Mormon History
Divisions Among the Mormons - 1845
Warsaw Signal – February 19, 1845
RIGDON'S TOUR.
Rigdon has lately been travelling through the
east, preaching up his claims to the Brethren. On his return, he published the
following account of his journey, which, as showing the state of the church
abroad, will interest our readers.
Among the churches we visited, there was a great deal of excitement; many of the
principle members had either withdrawn from the church or had been cut off, and
of this number were the presiding elders of the church of Philadelphia, New
York, Boston, New Egypt, N. J. and Woodstown, N. J. On inquiring into the cause
of the difficulties, in every instance, it was the spiritual wife system which
had caused the separation, and exclusion. The course pursued by the advocates of
this system, which were the traveling elders, were, that as soon as a man became
dissatisfied with the teachings of these believers in polygamy, & was bold
enough to express his dissatisfaction, calling it incestuous and adulterous, he
or she was immediately arraigned before the church and charged with disobedience
to the authorities; and with slandering the heads of the church, at the time of
the trial, and every one who dare vote in favor of the person charged, was
threatened with immediate expulsion from the church by these tyrants, and thus
intimidated, and compelled to obey the mandate of their masters. A notable
instance of this was related to me while in Boston. Older elder Nickerson, a man
who was highly esteemed in Boston, and the father of the church there; when this
system, of a plurality of wives, first made its appearance there, rose up
against it, as every man of virtue would, and was so deeply affected with it,
that he wept over the corruption that was creeping into the church, and declared
his intention and determination, to lift his voice against it; this was no
sooner known, than he was besieged by two of the so-called authorities, and
threatened with exclusion, if he dare give testimony against those whom he had
declared he knew were guilty of great improprieties, such as called for the
interference of every virtuous man; and the old gentleman was so intimidated by
their threats, he shrunk from his duty, and instead of discharging it, with a
manly boldness, actually lifted his hand in favor of those whose conduct he had
previously deprecated in the strongest terms. Every effort of this kind was
made, that the most corrupt could invent, to conceal this system, without their
having knowledge of it, till they were informed by some runner sent for the
purpose, that at such a meeting they had been cut off from the church.
Every person who was known to be opposed to this system, if he or she could not
be won over; or made to succumb by threats, were excluded, and their characters
assailed in a most outrageous manner in order to destroy their influence, that
their testimony might not be believed. -- By such extraordinary means did the
advocates of this system attempt to sustain themselves; but it was all in vain,
for concealment was no longer possible, the truth has been made manifest, as
Paul said it should, so that the world now knows, that every person, male or
female, who adheres to these leaders, do it because they are in favor of the
system of a plurality of wives, and for this cause they are found numbered with
them. Ignorance can no longer be plead.
A state of things of the above character, must of necessity, produce a confusion
and excitement, in a greater or less degree; and such we found through the whole
of our journey.
After we left this city, we made no stop until we reached Philadelphia; there we
found a separation had taken place in the church, caused as above; a church was
organized, to which we delivered a short course of lectures and then proceeded
to New York, found the same causes had produced the same effects there; we
delivered a course of lectures there, and formed a church, and then proceeded to
Boston, and there formed another church. From thence we returned by way of New
York, and passed into New Jersey, and formed two churches; returned to
Philadelphia and lectured again to the church there, and from thence came home.
At no period of our public ministry, have we been so successful in any one
journey; success attended us at every place and in every step, from the time we
left till we returned. We delivered as many, as would amount to nearly one
lecture for every day we were gone, and we feel that we have cause for unceasing
gratitude to our Heavenly Father, for all his mercies and loving kindness, and
for the glorious door of hope he has opened unto us.