of self—polution; or self-abuse, or as the Bible terms it Onanism and was
satisfied that, that was one great cause why so many of our young men were not
married. And it was a great sin, and would lead to sin insanity and a
premature grave. And that it was the duty of every Bishop to see whether their was
any one in their respective wards guilty of this degrading [a?] demoralizing
habit. . . .
He [William Jeffries] then concluded his remarks by
referring to Masturbation or self-abuse, and said that it was one of the most damning
habits that any person could get into. . . . (Grantsville, Utah, School of the
Prophets, September 11, 1871)
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