William Smith's 1845 Spiritual Wives Sermon.
(Note: William Smith was the brother of Joseph Smith and one of the twelve Apostles
at the time of Joseph's death.)
City of Joseph
Aug. 17th 1845.
The people assembled on the meeting ground as usual, at an
early hour. There were present of the Quorum of the Twelve John
Taylor & Wm. Smith.
A Synopsis of the first Chap. of the Gospel by St William
Verse 1st I don't know that I have any particular desire to intrude my remarks
mooning upon this congregation.
2. But being requested to occupy a few moments, of time, I cheerfully
embrace the opportunity and shall speak according to the best of
my abilities.
3. I had thought of reading as few verses from the Prophecies
of Isaiah, perhaps a whole chap. the 60th chap.
4. There are many things that I esteem as matters of interest to
this church, in relation to doctrine, and also in regard to the building
up of Zion.
5. I think I could well occupy my time this morning, and perhaps
judiciously enough, in making some remarks upon not only our
experience, but what We call practical religion.
6. We all have our notion of things, and especially upon the subject
of religion, if We could all of us see through the same pair of eyes
or had the same kind of spectacles, perhaps we might all see alike.
7. I have thought sometimes that I would very much like to please
my Brethren & Sisters, in regard to my common practice in
matters of Faith, and in matters of Religion.
8. Sometimes I have set out to take a certain course, and the very first
thing I would know I would run against a snag, or come in contact
with some body's prejudices. I have thought Well I have not made
out to please this time I will try it again, then directly as with the
ship upon the sea. I would begin to shift the sail a little to the breeze
so as not to run afoul of snags or rocks &c. but still I found I was in
the same difficulty
9th But I think I shall take a different course. I have often heard it
that if a man tried to please every body, he could not please anybody:
I have concluded for my part, that while I live, in Nauvoo & practice
Mormon religion, the best course, I could take, would be an independent
course, that course which will be the most congenial, and the most
suitable to my own circumstances and feelings, and leave the rest of
the matter with the people, and with my God, not trying to please
anybody, only myself.
10. At the same time it is very congenial, to our natures and dispositions
to please our Brethren and Sisters, but when we have sought to please
and tried hard, and found out we cannot do it, there is no use for a
man then to seek to please anybody else, in regard to what course he
might take, but to please himself.
11. Now I am one of these kind of men myself that likes always to
be free, and open, and above board in my acts, and course,
and in regard to my conduct, principles, faith or belief in matters
of Religion.
12. I don't know, whether I shall read the chapter or not, after all, but
if I get round to it perhaps I shall.
13. This is a good enough text anyhow, and my text is both in my head
and in my Heart, and in my countenance, and in my principles, it
is on Earth, it is in Heaven, and in Hell, it is just such a kind of
animal as myself.
14. Thank God, I have got body, parts, and passions too, I do not
find fault with God, for making me as I am, had he created me
without passions, I should not have been anybody.
15. Because men have passions nowadays, they are counted to be great
sinners, abominable characters. Great God why not find [fault]
with the personage that made us, the Gof of nature made us just
exactly as we are; you might just as well think of pulling down
the Everlasting Hills, as to change God in jis course, or the work
of nature here with regard to the peculiar end, for which he created us.
16th If We have fulfilled the Law, and kept the commandments,
we have obeyed God, and saved our own souls, and have not found fault
with God either. Then why are we counted as Sinners?
I consider that the streets of Nauvoo, here as well as the Temple,
are all devoted to the divine service of God, as well as our meeting
ground, here spread out before us, and God has a purpose in all
these things; and has appointed unto us, these rights, and privileges
as well as the social enjoyments peculiar to the religion of Jesus Christ.
17. Cut asunder that tie of affection, with which we are bound, and
where is your peace" your home? and where your domestic enjoyments?
18. A man must not smile nowadays, nor look upon a woman with
any degree of complacency, but the finger of scorn is pointed out
at him; and his name cast as evil. O shame! Blush when
you see the sun.
19. When God has created us for each other's society; and happiness
here, why be ashamed of this blessing? Why not be ashamed of
the sun that gives us light? all things were created for the glory
of God, and his saints, and woman, to be the glory of the man
and to be a helpmate to him; Now to be ashamed of her in the
street, or before the Sanctuary of the Lord, I think as well might
midnight be ashamed of noon; or evening blush to own a star.
It is religion to reverence God, and respect his works, and if we [answer]
the end for which we were created. It is enough. Woman is one
of the loveliest of God's works, and is designed to be a sharer of all
our toils, and a partaker of all our Blessings.
Then she has something to do, as well as the man. To love is right.
To smile is religion, and reciprocal affection is a principal that is
Eternal. Love dwells in the bosom of God, and is planted in our heart
it is the joy of our home, and country, and the solace of all our toils.
20. I have a kind of an idea myself; I always have an idea, of my own
in regard to what religion is, and what kind of a God we have in the
Heavens, and if a man does right and wrongs no man, he is justified
this I believe is good doctrine.
21st But says one man, How do you know you have done right? or How do you
know when a Brother has done right? In the first place you must inquire
into the circumstances, before you can enter into judgment upon his head.
22. Supposing that I put on my long face some Sunday morning, and
start up to meeting, on the way call on a widow woman, supposing
I find (and notwithstanding it is Sunday morning) she has no wood
to burn: Well now says I, Bro. William, lay aside your religion and
chop some wood, at the door of that poor widow woman. My friend
pass by, who always thought a great deal of me till now, and exclaims,
Here is Bro. William breaking the Sabbath day.
23. Who placed you as a judge over me, with regard to that matter
Had you gone to work and inquired into the circumstances,
you would have learned I had done a deed of charity; a benevolent
act, and I did not commit half so much sin as you did by
spreading your condemnation among my friends; by representing
the deed I had done as a crime.
24. I will use an illustration, brought forth by our Savior
when he was condemned by the Pharisees "for plucking corn
on the Sabbath day." He told them the Sabbath was made
for man, not man for the Sabbath.
25. Under the Jewish Law, they were very strict it is true, and
men did not dare to be more liberal, than what people dare
to be nowadays, or what they dare to be under the blew laws
of Connecticut, where they cut a man off from the church
for kissing his wife on the Sabbath day. I am sure Brethren,
had I lived there, and that was considered a crime, I should
have been cut off every day, or under the Jewish Law, where
they stoned people to death, for picking up a few sticks on the
Sabbath day.
[26.] Under the blue Laws of Connecticut, it was considered a break
of the Sabbath for a beer barrel to work on that day, it was
thought best also to excommunicate the cats, for they would
catch mice on the Sabbath day. Nine tenths of the
traditions of the nineteenth century are not the Laws and Commandments
of God
27. There is another thing I would notice, while on this part of my subject,
I have made certain promises, and bonds, by which to be governed, and
they are these.
First, to consider God.
Secondly. His Laws.
Thirdly, The principle of practical obedience to God's Laws.
Fourthly, Not to consider the traditions of the World as the Laws of God.
Fifthly. Not to care anything about the traditions of the world at all.
28. Then what has a Christian to consider?
1st They must verily believe in God.
2nd Believe his Laws, to be more powerful, and glorious, than the Laws of
men, and the traditions of the world.
29. It might be the case in some instances, that the Laws of men might
correspond to those of God, but it is not so common.
30. The Gentiles have wandered from their original faith. Command
after Command have been passed over, they have been wandering
in the wilderness: they have changed the ordinances; transgressed
the Laws, and broken the Everlasting Covenant.
31. Then upon this subject you discover, our faith differs, in matters of religion,
from the present Gentile World; as you will see from the former
position, and the remarks. I now intend to bring forth upon the subject.
32. Our friends that are governed by their sectarian religion suppose
that the chief end of man is to keep all you have got, and get all you can.
1st Man mind thyself.
2nd Then the Laws of man.
3rd Then God.
4th Then God's Laws.
God and his laws are left out, as the last consideration when it
should come in our faith, and when it comes first in our
faith, it comes in contact to our former prejudices.
33. Then to return to the subject alluded to, with regard to the
Savior plucking corn on the Sabbath day: but what the reprimand
he gave the Pharisees on this subject. Says he, know ye not I am
the Lord of the Sabbath. As long as I own this man's farm, this man's
corn field, his flocks, and his herds, &c shall I go hungry? No.
The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
34. There is no need of people praying, and putting on a face as long as my
arm, because it is Sabbath, to have their religion locked up all week,
and then put it on to wear on Sabbath.
35. My religion is an every day one, I am the same on Sabbath as on the week
days, but not so with many, they will find fault with Bro. William
for cutting wood, on the Sabbath day for a poor widow woman, he
cannot ride in a carriage with a Lady but they will say "there, there ge goes
don't you see him that's just what I thought about Bro. William; I always
thought he loved the women." So did Jesus; O dear me I think such
people must be sick. God pity them for I do from the bottom of my soul
and their ignorance too, Shame on such saints.
36. I am one of these sort of independent soldiers of the cross, that will
do all things in daylight. The Lord has made these streets for me, and for
carriages and wagons too, and the Scriptures say that no good thing will
he withhold, from them that walk uprightly. He'll give grace, and glory,
to that man or person that walks uprightly: and no good thing will
he withhold from them, and no man will pretend to say that the women
are not classed among the good things.
37. The Apostle Paul says, a person might take a little wine for his stomach's
sake, and for his other infirmities; but there need not anybody
go to drinking to get drunk, because he said so, he don't say a man
committed sin if he took for his stomach's sake.
38. Paul says again all things are lawful, but all things are not expeditious.
Again Paul says, he would not eat flesh, if it would offend his
Brother, and if he did eat meat, I suppose he would rather eat it behind
the door, than cause his brother to stumble. I suppose Paul ate meat
just as much as I would.
39. If I went to taking a little wine for my stomachache, I should
hate some one to cry his eyes out, or judge me as an abominable
character. Why? Because you must recollect before you do it, to
judge me according to circumstances. You must know the circumstances
under which I cut wood: for if I cut wood on the Sabbath
day, I do good because it is for the benefit of a poor widow woman
for I respect my friends, if I sit down, and chatt behind
the door with a brother or a sister, I am not ashamed of them in
the public street.
40. Jesus Christ ate with publicans and sinners, he sat down
and talked with the woman at the well and they would
lay hold of his garments in the street.
41. That is the kind of a spirit I possess, it is the kind of religion
I feel in my soul: if a sister gives me her hand upon
the Spiritual Wife system, to share with me the fate &
destinies of time and eternity, I will not be ashamed of
her before the public. That [which] I do in the secret chamber
I would do in the broad daylight. And now what of the spiritual
wife doctrine, so often talked about. Suppose I preach
you a little of it. Now don't get scared brethren, and leave
the Congregation before I get through, it is such an awful
doctrine I know and I am just the man to get into this business,
and get out of it too, for I am not the author of God's
works, nor am I to blame, for what he has revealed: So a great
fuss is made about Spiritual Wives. I would like to know how you
can be anything else but spiritual, if you are the children of
God, for except ye have the spirit of Christ ye are none of his:
42. And I would like to ask in the first place, if it is not virtuous
for a man to keep the commandments of God.
In the second place, I would ask, if we are seeking for
the honors of God, or of the World.
43. I would like to ask again, if we keep the commandments of God,
and obey the laws of Christ's Church, and live a distinguished
and peculiar people, if it will be said for us "Ye are the
rejected of the Earth" The Savior says, "Ye are not
of the World" but I have chosen you out of the World"
So we are chosen out of Babylon, you are chosen from the traditions
and corruptions of this world, to be God's people, to be governed
by his Laws, upheld and preserved by his government.
Verse 44. There I said spiritual, well some people say, or have got a strange
idea about the name. Suppose we say spiritual husbands,
I would just as son say Spiritual Husbands, as Spiritual
Wife, and Spiritual Wife, as Spiritual Husband;
To the carnal all things are carnal, and to the spiritual all
things are spiritual, to be carnally minded is Death,
but to be spiritual minded is life everlasting.
45. Supposing I was to talk about Old Jacob. I read the Bible
sometimes, because if the people saw I did not, they would say I am not religious.
46. Now as to Jacob and his Four Wives, you may call them spiritual
wives, carnal wives, Devilish wives, or what you please
the Bible says that he had four wives. But the principal
under which he acted, is what I am at, and as I am a Yankee
I have a right to guess, The truth is Jacob was a Prophet of
God and the father of the twelve Patriarchs, and these 12,
Patriarchs, were born of Four Women, that Jacob had as his
wives. I don't know anything about it, only what the Bible
says. You will recollect that the Twelve Patriarchs, were the
fathers of Twelve Tribes of the house of Israel, and these were
God's peculiar people, and they sprang from Jacob's four wives.
Jesus Christ himself sprang from the tribe of Judah, and yet
the household of Judah, sprang from Judah, who was one of
the four women Jacob had to be his wife. Jesus Christ sprang
from the tribe of Judah, and from David. David was a great
Prophet (Query) Did Jesus Christ spring from illegitimate seed?
I guess he did not. Were the 12 Tribes of the house of Israel
bastards and not sons? I guess they were not.
47. Again if the Twelve Tribes, were God's peculiar people were they all
legitimate, or lawful seed, and if they were all lawful seed, and
and sprang from Four Women, how was it they could all be lawful seed? You may
guess.
48. I have got almost through with my guessing upon this subject, and have not
said anything either, but I guess, when all my guessings come to an end
upon this subject, I shall guess Jacob was a friend of God, and did
not go to Hell, and that Jesus Christ was not a bastard, and if
you can make anything else of it you have a right to do it. Here let me
remark, that whatever may be the Law, or justification under which
Jacob, or these ancient Patriarchs lived in their day, I am not saying
that they are applicable to this congregation, at this present time
or in every case, and indeed, I know they are not, so much then on this
part of my subject, and whatever tends to exalt the human family
or the saints is of God, and who will dare to deny it.
As I said before God looks upon things different than man upon the
earth. Jesus says, We must not judge according to the appearances of things.
49. It looks rather bad, for Jesus Christ to be eating corn on the Sabbath
day; some of our pious looking folks, here, would have him up pretty
quick, but he told them he had a right to eat it, he referred to the Shew
Bread which was eaten contrary to the Law of Moses, and still
was not counted transgression; I eat of the Shew Bread and
too was not counted a transgressor. I rode in my
wagon with some of the sisters; and if I did wrong I will
get some of the sisters to baptize me.
50. But you see as in the case of the cutting of the wood, if we
judge from outward appearances, we would not judge a righteous
judgement. The Savior says, Judge a righteous judgment.
I want the Brethren, and sisters, to judge a righteous
judgment upon me at all times, for I practice a religion
and I believe in it. I do it because it is true. My religion,
to love, and not hate. Paul says, By this shall ye know
that they are the children of God, because ye love the brethren
and I would make an addition to Paul's words, and say
"the Sisters too" then you may know you have passed from [------] unto life
Verse 51. Love is an immutable principal, grounded upon the God of the universe
it grows up with you from a child, it is bred in the bones, it is there
(placing his hand upon his breast) I am not going to fight with God
because the Mississippi runs down stream, or that he had made
man as he is.
52. I will thank God for his favors. I will thank God for the
productions of the earth. I will thank God for the water that
falls, and I will thank God for Woman, who was made to be
a helpmate to man, a comfort, an administering angel, through
this world of sorrow and love.
53. Then I think my friends I have almost said enough upon
this subject, there are other matters attached to the religion
of Jesus Christ, the Apostle says, that all we have
should be sanctified by prayer and thanksgiving, then of
course the corn of the field, our wives, and our children, and
all that we possess. This is the Gospel according to St. William,
the first chap. and to be continued, the ancient apostles
preached their gospels, and I preach mine.
54. The scriptures command me to love all men, and women too;
the Savior loved all men, and some women too: I do not
suppose he lived upon the earth more than 30 years, and
not marry. I don't know but he had as many wives as
old Jacob had.
55. I have been noticing some things that are in the Bible
that were practised by the ancients, but if I am seen
riding in my carriage with a female, those very characters
that are up to the knees, yea up to here (putting his hand
to the top of his head) point their finger and say
"there goes Bro. William and one of his women." I pray
to God to curse such hypocrites, to damn such hypocrites.
56. For I don't preach the doctrine. I will not honor myself
withal: I am God's freeman, and I will not be
ashamed of my friends or proved friends, before the public
I will not be ashamed, to be seen with you in the street. I do not
preach another gospel different to this in my example; I am
the same today, yesterday, and forever.
Verse 57. I will conclude my remarks, by saying, if we all do right
and love our neighbor as ourselves, and do just as we would
have others do to us, love mercy, stop lieing about your neighbors.
I say shame on the man, or the woman that blames
his neighbor, for that they themselves believe. Be honorable,
and noble upon these subjects. I tell you if we are faithful
we shall all have spiritual fathers, spiritual mothers,
spiritual husbands, and spiritual wives, and spiritual
children, let every man do the will of the Lord and he
will be a spiritual man.
58. And that is the gospel according to St. William
in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
John Taylor:
In regard to these things Bro. William has been talking about he says,
they are in the Bible, he has mentioned some things in that Bible,
but I have nothing to do with the Gospel according to William
and if he has a mind to ride, three or four Ladies, in his carriage
I have nothing to do with it, and shall not find fault with him
either. I have some things to say with regard to those feelings
being applicable to this case. I want to make a few remarks upon
this matter, lest the minds of some might be led astray with
regard to it; these things contained in the Scripture are true,
it is true that things were countenanced in former times by
the Lord, it is true that individuals had wives as he has
stated, these things are all true, & I have no doubt that
those that practised these things did it rationally and according
to the principles of righteousness, and in the fear of God, which
should be expected at any rate.
We have no doubt that Jacob was a good man, as well as Abraham,
and /isaac, and I have no doubt David was a good man till he
transgressed; but because David took him wives, or because Solomon
took him seven hundred wives, or because Jacob took four
wives, can we draw an inference from that, that every man in
this congregation, shall take him many wives. You had
better try it.
William:
I wish to say that if Bro. Taylor intends to take up my subject
in this manner, I wish to have the privilege to answer him as he
proceeds, for I do not intend to be put down, and brow-beaten,
every time I speak on this stand.
John:
It is not my intention to put Bro. William down, or cast any
reflections upon Bro. William's sermon, but I am here to day
to speak & offer a word of caution, in relation to a book, or
certain book published by a man of the name of Jacobs
About this I left the meeting to get water
for John Taylor, we shall therefore, be indebted to him for
the rest of what he said... G[eorge]. D. Watt