Wilford Woodruff (the newest next Chairman of the Chapel from Goodness Christ away from Latter-time Saints) is probable best-known for his issuing of the 1890 Manifesto you to requisite an end to the practice of polygamy within the this new church. Because of it, he or she is possibly the most questionable prophets on Mormon trust. If you find yourself good devout member of new LDS church which problems with polygamy, you truly are thankful so you can Woodruff to take the first actions so you can getting and you may stop to your practice. When you are a Mormon fundamentalist whom still thinks regarding concept out of plural relationship, you actually select Woodruff’s procedures since the cowardly and possibly even treacherous. In any event, his history try inextricably associated with how he already been the method you to resulted in the end of polygamy on chapel. It could become because the a surprise then to find out that Woodruff is maybe close so you can more plural wives than just about any almost every other chief regarding chapel. Yes, he is up here towards the top of record. This new connect, yet not, is the fact that the majority of these sealings would be to dry female and performed because of the proxy.
An incredibly Patriarchal Birthday celebration, to me!
I came across this tale during the David J. Buerger’s New Secrets away from Godliness: A track record of Mormon Temple Worship, and that details the development of brand new forehead ceremonies while the ways that they have started changed over time. This is a great guide and i also suggest it so you’re able to anybody that is interested in the fresh new theological and historic background of modern day Mormon forehead praise. Among advancements to help you temple praise is the brand new regarding endowments on dead, that have been earliest did for the eleven January 1877 from the St. George Temple. Lower than two months afterwards, Wilford Woodruff wrote within his diary which he was actually commanded by revelation to execute proxy endowments on St. George Forehead for the of a lot lifeless women he had had closed to your:
Assist my slave Wilford telephone call abreast of the fresh virgins, maidens, daughters & moms and dads inside Zion, and you will allow them to enter my personal Holy Forehead towards very first day of March, the afternoon that my slave Wilford possess heard of day allotted so you can people, three score many years and you can 10, so there allow them to found the laundry and you may anointing and you will endowments to possess and you can account of your spouses that are dead and then have already been sealed back at my slave Wilford, or those people who are to be closed so you're able to him, and that is acceptable unto me personally saith god, and also the dead out of my personal slave shall be redeemed on spirit globe and become prepared to see my servant at the time of their Future . . . Today visit and you may do which works as well as can be completed with regards to the interest of center. Disclosure registered because of the Wilford Woodruff inside the diary, step 1 February 1877 Spelling and you will punctuation fixed, emphasis my own personal.
The 267 Invisible Brides regarding Wilford Woodruff
Accordingly, to your step 1 February 1877-within the celebration regarding their 70th birthday celebration-Woodruff try followed by 154 feminine to visit a special event on St. George Forehead to perform proxy endowments having inactive women that got become otherwise was basically getting close so you’re able to Woodruff because the plural spouses. In GГјney Afrika sД±cak kadД±nlar the celebration, Woodruff info in the diary:
I found myself indeed there surrounded that have a hundred and fifty-four virgins, Maidens Daughters and Mothers in Zion about age of fourteen toward Aged Mommy tilting upon their particular Staff. All the got assembled with regards to stepping into the latest Temple of your own Lord to make me personally a personal gift when you're clean and you will anointed and receiving their endowments getting as well as in part of just one hundred and thirty from my personal spouses who were dead and also in the soul business, the majority of which was shut to me. . . . When they got the build to each other about Production Area We shown myself prior to them clothed in my own light doe facial skin temple top. I there introduced unto all of them an initial address. . . . You are today within endowment as opposed to one to you, but we'll present one-man an enthusiastic Adam. . . . We experience the fresh new endowments during the day more like becoming inside vision than a reality. Such 154 siblings was indeed lead to three veils and you can about three regarding us . . . all dressed in forehead clothing, took everyone from three veils. . . . President Young is establish within forehead for the witnessing the latest ceremonies. . . . From the personal of your work on forehead I . . . is actually placed in the middle of a shock people got right up on event. The area adorned and you will a desk put loaded with the luxuries away from lifetime, surrounded by almost one hundred of these who had been acquiring endowments to have my deceased each day. Chairman Younger seated at lead of your own desk enclosed by his members of the family and you can once blessing is questioned, there was displayed before me a gift out of a birthday celebration wedding cake, about three reports highest, adorned on the monsters of your own occupation about elephant off, and you may ornamented that have a few silk sheet sets covered with printed poetry composed towards the occasion. Wilford Woodruff Journal, step one February 1877 Spelling and you can punctuation fixed, emphasis my personal. Cited verses receive more than 6 pages.