| 271 the doctrine of plural marriage, from which she afterwards revolted, is concerned, she directly and positively denied having anything to do with it, and, as published elsewhere, placed her testimony on record, that she neither saw nor handled the so-called revelation on celestial marriage; and this she did notwithstanding the statement of President Brigham Young, that she burned the original. 3 The fact that this woman maintained her character for truth and integrity to the close of her life, and won a name for good, with the respect of even the enemies of Mormonism, together with the fact that she openly avowed and always stoutly defended her faith in "the faith of the gospel as revealed through her martyred husband," is a sufficient denial of the statement made by the News that she "departed" from that faith. She did what she could to stay the tide of evil that was creeping over the church, and maintained by her testimony and life what she as president; Elizabeth Ann Whitney, Sarah M. Cleveland, counsellors [counselors]; Eliza R. Snow, secretary; and Mary C. Miller, Lois Cutler, Thirza Cahoon, Ann Hunter, Jane Law, Sophia R. Marks, Polly Z. Johnson, Abigail Works, Catherine Petty, Sarah Higbee, Phebe Woodruff, Leonora Taylor, Sarah Hillman, Rosannah Marks, and Angeline Robinson, members of the "Ladies' Relief Society," of Nauvoo, testified to in a certificate published in the Times and Seasons, in October of the year 1842, at the close of an article on marriage, in which the existence of any other system of marriage than the one published in the book of Doctrine and Covenants is denied. (Times and Seasons, volume 3, page 940.) The relief society there named is supposed to have been the original one, of which the "Ladies' Relief Society," of Salt Lake City, is the successor. One distinguishing difference between Sister Emma and some of the others who signed that certificate is, that she maintained her testimony by her subsequent life, while they did not. 4 She was then "the elect lady," and if so because of what she then was, she did right to remain in her then convictions, which she did.
So far as her being the responsible agent of leading her son Joseph, "the leader of the sect which commonly bears his name," astray, is concerned, we have this to state: We were of full age (and we believe of sound mind), when we made the choice that we did. Sister Emma did not use her influence to direct us into the way we chose. That she did approve of it, and gave it her hearty sanction, we admit, and revere her for it; while for the love of honorable deeds, pure life, and hatred of bigotry and oppression, either of dogma or person, that we may have inherited from her, we shall ever feel profoundly grateful. She has indeed '"gone behind the vail," to answer to her account when called, and there those who now have "only pity and sorrow for the course she pursued," may find to their shame that "the elect lady" has not lost "honor and glory;" but that the dauntless and deathless spirit that burned within her when, widowed and bereaved, she dared to raise her voice against
3 see volume 3, pages 352, 355.
4 see volume 2, page 598.
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