The Wedding Dress (16 page)

The following day Rebecca stood before her students and confessed, “I'm only partly prepared. There's so much to tell you, and it will take days. First, I think there are two covenants. But the interesting part is the story in the Old Testament. If you think California has gold, wait until you hear about this!” The children clustered around her, and she began to tell them all that she had read.

Their eyes widened with amazement and they pressed closer. Rebecca found herself dramatizing the story. “God warned Moses and the children of Israel that every little detail must be perfect. See, part of the covenant was the building of a house or a tent which would be a dwelling place for God. That's the part I want to tell you about first. And God told Moses it must all be done according to the plan He gave Moses on the mountain.”

“Perfect. He sure is particular,” Timothy said slowly.

“Listen, Moses had all the people bring offerings of gold and silver. He used those gifts to cover the table inside the tabernacle and the ark which was to hold the stones marked with the covenant. It says here that over twenty-nine talents of gold were used in constructing the tabernacle. And that over one hundred talents of silver and seventy talents of bronze were used.”

“How much is a talent?”

Rebecca threw up her hands. “I don't know.”

“Why don't you go ask Brother Brigham?”

After two days of discussing the building of the tabernacle and the use of it for worship and sacrifice, May Taylor spoke up. “Miss Becky, we have to give a program for the big folks before spring. Why don't we do the tabernacle?”

“Ya, Brother Brigham might make ours more pretty—it's just adobe.”

“Well, how could we ‘do' the tabernacle?” Rebecca asked.

“We could make curtains out of blue and purple, red and linen. I don't suppose we could find any gold to use, but we could make an ark.”

Now the students were bouncing with excitement. “We could write the commandments on pieces of wood.”

“What do we do for manna?”

February moved into March. Rebecca's students were consumed by their interest in the covenant and building the tabernacle. Many trips were made to Rebecca's Bible to verify details.

Rebecca's apprehension about the project disappeared as she saw Timothy's reading improve and the others develop new skills. Plans were sketched on Rebecca's precious supply of paper. Isaac must know how to spell pomegranate before he could complete his sketch. Old shawls and quilts were being modified for hangings and robes. The children learned about talents and could spell shekel, sardius, topaz, and carbuncle.

Scraps of lumber were hauled into the schoolhouse, and one mother arrived with plaster of paris. A reasonable facsimile of cherubim was produced—reasonable, Rebecca decided, since no one knew exactly what cherubim looked like.

During this time Rebecca received another letter from Joshua. It was short. “I'm coming,” he had written. “Just as soon as I sell my claim, I'm coming for you. Ma said that she would send the wedding dress to you.”

Rebecca's hands crumpled the letter in her lap. This couldn't be reality. The schoolroom was reality, as well as the mud and snow of Main Street.

“A letter from Joshua?” Ann asked. “Does the winter find him well?”

“Winter,” Rebecca looked for a date. “He doesn't say. In fact, he doesn't say much of anything except that he's coming after me and that his mother is sending my wedding dress.”

A strange expression crept over Ann's face. Rebecca studied her, wondering if the expression was relief or sorrow. “Do you intend to convert him to the way?”

“I think he intends to rescue me from the way,” Rebecca chuckled. “He still can't understand that the principle is something practiced by just a few silly old men—beg pardon, Brother Brigham!”

“I guess you'd better beg his pardon,” Ann muttered, “and you'd best watch your tongue.”

“Well, I fully expect the whole business to die down and fade out of sight in another year or so, 'specially since Washington is so opposed.”

Ann turned abruptly and walked into her bedroom.

One day, soon after the class had begun to work on the tablets bearing the covenant, Arnold Pickens said, “Miss Becky, you still haven't found more covenants. You said you
thought
. When are you going to talk to Brother Brigham?” There were fifteen pairs of unwavering eyes.

With a sigh of resignation, Rebecca lifted her hands. “I promise, I'll go soon.”

Spring was definitely moving into the valley. First came the softening and sweetening of the air. Now the snow was retreating, revealing tufts of green.

On the day that Rebecca went to see Brigham Young, her mind was so full of a new problem that she scarcely noticed her world. The problem was Brother Samuels.

Ann and Brother Samuels had children not much younger than she. Despite her twenty-one years, come next month, she felt terribly young and awkward. Still, Brother Samuels was sending out signals.

Since coming to Utah Territory, Rebecca and all the other unmarried women had become adept at signal watching. It was better than a gossip column for keeping account of who was interested in whom.

At first Rebecca couldn't believe the signal. But Ann was knowing it too. While Rebecca had tried to ignore the pointed conversations, the gentle pats, she couldn't ignore Ann's tightly compressed lips and unusual quietness.

In the months since the onset of the signals, Rebecca had been desperately seeking ways to divert them and to reaffirm her standing as Ann's friend. But she was not being successful.

Today's walk toward Brother Brigham's office was taking her past the old fort. She knew that Cora's cabin was vacant, and that had given Rebecca an idea. It had also served to remind her that this evening was the monthly fast and testimony meeting for their ward. She was still busy with her thoughts when she reached the office.

Despite the constant assurances of Brother Brigham's willingness to counsel, she felt first cousin to a field mouse after an encounter with him. Remembering the Parent School, she smoothed her hair and squared her shoulders.

He took the initiative. He had heard about the play and his piercing blue eyes never left her face as she explained why the project had been chosen.

When she finished, he chuckled and said, “It seems to me that you've picked quite a task. It's always good for our people to know as much about their heritage as possible. I'm going to have your pupils present their program to the other wards.”

It took Rebecca a numbing minute to recover. “Oh, that's wonderful!” Was dismay showing in her voice? “But that isn't the reason I've come.”

“Let's set it up for the tenth of April,” he continued. “Now what?”

“We've discovered that there seem to be two covenants. I haven't read the whole Bible, but Mrs. Samuels reminded me of the Ten Commandments and the covenant. Now my students want to know if there is another covenant.”

He nodded. Leaning forward he rested his arms on his desk and studied her. “That's the whole purpose behind this dispensation. Because of the wickedness of the people and the broken covenants—the Prophet Joseph Smith referred to it as the people's dead works—there needed to be another covenant. A new and everlasting covenant. There are more revelations to this, and this year we'll bring them to the people. You just be a good student yourself, and you will hear about them. Now the tabernacle is nearly complete, we will be able to bring all the teachings of the Prophet to the people.

“Go back and tell these little children that they must be baptized and enter into living the laws and ordinances given through the Prophet.”

“Well, that doesn't lend itself to dramatizing,” she said, following President Young as he got to his feet.

“Let's hope it lends itself to being worked out in the daily lives of the Saints,” he said dryly, bowing her out of the office.

When Rebecca reached the house, Ann gave her a curt nod and continued to stir the stew. “Ann,” she said, determined to carry out her resolve, “I haven't been living my religion lately. Would you like to go to the fast and testimony meeting tonight?”

Rebecca could see the refusal forming on Ann's face. The door behind Rebecca slammed and Brother Samuels called, “Stew? That smells good enough to eat.”

Ann glanced toward him, and then looked at Rebecca. “Yes,” she answered, “I think it would be a good idea for both of us.”

Rebecca was very conscious of her empty stomach and tormented heart as they walked the six blocks to the ward meetinghouse. During the walk she tried to think of a way to break the silence and clear the air.

Bishop Ellis was presiding over this meeting. His presence no longer worried Rebecca. She was confident that he had forgotten the silly incident in the barn.

After singing hymns, they knelt to pray. Rebecca stifled a yawn and knew she dared not close her eyes. The prayers seemed to drone on forever. When the high sweet sound began, the shock of it ran through the room. Rebecca was lifted and carried on the crest of feeling. Even after the voice became silent, the group continued to kneel beside the rough benches.

Now Brother Ellis' heavy voice boomed through the room. The thunder of it reminded Rebecca of that barn prayer meeting. As he prayed, she felt as if she were being jolted back to earth, out of the heavenlies back to harsh reality.

When they had taken their seats once again, Sister Ellis stood. “You know, Brother Brigham has said that he would just about rather hear of our personal experiences than anything else. It does encourage, and I want to tell you a story. Sister Turner tells me about a friend who had one of the Nephites visit her. She was positive it was. They lived out in the country, so's there's no possibility it was anything else. Fact is, she fed him and he ate, but when she went to clear the table, there was the whole meal, not even touched.”

When they started home, Ann linked her arm through Rebecca's. “It was a good meeting. I'm glad we came. Lifted my spirits, and I think I'll find it easier to live my religion now.”

“Ann, I've been thinking. I've enough salary to live on my own now. I'm of a mind to see if I will be allowed to live in Cora's old place.”

Ann's arm trembled. When she finally spoke her voice was low. “Rebecca, don't think I'm opposing. I just suppose I'm being jealous and female.”

“Don't!” Rebecca's voice was sharp, but she could say no more.

They were nearly home when Ann asked, “What did you think of what Sister Ellis had to say?” Rebecca shrugged. Ann's voice was wistful. “It would be wonderful to have an experience like that. I've prayed for it. It would sustain me too.”

“I'm afraid I'd just be scared to death, having a fellow with a long white beard come in like that. Guess you can't discount the food being left, no matter.”

In April, 1852, the new Tabernacle was dedicated. Two thousand two hundred Saints were seated at the first meeting, while others strained at the doors. On the heels of the dedication came the semiannual conference of the church.

On the morning of the first meeting, Rebecca left the Samuels' early. President Brigham Young was to address them and she wanted a good seat. The new Tabernacle was filling rapidly, and Rebecca tried to make herself as small as possible as she pressed through the crowd. Behind the pulpit the band was beginning its warm-up. The first presidency, Brigham Young and his two counselors, Heber C. Kimball and Williard Richards, entered the building. She watched Brigham Young cross the platform with a confident stride and an air of authority.

With hymns behind them, the audience settled down, and Brother Brigham stood. Immediately he launched into his sermon, saying, “It is time for us, my dear brothers and sisters, to get down to the hard doctrine task of understanding all that the Prophet Joseph Smith learned at the hands of the Almighty and to transfer that into our lives.”