LDSChurch Historical Department
Ms 405—Reminiscences 1903 May-Dec, Orange L. Wight
Original handwritten manuscript
[Note that Wight was born November 1823, and would therefore have been about 20 years old at the time of the events reported.]
[Note also that although I’ve never heard this remarked on, Wight was called on a mission away from Nauvoo shortly after the Prophet found him out walking with Flora Woodworth. This may, in part, have been a way of preventing an inappropriate relationship from forming between Flora and Wight.]
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[page 1]
Recollections of Orange L Wight son of Lyman Wight,
Bunkerville May 4 1903
Brother Joseph I. Earl,
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[page 19]
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I now come to that part of my story that you will be most likely interested in. Which regards the doctrine taught by the Prophet Joseph Smith in regard to the Plural Marriage sistim,
At first the Doctrin was taught in private. the first I knew about it was in John Higbie's famely he lived close to us and being well acquainted with him and famely I discovered he had two wives, The next I noticed when in company with the young Folks the Girls were calling one another Spirituals.
Now the reason why the You Folks was in advance of me my work was in the mac\h/in shop 22 mile above Nauvoo—where I spent nearly all my time,[page 20] But when at Nauvoo in the winter of \18/41 42 I became fully inniciated.
At this time I was Ordained an Elder and atched to one of the Qorums of 70ties and sent on a mission to the Eastern states […].
Now altho only in my 20th year would not be 20 until 29 November, 1843, I concluded to look about and try to pick up one or more of the young Ladies before they were all gone, so I commenced keeping company with Flora Woodworth—Daughter of Lucian Woodworth—(called the Pagan Prophet) I was [page 21] walking along the street with Flora near the Prophets Residence when he Joseph drove, up in his Carrage stoped and spoke to I and Flora and asked us to get in the carrage and ride with him he opened the doore [?—doors?] for us and when we were seated oposite to him he told the driver to drive on we went to the Temple lot and many other places during the Afternoon and then he drove to the Woodworth \house/ and we got out and went in,—
After we got in the house Sister Woodworth took me in another room and told me that Flora was one of Josephs wives, I was awar or believed that Eliza R. Snow and the two Partra\t/ge Girls were his wives but was not informed about Flora But now sister Woodworth gave me all the information nessary, so I knew Joseph Believed and practiced Poligamy,
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[page 23]
Now as a matter of corse I at once—after giving her \Flora/ a mild lecture left her and looked for a companion in other places, and where I could be more sure,. I was now called on a mission to go up the river 5 or 6 hundred miles to make lumber for the Nauvoo house and Temple. [***]
[page 24]
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Than we all boarded a steamboat and started for Black River, Wisconsin. Long before we reach our destination I got aquainted with the Hadfield Famely their were tow young Girles I had them away where I thought I could induce them to take up with me.
now it remaines to see how I succeeded I at once commenced \keeping/ company with Miss Sarah Hadfield and at the same time paid close attention to Miss Matilda Carter
Now it would \be/ uninteresting \to you/to relate all the ups and downs I had in my cortship so I will mearly say I succeeded in marring both of them, The other Miss Rosilla Carter I married some years afterward,
[page 25]
All the fore going is written to show—or prove to you that Plural marrage was Practice and taught by \the/ Prophet and Apostels of that day,
In all of this time I did not hear Pres Brigham Young name mentianed in cannection with Plural marrage,
The doctrin was taugh me by other Apotels Bishops and members of the church, Bishop George Miller Wm Claton David Claton, Bishop Isac Higbeie John Higbee and others, also by Joseph Smith, the Prophet by Precident and Revelation.
I think Bro Brigham Young was on a mission most of the time in the Eastern country. he and Father was in Boston Mass when the prophet and Patriarch was marted, So you see President Yong did not—or was not the first to Preach—and practice Plural marrage,
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