A letter from John Taylor to Mrs. Malinda J. Merrill, Salt Lake City, Utah, January 19, 1883.
The following is a
transcription (taken from here)
of John Taylor, Letter to Malinda J. Merrill, January 19, 1883 (M234.71
T243L 19--, Church History Library):
Dear Sister:
In regard to the question which you have proposed
pertaining to plurality of wives you say: ‘According to my understanding of the
revelation, I thought it was sealing, but some say it is plurality.’ Permit me
to say that it is both, you will find that the revelation is on The Eternity of
the Marriage Covenant, including Plurality of Wives, and the first paragraph
reads:
‘Verily thus saith the Lord, unto you my Servant Joseph,
that inasmuch as you have inquired of my hand, to know and understand wherein I
the Lord justified my Servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; as also my servants
Moses, David and Solomon, as touching the principle and doctrine of their
having many wives and concubines.’
The question that was asked was evidently in relation to
those people, and especially in relation to the plurality of wives. In the 4th
verse it is said:
‘For behold, I reveal unto you a new, and everlasting
covenant, and if ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned, for no one can
reject this covenant and be permitted to enter into my glory. For all who will
have a blessing at my hand shall abide the law which was appointed for that
blessing, and the conditions thereof as were instituted from before the
foundation of the world, and as pertaining to the new, and everlasting
covenant, it was instituted for the fulness of my glory, and he that receive
the fullness thereof, must and shall abide my law, or he shall be damned, saith
the Lord God.’
You ask: ‘If a man and woman go to the House of the Lord
and get their Endowments and are sealed for time and all eternity, and they two
live together quietly and peaceably and teach their children the principles of
life and salvation, and bring them up in the fear of the Lord, will they gain
an exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom with a continuation of their seed or
not? I have been sealed to my husband, and my patriarchal blessing says: “I
shall raise children in the Millenium,” and I would like to live so as to gain
that blessing. I hear men say that one cannot gain an exaltation and a
continuation of their seed in the eternal world unless they take more wives
than one, and I am anxious to understand it.’ In fulfilling this, you have
entered so far into the everlasting covenant, which is so far into the
everlasting covenant, which is so far acceptable before the Lord, but in regard
to the Law, it is further said, verse 32: ‘Go ye, therefore, and do the works
of Abraham.’ The question is: What is the Law? The 34th verse says:
‘God commanded Abraham, and Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham
to wife. And why did she do it? Because this was the law: and from Hagar sprang
many people. This, therefore, was fulfilling, among other things, the
promises.’
In the 37th verse it is said:
‘Abraham received concubines, and they bore him children,
and it was accounted unto him for righteousness, because they were given unto
him, and he abode my law; as Isaac also, and Jacob did none other things than
that which they were commanded.’ ‘David also received many wives and
concubines, as also Solomon and Moses my servants; as also many others of my
servants. from the beginning of creation until this time; and in nothing did
they sin, save in those things which they received not of me.’ 38th verse.
You seem desirous to take part of the Law and reject the
other part, but it is plainly stated as above quoted, that they were ‘to do the
works of Abraham, and that if ye enter not into my Law, ye cannot receive the
promise of my Father which was made unto Abraham.’ It is further said:
‘God commanded Abraham and Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham to
wife, and that the reason why she did it was because it was the Law.’
It is evident therefore from the whole of the above that
other wives were included in this Law as well as the one. You further inquire:
‘What is the difference in a man having dead wives sealed to him than living
women, so that he has one living wife; will they gain as great an exaltation if
they have dead women sealed to them as they would if they had living women
sealed to them?’
This Law pertains more particularly to the living, and on
this point I refer you to verse 52 wherein it is said:
‘And let mine handmaid, Emma Smith, receive all those
that have been given unto my servant Joseph, and who are virtuous and pure
before me; and those who are not pure, and have said they were pure, shall be
destroyed, saith the Lord God,’
and in the 64th verse:
‘And again, verily, verily, I say unto you, if any man
have a wife, who holds the keys of this power, and he teaches unto her this law
of my Priesthood, as pertaining to these things, then shall she believe and
administer unto him, or she shall be destroyed, said the Lord your God; for I
will destroy her; for I will magnify my name upon all those who receive and
abide in my law.’
‘This is the Law of Sarah, who administered unto Abraham
according to the Law, when I commanded Abraham to take Hagar to wife.’
You seem to be desirous of having dead women sealed to
your husband instead of living ones, where as the law pertaining to these
matters does not put things in that shape. We read that the Lord commanded and
Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham to wife, and it is for wives as well as husbands to
perform their part in relation to these matters as explicitly stated in verse
64 wherein it is said:
‘If he teaches unto her the law of my Priesthood as
pertaining to these things, then shall she believe and administer unto him, or
she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord your God.’
Circumstances do not always place it in the power of man
to enter into this Covenant and these matters are left with the Lord to adjust,
but no man or woman has authority to point out any other way than that which
the Lord has appointed.
Respectfully your Brother in the Gospel.
Signed: John Taylor.
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