olygamy did not at first
form any part of the faith of Mormonism. The originator of the creed,
Joseph Smith, never promulgated such doctrine, and possessed but one
wife. The "celestial marriage" humbug was first preached by Brigham
Young, in 1852, when he produced a document bearing the above title,
pretending that it was revealed to Joseph Smith a year before his death.
Smith's widow and son, both surviving, pronounced this to be a
falsehood, a pure invention, but Young was too strongly seated in his
chair of authority not to be able to carry his point. This "revelation"
was incorporated into the Mormon faith by a meeting of the assembled
deacons of the church, and has since become its most prominent feature.
Mormon missionaries seek proselytes mostly in Brittany, Scandinavia,
Denmark, and Wales, addressing themselves to the most ignorant classes.
These poor, half-starved creatures are helped pecuniarily to emigrate,
believing that they are coming to a land flowing with milk and honey. In
most cases any change with them would be for the better; and so the
ranks of Mormonism are numerically recruited, not from any religious
impulse in the new disciples, but through the simple desire to better
their physical condition in life. No portrait of Mormonism will prove to
be a true likeness which does not depict its twofold features, its
iniquity and its thrift. The conclusion forces itself upon the visitor
that railroads and contact with the world will gradually obliterate the
institution of polygamy.

Two days and one night of additional travel brought us to San Francisco,
a distance of six hundred miles. We passed through the grandest portion
of the Sierra Nevada Mountains between midnight and dawn, but the moon
was near its full, and the sky radiant with starlight; so that, by
placing seats upon the platform of the cars, a fine view of this
remarkable passage was obtained, characterized by deep canyons, wild
gorges, lofty wooded peaks, and precipitous declivities, under a most
impressive aspect. A few specimens of native Indians were seen at Salt
Lake City, who had come in from the hills to purchase trifles; but after
leaving Ogden more or less of the Shoshones and Piute tribes were to be
seen lounging in picturesque groups at nearly every railroad station. A
few also traveled with us short distances in the baggage car, which is
made free to them. The men were dirty, uncouth specimens of humanity,
besmeared with yellow ochr