clothes-line, in his back yard one day, and I used up the
multiplication table in less than half an hour. It made me dizzy--
it did!

In this book I am writing chiefly of what I saw. I saw plurality
at its best. I have shown the silver lining of this great social
cloud. That back of this silver lining the cloud must be thick and
black, I feel quite sure. But to elaborately denounce, at this
late day, a system we all know must be wildly wrong, would be
simply to impeach the intelligence of the readers of this book.

4.18. THE REVELATION OF JOSEPH SMITH.

I have not troubled the reader with extracts from Mormon documents.
The Book of Mormon is ponderous, but gloomy, and at times
incoherent; and I will not, by any means, quote from that. But the
Revelation of Joseph Smith in regard to the absorbing question of
plurality or polygamy may be of sufficient interest to reproduce
here. The reader has my full consent to form his own opinion of
it:--

REVELATION GIVEN TO JOSEPH SMITH, NAUVOO, JULY, 12, 1843.

Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you, my servant Joseph, that
inasmuch as you have inquired of my hand to know and understand
wherein I, the Lord, justified my servants, Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob; as also Moses, David, and Solomon, my servants, as touching
the principle and doctrine of their having many wives and
concubines: Behold! and lo, I am the Lord thy God, and will answer
thee as touching this matter: therefore prepare thy heart to