The fresh new 267 Hidden Brides away from Wilford Woodruff

Wilford Woodruff (this new next President of your own Church out-of God Christ regarding Second-day New orleans saints) could be most commonly known having his giving of 1890 Manifesto you to definitely required relief from the technique of polygamy inside the newest chapel. For this, he or she is maybe probably one of the most questionable prophets on Mormon believe. If you are a beneficial devout member of the latest LDS church whom struggles that have polygamy, you really are extremely pleased to help you Woodruff when planning on taking the first steps to help you putting and avoid for the behavior. While you are a beneficial Mormon fundamentalist just who however thinks from the principle of plural relationship, you actually discover Woodruff’s methods because cowardly and maybe even treacherous. In either case, his legacy is actually inextricably linked with how the guy become the process that triggered the end of polygamy regarding church. It may come as the a shock up coming to find out that Woodruff is perhaps shut so you can much more plural spouses than just about any other commander on chapel. Yes, he or she is up indeed there on top of record. The fresh hook, although not, is the fact that bulk of these sealings were to deceased female and you may did because of the proxy.

An extremely Patriarchal Birthday, in my experience!

I came across it story during the David J. Buerger’s The new Secrets from Godliness: A reputation Mormon Temple Worship, and therefore information the development of the newest forehead ceremonies and ways they’ve been altered through the years. This can be an amazing publication and that i suggest it in order to people who is curious about the new theological and you may historical record of modern date Mormon temple praise. Among developments to temple worship are the new regarding endowments towards deceased, which have been very first performed with the eleven January 1877 about St. George Forehead. Lower than a few months thereafter, Wilford Woodruff published within his diary he had been demanded by disclosure to execute proxy endowments on St. George Forehead into the of many deceased female he’d had sealed so you’re able to your:

Assist my servant Wilford telephone call abreast of this new virgins, maidens, daughters & parents during the Zion, and you will let them get into my Holy Temple on 1st day of March, a single day you to my slave Wilford features heard of time allocated in order to guy, about three rating age and 10, and there permit them to discovered its washing and you will anointing and you can endowments getting and behalf of the wives who will be dry and also already been closed to my servant Wilford, or folks who are are close so you can your, and that might be appropriate unto me saith the lord, together with inactive of my servant is redeemed from the soul globe and start to become willing to satisfy my personal servant during the lifetime of their Coming . . . Now check out and you may do this really works and all of will likely be finished with regards to the attract of your center. Disclosure registered because of the Wilford Woodruff in his log, step 1 February 1877 Spelling and you can punctuation corrected, emphasis my.

The latest 267 Invisible Brides off Wilford Woodruff

Consequently, with the step 1 February 1877-in the event out-of his 70th birthday-Woodruff try accompanied by 154 women to attend a special event at St. George Temple to execute proxy endowments to own dead ladies who got started otherwise was in fact are sealed to help you Woodruff as plural wives. Regarding the celebration, Woodruff facts within his journal:

I became here surrounded which have a hundred and you will fifty four virgins, Maidens Daughters and you will Parents into the Zion on ages of fourteen on Aged Mother bending up on their own Professionals. All the got built for the intended purpose of entering into the brand new Forehead of one's Lord making myself a birthday gift when it is clean and you will anointed and obtaining its endowments for as well as in part of just one hundred and you can 30 out-of my spouses who were deceased as well as in the latest soul business, most which had been shut if you ask me. . . . Once they got all of the come up with to each other on the Design Space I demonstrated myself prior to all of them dressed during my white doe surface temple dress. We indeed there put unto them a preliminary target. . . . You’re today inside endowment in place of men to you, however, we are going to present one-man an enthusiastic Adam the eastern european wife. . . . I went through the fresh endowments of the day similar to are in attention than just a reality. This type of 154 sisters were resulted in around three veils and you will about three out of us . . . most of the wear temple outfits, grabbed all of them through the three veils. . . . Chairman More youthful try establish during the temple from inside the seeing the brand new ceremonies. . . . From the personal of your work in the forehead I . . . was placed in the midst of a surprise party had upwards on the affair. The room decorated and you can a table place full of every luxuries regarding lives, enclosed by almost one hundred of these have been choosing endowments getting my dry the whole day. President Young sat in the head of your own table surrounded by his friends and you may after blessing is actually questioned, there clearly was presented in advance of me personally something special off a birthday celebration bridesmaid pie, around three reports higher, adorned towards beasts of the career throughout the elephant down, and you will ornamented with a few silk sheets covered with released poetry composed to the affair. Wilford Woodruff Journal, step one February 1877 Spelling and you can punctuation fixed, stress my own personal. Quoted passages located over 6 pages.