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THE HIDDEN ORGIES OF MORMONISM
PRACTISED IN
NAUVOO AND ITS TEMPLE.
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The Mormon city, is in a bend on the banks of the Mississippi, United States, and occupies an elevated position and
space of about three miles onw way and four the other. The ground is promiscuously built up, with a variety of houses,
sufficient in number to contain about fifteen thousand inhabitants. The buildings vary from a small log and mud hut,
from ten to fourteen feet square, one story, to between one and two hundred feet square, four stories including basement,
of brick and stone. The occupants are about one half Americans, perhaps one-third English, and the remainder from different
nations. There are no blacks. The Public Buildings -- a Seventies' Hall, of brick, two stories; a Masonic Hall. of brick,
four stories, including basement; a Music Hall, of brick, one story, about forty or sixty feet; an Arsenal, three stories,
of stone. Then the Great Temple, which is unquestionably one of the finest buildings in the country. Its location is
about in the centre of the city, on a hill that rises gradually from the river; it Is built of white limestone quarried
from the banks of the Mississippi. The architect's name is Weeks, under the superintendence of Joseph Smith. Hundreds of
Mormons were employed on it, directly or indirectly, from its commencement. It is eighty feet wide, one hundred and
twenty-eight feet in length, and from the ground to the extreme summit, it measures two hundred and ninety-two feet.
It is after no particular style of architecture. It has a portico of three archways; is surrounded with thirty polished
stone pilasters, at the base of which is carved a new moon inverted, while the capital of each is formed of a full head
the whole breadth of the pilaster, projecting out from the building, representing the rising Sun coming out from a cloud,
supported by two hands holding a trumpet. Directly under the tower, in front, is the following inscription in golden letters: --
"The House of the Lord, built by the Church of Jesus Christ of Letter-Day Saints.
Commenced April 6th, 1841. Holiness to the Lord."
In the centre of the basement, which is the full size of the Temple, converging to the centre, is a baptismal font,
(the object of which I will briefly describe below,) supported by twelve oxen as large as life, heads fronting out each
way from the centre, executed in solid stone. Two stairways lead into the
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font from opposite directions. All around the outside of this main floor are small rooms, designed for a purpose I
cannot here describe for want of room. On the first floor are three pulpits, and a place for a large choir; and on
either side eight arched windows. Around the hall of the spacious attic, are twelve small rooms, each lighted with
a beautiful circular window, and a massive lock on the door. The walls of the building are about six feet thick.
The summit of this splendid edifice is gained by two winding stairways from the base. The probable cost is about
One Million Dollars.
This grand structure was commenced in 1841, under the following circumstances: -- Joseph Smith issued a Proclamation
to all his followers in Nauvoo, and in all parts of the earth where they were, that God commanded them, through him,
to build him a house, wherein he, the Lord, might reveal through his prophet Joseph, ordinances essential to their
salvation, which had been hidden from the Church from the foundation of the world: and the conditions of his followers
receiving those ordinances and blessings were, that they were to appropriate one-tenth of their time and property in
building the same. The building of the house continued three years; at which time, Smith was killed under circumstances
already known to the public; by which unexpected circumstance, the whole body of Mormons were thrown into confusion,
supposing the object for which the house, was built, had vanished with Smith, their prophet. Consequently it was not
long before there arose a hot contest between Sidney Rigdon and some more of the ambitious ones, which should be great
as was the prophet Joseph. Finally, a man by the name of Brigham Young (now heading thousands off to the remote part of
the earth, to their literal ruin in many instances, -- he being more crafty than the rest -- succeeded in getting
Smith's place. After which he commenced his strata- gem to carry out and prosecute (as he says) Smith's measure in
secret. Accordingly, after a secret preparation in the temple of a few individuals selected for that purpose, with
close doors, unknown to the main body of the people, we are called in, by two at a time, male and female, and are
initiated into the following mysteries -- and bound, at the expense of life, not to tell another -- not even a Mormon.
FIRST DEGREE IN THE TEMPLE.
The following process is what myself and wife were personally taken through, in turn with upwards of twelve thousand,
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others, in the temple, in the winter of 1846, said to be our reward, as revealed from God to Joseph Smith, for erecting that
splendid edifice, and the express object for which it was built.
The drama (as I call it) runs thus: --
We have a notice to appear at the temple at five in the morning. I am instructed to wear white drawers, My wife is to bring
her night clothes with her What these are orders for, we have no idea in the least. We are met at the outside porch of the
temple, and ordered to pass up the main winding stairway, from the base to the attic story; we are ordered to be seated,
where we lay off the hat, cloak, bonnet, &c.; our anxiety now begins moderately to increase, by some curious and strange
movements we see here, such as carrying water to and from a certain direction, &c. A few of such and other similar strange
movements are accidentally crossing our observation, as we sit here on this singular occasion, conducted, to begin with,
where we did not expect to go -- that is, to the attic story of the temple. We are now called out and placed in front of a
closed door that opens on a floor the whole size of the temple. I am ordered now to take my wife and pass through this door,
which opens as we approach it. We are brought immediately into a narrow hall; at the further end of the hall stands a man;
as we approach him he says, you must here separate; directs me through a door to the right, my wife through one at the left,
in an opposite direction. I am now ordered to be seated; I next pass through an examination to the affect, whether I am
sufficiently responsible to receive what they are about to commit to me &c. If I am known to be so, I am initiated through;
if not, I go no further. After undergoing an examination of this kind, I am ordered by the conductor to lay off my outside
clothes, such as coat, vest, pants, boots, &c., and lay them on a pile in the centre of the floor.
SECOND DEGREE IN THE TEMPLE.
I Am next conducted through a door into another room, which is considerably shaded, nearly to twilight. There is a variety
of ceremony going on in this room, some of rather too delicate a nature to speak of, as this work is designed to be read
by all classes of both sexes. I am however, divested of the remainder of my clothing, which leaves me in a state of perfect
nakedness, and placed in a horizontal position in a bath of water that has been prepared for that purpose, and I am washed
from head to foot, with the following ceremony: --
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"I wash you that you may be clean to perform the work assigned to you; -- your eyes, that you may see the glory of God; --
your ears, that you may hear his voice; -- your mouth, that you may speak forth his praise; -- your arms and breast that you
may he strong to perform his work; -- your thus and so; -- your (I dare not explain) and so down to your feet, that you may
be swift to run the race," &c.
All this time I am rolled and tumbled about from one side of the bath to the other. Head a part of the time under the water,
half strangled under a considerable excitement, not knowing what is coming next. At last the priest lays his hands on my head,
and pronounces me clean in the name of the Lord, and prepared for the further ordinances of this house.
I am now ordered out of the bath in a standing position, and have perfumed oil poured from a cow's crooked horn on the top
of my bead, until it runs partly over my body. I am now said to be the Lord's anointed, as in the days of old, when they
were anointed to the office of king, &c. After this I am seated, and the priest lays his hands on my head and ordains me to
be king in time and eternity. After receiving this ordination, I am presented with, and have put on, what they call, an
under garment. This is a tight fit, made of white cotton cloth, with two marks cut in it; a square in the breast, and a
compass on the knee. I am told this garment represents the white stone in Scripture, in which was a new name given. I here
have a new name given me. I am told also, that I am always to wear this garment under my clothes while I am in the world.
God has ordered this; and I can receive no harm while I have it on. The name I received was Lehi, one of the names of the
Book Mormon. This name I was forbidden to reveal to any one but at the door of the Celestial Kingdom. What this meant I
found out afterwards. The compass on the knee signifies our willingness to bow always; the square. God's protection, &c.
I have now put on me, over this under garment, a common shirt open at the collar. In this dress, after so much ceremony.
I am conducted into a third room.
THIRD DEGREE IN THE TEMPLE.
I am next placed in a certain position on the floor, supposed to be, Adam in embryo. All is now silent for a while, the
silence is at length broken by a rumbling noise from a distance; the noise terminates in a voice -- "Let there be light,
let the light be divided from the darkness; let the light be called day
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and the darkness night; let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters; let the firmament be called heaven; let the
waters under the firmament be gathered together in one place and let the dry land appear; let the dry land be called earth,
and the gathering together of waters, seas; let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree
yielding fruit, after his kind, whose seed is in itself upon the earth; let the earth bring forth the living creature after
his kind, cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth, after their kind."
(The reader will perceive that this conversation differs from Moses' history of the creation. Moses says. "And the Lord
said, Let there be light," &c, "and there was light," speaking of the Deity in the third person. It is here as if the
Almighty himself is first in the act of creation and this is the idea intended in the farce.)
After the individual thus representing the Lord behind the curtain (as in the act of creation,) is supposed to have
created the heavens and the earth, cattle, beasts, creeping things, fowls of the air, fish of the sea, &c., he continues
his work farther and says, "Now let us go down and make man in our image after our likeness." All this time I am in
silence, hearing, but not seeing anything, and knowing not what is to take place the next moment; for all is new and
unexpected from first to last, of this whole drama. When he says, "Let us go down and make man," I hear his footsteps
approaching the room where I am; he comes in -- comes to where I am -- puts his hands to the floor, and then on me, as
if fulfilling this Scripture. "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils
the breath of life, and man became a living soul." After going on as if forming me newly of the dust of the ground,
he stoops down and breathes on me, and now I am supposed to spring into life. I am next ordered to change my position
to a sleeping one, as if fulfilling, "And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept." I am now
ordered to put my head down low, and feign myself in a deep sleep. The individual representing the Almighty, continues
his work, as if fulfilling, "And he took a rib, and the rib which the Lord God had taken from man made be a woman, and
brought her unto the man." After he has taken the rib, he passes out of the room, and is supposed to have formed the
woman of the rib; he soon returns with a woman, and places her directly before me, as I am sitting, head down, as if
in a deep sleep. I am now saluted by a loud voice. "Adam here is thy companion. I give her to be with thee --
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What wilt thou call her?" I now raise my head and awake out of my feigned sleep, and to my surprise, a female stands
directly in front of me, about three feet from my knees, as I am seated; her dress consists of an under piece of linen,
white stockings, long night gown all tied down before, and a white head dress of book-muslin, looking me directly in
the face with a smile. As I raise up my head from the voice, "Adam, here is thy companion -- what wilt thou call her?"
I now answer, "This is bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man."
After a second squint at this new made Eve, I found her to be my wife, that I had separated from me on entering the temple.
This was the first time I had seen her, or even thought of her, from the commencement of this very queer and excitable
farce, my mind being altogether taken up with, the novelty of this unexpected ceremony. She tells me after leaving me
where we were ordered to part, on first entering, she has gone through two rooms, and the same ceremony precisely, only
conducted by females exclusively. We are now supposed to be Adam and Eve, and the reason of my shirt being outside, and
she having on night clothes, is to represent nature. I am next ordered to take Eve and follow our conductor through a
partition door into another apartment.
FOURTH DEGREE IN THE TEMPLE.
This is a much larger room than the others through which we have passed, the floor all nicely covered with green trees,
shrubbery plants, flowers, &c., one varying from the other in height as they stand on the floor, forming alleys, walks,
&c. representing the garden of Eden. This place being a little shaded, at least as dark as twilight, end the shrubbery
interspersed with human beings, dressed in this peculiar way, acting out so sublime apiece, formed a sight both novel
and "sublime" in the extreme.
We follow a men here through the alleys [aisles?] and walks of the garden representing the Almighty; beholding the strange
and unexpected scenery that has just presented itself to our view, says "This is a beautiful place; everything delightful
for the eye and taste -- of all these things you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
(pointing to a certain tree,) thou shalt not eat; neither shalt thou touch it, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou
shalt surely die." He leaves the garden and in a few moments another individual comes in representing the Devil. He walks
round between
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the trees, and peaks and skulks as if intent on same mischief, and coming to the tree which we have been forbidden to
partake of, he says to my wife: "This is the best of all the fruit of the garden," and solicits her to partake. She takes,
eats, and gives to me. While we are amusing ourselves with the delicious taste of the fruit, (which is raisins tied to a
small tree on the floor,) the conductor starts up suddenly, stamps on the floor, and says, "Hark! the Lord is coming;
let us hide!" We are ordered to squat down behind the shrubbery on the floor. The feigned Lord's footsteps are now heard.
Coming in, he walks on the floor; at last he calls out, "Adam, where art thou?" We answer, "We heard thy voice and footsteps
in the garden, and were afraid, and hid ourselves." And he says, "Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of
the tree whereof I commanded thee not to eat?" I answer, "The women whom thou gavest to be with me, gave me of the tree
and I did eat." He then turns to my wife, and says, "What is this thou hast done? She answers, "The Serpent beguiled me
and I did eat." He now turns to the individual representing the Devil, and says, "Because thou hast done this, thou art
cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust thou shalt eat all the
days of thy life."
After the man representing the Devil receives the curse from the one acting the part of the Lord, he gets down and crawls
out of the room on his belly, dragging himself slowly along, as if cursed indeed. To my wife the Lord adds, "I will greatly
multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children," &c. And to me he says, "Because thou
has hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I commended thee, saying, thou shalt not eat
of it; cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Thorns and thistles
shall it bring forth to thee; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for dust
thou art, and unto the dust thou shalt return."
We next have aprons put on of white cloth, about eighteen inches square, with green silk leaves pasted on. We are ordered to
kneel down to an altar that stands on the centre of the floor, where we are instructed in a variety of things, such as
the folly and impropriety of being deceived by the Devil, and our not obeying the command of God, &c. We are also strictly
cautioned not to be led astray again by the Devil's influence in any shape that it may come hereafter. We now say on our
knees, we renounce the Devil for ever, and promise also to keep
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the commandments of God. We have now certain signs, grips, key-words, &c., given, and all the whys and wherefores explained.
One of the grips is, the two right hands clasped, with the end of the thumbs on the upper joint of the forefingers: second,
the end of the thumbs directly between the upper two joints of the first and second fingers. One of the key-words, is the Sun.
We are particularly instructed in these signs, key-words, grips, &c., three of each.
FIFTH DEGREE IN THE TEMPLE.
A burlesque on all the sects.
We are now conducted into another, a fifth room, which is a representation of the present Religious world. This room is
darker than any of the others through which we have passed expressive of what the Mormons say of the sects, that they are
all wrong and in gross darkness. The idea conveyed of what is in this room is, that we, Adam and Eve, have strolled away
from the true ways of the Lord, and have become contaminated by some or all of the sectarian religions of the day; or in
other words, a lapse of six thousand years is supposed to have intervened between what is here acted and that in the room
we were in previously. --
Our attention is now, attracted by an individual coming in from an adjoining room, representing the Devil. He comes in
great glee, hopping and skipping about the floor, holding in his hand a long-handled wooden noggin, which holds about a
pint, when, stopping suddenly, he looks us in the eyes and says "Good morning, brother Methodist, Presbyterian, Roman
Catholic, Baptist, Universalist, Shaking Quaker, Millerite, Campbellite," &c., enumerating all the sects of the day,
except the Mormons: "Come, let us drink the cup of fellowship this morning." He now drinks, and hands the noggin to us;
we drink, and hand it back. He then goes on as follows: "Well, brethren, you have done well -- had a great many revivals --
gained numerous hosts of converts, and would have succeeded in getting the world into some of our churches, had it not been
for that Joe Smith and the Mormons. They are round everywhere, preaching that we are all wrong -- not organized according
to Scripture; and say we (Protestants,) have no authority to preach except what we have got from the Catholics, and all
the world agrees that that is good for nothing. And now, brethren of these sects, I tell you, that Mormon plan is an almighty
one, and much to be dreaded -- it strikes at the very root and foundation of all our holy religion, and will eventually
become the prevailing
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religion, unless something can be done to stop it. It has been supposed a humbug, and would soon come to naught. But this
supposition is founded altogether in ignorance."
After a long ceremony of this kind, in favour of the Mormon Fraternity, we are interrupted by another individual coming in,
representing the Almighty. He commands the Devil to depart and let these deceived people (the sects) alone, and trouble
them no longer; for the time has come when they shall be delivered from his Satanic influence and power, by which tiny have
been bound since the Apostolic age of the world.
The Devil now reluctantly withdraws, and makes toward the door looking back at the heavenly messenger, and halts, as if at a
loss to leave or stay. He is now commanded again, to leave and let the sects alone. He now drops his noggin and flees out of
the room with great haste and fury. The supposed Lord that his acted the last part and conquered the Devil, takes us now and
teaches us the folly of every other way, that is, all the sectarian ways, and recommends the only true way to us, i.e.,
the Apostolic way, which be tells us is Joseph Smith's doctrine in every particular. We are now supposed to he convened to
the Mormon faith exclusively, in token whereof, we have our clothing changed, and are dressed in white linen, exactly alike.
SIXTH DEGREE IN THE TEMPLE.
We are next conducted through a partition door into a room that represents the Millennial Morning, or the holy, (not the
most holy,) place; on the centre of this floor stands another altar erected, with three Books on it -- the Bible, Book of
Mormons, and Doctrine and Covenants, (the revelations of Joseph.) We are required to kneel at this altar, where we have an
oath administered to the effect, that we will henceforth and forever use all our influence to destroy this nation, and teach
it to our posterity and all that we have influence over, in return for their killing the Prophet Joseph. They say the
murdering of Smith is a national offence. It is true that all were not personally engaged in the act, but the nation has
long winked at the abuse of the Mormons, and in this way they have encouraged mobs from time to time, until they have finally
taken the life of the Lord's Prophet, and now it is the will of the Lord, that the nation should be destroyed; and this is his
will, that we shall enter into this secret conspiracy against the Government, &c., for the above reasons and many more
given. We are also all sworn at this altar, by a solemn oath, that we will never reveal to any person what we here do and see
in the Temple, during the whole farce, from first to last, if we give the least idea, or intimation of it, our lives are to
be taken; and the way of taking it is described; our bowels are to be taken out, tongue taken, out by the roots, throats cut
across, &c. The Lord, his holy angels, and all that are in the room, are called upon to witness the solemn covenant we here make.
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The Oath.
You do solemnly swear in the presence of Almighty God, his angels and these witnesses, (pointing to individuals in the
room that have secret instructions to take life,) that you will from this time henceforth and for ever begin and carry
out hostilities against this notion, and teach it to your children: and to keep the same intent a profound secret now
and for ever, so help you God.
The individual that administers this oath, next takes hold of the hand, and gives other grips, signs, words. &c., of a higher
a order than those given in the garden of Eden. After being instructed in many other things in this room of less consequence.
I am taken by a female conductor and led to another partition which they call the Veil that separates the Holy from the
Most Holy place.
This thin cloth, called the Veil, is something like book muslin, covers a vacancy, left in the partition for this purpose,
behind which stands a man in the Most Holy place. With him I converse, through this thin cloth. I here give him the new name
I confidentially received, signs, motions, grips. &c., given to me at the different altars, which, is a condition of my
entrance through a door about three or four feet to the left. called the Door of the Celestial Kingdom of God. My conductor
knocks at this door -- it is opened by one from within, who asks, "Who is there?" My conductor replies, "One having kept all
the commandments of God, (referring to the carrying out of principles represented and acted in this farce,) desires to enter
the kingdom add be forever with the Lord."
SEVENTH DEGREE IN THE TEMPLE.
I now pass through this door, which brings me into a very large and spacious room, perfectly light; all nicely furnished,
representing the Celestial Kingdom of God, or the highest degree of glory that man is to arrive at in the eternal world.
This being the last room, representing the final rest of man, we are now all clothed in the apparel of kings and, queens, with
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crowns. upon our, heads, representing what we are finally to come in possession of -- that is what we were ordained to in
the second room, king and queen, for that is the object of this whole drama to represent what has been and will be through
time and eternity. This being the last room, we come in turn, two at a time, through all the others; here we remain as long
as we please. Kings and queens, sometimes numbering hundreds, all conversing of course on the singular and unexpected blessing
just received, as pretended from the hand of the Lord, for which we have laboured so hard, presenting a most curious and
novel sight. There is another door that enters this room. Many come in from that direction, that have gone through the
initiation previously. This is the reason of so many being in that room -- the law is, that all who have thus been initiated
have the privilege of coming in this last, room when they please, by going first to a certain place in the Temple and preparing
themselves with the kingly apparel before described, for none are permitted to enter this holy place on any other condition
than giving the signs, &c. that he receives while going through this ordeal. In this room, when thus assembled, are all the
Mysteries of the Kingdom taught, such as what is called the Spiritual-Wife Doctrine. The women are here instructed by this
Leader, through his round-about stratagem, that they are no more under obligations to their husband, if they have one, (if he
or his associates take a notion to her,) and it is their privilege to leave their lawful husband and take another and it is
the privilege of some kings to have scores, yes, hundreds of queens, especially the King of kings, Brigham Young, the present
Mormon God in California -- (or devil, I should say, for I have reason to believe he is the wickedest man now on the face of
the earth;) and, further, as we are all made kings and queens by this secret farce, the foundation for a kingdom is laid,
also. And here is the secret of the Spiritual Wife Doctrine -- Their kingdom is to consist in their own posterity, and the
more wives the greater his opportunity of getting a large kingdom, of course; so it is an object to one that holds this
doctrine sacred, as thousands do, to get all the women he can, consequently, it subjects that portion of the female sect
which he has influence over, eventually to literal ruin.
I might write a volume on this principle, of facts, as taught by this leader, but I forbear, fearing it will be considered
as persecution, and the object that I intended will not be accomplished; that is, giving to the world this bare Temple
Ceremony, from the fact, that it is kept a secret from most of their own people and that it tends to evil,
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The question has been frequently asked me, by those who have not read this work, if you have bound yourself by an oath to keep
this a secret, where is the propriety of your revealing it? My answer to such questions is, the man that conducted us through
this farce, did it by cunning intrigue and usurped authority, and is himself, with the farce, an imposition on the Mormon Church,
and their original principles, let them be what they may. For instance, they have it recorded on their Church Record, that a
man shall have but one wife; &c.; here he says we may have more, but makes us swear not to tell it at the expense, of life.
Again: previous to my going through this farce. I know not what they would require of me. All this came on unexpected and new,
from the beginning; consequently, for the reasons above, and many more that might be given, I feel under no obligation to keep
it; but a duty to publish it, that all who are or may, come under this leaders influence, may be warned against what will prove
their ruin, if his principles are carried out.
CONCLUDING REMARKS.
Now the man that led twelve or fifteen thousand through this farce, has gone with the main body of the Mormons, to California,
with the express understanding, to my certain knowledge, of carrying out these principles among the Western Indians, and
all whom he has influence over. He told others that were at Nauvoo, those who where not let into these Temple Mysteries,
(for all did not go in for want of time and opportunity,) that when they got to California, there would be a tent pitched
in the wilderness for the Indians' benefit and all others that had not an opportunity at the Temple at Nauvoo. The idea is,
if they had not been driven from Nauvoo, all the Mormons in all the world would have gone there in their turn, and received
their great anticipated blessing, which I have described in these few pages to the very letter, in substance particularly for
the benefit of those who are under this wicked leader's influence/ After Smiths death, he issued his proclamation to the
Mormons in the United States, that they must come forthwith to Nauvoo, and the Lord would tell them what to do after obeying
those orders. He takes us in the Temple in secret, and says, this is the Lord's will, that you are to cease preaching to
these United States, and go to other nations. This is the reason why none are preaching here. (Hence the remark, -- "I think
they are about broken up."). I know of thousands of young
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and able bodied men, who had all this secret instruction with me in Nauvoo the winter before they left, and are now actively
engaged in making converts in foreign nations and the islands of the sea, and are instructed to go west after this Brigham Young,
the wickedest man probably now on the earth. While I am writing this, let no one say it is persecution or fiction. I would not
say one word on the subject, if I did not know the awful consequences of carrying out that aspiring man's principles. Look for
one moment at its awful effects. He has issued his proclamation to all the Mormons in all the world where they are, to now
centre at California, and build another city. There are some of them already there with access to some of the most secluded and
powerful tribes of Indians in the world. Now suppose his principles are carried out, (as I am certain they will be,) who cannot
see but there will be great trouble and loss of thousands of the lives of innocent men. women, and children? Now if there was
no deception in this Almighty Machine and Engine of Death, (this secret farce,) I would say nothing. But how can I hold my peace,
when I know the foundation of a scheme that cannot fail of the literal ruin of my fellow men? Oh, if I was to possession of
sufficient eloquence, I could here write a true picture of consequences that would make the hair raise on the readers' head.
Only contemplate for one moment: -- A few thousands are already at their destined home, between the Rocky Mountains and the
west sea, with good reasons, as they suppose, for forming this conspiracy against the government. Thousands already under
their influence, all calculating to go to that place, with an inducement that the Lord has, in the Nauvoo Temple, and will
reveal great secrets, essential to their salvation. Now this is all brought on by degrees, and stratagem covered over with
sanctimony and religious costume, &c. giving powerful impressions on the mind which cannot be realized by the reader in these
limited remarks.
Now, If Black Hawk and others could make so much trouble with the western whites without any particular premeditation or
secret organization, or plan, what can the Indians do headed by a cunning, designing white man, such as the one I have named?
The Mormon Bible claims to be the Indian's record; and they are told this American land is legally theirs; that the whites have
an unlawful possession, and the Indians are finally to drive off the whites and possess their, father's land. We are here told
that this ceremony is the commencement of the Law of God and the laws of the land are no more binding on us , but we must at
present submit for want of strength and power but after strengthening ourselves and getting our own
24
people the American Indians with us, by the same initiation, we shall have power eventually to effect the final overthrow of
this whole nation by this secret stratagem.
But I must close this subject, for my mind is weary with contemplating the awful consequences of this Temple farce, which I
believe, at least as far as a part of it is concerned, is a cunningly devised fable of a few designing wicked men, and is in
magnitude in keeping only with other enterprises of this advanced age of the world. If any think the Mormons are dying away,
they can, with the same propriety say, it will never rain any more because a great shower has passed and there are no clouds
to be seen now. But Oh readers can you reason on this subject, with half the propriety? Is there not a cloud in the west
already as big as a man's hand to be seen? I think there is.
I am frequently asked, what do you believe? In answer I would say, for the benefit of such that I believe what I please.
There are many things concerning the Fraternity that I as fully believe in as I did when I first went with them, and
always shall, from the fact that they are true; but at the same time I have seceded, and I am free to say, that I am set
against the proceedings of the Mormons at Nauvoo, and I am in the full belief that as that body existed there; they were
abominably corrupt and are now cursed of God and according to Smith's last letter (that is said to be written by him)
it shows that if he ever was a good man he died in consequence of sin. My apology for writing this Temple Secret, is
that it tends to evil in the highest degree; and as I know many consequences of enormous magnitude, I have, after much
reflection written it out and published it, to prevent others going after it.
Declaration on Oath of the truth of the foregoing account: --
United States of America, Southern District of New York.
I. M'Gee Van Dusen and Maria Van Dusen his wife, being duly sworn, do depose and say that the matters
set forth in the pamphlet entitled the "Sublime and Ridiculous Blended," by them published are true;
and that they themselves have passed through the [initiatory] ceremony by which thousands have been
and are now being formed into a secret conspiracy against this nation.
I. M'GEE VAN DUSEN.
MARIA VAN DUSEN.
Sworn this 13th day of December, 1847, before me,
DAVID L. GARDINER, U.S. Commissioner."
_______
H. Hudston Printer,
Maypole Yard,
Nottingham.
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