American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1857-08-28
Frcm The 81. Louis Democrat. |
NOR aI0NISM; ITS LEADERS AND IT'S
DESIGNS.
BY JOHN HYDE, JR.

markable work. a'he complete and
utter abandonment of every Mormon
to the control and direction of the lea
dcrs in the church, is thus set forth on
page 96, and following:
This farce, hoightcning into a fearful
reality, is continued. The allcgory
presumcs man to be now in partially
saved state, He isaushcrcd into room
with an altar in the centre fit. I'M
dying fidelity to the brethren is here
mculcated; ''never to speak evil of the
Lords ancinted, Or III other words, to
shut your mouth on all iniquity; to sec
and not to speak; not only to think
with their thoughts; to come to them
rs mediators between Christ and man,
and Christ is their mediator between
them and God, to feel as they feel, and
act as they act; to render implicit ODE.
dtenc to any reQulsition, hOwever t'ea-
sonaJlc, ho,cerer criminal, however un-
natural, hoscerer impious it might be;
not only all this, but never to speak
evil Of the Lords anointcd.' TO have
the Church the first thing in your
mind, and filling the only place in your
affections; to be ready to sacrifice to its
dictum or its interests the warmest
friend; the nearest relation, the dearest
wife, even life itself; to hold no trust
as sacred, no duty obligatory, no pro-
mise or oath binding that initiates or
infringes the interests Of the church"
On this oath being taken, the penal
ty on either breaking or revealing it,
being that you shall have your navel
ripped across, and your bowels gush
out, etc, ETC., in all sorts of horrifying
and disgusting details, another sign,
key-word and grip is communicates,
and the first degree of the MclchiSedcc
priesthood is conferred.
Stupefcd and weary; bowling under
a sense of fearful and unnatural respon-
sibility; excited by a species of apprc-
hcnsion as to what would come next,
we were ushercd into another room.
An altar was in the centre. On it the
Bible, Book Of Mormon, and Book of
Smiths Revelations. Man and woman
we were ranged round the place; Kim
ball in the same and Brigham in the
next room looking on; Farley Pratt,
officiating, and the fourth oath was ad-
ministered. The allegory presumed
that man, now in a fair and certain way
to salvation, had a great temporal duty
to perform, not an abstract theory of
obedience, in abstract things, but a
great, positive, present, immediate du-
ty. We were therefore, ssV0rn to che
riSh constant enmity towards the Uni
ted States Government for not avcng-
ing the death of Smith, or righting the
prosecutions of the saints; to do all that
we could toward destroying, tearing
down, or overturning that government,
to endavor to daDe ITS designs and .tru8-
trate ats attentions; to renounce all al
lcgiancc and refuse all submission. If
unable to do anything ourselves toward
the accomplishment Of these objects, to
teach it to our children from the nur-
seryj impress it upon them from the
death-bcd; entail it upon them as a
legacy. 10 make it the one leading
idea and sacred duty of their lives; so
that'the kingdom of God and his Christ
(the Mormon Church and its Priesthood
might subdue all other kingdoms and
fill the whole earth Curses the most
frightful, penalties the most barbarous,
we're threatened and combined in the
obligation either on failing to abide or
in daring to reveal these covenants.
We make another extract, common
cling at page ITO. Truly, they are a
curious people, these Mormons:
"There arc several men who are now
living in Utah in this condition: Their
lives are forfeited by Mormon law, but
spared for little time by Mormon pol
icy. They are certain to be killed, and
they know it. They are only allowed
to live while they add weight and inhu-
cncc to Mormonism; and, although a.
bundant opportunities are given them
to escape, they prefer to remain. SO
strangely are they infatuated with their
religion, that they think their salvation
depends on their continued obedience,
and their "blood being shed by the
servants of Cod" ..
49,
lie, then, in illustration of this phase
of Mormonism, cites the case of How
ard Egan, who killed James Monroe,
and gives the following as "anothor in
stancc:" Curtis i. Bolton married a
mother and daughter, and lived with
both of them. During his absence as a
Mormon missionary, it is said, his step