"Oh, no, no!" Zoe exclaimed; "how could she be?"
"No," said Edward; "but she is considered very wicked if she refuses her
consent, or even ventures upon a remonstrance.
"One day a Mormon and his family, consisting of one wife and several
children, were seated about their table taking a meal, when the husband
remarked that he thought of taking a second wife.
"His lawful wife--the mother of his children sitting there--objected.
Upon that he rose from his seat, went to her, and, holding her head,
deliberately cut her throat from ear to ear."
"And was executed for it?" asked Christine, while she shuddered with
horror."
"No," said Edward; "he was promoted by the Mormon priesthood to a higher
place in the church, as one who had done a praiseworthy deed."
"Murder a praiseworthy deed!" they cried in astonishment and indignation.
"How could that be?"
"They have a doctrine that they call 'blood-atonement,'" replied Edward.
"Daring to teach, contrary to the express declarations of Scripture, that
the blood of Christ is insufficient to atone for all sin, they assert
that for some sins the blood of the sinner himself must be shed or he
will never attain to eternal life, and that therefore it is a worthy deed
to slay him.
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