February 16, 1847 - Winter Quarters Church Offices and Jealousy - Plural Marriage Rationale - Adoption A Necessary Practice Not Fully Understood - More Revealed When We can Build Another Temple Brigham Young (Reported by Wilford Woodruff) Let me state a principle by which you may contemplate much. For want of understanding many have suffered jealousies to arise which afflicted their minds with sorrow troubles and uneasiness fearing the Lord loved some others more than themselves, this I have seen in the church ever since its rise. It was manifest in Kirtland. When the first Bishop was ordained this jealeous feeling was manifest. Some wondered if the Lord would think enough of them or ordain them a Bishop. Father Morley and others that were present can bare record of this fact. And when the Twelve were chosen the same feelings existed and in fact I will not except all of them, for some of them manifested the same feelings when the Bishops were ordained. This spirit has been the overthrow of many in this church. And in fact upon this principle, thousands have fallen in all ages. The Lord gives to every man all the power influence and authority that he can wield in righteousness and all this has goodness and faithfulness merits. Then why should jealousy arise or what benefit can arise by suffering such feelings to exist? None at all. But those that cherish such feelings commence trying to pull down every one that prospering or gaining influence as Cain did instead of building up and nourishing every promising tree and thereby prove himself worthy and show to his brethren and to God that he loves the cause and by his passive spirit that he is not only willing that others should prosper and gain influence and to God that he actually loves to see them prosper for then he does all that he can through himself [and] he helps advance it through others although they receive the honor of it and he still be aware of it. Such a man will never be forgotten and to his honor glory and exaltation there shll be no end. There is another principle that has caused considerable uneasiness and trouble i.e., the idea of some men having more wives than one, such tremendous fears take hold of some that they hardly know how to live - still they can't die. [They] begin to whisper and talk around [and are] actually afraid to go on a mission for fear some man will be sealed to [their] wife and when they return home some will be babbing about, you don't know but what you have got another man's wife, are afraid to speak to a young woman for fear that she belongs to somebody else or for fear somebody else wants her (others deny the faith, as they think - [but] they never had much) and say that it is all of the devil. Such foolishness ought not to be cherished among a wise [and] prudent people. Admitting the Lord created the same number of women as men at the beginning and were commanded to mulitply and replenish the earth and to fill up the measure of there creation in righteousness, the question is did they do it? Answer: No. They soon disobeyed every commandment and plunged themselves into wickedness and rendered themselves unworthy to raise up seed unto the Lord and in fact used every means in their power to cut off life and hinder woman answering the end for which they were created. Nine tenths of them would rebel against the very thing [they were] created to do. Hence you see the propriety of the Lords calling upon men who bear the priesthood to take to themselves wives from among the daughters of men and raise up a righteous seed unto the him that he might fill up the measure of their creation and hasten the consumation of his purposes in righteousness in this dispensation according to his words previously spoken through his servants the prophets. But those who suffer fears and jealousies to arise in their bosoms either back right out or get to be mighty righteous and for fear that they are sleeping with other men's wives they kick up a dust or broil at home and perhaps abuse their own companion through jealousy, then go off to some woman that does not understand what is right or wrong and tell here that she cannot be saved without a man and he has almighty power and can exalt and save her and likely tell that there is no harm for them to sleep together before they are sealed then to some dough-head Elder and get him to say the ceremony. All done without the knowledge of the authority of this Church. That is not right, and will not be suffered. The God I serve will reward every man openly without his being under the necessity of going secretly and privately palming himself on the credulity of innocent, ignorant females. Such jealousies do exist and were I to say to the Elders you now have the liberty to build up your kingdoms, one half of them would lie, swear, steal, and fight like the very devil, to get men and women sealed to them. They would even try to pass right by me and go to Joseph thinking to get between him and the Twelve. Some have already tried to use an influence against me, but such jealousies and selfishness shall be stopped, and if the brethren don't stop it I will blow it to the four winds by making them all come and be sealed to me and I to my father and he and all this Church to Joseph. When I go astray and give wrong council and lead this people astray then is time enough to pull me down and then God will remove me as he has done all others who have turned from the faith. But to return, I have gathered a number of families around me by the law of adoption and seal of the covenant according to the order of the priesthood and others have done likewise, it being the means of salvation left to bring us back to God. But had the keys of the priesthood been retained and handed down from father to son throughout all generations up to the present time, then there would have been no necessity of the law of adoption. For we would ahve all been included in the covenant without it and would have been legal heirs instead of being heirs according to promise. The priesthood is eternal without the beginning of days or end of life as the apostle has expressed it. But man through apostasy, which is entire disobedience, has lost or suffered the keys and privileges of the priesthood to be taken away from them and they [are] left to wander in darkness and practice all manner of wickedness until thousands become vessels of wrath and were doomed to wander from God and never retrace their steps until it is done by the priesthood. And the idea of the Saints being led by false prophets is just a notion according to the light in which they view them all. The false prophets we have are men who turned aside from the truth. The man is the head and God of the woman, but let him act like a God in virtous principles and Godlike conversation, walk and deportment and such men will continue to gain influence and power and advance in glory to all eternity. But should they use their power in wickedness as a tyrant they soon will be called to render an account of their stwardship. If not found worthy they will be hurled down to perdition and their family and kingdom be given to another that is more worthy. Some say that a woman cannot be saved without a man, neither can a man without a woman. Brother Joseph said he had taught the Twelve all that he knew concerning the order of the kingdom but the difficulty was they could not remember it as he told them, but when it was necessary they would not be at a loss for understanding. And I bear record to the truth of his word before God this day that I always had an understanding and every thing was brought to my mind just as he taught them to us. All the ordinances of the temple and building of the altars and so on, came to me just right when they were to be attended to and could we now know Brother Hyde's and Taylor's feelings, you would say that they could read a man through as soon as they cast their eyes upon him. The Apostle Paul, while speaking of the fathers and the ancients, said that they without us could not be made perfect. There was a lack in his day an still will be to all eternity until the chain of that priesthood is restored and every spirit take a tabernacle that was foreordained according to the dispensation of the will of God. I am entitled to the keys of the priesthood according to lineage and blood, so is Brother H. C. Kimball and many others. [They] have taken kingly power and grades of the priesthood. This we would have taught in the temple if time had permitted. Joseph Smith was entitled to the keys of the priesthood according to blood. Still, he was the fourth son. But when we get another temple build then we will teach you concerning these things. Suffice it to say that I will extend the chain of the priesthood back through the apostolic dispensation to Father Adam just as soon as I can get a temple built. Jesus could have restored the order of the priesthood in his day and brought in the Millennium if the people would have hearkened to his instructions but they rebelled and would not and it was for this cause that Jesus told them that all the blood that had been shed from righteous Abel down to Zachariah the prophet should be required at their hands. I have a request to make of my [adoptive] family and that is that they, especially old people, omit calling me their father. Call me Brother Brigham. I shall feel better when you do for I do not consider that I am worthy of that appelation. Father in the priesthood, implies the great head. The term would be proper to Father Adam. Jesus had reference to the same thing when he told his disciples not to call any man father on earth for their father was in heaven. The seal of the covenant that I have been speaking of today was what the Apostle saw previous to the destruction of the wicked when the angel was commanded not to pour out the vials of wrath on the wicked, until the Saints were sealed in their forehead and when this was done they all became Father Adam's family. Those that are adopted into my family and take me for their counsellor, if I continue faithful I will preside over them throughout all eternity. I will stand at their head, and Joseph will stand at the head of this church and will be their president, prophet of God to the people in this dispensation. When we locate and settle my family down in the order and teach them their duty they will then have to provide temporal blessings for me instead of my boarding from 40 to 50 person as I now do. I will administer spiritual blessings to them. I expect to live in the house of the Lord and receive and administer ordinances to my brethren and for the dead all the year round. President Young arose and continued his remarks upon the law of adoption. Granted the Brethren the privilege of asking questions when they did not fully comprehend his meaning. The Lord introduced the law of adoption for the benefit of the children of men as a school master to bring them back into the covenant of the Priesthood. This Principle I am aware is not clearly understood by many of the Elders in this Church at the present time as it will Hereafter be: And I confess that I have had ownly a smattering of those things but when it is necessary I will attain to more knowledge on the subject and consequently will be enabled to teach and practice more and will in the mean time glorify God the bountiful giver. I have heard Elders say they were not dependant upon any man. I then considerd and do now that it was saying more than I can say, for I consider that we are all dependant one upon another for our exhaltation and that our interest is inseperably connected. (For example) what can my family do without me supposing they were to all turn away from me? I hold the Keys over them through which they are to receive there exhaltation. Would they not be like sheep without a shepherd and would be devoured by the wolves? They Certainly would. Then let us Change the position, and say that I would cut off all my family. Then what glory would I have with nobody to rule over but my own dear little self? To tell you my feelings I would rather be annihilated than to be in that situation. This is another strong proof of the Apostles saying when he declaired that they without us could not be made perfect. Neither can you without me nor I without you be made perfect i.e., if we are faithful and without faithfulness there is no perfection on any consideration. This rule applyes to the whole Human family. This is the torment and misery of the disobedient spirits that they cannot be made perfect, unless some scheme should hereafter be introduced for their redemption. They are now without tabernacles to dwell in ownly such as they have taken possession off unlawfully [and] usurped power over, it being a part of their agency that was [bes]towed [upon] them which they used to the consumation of there unhappy [-] wretched estate, it being the reward and fruits of there doings having been given over to all manner of wickedness permitted to afflict the handy work of the Lord untill they fill up the cup of their iniquity the Lord sayeth unto them thou wicked disobedient spirit thou shalt not have power any longer to afflict my people or destroy the works of my hands. You have forefeited your agency wrought thy fulness. Depart Hence to the pit that I have prepared for thee, this is there torment, that their power agency is taken away. They are left to regret that it was through their own disobediance that they Cut the thread of there own salvation, the reflections of which ownly serve to torture increase there torment & that would be the situation of my family should they cut themselves off from me. I use my family for an example, not that I have the least fears of their ever doing so, for I have none. I feel happy this night because we are of one mind. Still should I believe that we were perfect and Could not advance any further I should not be Happy but to the honor power and glory of the faithful there is no end. For your satisfaction I will show you a rule by which you may Comprehend the exhaltation of the faithful. I will use myself as a figure, and say that I am ruling over 10 sons or subjects ownly and soon each one of them would have 10 men sealed to them and they would be ruler over them and that would make me ruler over 10 Presidents or Kings whareas I was ruler over 10 subjects ownly or in other words I ruled over one Kingdom but now I rule over 10. Then let each one get 10 more. Then I would be ruler over 100 Kingdoms and so on continued to all eternity and the more honor and glory that I could bestow upon my sons the more it would add to my exhaltations. But to clip the thread of your exhaltation then where would be your glory? It would be like the fallen angels or devils that kept not their first esstate but were reserved in everlasting chains of darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Others fell from heaven were thrust down to hell; But if you wish to advance, hold up the hands of your file leader and boast [boost] him a head. Should you have ten legions of trains following on after you, you should say to your file leader push ahead for I am coming with my train boasting him up at the same time instead of trying to pass by him. This would stimulate him and he would say come on my boys I will travel as fast as you can and on we would go in one solid train to all Eternity. Before I close I will answer one question that has been asked me repeatedly. Should I have A father Dead that has never herd this gospel, would it be required of me to redeem him and have him adopted unto some roans family And I be adopted unto my Father? I answer No. If we have to attend the ordinances of redemption for our dead relatives we then become their saviors & were we to wait to redeem our dead relatives before we Could link the Chain of the Priesthood we would never accomplish it. Many other remarks were made and while addressing the females said: Sisters if you expect to call me Br. Brigham I want you to be cleanly. Keep your faces, hands and skin clean from head to foot your clothes dishes and houses clean; also your children and teach them manners, and when you mix up Bread dont have a dozen flies in your tray. I know that the women generally rule there husbands and the children their mothers. But when A woman under takes to rule me I want her to be so secret about it that I cannot catch her at it. Now I do not want the brethren from my remarks to abuse there wives but treat them kindly: do their heavy lugging but don't wash their dishes as some men do.