Morning Star (17 page)

“You're suggesting I leave my husband?”

“Yes. It's been revealed to the Prophet that since these marriages weren't preached over by an elder having the priesthood, meaning the ordination from God, then they are invalid anyway.”

“But not under the Constitution of the United states,” Jenny protested.

Patty shrugged. “Jenny, the kingdom of God will be around long after the United States ceases to exist.”

For a moment Jenny closed her eyes. She saw the white lace and the yellow roses, and heard her vows echo through her mind:
I will cleave to no other as long as we both shall live
.

Patty was speaking again, but her words held no meaning. Jenny stored them in her mind without giving them further thought.

When the meeting with Patty finished and Jenny turned to leave, Patty reminded her, “Next week at the same time; the Prophet promised he'd be back by then. Don't worry, he'll have some good advice for you.”

Later, on her way home, Jenny impatiently flicked the reins across the horse's back and the words crowded to the surface of her mind. Patty called it the spiritual wife doctrine. Funny, she'd heard the term, but it had always been mentioned with snickers.

So a woman couldn't go to heaven without her husband taking her there! Several women referred to their husbands as their saviors. Curiously Jenny considered the thoughts Patty had planted. She hadn't snickered when she spoke the words. Her earnest eyes had sparkled with a zeal Jenny couldn't doubt. The unbelievable became real. Some of the men in the community really had been selected by God. Jenny shivered at the memory, just as Patty shivered, saying, “'Tis a privilege a man can't take lightly, and a woman daren't refuse.”

Jenny thought of Mark and sighed. She spoke her troubled words into the afternoon air. “Mark says he loves me, but he never will consent to this.” She trembled, remembering Patty's advice.

Chapter 16

When Jenny drove her rig into the yard, she saw Tom's horse in the pasture. Surprised, she glanced at the sun. It was only midafternoon. She stepped out of the buggy just as Tom appeared.

“I'll handle it,” he muttered. He started to lead the horse into the barn.

“Tom, it's so early. Is something wrong?”

“Tell you in a minute,” he growled. She watched him unharness the horse and lead it to pasture. When he returned he took her arm.

The unusual gesture alerted Jenny. Wheeling around, she grasped his sleeve, saying, “Mark? Is something wrong with him?”

“Naw,” he growled. “Joseph stopped by the stable on his way to his bankruptcy meeting and told me I was picked for a mission.”

“Tom, when?”

“There's a bunch leaving in less than a week and I'm to be going with them. He's calling it a training session—intends to make me into a missionary. Says I'll only be gone for a month, but that isn't the point. I'm no more missionary material than a hog is.”

“What'll I do?” Jenny whispered, looking around the barn, seeing the half-completed pig sty and the hay that needed to be stacked. But deep inside she was thinking of the dark night hours.

“That's what I said. But Joseph, seein' he's responsible, said he'll send a boy to take care of the chores until I get back.”

Later that evening when they were seated at the table, Tom said, “I feel you fear being alone more than the work.”

“I do. Oh, Tom, it's so far to the nearest neighbor! At night I hear the coyotes howl. Even the screech-owls in the forest make me nervous.”

“Aw, you're a big girl,” he chided with a grin, but she saw the worried frown and nearly confided in him her dark night visions and the strange laughter. “Dreams,” he would say. Dreams they might be, but dreams didn't walk through the house. She shivered as she fingered the talisman tucked in her pocket.

And that next week when she went to her meeting with Joseph, he looked at her and frowned. “You're all alone out there. I see you're troubled. If being alone is that bad, I think I'd best take you home with me.”

He turned and she followed him up the stairs to his office. “Just a minute; I've an order to write,” he murmured.

As she waited, Jenny moved quietly around his office, looking at the display of arrowheads and bones, the fragments of pottery marked with strange figures. She studied the line of books and pulled one down to read.

The windows were open to the summer breezes. She watched the curtains move and listened to the clop of horses, the shouts of playing children. With the sudden shock of awareness, Jenny turned to look at Joseph.

Now it seemed the sounds of life beyond the room marked their isolation while the intimacy of their surroundings pressed in upon her.

She watched him write. He had discarded his coat, and his heavy shoulders strained at the light linen of his shirt. His hair curled across the back of his neck, and she felt her throat tighten.

Abruptly he lifted his head and grinned. As their eyes met she saw the grin disappear. She turned away, disturbed and ashamed of her response to him. Sitting down, she fingered the book and wondered if she dared beg off today's meeting. Would a headache do?

“I'm sorry I've kept you waiting.” His voice was brisk and businesslike. Jenny turned as he pulled a chair close to the desk. “Patty Sessions told me that you had a good meeting last week, but that you've questions you want to ask. Well, I've a little instructing to do; then I need to step out for a time. Do you wish to ask your questions first?” She shook her head, realizing she couldn't remember them.

Joseph continued after a sharp glance at her. “Patty said she began by instructing you in the covenant of marriage, given to the priesthood. You understand that the covenant of marriage is eternal, unchanging, don't you? The Lord has asked me to unfold the covenant to the people a small portion at a time. In due time, all of the church will be involved, but for now only a favored few. Also, I must instruct you, that the specific privileges are assigned by the Lord.”

“But Mark won't follow the church!” Jenny burst out in torment. “That means I'll never have a chance to fulfill my calling. Talking about my being a queen of heaven is as bitter as gall. I've no chance. Why are you instructing me in the way when Mark is the one who must be convinced?”

Joseph was very sober as he shook his head and sighed. “Jenny, I've tried. One of the most important reasons I offered him the position as my attorney was in order to bring him back into the fold and allow him the privilege of the priesthood. Just before he left for Washington I had a most unpleasant interview with him. There is no doubt in my mind that Mark is apostate at heart.”

Jenny bit her lip and tried desperately to control her tears. Joseph put his hand on her arm, “I know, my dear, it is a difficult situation. We can only pray the Lord will give him opportunity to see the error of his ways. Meanwhile, there's you to think about.”

Getting to his feet, Joseph went to his bookcase and removed a large leatherbound book. He put it on the desk and opened the cover. Jenny attempted to put aside her own personal unhappiness. Trying to show interest, she leaned forward to watch.

Inside the book was a collection of heavy paper packets, folded and sealed with wax. She tried to see the imprint on the seal as Joseph thumbed through the sections. When he reached the packet labeled
Armyeo
, he stopped and sat down.

Folding his hands across the open book he began to speak again. “Jenny, I want you to know that the presidency and the council have met together to pray over these most solemn matters. The Lord's blessing must rest upon each decision, but there's more to it than that. We have His personal instructions as to His will. Now what I am going to say will seem to you to be lacking, but in the press of time and circumstances—” He paused and a flicker of amusement touched his face. “I must say, the Lord is much more abrupt and to the point than we humans are.” He turned back to the book.

“Before me is this document, containing His special blessings for a number of women in the community who have been selected to be initiated into the covenant of eternal marriage. Jenny, your name, the secret name given by the Lord himself, is on the front of this packet. What is inside is to be revealed to you by the Lord's instructions. When you are ready to obey the Lord and accept your responsibility in this ordinance, I will allow you to break this seal.”

“What will I have to do?” Jenny whispered.

“You will be taken to the Masonic Hall, where you will be united with me for eternity. This ceremony will provide for a spiritual, eternal marriage relationship between the two of us. Do you understand this? It is God's will. He has given me the responsibility of assuring your place in glory.” He paused until she nodded and then continued, “The conclusion of the matter is this: For you this means a union complete, with worlds and kingdoms and powers forever. Amen.”

For a long time, Jenny stared at the packet on the desk. She was only vaguely aware of Joseph leaving the room.

The curtains moved and Jenny looked at the curious seal and the name,
Armyeo
. For some undefined reason, the strange name stirred a mysterious response in her. As she concentrated on it, her thoughts winged backward in time.

There was that scrawny little girl proclaiming to the world that she intended to marry Joseph Smith. And then there was the talisman and the wax.

Abruptly Jenny threw back her head and laughed. “Through the powers given I nearly settled for an earthly marriage. Now he's offering to marry me for all eternity. I'll have the best of heaven and earth. Here my darling Mark and there—” Again she was laughing, trying to strangle her giggles in her hands.

When Joseph came into the room, Jenny was composed, sitting rigidly upright, with her hands folded. At his question she said, “Of course, Joseph. I'll be proud to be your queen. What must I do?”

Together they walked down the street and climbed the stairs to the Masonic Hall, located in the second floor of Brigham Young's store.

The large chamber was dim and gloomy, with strange emblems and symbols decorating the walls and the long table spread across the front of the room. A solemn line of dark-coated men stood at the end of the room with hands clasped before them.

As Jenny took her place in front of them, their quietness made them seem unreal, nearly unearthly, until she saw the quizzical gleam in Brigham Young's eyes.

It was a strange ceremony. The book holding her name linked to Joseph Smith's was spread between them. With her hand resting lightly on his, they listened to Brigham Young's sonorous voice lifting to the ceiling. “Brethren, and sister Jenny, we are gathered here in the sight of God to join in eternal union Joseph Smith and Jenny Cartwright. This marriage, decreed by heaven, was commanded of the Prophet by an angel bearing an unsheathed sword. Dare mortal man fight heaven's command? Let no mere human challenge the edicts of the eternal. What God has joined in this ceremony is to remain throughout eternity; the consequences of shattering this union will result in eternal damnation. Amen.”

As soon as the ceremony ended, Jenny collected her horse and buggy from the livery stable and started for home. She did not need Joseph's warning of secrecy. That strange ceremony scarcely penetrated her mind with reality.

Even if she were so inclined to talk, who could be expected to believe it had truly happened? She murmured, “Neither token or script to indicate the transaction. Seems I can only whisper my confidences to Luna.”

In the days that immediately followed, the heat of July blasted into August. The first day of August in Jenny's hot little house she was miserably aware of the deficiencies in her life. First, there had been no letter from Mark, and Jenny was consumed with fear for him. Joseph's promised boy hadn't come to milk the cows and cart the product away. The profusion of the garden begged for attention. And there was only Jenny to face the task.

Standing on her back steps, wiping a weary hand across her brow, Jenny irritably tugged at her sticky cotton dress and wondered why she couldn't button the bodice.

She heard the crunch of feet on the path paved with river pebbles and turned. It was Joseph Smith, smiling, immaculate, and confident.

She met his happy greeting with crossness. “Where is that fellow who's to do the chores? I milked three cows and poured it all as slop for the pigs. Milk in this hot weather is nauseous.”

His grin disappeared, “Jenny! I'd forgotten! I promise you, there'll be someone here tomorrow.” He came up the steps, saying, “You'll have a sunstroke out here. Come inside.”

“I should be saying that, Joseph!” she snapped. He looked startled and immediately she apologized. “I'm sorry. Nothing is going right today.” He stared at her gaping bodice and she yanked at it.

He was following her into the house as she said, “I was ready to wrestle with the pail at the well. The rope's frayed. There's not even water to offer.” Without a word, he picked up the pail and went out the door.

Jenny was smoothing her hands over her hair as he came in with the water. She splashed water against her hot cheeks. “Thank you, Joseph.”

Puzzled, she watched him over the top of the towel as he set the pail on the bench. Taking a deep breath, she said, “What brings you out this way so early this morning?”

“You.” She blinked, and he continued. “I haven't been able to get away. With the press of things right now, it seems we'll have to snatch our moments when we can. Fortunately, both Mark and Tom will be gone for some time.”

She hung the towel and faced him. Rubbing at the frown she felt forming, she said, “What on earth are you talking about, Joseph? I didn't call for you. If it's just to discuss Scripture, I'll gladly forego that pleasure until cool weather.”