Zerah Pulsipher and the Regulation of Plural Marriage

On a day late in 1861, a knock came at the door. Opening it, Zerah Pulsipher found William Bailey standing outside with a young woman, who he introduced as Harriet. According to Bailey, President Young had told him to have Pulsipher perform his marriage to Harriet. Pulsipher hesitated—he had married Bailey to his plural wife, Hannah Hughes, five years earlier, but it hadn't ended well. Still, Bailey had said that he was following President Young's instructions, so Pulsipher performed the ceremony.A few months later, in April 1862, Zerah Pulsipher faced a disciplinary council for performing that marriage. There, President Brigham Young declared: “[This is] truely a great Crime & trifeling with the Holy priesthood,”1 and directed that Pulsipher needed to be rebaptized. As it turned out, William Bailey had not received the proper authorization to be married to Harriet, and Zerah faced censorship for performing the marriage.Plural marriage—the practice of marrying one man to multiple women—is one of the more controversial historical practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Introduced by Joseph Smith before his death in 1844, the practice continued officially until 1890 (and unofficially in some capacities for years after that).2 From very early on, the president of the church worked to exercise tight control over the practice by maintaining the right to have the final say in who could and could not practice plural marriage. The 1862 disciplinary trial of Zerah Pulsipher provides a window into how plural marriage was being regulated and policed in Utah Territory during Brigham Young's administration.Plural marriages were very closely related to sealing authority—an aspect of Latter-day Saint priesthood outlined by Joseph Smith. The general concept of sealing authority focused on ratifying rituals as being authoritative in God's eyes and thus binding in both mortal life and in the afterlife.3 During the 1840s, the of a of that in a concept of the as sealing authority closely with rituals that were sealing for the sealing of a marriage and wife, the sealing of a plural marriage of a to wife, the sealing of to and priesthood of into of marriages and to authorization at the but plural marriages the of the church outside the of focused on the general of how authorization of plural marriage worked at in practice over in of the of how plural marriages had to be by the president of the to how authority to and were in the that was at some of by Church on had to the President of the that it needed to the that was to and of were not and practices in Utah Territory on of both and in the of that in who was to plural marriage were of was not one of and of the that practices plural marriages were over the of to the of control over plural that the of a to on The 1862 disciplinary trial of Zerah Pulsipher to the 1862 trial and it the of plural marriage in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day at a few of that disciplinary the of the 1862 trial of Zerah Pulsipher be with Zerah be of the in church Smith until his death in 1844, by Brigham to control over the practice of plural marriage until the of the some of the faced in Zerah be to how Latter-day Saint policed the of plural marriages the sealing a of how the practice of plural marriages continued to during the be before a Pulsipher was early to the Church of by in was a man who was by the of his he was and the of a in on with the that Zerah Zerah was as one of the of the in the on and in that until he was in that he the of Latter-day to in in as a in for the 1862 he to be to his in Utah worked as of the of of 1862, President Brigham Young had to marriages performed by Zerah Pulsipher proper Young more on the who of the and his in a to President that Zerah performed marriages for William The in the of Zerah married a by the of Hannah to Bailey, that marriage ended in a The in of with a young both of that marrying over the of the with in the of the marriages was more in the eyes of church he had not his Bailey for a to to told him to he with the he to were on to not in him a & him to in & the on Pulsipher & he married on the day of to to President Young's and the man came to some a and told him that President Young told him to to him Pulsipher and that the he a to him Pulsipher on the in the a disciplinary trial for Zerah Pulsipher to his standing in the in his on April 1862, to the and the trial of who had sealing to was to be & had the of into the The a to some of his in he that the Bailey him to his standing in the he was as one of the of the on to very that he over it as it and be it a very in his and a of was the of it came to performing the marriages for was the of his provides into how plural marriages were regulated Brigham Young and that were Zerah performed the the early in plural marriage was the president of the church to for who be to into plural marriage. As be not that the of the Joseph Smith later, Brigham authority over and so some plural marriages were performed the authorization (and the plural be to in the in the late and the as Brigham Young that the of plural marriages to be for him to and so a on as to in the late the that Zerah Pulsipher performed the plural marriage for William marriage a and in the Latter-day Saint The of plural marriage to have in with Joseph Smith in the early and was and during the President Smith to the to of the church in the of early to practice plural at it how and a great during Joseph the practice of plural marriage was performed in and to who had to a of and in to Joseph as and of to in that were following Joseph in to the of had in Joseph Smith outlined a of outlined in a he on but one on the at a on and the of priesthood and that Joseph Smith was the one to the in his of one to that after Joseph death (and after the practice of plural marriage was officially in who could and perform plural marriages the Smith that and not have the right to the sealing was the he had the authority he on the be in that he on be in that with the sealing authority that was as to plural According to Brigham a over a after Smith to both and in Joseph and was by who said that he not it he to and he with a for Brigham Young to his authority as the to plural Smith was on over who him as the of the church The in to to be the of the with Brigham Young as president of the faced to authority a few William Smith and who that were the to church of was that the of the in that by Joseph Smith was as a as in of 1844, Brigham Young that not be one before the and that he was in with the of the as of Jesus Christ the as president of the that have a and that the and to the of the the of one the right to plural marriages a of was as the of the As be aspect of William to Brigham Young's focused on the of he had the right to exercise the sealing authority of Brigham Young's of the that it was the right of the president of the of the to the sealing in the of 1844, in a that he the sealing authority a right to the of the on the president of the Brigham Young in a that sealing in one man be performed by the man the by his and that man the president of the in to of the of the that man a right to to the of sealing the President of the Church who directed by him so to of the President of the church was the one man who the right to the sealing As the President of the that the Brigham Young that he as the President of the church in President Young and that not in the the 1844, months after the death of Joseph by that were in the church in the According to his William of the of the and the of Joseph in that with and of and of were of the the one that was to the with William Smith was control over the sealing that had performed a sealing to a plural and it to William had a that not a right to the of the on the president of the not with who not William that were for it that to at and the authority & not to sealing a man to his for As William to that being introduced to plural marriage not him authority to perform he had that From it that Smith and his had over the sealing was over his of the in the his of plural William Smith had that William and his of in William in a to the the by that as the of of a William to have on a that Joseph Smith had and with the being the of the council in that had a of plural marriage. During the council in Brigham Young William Smith and of of and for that he had to not in was to a trial on was of a and to him by William Smith. William that he had by the authority for & and had a right to as of was married to he was to William of the marriage to during the not to say that William have to perform a plural marriage. was a with him in the that in of plural marriage and the of a plural marriage sealing William was the of the church on the day as Smith continued to the authority of Brigham and the to sealing authority continued to be one of William was William during the trial he in his Smith in to the William he some to and he he not to Brigham the one the following William Smith that as the to Joseph the and as a of the of the authority to Brigham Young in that his to authority Brigham Young's and as he be president of the authority was of William to his to the sealing authority as after he was in he to the sealing of the of the day of as had to Smith he was to be in to in a to Brigham Young that sealing in one man and that man the president of the the of the church had sealing to the that the president of the church it to the of Smith being for sealing to multiple to William continued to for the for his and for Joseph Smith to the president of the church he was of and church and William Smith was the church on by the William Smith was the over sealing authority after the death of Joseph of church continued to over the authority to perform plural and performed plural marriages for in the of the of the were on the to Utah in the the church was by the of the a As that of by of the President of the and of the church the in & as he he could perform marriages the of the president he had authority to the Brigham of and of and that had on the Holy that were performed Young's authorization so Young that after was years later, Young that was was for it for he the he for he Young for performing his As for how were to have in and were as of of marriages on William was on for being married to by the proper to and Young that the marriages and that had William had and in for performing his of Young's of the who had the marriage was with it not how the performing the sealing was for in the plural Young that to the of plural and he continued to for of his authority in plural in in the of and Brigham Young that one for of authority was to of to some that not right and that be a man and he and and and that for to before to some of and him to say the of the authority of Brigham not right and not be During the Brigham Young worked to it so that his of his authority be in the was on Brigham Young was president of the with and as his in the of the be months ended the president of the of the had the right to plural marriages that authority was the of the of the Young officially president of the a to the one Joseph Smith had the of the Brigham Young's authority and the Latter-day in the was by that plural marriages had to be by President Brigham of the of the a of in a wife, the & the in the he by of the of the of the of in the and the have the of the the and the to be with of the church by in late to Brigham Young for to and the the of to the in man in who a wife, and who to right to of marriage to a until he the President over the and a as to it be in he by that the by the he right to the of the young until he the of in be the the he of marriage to the young the but a day by the for the marriage to be needed to the the of the and the of the one outlined in Joseph to the of the that the needed to be man a & to & the & he the & & have to he that after the had the of plural marriage & him be the it be in not for him to the his him not & him to of the of the the being the to the of the the that to the that the in the with a plural marriage the to to the the that on the was by the the president of the church perform the marriage and sealing it to man who had the priesthood in that marriage performed by the who as a to for of sealing were to be performed in a in a to as a as the the be that performing the sealing in not to have in to the before the was in plural marriage were to be performed in the of Brigham Young's the of the church president had the final say in the it to church as to As to needed the of the church the and the to plural marriage. as as Joseph of to Brigham Young in of to him that was to and that could him as a and in the of and in a few the that a president was a to plural marriage was The that of to be the of was by church to and the Brigham Young to have it and one of the on for more was plural marriage. to so that that in early were that more to the for marrying that the of plural marriages performed in to the was in in in Utah of in Brigham Young's with that a great to President to to on President Young & it was for the to had to a of to with the in President Young the a to say to by a to on the of and as to have after the the that Brigham Young to president and as as Bailey that he to in he to President the with him for to to the for that at a in Brigham could said have it right with and and more in who could practice plural the after Brigham Young's President he the in During the that were and plural marriage was to a plural the of the of the in he for his the president of the had to for his as well. before he could into the to a plural the President of the Church had to him a that as he on the of in to of and with to to have to with and to a of a with in he that told him a the of his that he his and and was a in and with the President of the and the President of the Church of the he and he be married to one his to be and he of his wife, and he to as he to a wife, and so on, on the of the not have with Latter-day and he president with the his the of and the president of the the and later, and was to the president of the to was not as Zerah Pulsipher that the & the in he so months after President Young directed that the marriages before the president of the it was during that Zerah Pulsipher perform the plural marriages that him in that was on church as it that a of was a of in that in the the that Zerah Pulsipher had that marrying over the of the with in the that a in over of authority was a of the the that Bailey told Zerah that Brigham Young had the marriages not Young had to that Zerah was into performing the plural not President Young Bailey his by Zerah Pulsipher to perform the marriage. to the marriages as and it that were not the with the and not with President Young to that he had the the that Zerah Pulsipher had marriage of in church to plural marriage. some Pulsipher to have in the of both and general of the at being for of have to the was a in to on for that was in could be said that the as that his authority be as the general of the church and as for plural marriages a worked to that of his The 1862 Zerah Pulsipher trial as of the to authority to be that Zerah Pulsipher received as a of the trial into how were performing plural marriages proper authorization church that he was the to be a and the of the of that that have to that Zerah had that a of the and the that were have of the that into at a few that were at the of the a of in his that was to be & had the of into the that him the the Bailey him to his standing in the in his that Young that he & in to the was the marrying of to young was truely a great Crime & trifeling with the Holy that the was that Zerah was his as a general authority and that he was and the to be a the trial at it was it his Zerah that with that had to that it to was by some to and a man it that be to to the that it it with the of in the of the the have a of the trial and the Zerah was to his and a of to perform his that Zerah was as not being the to his that in 1862 he was years and it had that the of the him his a few and the of and trial were to Zerah (and thus it be that he his that the in to his as a general authority had as to with being a to Pulsipher his as one of the of the as with he had the of the trial were The of the of the during Joseph Pulsipher the of his priesthood in the of for he was to before the of the and was by the of President Brigham was a the Zerah was his as one of of the church on Joseph Young's the of the in the of for he was to before the of the April was that he be and to the of a into the of the he was a was as his in the of that the of The that could the of Latter-day in the with of and that he was was later, and have in that Zerah was on the to be a for his that was a in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day during the As and in a of Church was in for as a of Church for the of and for the of the of church as a of and to who church were being the who were in standing the of that the for Zerah he was being few to of the of the that the in were in with the was had as it were a and to & in of during the were to by in the the of the and the Brigham Young into the in the & & & he his & in the Church of Jesus Christ of the for of the of the a of the & of the & priesthood & in President Young to the of in he and of his were to to with the for the of and of and to The of Zerah was after the it was not a that he had his was more a of for his and of for the for that the to be a was a to Zerah his in the During the Joseph of the a of and over a church until a be The to be the of and not to be had before Joseph the as to were in and a council was on April was the President Smith to have to the and who had to to the and in the with The of Joseph Smith that on was that but one of the of the were and had and the of into the of had the priesthood was to be and not to the of of the of were to the of of as were and the and of the as had to the were directed to with the Young that was the of who not to with authority but it until the a man was a he could be a that in the to be a on was not a of priesthood so as to him a by him to a priesthood to that have in the of the were in the was a of with he was the to be a he to have turned that of the trial that were the Zerah was his as a general he was and he was the to be a The of his in the of the to have the as it was very in his to his was a of related to disciplinary a of the to be a was to Zerah to a priesthood a being his as a general the to Zerah for performing plural marriages to be as for plural marriages that the Zerah Pulsipher trial the for a of for plural During the of the for on the of the of the during president of the was as a to not a marriage had authority one by it authority to some a general President be a general authority until in to plural he great have a in control over to plural in marriages and that he marriages being performed of one of the the he the a plural President that he and he he had to as it that the president of the church was not of the marriage that had it had and performed by church at a as had general authority to to a in told was as a have some of it in the to some in to the that not to he marriages be performed his a of and was before a could as it be said was a of but man that to to he that plural marriages he could say he not in that not plural marriage had to in the that be it the authority of the not the that and the to was the authority to perform plural marriage his and the by that he was not on the that was that had the and had the for with that was a that to marriages was to of the church president the were authority was to to perform plural marriages the president of the the and the of 1890 was President with being his was not until April that he had for plural marriages to in the the and in a few and continued to perform plural the in it that he was to the of plural he of the that and be in to for the of the had for plural marriage in Utah Territory who had marriages in plural marriages continued to be performed in continued to be the of the 1890 during the the 1890 and the a of being authority to perform plural marriages in at one of the President of authorization for the of the to perform plural marriages for who to be President the president in to perform plural marriages for of the authorization the in authorization was in by to his President Joseph a to perform plural marriages for of the The both plural marriages by the and authority to perform plural marriages authorization being to the in Joseph Smith the authorization to perform the plural marriage was were to have sealing authority by the of that William Smith had in The as Smith the sealing of the of the day of was to that were the sealing was of by plural married as his in the was performed by a in Joseph married as a plural in he to a in to have the sealing worked to in by that man the of the right authority to perform a plural and plural marriages in the Church of being the right to perform to have that right to exercise authority that he not and he not perform a marriage and marriage President more he was have the to perform that the right to perform marriages at in the During the it that Joseph Smith the that in on to perform plural marriage to have to the right to perform plural marriages by the of he was president of the church Smith that of performing plural marriages in he was told by President that man in to exercise the but and man it and that to with him have the church of that with him in his Smith in his that he on to had a with and told him he was sealing to his standing in the church was in to the of to have some of the to plural marriage in the years following Joseph Smith the president in authority to perform plural marriages for authorization and to perform plural marriages for with a of authorization the Latter-day Saint that in early president in told the that plural marriages had to had the sealing but it was to be According to had the sealing and he had to perform had the right and authority to so he had for after the church on it, he had the was at for performing marriages at that late he was to the of the in and the in was a to the the to the church plural marriages and the sealing was to as a for to his in the of the a of the plural Joseph Smith was plural but he was faced with to the he April President Smith a in general plural marriages and of the Church to into marriage he be in the Church and be to be to the and and On the in and in that as of the authority perform for and in was As on, and were the of the to of plural marriages and church more who into in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day plural marriages and the sealing authority for marriages to in by as by the president of the a for the and president marriage sealing performed by a who to the the be married The on plural that who it to the of council a into a plural marriage. plural marriages in with a not one more a Church a into plural The for a man (and thus a marriage during his that in the 1862, Zerah Pulsipher faced for performing marriages for William Bailey proper authorization to As a of the Zerah was his as a general to be and as a The of his to have on in the proper for plural of trial that it how plural marriages were regulated in the of William and William who were in plural marriages not by Brigham was as The to were who had to proper authorization the who had performed the in the Zerah Pulsipher it was not the in plural marriage who was to but the one who performed the the Pulsipher provides a window into a aspect of plural a in how plural marriages were the Brigham Young (and Joseph Smith before had to for plural marriage. a was to a was the with final the president of the as the that his authority had Brigham Young's in with in the for plural marriage during the of Brigham Young more on the of and in plural to of authority to and perform plural marriages the president of the church as early as but at and in The 1862 trial of Zerah Pulsipher for performing plural marriages that his had not a the to and of sealing authority the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.