On the North side, the first from the East end is for Bishop Whitney & the lesser Priesthood; the second for the High Council. The third and fourth president George
Miller and the High Priests quorum [,] The fifth the Elders Quorum and the sixth the female preparation Room.
The main room is divided into apartments for the ceremonies of the endowment. Beginning from the door at the West end is an alley about 5 feet wide extending to about 3 feet beyond the first Beam of the arch[.] on each side of the Alley is a small room partitioned of where the saints receive the first part of the ceremony or where the man is created and a help mate given to him. From these rooms too the third partition in the Arch is planted the garden, which is nicely decorated and set off with shrubs and trees in pots & Boxes to represent the Garden of Eden. In this apartment is also an alter. Here the man and woman are placed & commandments given to them in addition to what is given in the creation. Here also after the man & woman have eaten the forbidden fruit is given to them a charge at the Alter and the first and second tokens of the Aaronic Priesthood, They a
re then thrust out into a room which is dark being the one on the North side between the fourth and fifth division
of the arch which represents the telestial kingdom or the world. Opposite to this is another apartment of the same size representing the terrestrial kingdom and between these two is an alley about 4 feet wide. In the telestial kingdom, after the man has proved himself faithful he receives the first signs & tokens of the Melchizedek priesthood and an additional charge. Here also he vouches for the conduct of his companion. They are then left to prove themselves faithful, after which they are admitted into the terrestrial kingdom, where at the alter they receive an additional charge and the second token of the Melchizedek Priesthood and also the key word on the five points of fellowship.
There are words given with every token and the new name is given in the preparation room when they receive their washing and annointing.
After [they have] received all the tokens
and words and signs they are led to the vail where they give each to Eloheem through the vail and are then admitted into the Celestial Room.
The Celestial room occupies the remainder of the main room being the space between two divisions of the Arch. This is adorned with a number of splendid mirrors, paintings and portraits. On the East wall are the following Portraits viz. in the centre President]. B[righam]. Young and next to the left H[eber]. C. Kimball, Orson Hyde. To the right, Willard Richards John Taylor and George A. Smith.
On the East side of the first division of the Arch in the centre is the portrait of L[ucius]. N. Scovil,^5 next to the right is George A. Smith, next John Smith the Patriarch To the left is Barsheba [Bathsheba] Smith, and Mother Lucy [Mack] Smith.
On the West side of this partition in the centre is the portrait of[,] to the left[,] H[eber]. C. Kimball & Caroline Smith^6 To the right W[illia]m Cottier^7 John L. Smith.
On the East side of the second
division in the centre stands a brass clock over which there is a splendid portrait of the late Hyrum Smith and next to the right C[harles]. C. Rich, George Miller & Clarissa Smith. To the left sister [Sarah] Rich, next Mary Catherine Miller and last Leonora A. Taylor.
There are also a number of maps. A large map of the world hangs on the North side wall, and three maps of the United States and a plot of the City of Nauvoo hangs on the West partition. On the South wall hangs another large map of the United States, besides a number of large mirrors and paintings.
In the centre and body of the Celestial Room. are two splendid tables and four splendid sofas. Also a small table opposite the large Window on the East end of the room on which stands the Celestial and terrestrial Globes.
All the rooms are nicely carpeted and has a very splendid and comfortable appearance. There are a number of handsome chairs in it.
This morning B[righam]. Young & wife, H[eber]. C. Kimball and G[eo
rge]. A. Smith, also sister Mary Smith, Mercy R. Thompson, W[illiam]. W Phelps and his wife tarried in the Temple all night, We only obtained about an hour and a half sleep. In the morning sister Young and the other sisters went home. B[righam]. Young and myself went to Joseph C Kingsburys and eat breakfast. We there had an interview with Willard Snow who has just returned from his Mission to Boston. From thence we returned back to the Temple and found several of the brethren had come in with the expectations of receiving their anointings These following viz. Alpheus Cutler Reynolds Cahoon, Orson Spencer, Joseph Young, Isaac Morley, and Wm Clayton also Lucy Morley, Lois Cutler, Tirzah Cahoon, Catherine C. Spencer, Ruth Clayton, and Permelia Lott, each received their washings and anointings. We commenced a little before one o clock. George A. Smith and myself^8 washed the brethren and B[righam]. Young and Amasa Lyman
anointed them assisted by George Miller. Sister Vilate Kimb
all and Elizabeth Ann Whitney attended to washing the females. At 2 o clock they also washed and anointed Mercy R. Thompson[.]
At 1 o clock E[lde]r Orson Pratt came up into the room while we were attending to washing and anointing. He has just returned from his mission to the East and brought with him $400 worth of six shooters.
See 4 pages back. The men were washed by G[eorge]. A. Smith & John Taylor, and anointed by myself^9 and B[righam). Young. The sisters were washed and anointed by sister Whitney Mary Ann Young and Mary Smith ---------------- Elizabeth Ann Whitney.
About half past 1 o clock mother Lucy [Mack] Smith arrived. The weather is cold and some inclined to snow.
A Little before three Sister Elizebeth Ann Whitney and My wife^10 got through washing the sisters about half past 3 [and] the following were taken through all the ordinance & ceremony viz Alpheas Cutler & Lois Cutler Reynolds Cahoon & Tirzah Cahoon Isaac Morley & Lucy Morley Orson Spencer & Catherine C.
Spencer William Clayton & Ruth Clayton Cornelius P. Lott & Permelia Lott also mother Lucy [Mack] Smith and John Smith with her as proxy ^Also John M. Bernhisel^ Mercy R. Thompson with whom brother John Taylor acted as a proxy [.] President Young officiated as Eloheem P[arley]. P. Pratt as Jehovah and George A. Smith as Michael[.]
The first charge was given in the garden by President Young, the other two charges by H[eber]. C. Kimball, who also received most of them through the vail and Amasa Lyman received the remainder.
Immediately after all these were taken through, myself^11 and George A. Smith washed and anointed David Candland and John D. Lee. Sisters Elizabeth Ann Whitney and Mary Smith washed and anointed their wives whose names are Aggatha Ann Lee and Mary Ann Candland. They were assisted by Vilate Kimball. It was about 5 o clock PM, when they commenced washing and anointing these.A little before six we commenced taking them through the ceremonies Heber C. Kimball a
cting as Eloheem George A. Smith as Jehovah Orson Hyde as Michael W[illiam]. W Phelps as the serpent[.] We were also assisted by P[arley]. P. Pratt.President [Young] having gone out some time ago returned while we were in the garden. The signs & tokens were all given by H[eber]
. C. Kimball. He also received them through the vail. It was about half past seven when we got through Those last who were taken through were then instructed farther regarding the signs by E[lde]r Orson Hyde.
The President then called all those who were present into the Celestial room. We formed a circle, offered up the signs, and then offered up prayers for the sick; for our families and that the Lord would frustrate the plans of our enemies. E[lde]r John E. Page being mouth.
After we got through president Young called the following persons into Hebers Room viz. H[eber]. C. Kimball, P[arley]. P. Pratt, J[ohn]. Taylor, O[rson]. Hyde, John E. Page, George A. Smith, Amasa Lyman, Newel K. Whitney, George Miller and W[illia]m. Clayton. The President then stated that he had received a letter from Samuel Brannan saying that he had been at Washington^12 and had learned that the Secretary of War^13 and the heads of the government were laying plans and were determined to prevent our m
oving West, alleging that it is against the Law for an armed body of men to go from the United States to any other government. They say it will not do to let the Mormons go to California nor Oregon, neither will it do to let them tarry in the States and they must be exterminated from the face of the earth.^14
We offered up the signs of the Holy priesthood and prayed that the Lord would defeat and frustrate all the plans of our enemies and inasmuch as they make plots and lay plans to exterminate this people and destroy the priesthood from off the earth that the curse of God may come upon them even all the evil which they design to bring upon this people. And that the Lord would preserve the lives of his servants and lead us out of this ungodly nation in peace.
After we got through there was a unanimous feeling that the Lord would answer our prayers and defeat our enemies. Pres[iden]t. Young said we should go away from. here in peace in spite of our enemies.
It was now a littl
e after 9 o’clock and we soon after retired to our homes. President Young and Amasa Lyman tarried in the Temple all the night. [William Clayton, Diary, kept for Heber C. Kimball.]
[source: Devery S. Anderson and Gary James Bergera, Editors, The Nauvoo Endowment Companies, 1845-1846: A Documentary History (Signature Books), http://www.amazon.com/Nauvoo-Endowment-Companies-1845-1846-Documentary/dp/1560851872]
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