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2 Not long after the creation God directed men to build high places, on which to erect houses of worship, where they might offer sacrifices, assemble for religious instruction and perform their dances.
On certain days they used to assemble in these places of worship, early in the morning, when the priest would commence his talk. The people were all seated and observed perfect silence. No one durst speak, or make the least noise while the priest was talking. About noon the priest became very much fatigued, but still continued his discourse till near sunset. He enforced obedience to God in every respect, telling the people they must do all that God had directed them and never disobey in any secret place, thinking themselves alone; for God always saw them, and was with them. He exhorted the people never to indulge in any idle or vain conversation, nor call anyone A ski ni, because it was wicked. He urged them to abstain from all lewdness and from Polygamy. Children he exhorted to be industrious and alwas ming (sic: always mind) their parents. He enforced his exhortations by holding up to the people the prospects of futurity, assuring that if they were obedient, when they died, they would go to God, and dwell forever with Him, where it would be always light, like a pleasant delightful day. But that if they were disobedient, they would be miserable forever in a lake of fire. That just as they got to that place an awful gulph would appear before them, across which they would see a small pole, with a black dog at each end. Being impelled forward, they would go onto the middle of this pole, and then the dogs would turn it, and plunge them off into the gulph or lake of fire. Some few, however, might be permitted to cross, but on arriving at the other side, they would be put into a house of fire, and transfixed with large iron spikes, and thus tortured forever. At death the righteous & wicked would be immediately separated; and the wicked driven forward in a different path from the righteous. Just before sunset the priest offered sacrifice. The altar was made of flat rock about 2 1/2 feet high, of one stone or more. The sacrifice was a piece of meat, with a powder of old tobacco sprinkled on. The fire was not common, but made new, as follows viz. the priest put a dry stick on the altar, with a round shallow hole in the upper side. In this hole he put some of the weed called Golden rod. He then took a stick 2 or 3 feet long, the lower end of which exactly filled the hole or socket above mentioned. This stick, standing upright in the hole, on the golden rod, he whisked swiftly round, till the golden rod caught fire in the socket. The wood used