Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1857-10-09
TH Valley FARMER DEvOTgD TO TB qg INTERESTS 0P FARMERS


THE MORMON CONFERENCE IN LONDON.
On Monday night the Mormon Con :
ference was brought to close by .
social meeting at the Teetotal Hall,
Broadway, Westminster. The pro-
ceedings were certainly Of such a
character as werc never witnessed IN
conference" before. The attend
ance was not very numerous, but IT
comprised all the leading members of
the Conference. At the outset, the
assemblage engaged in singing, In a
loud strain, one OF their favorite
hymns, led on by Elder Bernard, to
the tune of "The Low-backed Can" "
The purport of this song was the long
looked for day when they would all
get to Zion (Utan.) Itseemed to be
rather painful effort to brother Ber-
nard, and it was decidedly so to those
of the audience who happened not to
be Mormons.
Brother Silver, one of the elders,
next obliged the company with a
'.little harmony" 1t was something
about
sfnever knew what JOY was
'Tir become Mormon" &c.
Several songs and recitations were
given.
One off elders sang song styled
"Sectarian Nonsense, one verse of
which ridiculed the absurdity of q
man when he is i'll going to a doctor,
as the Gentiles /. O., all who are not
Mormons) do, instead Of going to an
elder of the Church to be healed.
One of the Yankee elders, fresh
from the Salt Lake Valley, said he
''feIt fust rate He could fetch in
firing, if they wanted it; and he cal
eulated he was always ''to hand, "
when anybody was wanted to move
the fixins, to hunt up the lost sheep,
or to drive the oxen. When anything
of this kind was to be done he was
always to hand, to dothe best he could;
but he wasn't N uch Of a hand Mt dis
coursing, He drew a pitiabse picture
Of the heathenism of this country,
and gave a glowing description of the
enlightenment and happiness of the
saints in Utah. et zests
A Mr.. Harrison, who was one of
the very few Euglishmen among these
Mormon prophets, next addressed the
meeting. He said that Mormonism
and its professors were not to DO judg-
ed by existing standards, for they
were far above and beyond them: II
had deem said that Mormonism was
unnecessary, because there was moth
ing new in it that was true, and moth
ing true in it that was new. This
was not the case. 1t supplemented
the revelations of the Bible and COM
pleted them, They had been accused
Of saying nothing yesterday of poly
gamy. The poligmy they advocated
was not the lustfnl polygamy of the
Orientals.
The polygamy ofthe Mormons was a
system which controlled the lusts and
passions of mankind and reduced the
martial duties to some kind Of sys-
tenn. Mormonism did not allow men
and women to rush into matrimony
as dictated by their passions, and
without any guiding principle. Nor
monism came to them with principles
adapted to every condition Of q mans
life; it entered into the privacy of the
chamber, and controlled every action
1t taught men to act as God would
have them act. This was the difference
between the Mennonite polygamy
and the Oriental System.
The congregation then INDUCED in
some doggerel VERSES, which they
sang to the popular air OF minnie,
of the words of which song Their
''psalm" was wretched parody.
Elder George Reed then recited q
piece about 1.-The Bishops Banquet,
describing the good living OF tn,
right reverend prelates--a recitation
which was singularly NAL apropos anc
in very bad taste, seeing that it was
Immediately followed by the Nor
monte refreshment, apples and pears
on damp and dirty walters, with lit
tic cakes and biscuits, which were
stale and unsavory. These were
washed down by copious draughts o
pumb-water from jugs.
Another Elder then INDUCED in |
''listlo harmony" about "Sleepy Par
sons" the chorus TO which was:
I "Heigho. you sleepy parsonsi
Ha! Ia! hal bal what's iarki
Amer al your college learning
You will find you're In the dark"