Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-10-26
Miss Helen M. Dresser on Brishuus Youug,

Miss Helen M. Dresser on brigham, YounG,
and the Desians Oftho nIormon Church.
Miss helen NJ. Dresser, 'sThe Poor Mormon
Girl delivered a lecture at Smith & Nixon's
Hall, last night, on the subject Of Mormon
ISM" to small, but highly appreciative
audience. She is evidently we'll versed in
the theology and practice Of the Church of
Latter-Day Saints, having been for three
years a resident Of Salt Lake City; and her
hatred of both is clearly marked in everv
sentence she utters Nor Is this astonishing
when we recollect how narrowly she escaped
becoming victim to an institution that blasts
the hopes of every female that falls prey
to its influences.
She is young, being only in her eighteenth
year, and for one Of her age, certainly ex-
hibits no ordinary degree Of talent. She is
fair elocutionist, and but for occasional at
tempts at sublimity, when the subject will
not admit OF it, might be regarded as good
lectures.
Her narrative, which sine briefly gave, was
full Of interest, and her description of Nor
mon life and Mormon worship elected the
closest attention. She started out to lee
ture on brigham Young, and the designs
Of the Church of the Latter Day Saintsn She
failed, however, to touch on the last portion
OF her subject, but conteuted herself instead
with picturing the immoralities of the West
ern Zion.
She first gave q history of the Book of
Mormon repeating the now cOmmonly-re-
ceived opinion, that the manuscript of that
work was stolen from a Presbyterian clergy
man, WHO had designed it as an ingenious
novel; She then traced the progress of the
Saints, through their various migratons to
Ohio, Missouri and Illinois, until the
Prophet and his brethren were killed BY
mob-an act which she denounced in the Sc
verest terms, declaring that it was this that
had given to MOrmonism all the importance
1t had ever attained. Smith, alive would
have been discovered to he coarse and vul-
gar deceiyer; slain, he was invested with the
crown of martyrdom.
1t was IN 1854, when she was eleven years
of age, that her father, deceived by the
specious sophistry of a so-called missionary
started for Salt Lake City. She detailed the
circumstances of her Journey, and dwelt
upon the sufferings of emigrants generally
the patience and devotion of many of whom
exhibited sincerity that may be vainly
sought for among those who kneel on cush-
Toned floors before the altar of the Savior.
Most of the people believed the Mormon
Church infallible; and when lady was COM
manded to divide the hand and heart of a
husband with dozen others, she bowed to
the mandate as to the will of God. As q
general thing, females are walking persona
hcations of despair; there are, however, ex-
CePIlons' Drlgnam oung mas ninety wives,
and yet numerous young and beautiful girls
would gladly accept the position of the
ninety-frst. Some ten years ego, an En-
glishwoman came to Mrs. Brigham Young
No. ], and requested to be permitted to oc-
cupy the position of Mrs. Brigham No. s.
This was at first refused, but so persistently
did the woman urge her claims that she
agreed to serve in the household seven years,
the length of time Jacob was wooing Rachel.
At the expiration of the septennial period
she became, indeed, Mrs. Brigham, not No.
8, however, but No. 20. She stated that the
coarse sermons which had been published as
emanating from Young, Kimball and Pratt
were not only genuine, but the most vulgar
parts had been suppressed. She treated
upon the mysteries of the endowment of the
order of Danites, or destroying angels, as
well as many other subjects, with which
most readers of newspapers are familiar.
Her father, she said, left Salt Lake, after a
three years residence, disgusted with re-
li9ion be had once adored as divine. He
was compelled, in order to escape from the
Territory, to deceive the Mormon authori-
ties, who were led to believe that he in
tended to move to Provo CITY, and he actu-
ally started in that direction, but on the first
night turned toward the States, which he
reached after four months journey.
Miss Dresser will lecture in Covington. to-
night, and in this city on Saturday evening.