THE FAITH AND DOCTRINE. 593 mon adults, male and female, do not enter the polygamatic relation, but that every orthodox Mormon believed in polygamy as a divine revelation. THE ANTI-POLYGAMY BILL OF 1886. Further discussions were held in Congress during the winter of 1885-'86, which resulted in the passage of an antipolygamy bill on January 8, 1886, of which the following were the main features: It makes the lawful husband or wife of the person accused of bigamy a competent witness, who may be compelled to testify without the consent of the wife or husband, as the case may be. An attachment may be issued for a witness without previous subpoena when there is reasonable ground to believe that a subpoena would not be effective. Every marriage shall be certified to in writing by the parties concerned, including the priest. Women are prohibited from voting in the Territory. All laws recognizing illegitimate children, and the Territorial laws providing that prosecutions for adultery can be begun only on the complaint of the husband or wife, are annulled. The Territorial laws creating and continuing the Mormon Church Corporation are also annulled, and the President is to appoint (by and with the advice of the Senate) fourteen trustees to manage the property and business of the corporation; and the Attorney-General is ordered to institute proceedings to forfeit and escheat all property acquired by the corporation in contravention of the United States laws, the escheated property to be then sold and the proceeds devoted to common school purposes in the Territory; but no building is to be forfeited that is used exclusively for worship. All immigration companies or organizations created by the Territorial Government are abolished, and the Attorney-General is to take steps to have the Emigrating Fund Company wound up. The existing election districts of Utah are abolished, and new ones that will give the people equal representation are to be marked out. Marriages between persons within, and not including, the fourth degree of consanguinity are declared incestuous. Adultery is punishable by imprisonment in the penitentiary not exceeding three years. The office of District School Superintendent is declared vacant, and the Court is directed to fill the vacancy. THE FAITH AND DOCTRINE. 1. We believe in God the Eternal Father, and in his Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost, who bears record of them, the same throughout ail ages and forever. 2. We believe that all mankind, by the transgression of their first parents, and not by their own sins, are subject to eternal banishment from the presence of God, their bodies never to rise from the dust, and their spirits to remain under the power of Satan, with no power of their own to escape therefrom. 3. We believe that through the sufferings, death, and atonement of Jesus Christ all mankind, without one exception, are to be completely and fully redeemed, both body and spirit, without any condition on their part; the most righteous man that ever lived, and the most wicked wretch, without any agency of their own, were placed under the same curse, and they both alike will be redeemed (Rom. v. 18; John xii. 32). Jesus hath destroyed the effect of the original sin; hence eternal life will be theirs if they themselves are not found transgressors of the law. 4. We believe that infants are incapable of knowing good and evil, and that therefore there is no law given to them; hence they are innocent, and if they should die would enjoy eternal life. 5. We believe that those who grow up to years of understanding know good and evil, in consequence of Adam's sin; and are capable of obeying and disobeying a law; and the penalty for sin is a second banishment from the presence of God. 6. We believe that this second law only affects those who have done evil, having a knowledge of the law, in this life; or if they sin in ignorance, and afterwards come to know the law, they will be punished in the world to come. They are prisoners shut up in this world, waiting with awful fear for the judgment, and cannot devise any way of escape; but Jesus has opened a way on conditions. 7. We believe the first condition is to believe in God, the sufferings and death of his Son Jesus Christ, his resurrection and ascension, and in the Holy Ghost. That the second condition is to repent humbly before God, and confess their sins with a broken heart and contrite spirit, to turn away from them, and make restitution to all whom they have injured, as far as it is in their power. The third condition is to be baptized by immersion in water, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for remission of sins, by one who is called and authorized of Jesus Christ to baptize. The fourth condition is to receive the laying on of hands, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the gift of the Holy Ghost, by the apostles or elders, and to be received only by those who believe, repent, and are baptized into this church. These are the first conditions; all who comply with them receive for giveness of sins, and are made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and become the adopted sons and daughters of God, being born again, first of water, then of spirit, and become children of the kingdom, heirs of God, saints CHURCH ORGANIZATION. 595 of the Most High, the church of the first-born, the elect people, and heirs to a celestial inheritance, eternal in the presence of God. 8. It is the duty and privilege of the saints to believe in and enjoy all the gifts, powers, and blessings which flow from the Holy Spirit, such as revelation, prophecy, visions, the ministry of angels, healing the sick by laying on of hands, the working of miracles, and all the gifts mentioned in Scripture. Inspired apostles and prophets are necessary to be in the church in these days. The peculiar institution of polygamy was not originally a part of the system, but was added to it by the "prophet Joseph, in 1843. It has produced an endless amount of anguish, and caused the Mormon people to be denominated the great social blot on American civilization. One of the Mormon elders has said of it: "There is scarcely a mother in Israel but would, if she could, break asunder the cable of the Church of Christ, and say that she has not seen a week's happiness since she became acquainted with that law, or since her husband took a second wife." The Mormon law requires that when a man wishes to take a certain woman for a wife and has a wife already, he must ask a prophet's advice, who must receive a special revelation in his case; then he gets the consent of the parents, and, lastly, of the lady herself. The president can overrule any first wife's objections to a second or more wives, even to the extent of divorce. A Mormon may have as many wives as he can support. The ceremony of admission to membership includes a stripping, anointing with spiced and perfumed oil, the recitation of passages of Scripture from the Bible and from "Mormon "; robing in a peculiar dress, giving a new name, and the rehearsal of a kind of drama which symbolizes the creation, man's fall, Christ's atonement, and the whole Mormon plan of salvation. The church organization consists of: 1. The presidency of three, chosen from among the highpriesthood and apostleship, who are a president and two counsellors. The president is also seer, revelator, translator, and prophet; absolute ruler in both spiritual and temporal affairs. 2. The apostles, who organize, build up, preside, and minister. 3. The seventies, who are to preach the gospel and administer its ordinances and blessings. The patriarch blesses the fatherless, and prophesies their future. 4. The elders and high-priest. The high-priest has care of the churches abroad. The elders preach and baptize, and ordain other elders, teachers, and deacons. These are all of the Melchizedek priesthood, and they are hedged about with holy sanctions and sublime mysteries, which awe the minds of simple persons. They hold the key by which all heavenly mysteries and spiritual blessings are locked up and unlocked, only by the duly authorized agent. 5. The Aaronic priesthood, including bishop, priest, preacher, and deacon. The high council consists of twelve high-priests, with a president, who settle all important difficulties. They hold the keys of the ministering of angels, and are to attend to outward ordinances; the letter of the gospel, the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. In 1886 there were four Mormon temples in Utah: at Salt Lake City, Manti, Logan City, and St. George, only the last two being finished. CHAPTER XLVII. THE SHAKERS. Mother Ann's Immigration to America-The True Christian Church-Views on Property--Employments of Shakers--Compend of Principles-Shaker Communities. MOTHER ANN'S IMMIGRATION TO AMERICA. HE term Shaker is given in mockery and reproach to Appearing." Their origin was in a protest against the Apostolic Church in England as having gone out of the true way, and a belief that this sect was especially raised up to restore the true faith and practice. James Wardley, a tailor, and his wife Jane, Quakers, of Bolton-on-the-Moors, England, joined some French Quakers in testifying against all the churches then in standing, in 1747. In 1757 Ann Lee (a blacksmith's daughter), joined the society by confessing her sins to Jane Wardley. Some years after joining the society, she united her testimony against the "root of human depravity," the lust of generation, and professed she had received the greatest gift. From 1768 or 1769 she was regarded as the spiritual mother, and took the lead of the society, being known thenceforth as "Mother Ann." About 1772 Mother Ann claimed to have received a revelation from Heaven to repair to America. She prophesied of a great increase and permanent establishment of the society and its work for God in this country. Accordingly, as many as firmly believed in her testimony, and could settle their temporal concerns, procured passage with her at Liverpool, and |