The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-09-03
COUNCIL SEPTEMBER g. 1852
HORACE GREELEY BRIGHAM YOUNG


HORACE GREELEY BRIGHAM YOUNG
tFrom Greeey's Letters of Overland Journey" fo
the Tribune.1
TWO HOURS WITH BRIGHAM YouSe.
SALT LAKE Crr, UTAH, July 10, 1859.
My friend, DR.. Bernhisel, NJ. c., took nj
this afternoon, by appointment, to NEE
Brigham Young, President Of the Mormon
Church, who had expressed willingness tt
receive me at 2, p. N. We were cordially
welcomed at the door BY the President, who
led US into the second story parlor of thu
largest Of his houses, Che has three where
| was introduced to ueber &. Kimball, Gen
Wells, Gen. Ferguson, Albert Darlington
Elias Smith, and seve:al other leading msn
in the Church, with two ull.grown sons OF
the President. After some unimportanl
conversation on general topics, stated thai
had come in quest of fuller knowledge re-
speetlng the doctrines and policy Of the
Mormon Church, and would like to ask some
questions bearing directly to these, # there
were no objections. President Young
avowed his willingness to respond to all per-
tinent inquiries, and the conversation pro-
ceeded substantially as foliows:
II. Gam 1 to regard Mormons (so
called Us new religion, or as simply n
new Development of Christianity
b. Y.--We hold that there can be no true
Christian Church without priesthood d.
recty commissioned by and in immediate
communication with the Son of God and
Savior Of mankind. Such Church is that
of the Letter Day Saints, called by their en-
emies Mrmons; we know no other that
even pre:ends to have present and direct re-
velation Of Gods will.
II. G.-Then am to understand that YOU
regard ell other churches protesting to be
Christans as the Church of Rome regards
all churches not in communion with itself
as schisnatic, heretical, and out of the way
Of salvation?
B.Y.-Yes, substantially.
Ii. 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 Christ
ianity, as revealed in the Old and New Tes-
which trsches the same cardinal truths, and
those ory.
Ii. G.-Do you believe in the doctrine Of
the Trinity:
Is. I.-We do; but not exactly as it is
held BY jthcr churches. We believe in the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, as
equal, but not de:ltical-not as one person
being. We believe in all the Bible teaches
on this subject.
II. G.-bo You believe in personal dew
ia dit net, conscious, spiritual being,
whose nature and acts are essentially malig-
nant andevll!
B. I.-We do.
II. G.-Do you hold the doctrine Of Eter-
nal Punishment
B. Y.-We do; though perhaps not ex-
actIy as other churches do. We believe it
as the Bb!c teaches it.
Ii. G.-I understand that you regard Bap-
tism b. Immersion as essential.
b. Y.-We do.
II. G.-Do you practice infant baptism
B. N.-No.
II. G.-Do you make removal to these
valleys obligatory on your converts?
b. Y.-They would consider themselves
greatly aggrleved if they were not invited
hithcr. We hold to such gathering togeth-
er Of Gods people as the Bible foreteis, aud
that this is the place and now is the time
appointed for its consumMation.
Ii. G.-The predictions to which you re.
fer have usually, | think, been understood
TO indicate Jerusalem (or Judea,) as the
place Of such gathering.
B. Yves, for the Jcws-not for others.
IL. G.-What is the position Of your
Church with respect to Slavery:
b. 1--WE consider Of Divine Institutions,
and not to be abolished until the curse pro-
nounced on Ham shall have been removed
from the descendants.
II. G.-Are any slaves now held in this
Territory?
b. Y.-Thcre are.
II. G.-Do your Territorial laws uphold
Slavery?
B. Y.--Those laws are printed-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 SER
vice Of those owners.
Ii. Gam ! to infer that Utah, if ad-
mittcd as member of the Federal Union,
will be Slave State?
b. Y.-No: she will be free State
Slavery here would prove useless and un-
profitable. regard it generally as a curse
to the masters. myself hire many labor
ers and pay them fair wages; | could not
afford to own them. | can do better than
subject myself to an obligation to feed and
cothe their families, to provide and care for
hem in sickness and health. Utah is not
adapted to Slave Labor.
Ii. G.-Ict me now be enlightened with
regard more especially to your Church pol
icy | understand that you require each
neLLer TO pay over onc-tcnth Of AL he rro
lucgs or earns to the Church.
B. I.-That is the requirement of our
faith. There is no compuson as to the
payment. Each member acts in the prem
ses according to his pleasure, under the
dictates of his own conscience.
H. G.-What is done with the proceeds
of this tithing?
B. Part of it is devoted to building
emples and other places Of worship: part
% helping the poor and needy converts on
heir way to this country; and the largest
portion to the support of the poor among
he Saints.
Ii. Cts none of it paid TO Bishops and
,ther dignitaries Of the Church ?
4. Y.-Not one penny. No Bishop, no
Elder. no Deacon. or other Church officer,
'ecciyes any compcnsatoni for his official SER
1ices. a Bishop is often required to put
lis hand in his own pocket and provide there
rom from for the poor of his charge; but
lie never receives anything for his services.
IL. G.-IIow, ten, do your ministers
i've
B. Q.-By the labor of their own hands,
ike the first apostles. Every Bishop, every
Elder, may be daily seen a, work in the field
" the shop, like his neishbors; every min
ster of the Church has his proper calling by
which he earns the bread Of his family; he
who canuot or will not do the Church's work
or nothing is not wanted in her service; evan
'rr lawyers pointing to Gen. Ferguson and
mother present, who are the regular lawyers
If the church, are paid nothing for their
services / an the only person in the Church
Eho has not regular calling apart from the
Jhurch's services, and never received one
'arthing from her treasury; if obtain any
hing from the tithins- house, l am charged
With and pay for it, as any one else would 4:
he clerks in the tithing store are paid like
my other clerks. bu. no one is ever paid for
my services pertaining to the ministry. We
hipS q man who cannot make his living
aside from the Ministry of Christ unsulted
20 the Office, / am called rich, and consia.
A., N, v,nlf Sg.D.p 1nh h, ,n ,JoIar nf