The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1857-05-21
The workings or IIornorl.m.

An English clergyman, who left England
to join the Mormons, returned to London in
September last. He has published a vol.
ume giving his opinion OF the saints found
iR the vicinity Of the Great Salt Lake. We
quote:
"one OF the most repulsiye features ol
Nprmonisu Is the proxy system. This is 90
destructive to every good and honest feeling
that many staunch Mornonites reject It al.
together. I heard one of the Oldest disci.
Piles say, that nothing on earth would ever
persuade him to believe 10 It, and that Il he
had dog that believed il, he would shoot
him. Nor will any reader be surprised Il
he knows what il Is. wil; endeavor to ex.
plain it briefly. When q married man is
called by conference to 4 foreign mission,
he has the privilege, as they cali It, before
leaving home, Of choosing some one to take
the over sight Of his cattle, goods, and what.
ever he may possess; to provide fos and over
look the family, and to become pro.tempore
husband of the wife.s
The ostensible reason for this arrange.
ment is to prevent the husband from "sufFer-
ing any loss" during his missionary labors,
since the greatness Of his "future kingdom"
depends upon tho number of children he has
here. To carry out this idea, the wife 10
handed over to deputy husband. who main.
tains his position in the family till the hus.
band returns. Base and immoral as this
theory may be, it is strongly advocated BY
the leading nen at Great Salt Lake. We
again quote the returned clergyman:
"But there is something more fearful and
paralizing than all I have yet narrated. l
mean the fearful sin Of incest, which is SO
intimately und closely connected with poly
gamy. could particularze instances where
mother and daughter are married to the same
man, and live with him as bis wives; others
where brother and sister are man and wife
and son. Brigham Young, speaking once
in the Tabernacle, said that he hoped thu
day was not far distant when these princi
Piles would be more fully taught and actee
upon, ,'und that children would be brought "
to regard each other as future partners, fol
that thus the family would become NOR,
compact" 5~
As" "a case in point" we would meRtiol
that some ten months since there was ma,
, at Liverpool, who held the Office Of counselo
to the British Presidency, who, aided by tn
authorities there and the emigration fun
\ persuaded family. father, mother and thre
' daughters, the youngest in her teens--t
q emigra'e to Zion. They had been highl
8 respectable family. and their character was IL
!, rcprouchable. On arriving at their destins
/ tion, the missionary demanded the thre
i daughters in marriage, and the parents gay
!, a most reluctant consent. This man
i God Gas he styled himselD was married b
e Brigham Young to these three on the sam
s day, and took them together, to his hous
!, where he had young wife already, an
e which house consisted Of but one room Il
it the accommodation Of them ell. In about
:. year one brought forth daughter and Al
Il other son. This caused aim great rejoic
,e ing, as he said the sons would 10 time mari
e the daughters, and thus inalienably becou
I the foundation Of his kingdom.
l This statement reads like fable, and. y
III there is no state of facts more easily prove
h. That such doctrines should exist in Chr
tian land, in the year Of our Lord 1857,
one of those peculiar monstrcsities which
amount of logic can account for. Mormo
ism is the great evil Of the day. How
t can be got rid Of, is difficult to say. 1t m
20 "a be put down by force, but il win Sot be 7
" down by reason; for If men could reasc
en they would never become Mormoaa.
be -