Eliza Snow recounts a conversation between Lorenzo Snow and Joseph about plural marriage and the angel with a sword.

Date
1884
Type
Book
Source
Eliza R. Snow
LDS
Hearsay
3rd Hand
Reference

Eliza R. Snow Smith, Biography and Family Record of Lorenzo Snow, One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Salt Lake City: Deseret News Company, 1884), 69-70

Scribe/Publisher
Deseret News
People
Eliza R. Snow, Lorenzo Snow, Joseph Smith, Jr.
Audience
Reading Public
Transcription

. . . .the Prophet Joseph unbosomed his heart, and described the trying mental ordeal he experienced in overcoming the repugnance of his feelings, the natural result of the force of education and social custom, relative to the introduction of plural marriage. He knew the voice of God—he knew the commandment of the Almighty to him was to go forward—to set the example, and establish Celestial plural marriage. He knew that he had not only his own prejudices and prepossessions to combat and to overcome, but those of the whole Christian world stared him in the face; but God, who is above all, had given the commandment, and He must be obeyed. Yet the Prophet hesitated and deferred from time to time, until an angel of God stood by him with a drawn sword, and told him that, unless he moved forward and established plural marriage, his Priesthood would be taken from him and he should be destroyed! This testimony he not only bore to my brother, but also to others—a testimony that cannot be gainsayed.

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