| Marriage outside the church permissible. Marriage
ceremony. Husband/father's right to forbid baptism of wife/children affirmed.
Polygamy denied. |
| Dropped from the Doctrine and Covenants in the
1876 edition. |
| 1835 D&C 101 heading: Marriage. |
| |
|
Background |
|
|
| |
|
The 1835 D&C is presented to the general assembly
of the church in Kirtland, Ohio, August 17, 1835, by W.
W. Phelps and adopted
by unanimous consent. It has been prepared by the committee of Joseph Smith,
Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick
G. Williams.
Joseph and Frederick are
in Wisconsin, during the general assembly, leading to later speculation
that Joseph did not wish to be associated with a statement prohibiting
plural marriage. |
|
Meeting of August 17, 1835 |
| |
|
Section 101 is generally believed to have been
written by Oliver Cowdery. |
|
|
| Retained in D&C
until 1876 |
|
However, Joseph Smith and Brigham Young both
had plenty of opportunity to remove the article before it was replaced
by the current Section
132 in 1876. Four English editions of the D&C were published in England
after 1852, when polygamy was publicly acknowledged, before the article
was removed. |
|
Quinn post-manifesto, 23. |
| Brigham: Joseph
thrice said no |
|
Nevertheless, at a meeting of general authorities
in the Endowment House during the October 1869 general conference, Brigham
Young tells the Saints that Oliver wrote the article on marriage and "incisted
on it’s
being incerted in the Book of D. & C. contrary to the thrice expressed
wish and refusal of the Prophet Jos. Smith." |
|
JFS journal, 1869, Oct. 9, 1869. |
| Joseph F. Smith
blames Oliver for taking liberties |
|
According to Joseph F. Smith, his uncle, the
Prophet taught Oliver Cowdery the principle of plural marriage as
early as 1832 or shortly thereafter. Oliver, however, |
|
Joseph F. Smith, Discourse, July 7, 1878, JD 20:29. |
| |
|
abused the confidence imposed in him, and brought
reproach upon himself, and thereby upon the church by "running before
he was sent," and "taking liberties without license," so
to speak, hence the publication, by O. Cowdery, about this time, of an
article on marriage, which was carefully worded, and afterwards found its
way into the Doctrine and Covenants without authority. This article explains
itself to those who understand the facts, and is an indisputable evidence
of the early existence of the knowledge of the principle of patriarchal
marriage by the Prophet Joseph, and also by Oliver Cowdery. |
|
|
| |
|
Marriage. |
|
1835 D&C 101.
|
Marriage
custom
Solemnization
|
1 |
According to the custom of all civilized nations, marriage
is regulated by laws and ceremonies: therefore we believe, that all marriages
in this church of Christ of Latter Day Saints, should be solemnized in
a public meeting, or feast prepared for that purpose: and that the solemnization
should be performed by a presiding high priest, high priest, bishop, elder
or priest, |
|
|
Other authority
accepted
For weak in faith
|
|
not even prohibiting those persons who are desirous to get married, of
being married by other authority. We believe that it is not right to prohibit
members of this church from marrying out of the church, if it be their
determination so to do, but such persons will be considered weak in the
faith of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. |
|
|
| Ceremony |
2 |
Marriage should be celebrated with prayer and thanksgiving; and at the
solemnization, the persons to be married, standing together, the man on
the right and the woman on the left, shall be addressed, by the person
officiating, as he shall be directed by the holy Spirit; and if there
be no legal objections, he shall say, calling each by their names: |
|
|
| Mutually agree |
|
|
You both mutually agree to be each other's companion, husband
and wife, observing the legal rights belonging to this condition; that
is, keeping yourselves wholly for each other, and from all others, during
your lives. |
|
|
Husband and wife
Civil and religious authority
|
|
And when they have answered "Yes," he shall pronounce
them "husband and wife," in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by virtue
of the laws of the country and authority vested in him: |
|
|
| |
|
|
may God add His blessing and keep you to fulfill your covenants from
henceforth and forever. Amen. |
|
|
| Keep a record |
3 |
The clerk of every church should keep a record of all
marriages, solemnized in his branch.
|
|
|
| Previous marriages
valid |
4 |
All legal contracts of marriage made before a person is baptized
into this church, should be held sacred and fulfilled. |
|
|
| No polygamy |
|
Inasmuch as this church of Christ has been reproached with
the crime of fornication, and polygamy: we declare that we believe, that
one man should have one wife; and one woman, but one husband, except in
case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again. |
|
|
| Husband's right
to prevent wife's baptism |
|
It is not right to persuade a woman to be baptized contrary
to the will of her husband, neither is it lawful to influence her to leave
her husband. |
|
|
Parents' right to
prevent children's baptism
Accountable |
|
All children are bound by law to obey their parents, and
to influence them to embrace any religious faith, or be baptized, or leave
their parents without their consent, is unlawful and unjust. We believe
that husbands, parents, and masters, who exercise control over their fellow
[252] beings, and prevent them from embracing
the truth, will have to answer for that sin. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
¶ |
Notes to the Reader |
|
1835 D&C, xxv [last printed page]. |
| Errors |
¶ |
Several errors have escaped the eye of the proof reader:
They wil be carefully sought, and, in the next edition, correc ted:lest
[sic], however, that any should be misled, the last paragraph of the article
on Marriage, page 251, should read: |
|
|
| Preventing baptism
a sin |
|
|
We believe that husbands, parents and masters who exercise control over
their wives, children and servants, and prevent them from embracing the
truth, will have to answer for that sin. |
|
|
| |
|
[Other corrections not relevant to the Article on Marriage.
The HC silently corrects the article according to the corrections.] |
|
[SHOWREF-hc] 2:246–247. |
| |
|
Oliver Cowdery, Pres'ts. |
|
|
| |
|
Sidney Rigdon, |
|
|
| |
|
Thomas Burdick, Clerks. |
|
|
| |
|
Warren Parrish, |
|
|
| |
|
Sylvester Smith, |
|
Original: Silvester |
| |
|
Beliefs and Practices
|