The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1859-09-03
From the New York Tribune.
Two Hours with Brigham Young.
SALT LAKE Cry, UTAH, July l3, 1859.


: Church, who had expressed "A willingness.
to receive me at = p IN. We were very
cordially welcomed at the door by the
president. who led us into the second sto
rv parlor Of the largest Of his houses, Che
has threc) where | was introduced to He
BIER G. kimhall Gen Wells, Gen. Ferguson
Albert Darlington. Elias Smith, and sever
nj other leading men in the Church, with
two full grown sons of the president AZ
ter some unimportant conversation on gen
eral topics, stated that | had come in
Quest of fuller knowledge respecting the
doctrines and pulity of the Mormon Church
and would like to ask some questions bear
in" directly on these, if there was no objcc
ton. President Young avowed his willing
ness to respond to all pertinent inquiries
the conversation proceeded substantially
IL follows:
II Gam I to regard Mormonism 30
ca!lcd) as n rev religion. or simply new de
vel"nmcnt of Christianity?
i. we hold that there can be no
tn" Christian Church without priest
hood directly commissioned Iy aud in inn
mediate communication with the Son Of
God and Savior of mankind Such a church
~.hat Of II" latter-day saints, called by
their enemies Noriuons; we know of no
I other tH'at even rrctendS 70 have present
and direct revelations Of Gods will
/ II G-Then am 10 understand that
Won regard al other Churches pro'r.~;n.
I" l." Christian. IL the Church Of Ro:n- Pc
EaTd- Ill Churches not in communion with
ir>"l'-aS -rhi-mat;". hcrctical, and out of
n" way of -a!yat,on'
= N.-Yc-. ~ub~talrtiallv
T.. G-hrart from this in what respect
do your doctrines differ essentially from
those ot orr Orthodox Protestant Church
tic Bapti=t- or Methodist, for exam
plr2
b. Y.-Wo hold the doctrine. Of Chris,
tiaaitv. - revealed ia tn Old and New T.
t7mcnt--al~o in the Book of Mormon.
winch teaches thc same cardinal truths
ard those only
II G.-Do YOU believe in the doctrine Of
the Trinity
Z. Wv" do. hut not exactly as It j.
held by other churches W. believe in
the Father. the. son. and the Holy Ghost
a. equal. Lat not idcu,ical-uot - ono per
son being We believe in all the Bible
teaches ou this subject
II G-po YOU believe in a personal de
VIA distinct conscious. spiritual being
whose nature aud acts are essentially ma
l.vuant and cy.l2
3 Y We do
II. G.-no You hold to the doctrine Of
eternal punishment
? Y.-Wc do. though lrohar- not ex-
aet!y a. other churches do. ". bcAcyeit
a- -ae H.ll. teaches It
II G-I understand that Won regard
hart.-n bv immersion a. e-=eut.al
b Wv. do
IL G.--po YOU practice infant baptism
T. E-N.
IT, CD, Won make removal to these
valleys obligatory on Your canyerts2
b. l-ILry would consider themselves
Greatly aggl.cycd II they were not invited
-a.taer u" hold to such :fathering to-
--crh.r of cod people rs th,- Bible fore
t"i!S and that this i the place. and now i
ia" time appointed for it. cons summation.
H. G.-Iho predictions to which you
fer h1re usually, think, been understood
- Indjcat" Jerusalem Cor Judea) a. the
place Of such gatherings
H. l.-l"~. for the .Irws-uot for others
u G.-What i the position OF your
church with respect I" slavery
= we consider it OF divine institu-
ton and uot To- be abolished until the curse
pronounced on Ham shall have been re
moved from his descendants
II. G.--Asc any slave, now held in tLi,
territory
N-Therc are.
T. CD, Your territorial laws uphold
~lt.-ry,
I Y.-Tho-c laws are yrintcd-vou can
r...i log yourself IT slaves are brought
a-rr Lv those who owned them in the
-tltcs we do not favor their escape from
the service of those owners
II. G.-Am To- infer that Utah. if all
mitt"d ~ member OF the Federal Union.
Viii h.. Il slave STATE?
r I.-No: She VIII be a free Stare
Slavery here would prove useless and u,-
profitable regard it generally a. a curse
t. the masters. ! myself hire many Ia
uulcr~ and pay them fair wages; ! could
not aliold t" own them. can do better
thau subject myself to an obligation To
feed ald ciolhc their families, To- provide
and care tor them in sickness and health.
tj,n = uut adapted To- slave lator.
l.. Let me now be cnlig tined with
regard m"r" especially To- your church pol
!iy. understand that You require each
member 10 pay over oue-tcith OF all he
produces CT earns to the church.
i. l-Ih hat Is a requirement of our
faith There = no compulsion As 10 the
payment. Each member acts III the prem
.-c> according To his pleasure, under the
dictates OF ms OWN conscience.
II G.-What is done with the proceeds
OF this tithln@?
l. Y-rart of it is devoted 10 building
temples and other places Of worship; part
to helping til" poor and needy converts on
their way To- this country; and the larges:
portion to the support OF the poor among
the Saints
II! G.--ls none of it paid to bishops and
other dignitaricS of the church?
b. Y.-Not one penny. No bishop no
oil, If h.. oh !,
receives amy compensation for his official
SER ices. \ bishop is often required to put
his hand in his own pocket, and provide
tLcrcirom tor the poor OF his charge; but
he never receives anything for his services.
II. Glow, then, do your ministers
1--we
B. Y-Ey the labor of their own hands
like the first apostles. Every bishop, every
elder, may daily be seen at work in the
field or the shop, like his ncighbors; every
minister of tie church has his proper call
ing. hy which lie earns the bread of his
family; he who cannot or will not do the
church work for nothing, is not wanted
iii her service; even our lawyers (pointiug
To Gen. Ferguson and another present, who
are the regular lawyers of the church. are
paid nothing for their services. am the
only person in the church who has not a
regular ctiihS apart from tnclcHurCil ; SER
vice, and ! never received one farthing
from her treasury; if l obtain anything
from the tithing house, am charged with
the pay for it, just as any one else would.
The clerks in the tithing store are paid
like other clerks, but no one is ever paid
for any service pertaining to the ministry.
We think a man who cannot make his liv-
ing aside from the ministry of Christ, I'M
suited to that Office am called rich, and
consider myself worth S250,GO0; but no
dollar OF it was everpaid me by the church,
or for any service as minister of the ever
laslinr Gosnel | lost nearly all | bad