Westons Go West 3 - Dinner with the Captain - part 2

“Remarkable story, President Blake,” said the Captain, “and I congratulate you on your faith and your hard work that got you there. Tell me something, how many wives do you have?”

“I will be honest with thee. I now have three wives. But I want to tell thee another story. You know how thee asked earlier, Mrs. Weston about the Indians and how thee thought that they treated us better than other settlers?”

“Yes.”

“Well, a group of men and some of the boys in the family who were old enough, would go to the mountains to get wood for the winter. One time, when we went, some Indians came upon us. The others thought they could talk the Indians out of fighting them, but I went up to each one of the men and told them to open their shirts, to show their garments, proving they were Mormons. The leader of the Indians told all of us who were wearing garments they could go on their way, but they took the others who were not wearing the garments away with them and later we found out they had scalped them. The Mormon people are usually good to the Indians so they are willing to leave us alone.”

“So what do these garments look like anyway? Are you wearing yours now?” asked the Captain.

“Yes, indeed, Captain. I wear it every day. It is proof that I took part in the Endowment ceremony. It is a one-piece undergarment extending to the ankles and the wrists, resembling a union suit, with an open crotch and a collar. It is made of unbleached cotton, and is held together with ties in a double knot. The garment has four marks that are embroidered into the cloth: a reverse-L-shaped symbol on the right breast, “The Compasses”, representing the North Star, a V-shaped symbol on the left breast, “The Square”, representing the justice and fairness of our Heavenly Father, and horizontal marks at the navel and over the right knee. These marks are sacred symbols. The collar represents the idea that the Lord's "yoke is easy and His burden is light", the double-knotted strings represent "the Trinity" and "the marriage covenant"; the navel mark represents "strength in the navel and marrow in the bones"; and the knee mark represents "that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ".

“Going back to your wives, were thee forced to take them, and what did Elizabeth think about it - after she had done all those things with thee to help thee get safely to Utah?” asked Mary.

“My second wife, Caroline, I took in 1860. She needed the care of a man. It would be disloyal to her to comment farther on that, and I was asked to do this thing for her. Elizabeth was accepting.”

“And then thee took a third as well?” persisted Mary.

“In 1861, Jane Thompson, the daughter of Joseph Lewis Thompson, my old time friend and companion, had recently arrived in Salt Lake City and was staying with the us. Brigham Young suggested that I make the fifteen year old Jane, my third wife. We were reluctant, but obeyed his council and were married in the Endowment House on 26 October of that year.”

“And when did thee come here to England for your missionary duties?” asked Simon.

“I was asked by Brigham Young to take a major part in the setting up of a new city, St. George, and eventually I was set apart as Counselor in the St. George Third Ward Bishopric. In 1869 I became a Counselor to Stake President John W. Young and held this position until I went on my mission to England in 1872, and part of my mission was to edit the Millennial Star, our group’s publication. It was a hard time to leave, because just as I was going, Jane was expecting our sixth child.”

“How many children does thee have altogether, President Blake?” asked Mary.

“At last count, it was 25. I had a daughter born on the day I arrived for my English mission.”

The Captain laughed, “Good heavens. I expect you’ll be a Bishop or whatever you call your bigwigs before long.”

“God’s will be done.”

“Oh, look at the time. We must be off to bed. Thank thee, Captain, for this lovely supper, and I have enjoyed hearing all about your experience, President Blake, and also about how Charles Dickens took our part,” said Mary.

“Oh, he did his share of blasting you too, but that was before he visited the ship.”

“What does thee mean?”

“Dickens made a trip to America in 1842. When he published American Notes, he made a passing reference to Joseph Smith and “his benighted disciples,” although he admitted he never did any investigative reporting on the subject. Nine years later, in his magazine, Household Words, he derided Mormons for their “fanaticism” and “the absurdity of seeing visions in the age of railways.” But he did make a distinction between what you believe and practical accomplishments. He said, “What the Mormons do, seems to be excellent, what they say is mostly nonsense.”

“Well nonsense, or not, we do what we must and right now, we must say good night and thank thee Captain, for thy support on our voyage.”

“It has been a pleasure, and I thank you all for sharing this humble meal with me tonight. It is important that you Mormons teach Christian ship owners how to send poor people decently, cheaply and healthfully across the Atlantic. If I am too busy to speak with you again, I hope you will find the happiness that you expect when you get to Utah.”

They all shake hands.