The eastern clarion. [volume] (Paulding, Miss.) 1837-1863, 1859-09-14

monism:
SALT IAKE CITY UTAH, July l3, 1859.
NV friend, DR.. Bernhisel, NJ. C., took
me this afternoon, by appointment, to
meet Brigham Young, President of the
| Mormon Church, who had expressed a
willingness to receive me at , Pm. We
were very cordially welcomed at the door
bv the President. who led us into the Sc
| cond-story parlor of the largest OF his
houses (he has three. where | was intro
duced to Heber c. Kimball. Gen. Wells,
| Gen. Ferguson, Albert Darlington, Elias
| Smith. and several other leading men in
! the Church. with two full-grown sons of
| the President. After some unimportant
conversation on general topics, ] stated
! that had come in quest of fuller knowl-
! edge respecting the doctrines and polity
! of the Mormon Church, and would like to
| ask some questions bearing directly on
| these. if there were no objection. Presi
| dent Young avowed his willingness to re-
| spond to all pertinent inquiries, the
/ conversation proceeded substantially as
! follows:
II. Gam ! to regard Mormonism lso-
! calledl as a new religion, or aS simply
new development of Christianity?
! B. I've hold that there can be no
true Christian Church without a priest
hood directly commissioned by and in i'm
| mediate communication with the Son of
| God and Savior of mankind. Such
/ 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 revelation of Gods
will
H. G.-Then ! am to understand that
YOU regard all other churches protesting
to he Christian as the Church of Rome re-
CARDS all churches not in communion
with itself. as schismatic, heretical and ont
of the way of salvation?
b. Yes, substantially.
II. G.-Apart from this. in what respect
do your doctrines differ essentially from
those of our Orthodox Protestant Church.
es-the Baptist or Methodist, for exam
pie?
b. We hold the doctrines of Chris
tianity. 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. 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 identical-not as one
person beingl. We believe in all the
Bible teaches on this subject.
II. G.-Do you believe in 2 personal
devil-a distinct, conscious, spiritual be-
ing whose nature and acts are essentially
malignant and evil?
B. We do.
H. G.-Do you hold the doctrine OF
Eternal Punishment?
B. We do; though perhaps not eX
actlv as other churches do. We believe il
as the Bible teaches it.
II. G.-I understand that You regard
Baptism by Immersion as essential.
B. We do.
II. G.-Do you practice Infant Bap
tism?
, B. T-No.
II. G.-Do you make removal to thes'
valleys obligatory on your converts? ?
B. T.-They would consider themselye
! greatly aggrieved if they were not invited
hither. We hold to such gathering to
: gether of Gods people as the Bible fore
; tells. and that this is the place, and nov
:, is the time appointed for its consumma
: ton.
p H. G.-The predictions TO which yor
!, refer have usually, think. been under
p stood to indicate Jerusalem Tor Judea1 a
+ the place of such gathering.
. B. Yes, for the Jews-not for 9th
ers.
n II. G.-What is the position of you
q Church with respect to Slavery?
B. We consider it of Divine institu
ton. and not to be abolished until tn
50 curse pronounced on Ham shall hav
p been removed from his descendants.
% II. G.-Are any slaves now held in tn
"a Territory?
~ b. T.-There are.
N H. G.-Do your Territorial laws uphol
l. Slavery?
B. Y-Those laws are printed-you ca
"a read for yourself If slaves are brougl
3 here by those who owned them in ii
y States, we do not favor their escape fro
w the service of those owners.
1 II. Gam ! to infer that Utah, if a
mitted as member of the Federal Unio
will be a Slave State?
Sc. B. Y-No; she will be Free Stat
~ Slavery here would prove useless and u
~ profitable. Iregard it generally as a cur
$50 to the masters. | myself hire many
es borers and pay them fair wages cou
is not afford to own them. | can do bett
to than subject myself to an obligation
n feed and clothe their families, to provi
and care for them in sickness and healt
Utah is not adapted to Slave Labor.
Sc. H. G.-Let me now be enlightened wi
SSI regard more especially to your Chur
So polity: ! understand that you requi
''- each member to pay over one-tenth of
1e- he produces or earns to the Church.
we b. T.-That is requirement of @
es- faith. There is no compulsion as to t
a 10. Il,
SIS ises according to his pleasure, under t
ie- dictates of his own conscience.
act H. G.-What is done with the procet
lie of this tithing?
I'D B. Part of it is devoted to buildi
temples and other places of worship p
nal in helping the poor and needy conve
AZ on their way to this country; and /
ore largest portion to the support of the p,
ny among the Saints.
'lll II. G.-Is none of it paid to Bisht
re- and other dignitaries of the Church?
eX- b. T.-Not one penny. No Bishop,
be- Elder, no Deacon, or other church otiiC
ais, receives any compensation for his Off,
'od services. A Bishop is often required
put his hand in his own pocket, and !
Gus vide therefrom for the poor of his char
:. but he never receives anything for his
ost vices.
day II. Glow then do your minist
ans live?
n a B. by the labor of their own har
My like the first Apostles. Every Bish
e every Elder, may be daily seen at worl
the field or the shop, like his neighbC
every minister of the Church has his
per calling by which he earns the br
of his family; he who cannot or will
s. do the Churchs work for nothing is
are wanted in her service; even our law,
n (pointing to Gen. Ferguson and anot
ter, present, who are the regular lawyer
ste; the church,, are paid nothing for t
services: | am the only person in
anne Church who has not a regular cal
per, apart from the Church's service, an
meg never received one farthing from
our; treasury; if | obtain anything from
tithing-house, am charged with and
ieau for it, Just as any one else would !;
me; clerks in the tithing-store are paid
ana other clerks, but no one is ever pait
pper any service pertaining to the mini
liie We think a man who cannot make
ome living aside from the Ministry of CT
rNeu is unsuited to that office. am c.
rich, and consider myself worth $3.50,
IL Oh but no dollar of il was ever paid N
Ike a tho Church or for any service as n N
ltI vi lllt IsN ldSNlllS bOSptl. l'oN
meg, ly all had when we were broken I
cut Missouri and driven from that Stat
Inng' was nearly stripped again when 10
10 oe Smith was murdered and we were dl
III from Illinois but nothing was ever
boil up to me by the Church, nor by any
Nhile ! believe | know how to acquire pro-
the and how to take care of it.
fut II. G.-Can you give me any rat
also explanation of the aversion and HI
that with which your people are general
and garded by those among whom they
We 1t lived and with whom they have
brought directly in contact?
than B. Y.-No other explanation tn
ner, afforded by the crucifxion of Chris
aasur- the kindred treatment of Gods mini
have prophets and saints in all ages.
elieve II. G.-I know that new sect
Multi ways decried and traduced-that
into hardly ever deemed respectable to
ewhat to one-that the Baptists, Quakers,
lover odists, Universalists, &C., have ca
yards their turn been regarded in the il
Of their sect as the oflscouring {
'et in earth; yet | cannot remember that
is re- Of them were ever generally repres
and regarded by the older sects o.
early days as thieves, robbers, m