Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-02-13
DAILY VRGINlAN.
The Horrors of fMormonism

striking extract Of private letter from IA lady,
which has fallen into my hands, that touches up
point in the social relations of the Mormons,
Of exceeding interest. which, in the hands of a
capable writer, might bo expanded into IA tale of
surprising power. perusal of tho graphic
and moving extract referred to, will show that |
allude to the internal struggles of tho carly and
devoted Mormon wife, with the full influences Of
tho religious superstition that holds her IN its
fatal grasp.
.'You ask mo to give YOU n little more
in detail the incident in the cars, that occurred
were crossing the Alloghanes, OF which
briefly spoke when mot, | could not half
tell you the story now, after the visldness with
which it impressed mo has so nearly passed ~
way aud If could, il would not produce the ell
foot il did on heard it after weeks of nnx-
iety had weakened my system; when my long aud
wearisomt journey had left mo but the strength
of child, and my restless and excited mind sez-
cd upon it in all its reality without the n,eliora-
tlon always lent to subject by our own indif-
ference to. and personal disoonnecton with it
wrong done to annther becomes an outrage
when praoticed upon ourselves. had, through
watching and fasting, become ctherializcd as
to lose sight of this selfish difference and To SEQ
my neighbor as myself. | felt that NIL woman
kind had been insulted and sacrificed in the per
son of Margaret. Ii was my duty not less tlan
hors to avenge it. | could havo sent the ag-
gressor tumbling into the gorge of one of those
mountain torrents, and considered tbut retri-
butiye justice.
"'rho Mormon elder came into our car, near
the foot of the mountains, and sat nenr rs. lie
would have been good looking if he Ind looked
good. He had peculiar mannor--it Indicated
such perfect satisfaction with himself and the
world. heard him say he had gone to Salt
Lake City before the first furrow had been turn
ed in the ground ! listened, for who is not Gu
rious concerning that wonderful exodus J heard
him tell of their great temple and how it went on
stone by stone, and with each tho power of the
devil grew less aud less. How new prosclytes
came pouring in to swell the host that witt
ing ITO receive the Christ when he should come
To reign thousand years upon the earth" lie
man Of no reading. His knowledge wns
(like Mr. Gradgrnd's) confined to facts, but he
had natural gift for conversation. and give
rapid and sklful outline of his subject in way
TINT Interested you at once. When the night
grew dark he came and sat behind US. llo had
fallen into the hands of gentleman whose deN-
terity i'll questioning, led him on to speak freely
of himself, and 50 gradually they came 10 the pc
culiar institution. lie said the women seldom
cared 10 marry men of their own age that their
affections inclined towards priests and elders
This convinced me that if the men are all hypo-
critics, the women ure not wholly so, but that
they do this for the cxnltaton of their souls. -
My lawyer (for | shall call tho questoncrO
| asked whether the women not jealous of
each other, especially the younger ones. The
Saint answered No some fow,' he continued,
were little difficult but it was mostly confined
to the young. 10 be surehis wife felt it when
he married n second time, the rest had never
cared. Did she cure so very much 7 continued
the lawyer. oh, yes, thought Mt first it would
have killed her. You when became II CON
vert did not understand that part of it, because
my wife and had been so happy together. We
married early and had scarcely been day apart
When wanted 10 go to Snlt LIKE she did not in
A. a IL.
did the truth of our great reigion--but the idea
of my marrying was hindrance. 1t did not
occur to her possible, and it was not for
long time after got thore that | though OF II
myself.
Margaret did not mix with the people She
retained her old Eastern ways and was always nt
home. had never let her do much work. (hor
hands were too small for that she was stately
IN form, and she had queer way of twisting her
'onp hair round her head so it looked like
rhe folks said she pro nd and one or two who
had daughters asked me why did not take onoth-
wife, and if | WAS not araidf Soft came upon
ne gradually, while upon her you see, 1t fell like
4 stroke"
".You must have found it difficult 10 break
| such thing TO her
"'Yes il was hard to do But at last | said
! will do it on Thursday, and on Thursday evening
| when came home she standing IN the gar
| len, and went and put my arm around her; and
old her how IT had been reVehl'd 10 me that l
aust marry again
What did she say!'
| ".Nothing Not one word. She just gave
| uuo scream | declare | shall never get that
| cream out of my believe should hear
| if were on tho Andes. thought heard 1t n
| minute ago
"rbe seet ratified against the windows of our
| ,ar and the bleak midnight wind swept down the
Mountains and thought heard it too.
"The Mormon proceeded-'And then she fell
ike one dead. thought she was dend, but she
came to after awhile, and would you believe it.,
he never mentioned the subject to me. | could
ot find it in my heart to say thing about 1t
gain for more than five months. Meantime she
ad taken cold, and did not get strong again.
saw she was wearing the thought of 1t about
er like a mourning weed, and so, when she
eemed little better, | talked to her about the
reat principles Of our Faith, and how those to
,hom the spirit revealed itself must follow its
lictates or be forever cast into Hell. And |
old her she need not fear my affections for her
,ould be divided, for had had vision in which
It was told me that ] should love her forever, and
hat we should never die. but live together and
ee the Thousand years of Christ's reign upon the
urth and be by him rewarded for our obedience
nd Willingness now to cast aside selfish hui
IAN will now sacrifice to him"
margaret was always true believer. But
had always been wandering i'll search of rock
f Faith until | anchored here. | have heard
'om pupits to pupts, such conflicting doctrine
. could lay my hand on nothing that seemed
ure, and think she was unwilling to set me u
rift again and she consented. My parting
ON her was a dreadful one, for she moaned and
ept like one in despair, and--l was fool
nongh to cry too
al don't wonder, SAID his lntprlOCutOr. lit Is