Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1857-07-22
THE WORKINGS OF MORMONIsM.

An English clergyman, who left Eng
land to join the Mormons, returned to
London in September last. He has jusl
published volume, giving his opinion
of the saints found in the vicinity of the
Great Salt Lake. We quote:
One of the most repulsive features of
Mormorism is the proxy system. This
is so destructive of every good and hon
est feeling that many staunch Mormon
lies reject it altogether. l heard one Of
the Oldest disciples say, that nothing on
earth would ever persuade him to be-
lieve in it, and and that if he had dog
that believed it, he would shoot him.
Nor will any reader be surprised when
he knows what it is. l will endeavor 10
explain it briefly. When a married man
is called by conference to foreign mis-
sion, be has the the privilege, as they
call it, before leaving home, OF choos
ing some one TO take the oversight Of
of is cattle. good, and whatever he
may 10 sess; to provide for and over
look the family, and TO become the pro-
tempore husband of the wife"
The ostensible reason fer this arrange
ment is TO prevent the husband from
suffering any loss during his absence
on the missionary lakors. since The great
ness of his ''future kingdom" depends
upon the number of chillien be has here.
To carry out this idea, The wife IS hand
ed over to deputy husband, who main
tains his position in the family till the
husband returns. Base and immoral as
ihis theory may be, it is strongly advo
Gated by the leading men at the Great
Salt Lake. We again quote the return
ed Clergyman:
But there is something more awful
and paralizing than all have yet mar
rated. l mean the fearful sin of incest,
which is so intimately and closely con
nected with polygamy. l could partic-
ularize instances where mother and
daughter are married TO the same man,
and live with him as his wiyeS; others,
where brother and sister arr man and
wife and son. Brigham Young, speak
ing once upon this subject in the Taber
nacle, said that he hoped the day was
not far distant when these principles
would be more fully taught and acted
upon, and that children would be brought
up to regard each other as future part
ners, for that thus the family would be-
come more compact.
As ''a case in po nt,' we would men
ton that some ten months since there
was man at Liverpool, who held the
Office of counselor to the British Presi-
dency, who, aided by the authorities
there and the emigration fund, persua
ded family-father, mother and three
daughters, the youngest in her teens
to emigrate to Zion. They had been
a highly respectable family. and their
character irreproachable. On arriving
at their destination, the missionary de-
manded the three daughters in marriage
and the parents gave a most reluctant
consent. This man of god (as he styl-
ed himself) was married by Brigham
Young to these three on the same day,
and took them together to his house,
where he had young wife already, and
which house consisted of but one loom
for the accommodation of them all. In
about year one brought forth daugh-
ter and another son. This caused him
great rejoicing, as he said the sons
would in time marry the daughters, and
thus inalienably become the foundation
of his kingdom.
This statement reads like fable, and
yet there is no state of facts more easily
proved. That such doctrines should ex
ist in Christian land, in the year of
our Lord 1857, is one of those peculiar
monstrosities which no amount of logic
can account for. Mormonism is the
great evil of the day. How shall it be
got rid of, is difficult 10 say. 1t may be
put down by force, but it will not be
put down by reason; for if men could
reason they would never become Nor.
mons.