First Presidency, Correspondence, 1885-1887

File — Box: 2, Folder: 5

Identifier: I

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

John Taylor, letter to Marriner W. Merrill, 27 January 1886, says: "It is not advisable to fall into the fashion of issuing certificates of the character you describe [i.e., of polygamous marriages]. The parties themselves should keep a record of the transaction and the names of the witnesses, and beyond this nothing more is necessary unless it should be required to prove the marriage for the purposes of heirship to property, when it can be procured. We do not think it proper for a young man of the age you mention and an old lady, such as you describe, to marry for time and eternity. There would be no objection to a union for eternity, even where such a disparity of ages exist."

Dates

1885-1887

Conditions Governing Access

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.