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Verfasser: Sappho
Datum: Samstag, den 27. Oktober 2007, um 20:00 Uhr
Betrifft: Siegelung von Männerpaaren

Diesen Artikel fand ich im Salt Lake Messenger, Ausgabe 92, wo über die "frühen Geheimnisse"der LDS geschrieben wurde, und hier besonders über Dr. Michael Quinn:

SEALING MEN TO MEN

    As most people who are familiar with Mormonism know, dedicated Mormons believe in sealing women to men and children to their parents for all eternity. Few people, however, are aware of the fact that the early Mormons sealed living men to other men in an unusual ceremony known as "the law of adoption." Thus a man could have any number of men adopted to himself as his sons for eternity. For example, in June, 1896, Wilford Woodruff, the fourth president of the church, gave a synopsis of his work in the ministry since 1834. He wrote the following in his journal: "I officiated in Adopting 96 Men to Men." (Wilford Woodruff’s Journal, 1833-1898, typescript, edited by Scott G. Kenney, 1985, Vol. 9, page 408) In another synopsis for the years 1834-1885, he revealed: "I had 45 Persons Adopted to me." (Ibid., Vol. 8, page 352)

    While we cannot agree with Michael Quinn’s interpretation of Joseph Smith’s speech given at the funeral of Lorenzo D. Barns, it is interesting to note that even before the Mormons left Nauvoo to come to Utah, they were sealing men to men. An article concerning the law of adoption appeared in the Mormon Church’s publication The Latter-Day Saints’ Millennial Star, June, 1843, Vol. 4, pages 17-19. This was a year before Joseph Smith was murdered. Gordon Irving, who worked for the Historical Department of the church, wrote: "No consensus exists with regard to the date when the first adoptions were performed... It is certainly possible, perhaps probable, that Joseph Smith did initiate certain trusted leaders into the adoptionary order as early as 1842." (Brigham Young University Studies, Spring 1974, page 295)

    Although we have not found any evidence that immoral activities were involved in the sealing of men to men, the practice certainly could have opened a door for those predisposed to homosexual temptations. It seems obvious that the men who were sealed to one another were likely to have closer contact with one another than those who did not enter into the practice. (We do know that in recent times some missionaries who were constantly in close contact with their companions yielded to homosexual activities and were sent home from their missions.) In any case, the historian Hubert Howe Bancroft gave this information about the law of adoption:

    "The father may be either younger or older than the son, but in any case assumes the character of guardian, with full control of the labor and estate of the adopted son. Many young men give themselves over to the leaders as ’eternal sons,’ in the hope of sharing the honor of their adopted parents." (History of Utah, page 361)

    Gordon Irving tells of a case where two men could not agree on a sealing ceremony because they both wanted to be the father: "In his short autobiography, Albert K. Thurber recalled that in 1850 Benjamin F. Johnson approached him and ’in a round about way proposed for me to be adopted to him.’ Thurber put him off by telling him, ’I thought it would be as well for him to be adopted by me.’ " (Brigham Young University Studies, Spring 1974, page 304)

    The noted Mormon historian Juanita Brooks discussed the law of adoption in a book written in 1962. Mrs. Brooks revealed that when a man was adopted to another man it was not considered improper for him to take his surname:

    "At this time another ceremony was instituted, which... was significant and important while it lasted. This was the adoption of young men and their wives to one of the leaders. The idea behind it was that in establishing the Kingdom of God upon the earth there should be also a celestial relationship. If the Prophet Joseph were to become a God over a minor planet, he must not only have a large posterity but able assistants of practical skills. Brigham Young had been ’sealed’ to Joseph under this law; now he in turn had some thirty-eight young men sealed to him.

    "Of this number, John D. Lee was second.... All of the men thus joined in the covenant seemed brothers in one sense, and for some of them Lee developed a genuine affection. Among others, jealousies grew up as they competed for favor.

    "In the same way, Lee had eighteen or nineteen young men with their wives adopted to him... He often spoke of them as George Laub Lee, W.B. Owens Lee, Miles Anderson Lee, James Pace Lee, Allen Weeks Lee, William Swap Lee." (John D. Lee: Zealot - Pioneer -Builder -Scapegoat, page 73)

    George Laub, who was sealed to John D. Lee, wrote: "... I and my wife Mary Jane with many others was adopted into John D. Lee’s family, this I took upon myself the name of Lee in this manner, George Laub Lee and my wife’s name Mary Jane Laub Lee in such a way that it cannot be seaparated [sic]... by covenanting before God... this was done in the hous[e] of the Lord across the alter as was prepared for this Purpose of ordinances." (Ibid., page 74)

    In his new book, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power, Vol. 2, page 492, footnote 39, D. Michael Quinn indicated that the idea of a man taking another man’s surname did not last too long: "When he was adopted to Apostle Willard Richards, Thomas Bullock recorded that he changed his ’name to Thomas Bullock Richards.’... However, within two years this name-adoption practice ended, and men such as Lee and Bullock stopped referring to themselves by their adopted surnames."

    Early Mormon documents clearly reveal that the law of adoption led to a great deal of jealousy, and confusion among the men. Gordon Irving acknowledged that the sealing of men to men led to contention:

    "Difficulties began when it became apparent that adoption gave one a special status and that not all the adopted enjoyed the same status....

    "Adoption as a system of social organization was troubled not only by fathers who demanded too much of their sons, but also by some of the children who in turn expected too much from their fathers.... In theory the importance of adoption lay in the validation of one’s sonship in the family of God. But some were more interested in being fathers and exercising authority over others than they were in being sons of God. Kingdom-building, or the gathering together of a large number of people over whom one could rule in eternity, enjoyed a good deal of popularity. Brigham Young complained: 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 devil to get men and women sealed to them. They would even try to pass right by me and go to Jos[eph]....

    "Adoption might have worked among the strong willed men who had joined the Church had they submitted to the ’quiet spirit of Jesus.’ However, the decision of the saints to assert their ’selfish independence’ destroyed any possibility that an authoritarian, hierarchical system such as adoption could function successfully among them." (Brigham Young University Studies, Spring 1974, pages 299-303)

    On April 6, 1862, President Brigham Young claimed that the practice of sealing men to men was "a great and glorious doctrine." Nevertheless, he acknowledged that it could be very dangerous and may even send some "to hell":

    "By this power men will be sealed to men back to Adam, completing and making perfect the chain of the Priesthood from this day to the winding up scene. I have known men that I positively think would fellowship the Devil, if he would agree to be sealed to them. ’Oh, be sealed to me, brother; I care not what you do. You may lie and steal, or anything else, I can put up with all your meanness, if you will only be sealed to me.’ Now this is not so much weakness as it is selfishness. It is a great and glorious doctrine, but the reason I have not preached it in the midst of this people, is, I could not do it without turning so many of them to the Devil. Some would go to hell for the sake of getting the Devil sealed to them." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 9, page 269)

    Brigham Young’s grandson, Kimball Young, had a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and served as chairman of the Department of Sociology at Northwestern University. Dr. Young made some interesting comments regarding the rolls of men and women in Brigham Young’s time:

    "To understand the role and status and the accompanying self-images of men and women in polygamy, we must recall that Mormondom was a male-dominated society. The priesthood -- which only men could hold -- was in complete control and celestial marriage, either monogamous or polygamous, exemplified the higher status of men. Women were viewed as of lesser worth, to be saved through men holding the priesthood.

    "The self-image of the woman reflected her inferior status. Alice Johnson Read, after hearing a sermon by Brigham Young, put the matter in her journal thus: ’The Principle is that a woman, be she ever so smart, cannot know more than her husband if he magnifies his priesthood... God never in any age of the world endowed woman with knowledge above the man.’ And Daisy Barclay, herself brought up in a plural family, remarks: ’Polygamy is predicated on the assumption that a man is superior to a woman... [The] Mormon tradition follows that of the early Hebrews. It teaches [a] woman to honor and obey her husband and look upon him as her lord and master.’ As a daughter of the second wife of Isaac Lambert once complained, ’Mother figures you are supposed to spend your life taking care of a man, and he is God.’

    "That this masculine principle went deep, and far more fantastically than the Saints could comprehend, is shown in a sermon by Brigham Young, reported by John Read. In a letter to one of his wives Read said that Brigham referred to some future time ’when men would be sealed to men in the priesthood in a more solemn ordinance than that by which women were sealed to men, and in a room over that in which women were sealed to man in the temple of the Lord.’

    "Here is evidence of deep, psychological Brüderschaft. There are obviously latent homosexual features in this idea and its cultural aspect has many familiar parallels in other religions. Most Saints, including Brigham Young himself, would have been much shocked by such an interpretation. Yet the Mormon system, with all its ecclesiastical trappings and military controls, like other organizations of this sort, had strong homosexual components. This is true of armies; it is true of priestly orders in all religions; and certainly in many aspects of the occupational guides of the Middle Ages." (Isn’t One Wife Enough? The Story of Mormon Polygamy, 1954, pages 278-280)

    In a discourse President Brigham Young gave on September 4, 1873, he remarked that, "we can seal women to men but not men to men, without a Temple." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 16, page 186)

    As Juanita Brooks noted above, Brigham Young himself was sealed to Joseph Smith and in turn had some thirty-eight young men sealed to him. While we have no idea how many men President Young was eventually sealed to, it must have been a significant number.

    Ironically, although Brigham Young, the second president of the Mormon Church, was married to dozens of wives he made this revealing comment about his relationship with women:

    "There are probably but few men in the world who care about the private society of women less than I do." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 5, page 99)

    President Young and other early Mormon leaders were convinced that women were inferior. Consequently, they often had a difficult time getting along with them. Apostle Wilford Woodruff recorded in his journal the following comment made by Brigham Young:

    "The man is the head & God of the woman, but let him act like a God in virteous [sic] principles & God like conversation..." (Wilford Woodruff’s Journal, Vol. 3, page 131)

    On a number of occasions Brigham Young frankly admitted that he was a dictator. For example, he once commented: "I sometimes say to my brethren, ’I have been your dictator for twenty-seven years -- over a quarter of a century I have dictated this people; that ought to be some evidence that my course is onward and upward." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 14, page 205)

    On another occasion Young declared: "Now ask the Father in the name of Jesus whether I am telling you the truth about temporal things or not... the man whom God calls to dictate affairs in the building of his Zion has the right to dictate about everything connected with the building up of Zion, yes even to the ribbons the women wear, and any person who denies it is ignorant." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 11, page 298)

    At one time relations became so strained in Brigham Young’s own family that he publicly threatened to set all his wives free if they did not submit to his authority:

    "Now for my proposition; it is more particularly for my sisters, as it is frequently happening that women say they are unhappy. Men will say, ’My wife, though a most excellent woman, has not seen a happy day since I took my second wife;’ ’No, not a happy day for a year,’ says one; and another has not seen a happy day in five years....

    "I wish my own women to understand that what I am going to say is for them as well as others... I am going to give you from this time to the 6th day of October next... then I am going to set every woman at liberty and say to them, Now go your way, my women with the rest, go your way. And my wives have got to do one of two things; either round up their shoulders to endure the afflictions of this world, and live their religion, or they may leave, for I will not have them about me. I will go into heaven alone, rather than have scratching and fighting around me. I will set all at liberty. ’What, first wife too?’ Yes, I will liberate you all.... I want to go somewhere and do something to get rid of the whiners...

    "I wish my women, and brother Kimball’s and brother Grant’s to leave, and every woman in this Territory, or else say in their hearts that they will embrace the Gospel... Tell the Gentiles that I will free every woman in this Territory at our next Conference. ’What, the first wife too?’ Yes... And then let the father be the head of the family, the master of his own household... let the wives and the children say amen to what he says, and be subject to his dictates...

    "Let every man... say to your wives... if you stay with me you shall comply with the law of God, and that too without any murmuring and whining. You must... round up your shoulders to walk up to the mark with out any grunting.

    "Now recollect that two weeks from tomorrow I am going to set you at liberty. But the first wife will say, ’It is hard, for I have lived with my husband twenty years, or thirty and have raised a family of children for him, and it is a great trial to me for him to have more women;’ then I say it is time that you gave him up to other women who will bear children. If my wife had borne me all the children that she ever would bare, the celestial law would teach me to take young women that would have children.... Sisters, I am not joking, I do not throw out my proposition to banter your feelings... But I know that there is no cessation to the everlasting whining of many of the women in this Territory... if the women will turn from the commandments of God and continue to despise the order of heaven, I will pray that the curse of the Almighty may be close to their heels, and that it may be following them all the day long....

    "Prepare yourselves for two weeks from tomorrow; and I will tell you now, that if you will tarry with your husbands, after I have set you free, you must bow down to it, and submit yourselves to the celestial law.... remember, that I will not hear any more of this whining." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, pages 55-57; also printed in the church’s newspaper, Deseret News, Vol. 6, pages 235-236)

    The reader will notice that Brigham Young spoke of the possibility that "brother Kimball’s" wives might leave him. Heber C. Kimball served as first counselor to President Brigham Young. Interestingly, Stanley B. Kimball, Heber C. Kimball’s great-great-grandson, stated that Heber, "had or was sealed to forty-three wives," but he had to admit that "Sixteen wives separated from him during his lifetime for various reasons..." (Heber C. Kimball: Mormon Patriarch and Pioneer, page 307)

    This, of course, is a real indictment against Joseph Smith’s doctrine regarding polygamy; a doctrine which was perpetuated by Brigham Young and his successors. It was secretly practiced until the early part of the twentieth century, which was many years after the so-called Manifesto.

    Brigham Young claimed that after Joseph Smith’s death he "went to see Joseph" in a dream. Young said that he spoke with Joseph about the law of     adoption. See "Manuscript History of Brigham Young," February 23, 1847)

    Hosea Stout heard Brigham Young tell of his experience and recorded the following in his diary:

    " ’I want you all to remember my dream for I [sic] it is a vision of God and was revealed through the spirit of Joseph.’ " (On the Mormon Frontier, The Diary of Hosea Stout, edited by Juanita Brooks, Vol. 1, pages 237-238)

    John D. Lee, who was a member of the secret Council of Fifty, noted in his journal that in a speech Brigham Young made it clear that obedience to the law of adoption was essential for those who would obtain salvation:

    "I have gathered a number of families around me through 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 to bring us back to God." (Journals of John D. Lee, 1846-47 and 1859, edited by Charles Kelley, pages 80-81)

    A very shocking concept which was related to the law of adoption is found in Wilford Woodruff’s journal. Woodruff later became the fourth president of the church. Woodruff was at a meeting where Brigham Young and Apostle Orson Pratt addressed the people. Fortunately, he made a report of the proceedings. The following is recorded in his journal with the original spelling retained:

    "Many other interesting & important items were presented by President Young much to our edifycation. Meeting was dismissed & met again at 2 oclok & was addressed in a vary edifying manner by O Pratt & treated upon the same principles spoken off by Br Young. Among his remarks He said that as all the ordinances of the gospel Administered by the world since the Aposticy of the Church was illegal, in like manner was the marriage Cerimony illegal and all the world who had been begotten through the illegal marriage were Bastards not sons & Hence they had to enter into the law of adoption & be adopted into the Priesthood in order to become sons & legal heirs of salvation." (Wilford Woodruff’s Journal, Vol. 3, August 15, 1847, page 260)

    By teaching that civil marriages were invalid the early Mormon Church leaders were opening up a door that would entice many of their people into adultery and polygamy. John D. Lee, who was the second man sealed to Brigham Young, gave more information on this subject:

    "About the same time the doctrine of ’sealing’ for an eternal state was introduced, and the Saints were given to understand that their marriage relations with each other were not valid. That those who had solemnized the rites of matrimony had no authority of God to do so. That the true priesthood was taken from the earth with the death of the Apostles and inspired men of God. That they were married to each other only by their own covenants, and that if their marriage relations had not been productive of blessings and peace, and they felt it oppressive to remain together, they were at liberty to make their own choice, as much as if they had not been married. That it was a sin for people to live together, and raise and beget children, in alienation from each other." (Confessions of John D. Lee, photomechanical reprint of the original 1877 edition, page 146)

    On page 165 of the same book, Lee gave more information regarding this important issue:

    "In the Winter of 1845 meetings were held all over the city of Nauvoo, and the spirit of Elijah was taught in the different families as a foundation to the order of celestial marriage, as well as the law of adoption. Many families entered into covenants with each other -- the man to stand by his wife and the woman to cleave unto her husband, and the children to be adopted to the parents. I was one of those who entered into covenants to stand by my family... to cleave to them through time and eternity. I am proud to say I have kept my obligations sacred and inviolate to this day. Others refused to enter into these obligations, but agreed to separate from each other, dividing their substance, and mutually dissolving their former relations on friendly terms. Some have mutually agreed to exchange wives and have been sealed to each other as husband and wife by virtue and authority of the holy priesthood. One of Brigham’s brothers, Lorenzo Young, now a bishop, made an exchange of wives with Mr. Decker... They both seemed happy in the exchange of wives. All are considered aliens to the commonwealth of Israel until adopted into the kingdom by baptism... This doctrine extends much further. All persons are required to be adopted to some of the leading men of the Church."

    Although there were undoubtedly many Mormon men who truly felt they were doing God’s work when they were sealed to one or more of the brethren, the evidence clearly shows that the law of adoption was a very selfish doctrine. It was used by many as an opportunity to gain glory and power over others. According to Mormon doctrine, those who obtained many men would have greater kingdoms in the hereafter. They would not only have the men they were sealed to for all eternity, but they would also obtain the women and children of these men to rule over.

    The following statements by the Mormon leaders are found in John D. Lee’s journal under the date of February 17, 1847:

    "...Dr. Richards (the Historian) addressed the collection. Said.... One item that caught my attention was this thing of jealousy, fearing that some now is rising or gaining power and influence faster than what I am. Therefore jealousy will arrise which causes an envious feelings in our bosom and we imagine that man is lexeering [electioneering] and using unlawful measures to gain an influence.... Elder G. A. Smith said he and Bro. Amasa Lyman have just returned from a mission... but he durst [not] say as Bro. Pratt and Woodruff has, that he had not lextioneered, for I have with all my might... But there is one thing that I don’t like to see and that is this thing called jealousy stirring up family disturbances and broils because we are afraid that some man is gaining favor and I am not advancing as fast as they are. And in order to keep back or stop their influence we go to those that have been sealed and discourage them saying why dident [you] come with me where none but the respected are? Was you not as capable of holding the keys of presidency yourself as Bro. Lee... suppose I was to jump every man and be sealed to the great God and have 3 only sealed to me. I don’t think my kingdom would be very large or my glory very great.... I could get no more. I should be dependent on the exertion of those who were sealed to me. But was I sealed to the most obscure individual in this church and I had 10s of 10,000 sealed to me, would not my glory be greater than it would be was I sealed to headquarters with my 3 only? Certainly it would.... let jealousy stop and be united that we may speedily build up the kingdom of God on the earth, &c." (Journals of John D. Lee, February 17, 1847, pages 91-94)

    Mormon historian Gordon Irving observed that the sealing of men to men did not work out very well:

    "Mormon leaders must have hoped that family life in adoption would bring their people together and enhance the Church’s efforts to make a new life for the Mormon community in the West.... it could clearly be seen by the spring of 1848 that it had failed to produce the anticipated benefits.

    "Adoption might be good doctrine, but it had failed to work as a principle of social organization. With confusion at home and abroad, Church leaders saw fit to discontinue the effort to make the ties of adoption the basis of organization for the Mormon community.... Once Mormon leaders abandoned adoption as experiment, their publicly expressed interest both in the doctrine and the practice appears to have fallen off sharply for some time. Even so there are indications that adoption was not altogether forgotten by the general membership of the Church. Between 1849 and 1854 the ’waiting list’ of those desiring to join Brigham Young’s family increased by 175 names....

    "As time went on, Mormon leaders began again to preach adoption from the pulpit. Adoption into the family of God that one might be a legal heir to exaltation was still very much a part of Mormon doctrine. As unpleasant memories of the experiences of the 1840s faded, Brigham Young and others increasingly stressed the importance of adoption in Mormon theology." (Brigham Young University Studies, Spring 1974, pages 303-305)

Hier wird deutlich, das diese Sekte alles tut, um ihnen unliebsame Tatsachen zu verschweigen!
Würde das allgemein in den USA bekannt werden, hätten die Mormonen es schwerer, ihre Forderung nach einem verbot der "Homo-Ehe" durchzusetzen.

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