Jacob on the risks of marrying Rose

"Jacob Hannah, you're a hard man."

              "Why?

              Cause I'm bein honest about it?  Turner, I don't ever aim to be asked to take more'n one wife and I'd be riskin a hell of a lot to take Rose, no matter how prettified she gits and how clean she repents herself to."

              "Why do you say risk? You mean you'd have a hard time trusting her?"

              "That and more. Albert says she's been a whorin for the most part a two years and not once has ever showed signs of gittin with child."

              "Albert thinks his daughter is barren?"

              "Yeah, it looks that way. If I made someone like that my woman I'd have two strikes agin me."

              "An ex-harlot you couldn't fully trust and the danger of a childless union?"

              "You got it."

              "I'd do it ..."

              "You'd what?

              You'd take a chance on her?

              Turner that's crazy! She ain't your type."

              "Why not? Besides, what makes you think we won't be commanded to marry more than one?"

              "Hah! You, maybe. I won't do it."

              "Oh yes you would. You might not feel that way now but by the end of your mission, when the labor of preaching is so full that your testimony is three times what it is now, you'll change your ideas. You'll do what the Lord asks."

"You mean to say that God gave that woman a revelation? What about your living prophet?" - Turner explains polygamy to Abigail

Furthermore, my father was four wives only after my mother, his first wife whom he loves very deeply, gave her consent and helped him choose the other three."

                This brought Abigail clear out of her chair, startling Rose.

                "You mean she agreed?

                His foolish first wife agreed to let him -"

                "Yes! Yes, Sister Blake, she agreed and I don't believe she was foolish. Neither she nor my father wanted to do it, but you see, when you have been blessed so much and given sufficient testimony of the divinity of this work, it's possible to possess a faith so powerful, one can conclude the rightfulness of a commandment and obey it, even if one is not inclined to favor it.

                In other words, knowing the gospel and knowing we have it in its entirety, including the plan of salvation, we must be a faithful people.

                `We accept the principle of revelation completely and honor a living prophet chosen by the Lord as His mouthpiece on earth. If the Lord tells his prophet to tell me to take more than one wife, it is as if He has told me Himself, just as He called me through His prophet to leave my home and come preach to you here."

                "But your mother! Your father's first wife," Abigail argued, "How ... oh, how could she agree to something so monstrous?"

                "Let me tell you about the wife of one of our current apostles, Heber C. Kimball, the one Reverend Charles talked about last night who first opened England to the gospel.

                Heber's wife's name is Vilate and after Joseph Smith made known the commandment and told Heber he must comply, Brother Kimball very nearly went crazy with worry and confusion. You see, his relationship with Vilate goes clear back into their childhood and their romance and affection for each other is legend in the church.

                Many's the time I've heard brethren exhort husband to love their wives and continue the courtship long after the wedding, just as Brother Kimball does with Vilate. How he feels about Vilate has always been obvious, even now when he's taken more than twenty five additional wives."

                It was Rose's turn to shout,

                "Twenty Five???

                My God!!"

Jacob Hannah ground his teeth together and got to his feet. Glad he thinks so.... no idea what I'm goin to say.

"Remember Jacob, you weren't sent to argue with the Reverend. The Lord wants you to deliver His message and you know what that is. Go ahead, Elder. You'll do fine"

Jacob Hannah ground his teeth together and got to his feet. Glad he thinks so.... no idea what I'm goin to say.

Rose was disappointed. The majority of the listeners were disappointed.

Mister Calm and Quiet was not rising to speak, instead letting his partner, Mr. Nervous Eyes struggle to the front, a Bible and another book in his paws. She watched as he laid both books in front of him, looked out at the congregation and hesitated, not anxious to speak.

Why not?

Did not he come here for this very thing?

Assembling the few scattered ideas left in his head, Jacob still hesitated.

Declare the message Turner had said.

Answer the charges the Reverend had demanded.

Jacob swallowed hard; then charged, stumbling at the start.

"Uh, Ladies, and, er Gentlemen....

No! I can't call you that. That is, I, I gotta call you 'brothers and sisters'.

I hope yer not mindin that, but the Lord, er, Jesus taught that you an me’re all sons and daughters of God, the Heavenly Father."

What the hell am I sayin? I'm runnin out of words!

"...and where I come from we respect each other that way. My ... my companion, behind me ..."

Of course he's behind me! Dammit Hannah! Quite stutterin!

"My, uh, companion behind me's always spected me to call im 'Brother Cole'.

Ah, that is, I mean that was in Utah. Here in England he wants me to call im 'Elder Cole'. Of course when we was youngsters in the wilderness we only knew each other's folks as 'Brother this' or 'Sister that'.

Brother Cole is, well, I, er, hope you'll all come to think of us -- both of us as your brothers."

Lord! I gotta get on with the subject!!

The whole chapel seemed on the verge of an exploding restlessness. Rose felt as if her skin was crawling, so irritating was the Elder's fumbling. The speaker was obviously a humble man, but his fear and reluctance was almost palpable.

Why hadn't the other one spoken?

Come on, Jacob old boy! You can do this.

Keep goin!

Either yer a man about this or ya ain't. Ya quit now an you might never try public speakin agin!

And there ain't no damn way I'm lettin Turner go back to Utah or even to Franklin Richards and say Isaac Hannah's boy done made the pure ass fool a hisself.

"My name is Jacob. I mean, it's Jacob ... Jacob Hannah."

Please Lord!!! Please give me the what to say!

"I drew ... I have drawd ... the lot to speak first. Yeah, Elder Cole'n me drawd lots and the lot fell ta me, an that's the Lord's way a sayin I shoulda oughta speak first..."

Rose felt there might be, perhaps 30 seconds more of calm in the chapel before people started to walk out.

SPEAK, damn you!

Get on with it!

Answer the goddamned Reverend's goddamned questions before we all rush out of this crazy farm.

What do you idiots think of God?