The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-01-23
anrdS Of auanum and b0eo BRANDY
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40 theSkmericau Union, and would stand by it.
and defend il to the very last. In fact they be-
lieye that the Constitution of the United States
was written by inspiration; and whatever others
NAV do they intend to defend it, and support it,
fill the final consummation Of all things They
saw that our Government is the best that the
world ever has produced, or ever mill produce
till Jesus Christ shall come and claim the Earth
as his inheritance, and reign over it himself
There is but little known respecting their re-
lipious creed by the world at large, and even the
more ignorant saints as they call themselves,
have never penetrated the sublime arcana of their
religion.
A belief that 10 Smith and his successors were
prophets and held intercourse with the other
world, and possessed all the gifts bestowed upon
the Disciples and that the book of Mormon
was discovered and translated by inspiration, is
usually supposed to comprise the theory of Nor
monism: but this is by no means the case
Though commenced in ignorance they have final
" perfected grand theory, in the construction Of
which the mystic lore Of the Brahmins, and the
traditions of the Jews, and the precepts of Ma
homet, and the vagaries of Swedenborg, all seem
10 have been pressed into the service. and having
sifted, culled, and abridged, all these different
systems, till they in some measure coalesce, they
have cemented them together with few ideas OF
their own, and this is Mormonism.
Among other things, they believe that there
are certain fixed principles or laws in Nature,
which are superior to, and independent Of the
gods themselves; that all miracles are performed
on supernatural principles and that the gods
themselves can only work by the means that exist
in Nature They believe that their priests have
intercourse with God that is, with the God who
has dominion over this earth, flor they believe in
Polytheism) and that he has the sagacity and
T. a. al - f,.n
see events of thousand years hence as clearly
as we oan see those that are transpring around
u.s. And thus, they can prophesy concerning
things that shall take place at period remote in
the future with as much precision as we could
predict that ball thrown up into the air would
come down again. or that upon certain day
there should be an eclipse Of the moon.
| remarked that they believe in Polytheism.
They believe that there is succession of gods,
rising one above another in intelligence and power
nd iafaliaa and that every intelligence in exist
ence will continue to rise higher and higher and
approximate nearer and nearer to perfection in
al 268aite progression. That in every new state
or stage of existence the mind will receive new
light and power till each will in succession pass
through all the different stages, from the lowest
degree 10 the brute from erO5s 10 man IFDGo man
to angel, from angel to god, and so upward.
They believe that creation will progress eter-
naly, and that in every new State each one will
receive more and more dominion according to his
necessity that we are in the middle, so to speak
or have reached q certain state and that intelli-
gences extend both upward and downward ad ~
faitum that some are as much below our compre-
heusion as others are above it, but that every one
betters his condition on the whole in each proba-
ton, though he enters it much in the same condi-
ton as that in which he left the preceding one.
But if you wish sermon on Mormon theology,
there are brethren in Washington.
| believe that no one who has witnessed the
friendship and harmony that prevail here and
shared the hospitality of these people, and seen
their industry and frugaity, and benevolence,
will quarrel with them about their religion, how
ever strange or absurd it may SEEM
| assure you it is a pleasant sight, after having
travelled twelve hundred miles across the deserts
and mountains, to look down upon this beautiful
valley with its lakes and mountains, and noun
tains and lakes and dotted all over with the little
white houses, the gardens and the farms, Of these
enterprising pioneers They have been here but
three years, and in that time they have opened
good farms, built houses and barns, erected mills
of various kinds made bridges across the rivers,
built school-hOuses, and established schools built
"A State-House chartered university and in
fact, they have done more to advance the real
prosperity of State than some of the original
thirteen
The present population of Deseret is estimated
at about 80 900, and this years immigration will
swell the number TO 10000, and | presume the
immigration will increase in n geometrica ratio,
as the people here have raised large fund to as
sist the poor Of their church in the old States and
10 Europe, who wish to come here to settle. They
last year sent out $4,000, and the sum has this
year been augmented to 100000. Thss raised
tst;on mcrelv 70 90 Va ola-,..-i ,otsSircl, WIT,
,rustees, and loaned in small sums at per cent
to assist in buying teams and outfits to cross the
plains.
The teams 30 bought will sell here for more
than enough to pay the debt and interest, so all
parties are benefited, and the original sum is
constantly increasing.
The wheat crop of this season is estimated at
from 500 600 to 100000 bushels. The climate
and soil seem remarkably well adapted to wheat
There is no wevil nor fly, nor winter killing, nor
rust-smut is its only enemy. Fifty bushels per
acre is about an average crop. Corn is an I'M
profitable crop, and there is but little raised
Other grains usually do pretty well. Stock of
all kinds do remarkably WELL and require but
very little feed in winter. There have been a
great many sheep brought in this year, and there
will be several woolen factories erected next
mer Powder has been manufactured here ever
since the first settlement; and judging from all
Indications it will be needed soon, as the Snakes
and Utahs have banded themselves together and
are becoming very insolcnt, committing their
depredations and robbing in open daylight, and
daring the whites to resist There seems prob
ability of general war. A small band Of the
Utahs became hostile last winter, but they were
pursued to the mountains and forty or fifty of
them killed, since which they have been quite
peaceable until recently.
But must give you more particular descrip-
ton of the city and valley. The city is situated
at the foot of the mountains and is watered by
two clean, rushing mountain streams, that are
carried by innumerabe channels to every house
and garden in town. tits, at present, about seven
miles long and two miles broad and is laid ont in
regular squares, each lot being large enough for
good buildings and garden. The houses are
mostly built of "ddoJes," or unburnt bricks, and
are generally small, though there are some good
buildings going up this summer. Among the
public buildings are the State House, the Council
House, the Post Office, and the College building,
in which school will be opened this winter, rs a
branch Of the University. The Temple block is
yet vacant, the Mormous hold their large meet
ings in large building called the Bowery, which
will seat several thousand persons They will
probably commence their Temple next summer.
They say they intend to erect a temple that shall
be surpassed in size and magnifcence by no build
ing on earth, and presume they will accomplish
IL, as they are all zeal, and as rich as gold can
make them. The population of the city is about
5000 There are several smaller cities or villages
Ii different parts Of the valley.
The valley is here about twenty miles broad
1t is very smooth, and ascends gradually from the
lake to the base of the mountains, which then
rise abruptly, and, in many places, almost per-
pendiculsrly to the region of perpetual snow.
The SUBMITS of the mountains are frequently
obscured by clouds, but in clear day the scenery
here is decidedly the finest ever saw Fremont
has justly remarked that the Great Basin is in
many respects, much like western Asia; and will
add That this valley bears a striking resemblance