It was in January 1860 that wife
and I began to talk seriously about obeying the Celestial Law in relation to
Plural Marriage. She was not only willing but anxious for me to take other wives,
notwithstanding our poverty, as she understood perfectly that unless we
rendered obedience to the order of things that we would forfeit all rights to
claim each other as husband and wife in and after the resurrection. With this understanding
I made at least two efforts while living in Parowan to obtain other wives.
The time had not arrived for me
to enter into that holy order and I failed in my effort. I record this fact
here that our children may know how early in life their noble and
self-sacrificing mother accepted as an article of her faith this order of
Plural Marriage, so despised by the World but so necessary to the exaltation of
man and woman. (Isaiah Moses Coombs, “Biography of Fanny McLean Combs,” May
1885, repr. Mark Anthony Combs (father), Isaiah Moses Coombs, and Fanny
McLean Combs—Histories, ed. Jim Tagg [2025], 122-23)
June 6, 1870. I wrote in my journal
as follows: “Fanny’s birthday—she is twenty-eight years old. I had a long
conversation with her the other evening on the subject of getting another wife
and to her credit I will here record the substance of what she said on that
subject. “I will never stand in the way of you getting another wife. I hope you
will get some good woman and the better looking she is the better I will be
pleased. I want you to get one that neither you nor I will be ashamed of. I
will be as proud of her as you will be yourself. I will not be jealous nor worry
myself with thinking that you love her more than me, I will pray to God to
direct you aright in your selection that you make a wise choice.” But I cannot
think of one-tenth that she said, but it was all first rate. (Isaiah Moses Coombs,
“Biography of Fanny McLean Combs,” May 1885, repr. Mark Anthony Combs (father),
Isaiah Moses Coombs, and Fanny McLean Combs—Histories, ed. Jim Tagg [2025],
125)