175 years ago today - Feb 16, 1847

[Wilford Woodruff]

This was one of the most interesting days of my life. I attended the family meeting of President Brigham Young And he addressed the meeting at great length during the day and evening upon many interesting principles. ...

There is another principle that has Caused considerable uneasiness and trouble ie the Idea of some mens having more wives than one. Such tremen-dious fears take hold of some that they hardly know how to live. Still they cant die. [They] begin to whisper and talk around [I] Am actually afraid to go on a mission for fear some man will be sealed to my wife, & when they return home some will be babbing about, you dont know but what you have got another mans wife, are afraid to speak to a young woman for fear that she belongs to somebody els or for fear somebody els wants her. ...

Admitting the Lord Created the same number of women as men at the begining and were Commanded to multiply & replenish the earth & to fill up the measure of there Creation in righteousness; the question is did they do it? Answer No. They soon disobeyed every commandment & plunged themselves into wickedness and rendered themselves unworthy to raise up seed unto the Lord & in fact used every means in there power to cut of life & hinder woman answering the end for which they were created; nine tenth of them would rebel against the vary thing he was created to do. Hence you see the propriety of the Lord's Calling upon men who bears the priesthood to take to themselves wives from among the daughters of men & raise up a righteous seed unto him that he might fill up the measure of there creation and hasten the consumation of his purposes in righteousness in this dispensation according to his words previously spoken through his servents the prophets.

But those who suffer fears & jealousey to aris in there bosoms either back right out or get to be mighty Righteous & for fear that they are sleeping with other mens wife they Kick up a dust or broil at home & perhaps abuse there own Companion through jealousy then go off to some woman that does not understand what is right or wrong & tell her that he has she cannot be saved without a man and he has almighty power & can exhalt & save her & likely tell that there is no harm for them to sleep together before they are sealed then go to some doe head of an Elder & get him to say the ceremony all done without the knowledge of the Authority of this Church. This is not right & will not be suffered. The God I serve will reward every man openly without his being under the necessity of going secretly & privately palming himself on the credulity of innocent ignorant females.

Such jealeousies do exhist & 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, & fight like the vary devil, to get men & women sealed to them. They would even try to pass right by me & go to Joseph thinking to get between him & the Twelve. Some have already tryed to used an influence against me but such jealeouses & selfishness shall be stoped & if the brethren do not stop it I will blow it to the four winds by making them all come & be sealed to me & I to my Father & He and all this Church to Joseph.

When I go astray & give wrong council & lead this people astray then is time enough to pull me down & then God will remove me as he has done all others who has turned from the faith.

But to return, I have gatherd a number of families around me by the law of adoption & sealed the covenant according to the order of Adoption 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 & 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 have all been included in the covenant without it & would have been legal heirs instead of being heirs according to promise. ...

I am entitled to the Keys of the Priesthood according to linage & Blood. ... 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 built then we will teach you concerning those things....

Those that are Adopted into my family & take me for their Councellor 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 & will be there President Prophet & God to the People in this dispensation....

There was then an intermission untill after supper. The table was well furnished & supplyed. 40 persons could be seated at the Table at a time. The men were seated to the right with there companion oposite them commencing with the Twelve President Young at there head. Then in order the adopted Children begining with the 1st that was adopted. ...

President Young arose & continued his remarks upon the law of adoption. ... 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....

Before I close I will answer one question that has been asked me repetedly. Should I have A father Dead that has never herd this gospel, would it be required of me to redeem him & have him adopted unto some roans family And I be adopted unto my Father? I answer No. ...

I know that the women generally rule there Husbands & 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 there Heavy luging but dont wash there dishes as some men do. ...

[Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]