The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1859-08-30
THE MORMONS.

with the President of the Mormon Church. and
detailing matters and things they appeared to
him In Salt Lake City. 1t will be seen that
Horace was not very well pleased with his visit
He saws no Mormon women were introduced or
spoke to him, and although he was asked to visit
Mormons ia their houses no one ever spoke OF
his wife or wives desiring to see him or make his
acquaintance We need not state that Horace
did not prolong his visit there Brigham Young
in answer to questions, said:
B. Y-We hold that there can be no true
Christian church without priesthood directly com
missoned by and in immediate communication
with the Son Of God and Saviour of mankind.
Such a church is that Of the Latter Day Saints,
called by their enemies Mormons; we know no
other that even pretends to have present and direct
revelations of Gods will.
FL. Citizen am to understand that you re-
gard all other churches, protesting to be Christian
as the Church of Rome regards all other churches
not in communion with itself-as chismatic, hereti-
cal, and out of the way of salvation
b. Yves, substantially.
I'll. G.-Apart from this, in what respect do
your doctrines differ essentially from those of our
Orthodox Protestant Churches-the Baptist or
Methodist, for example?
b. Y-We hold the doctrines of Christians, as
revealed in the Old and New Testaments-also in
the Book of Mormon, which teaches the same
cardinal truths, and those only.
ii. G.-Do you believe in the doctrine of the
Trinity?
B. Y-We do; but not exactly as it is held by
other churches. We believe In the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Ghost, as equal, but not ident-
cal-nOt one person being. We believe In all
the Bible teaches on this subject.
II. G-Do you believe in personal devi-a
distinct conscience, spiritual being, whose nature
and acts are essentially malignant and evil?
j. Y.--We do.
H. G.-Do you hold the doctrine Of eternal
punishment?
b. Y.--We do; though perhaps not exactly as
other churches do. We believe it as the Bible
teaches it.
by Immersion as essential?
3. We do.
Fl. G.-Do you practice Infant Baptism?
B. Y.-No
H. G-Do you make removal to these valleys
obligatory on your converts?
3. Y.-They would consider themselves greatly
aggrieved if they were not invited hither We
hold to such gathering together of Gods Peo-
pie the Bible foretes and that this is the place;
and now is the time appointed for its cOnsumatlon.
Ii. G-The predictions to which you refer
have usually, think, been I'm derstOod only to III
dictate Jerusalem Cor Judea) the place of such
gathering.
b. Yves, for the Jews-not for others.
III. G.-What is the position of your Church
with respect to slavery?
B. Y-We consider it of divine institution, and
not to be abolished until the curse pronounced up
on Ham shall have been removed from his descen-
dants.
III. Care there many slaves now held in this
Territory?
b. Y.-There are
~ 10 Tor nj nhniI
slavery
b. I.-Those laws prnted-you can read
for yourself If slaves are brought here by those
who owned them in the States, we do not favor
their escape from the service of those owners.
I'll. Gam | to infer that Utah, if admitted as
member of the Federal Union, will be Save
State?
b. Y.-No; she will be Free State Slavery
here would prove useless and Improbable. [ re-
gard it as a curse to their masters, myself hire
many aborers, and pay them fair wages; [ could
not afford to own them. Utah is not adapted to
Slave Labor.
III. CT understand that you require each
member to pay one tenth of all he produces or
earns to the Church.
B. Y.-Ttis is requirement of our faith
There is compulson as to the payment.
I'll. G.-What is done with the proceeds of this
tithing
ID. 1.-IarC OIL IL is devoted to building tenn
pies and other places of worship; part to the help
ing the poor and needy converts their way to
this country; and the largest portion to the sup
port of the poor among the Saints.
III. Cts none of it paid to Bishops, and other
dlgnitaries of the Church?
Il. I.-NOt one penny. No Bishop, no Elder
no Deacon, or other Church officers, receives any
compensation for his official services
FL. G.-How then, do your ministers live?
b. 1.-By the labor of their own hands, like
the first Apostles. Every Bishop, every Elder,
may be daily seen at work in the field or in the
shop, like his neig hbors; every Minister of the
Church has his proper calling by which he earns
the bread of his family; he who cannot or will
do the Church's work for nothing is not wanted
in her service; even our lawyers (pointed to Gen.
Ferguson and another present, VINO regular
lawyers of the Church, paid nothing for their
services; L am the only person in the Church who
has not regular calling apart from the Church's
service, and never received one farthing from her
treasury; if | obtain anything from the tithing-
house, am charged with and pay for it, just as
any one else WOULD the clerks at the tithing
are paid like all other clerks but no one is ever
paid for any service pertaining to the ministry
am called rich and consider myself worth $780,
900; but no dollar of it ever paid me by the
Church or COR any service minister in the Evan
gelical Gospel. L lost nearly all had when we
were broken up in Missouri and driven from that
State [ was nearly stripped again when Joseph
Smith was murdered and We were driven from
Illinois; but nothing was ever made up to me by
the Church, nor by any one. | believe [ know
how to acquire proDerty and how to take caro-