The Order Pertaining to the Ancient of Days

To justify the continuation of polygamy, the early Mormon fundamentalist movement created an alternate priesthood history that accounted for the legitimacy of solemnizing plural marriages. This chapter outlines how Joseph White Musser articulated the history of his faith in opposition to the institutional Church that excommunicated him for polygamy. Through this new priesthood history, Musser placed the men of the fundamentalist movement above the Church as the sole authority necessary to solemnize plural marriages. The priesthood history narrated by Musser remains the history used by the contemporary Mormon fundamentalist movement, who understand themselves as both Mormon and distinct from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.