The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1866-07-31
THE MORMONS.
Origin Of the Sect Sketches, of Leaders,
IolHaamy, dc.
CORES pondenee of the Cincinnati Gazette.

! Smith, the prophet j oseph,' or the ''martyred
Joseph, as his followers love to call him, or
"Joe smith, as he is irreverently styled by
Gentlies, claimed that an angel appeared to him
Id his Childhood, at the age of fourteen, be-
| lleve, ana directed him to hill near Palmyra,
New York, where was book composed of gold
| plates, and Containing an inspired record of
race upon this continent which had disappeared
After some years he was permitted to take the
book from the stone box in which it was con-
tanned, and by the cid Of sthe Urim and Thum-
mum, an apparatus something like pair of
spectacles, translated the characters and gave
to the world the present book of Mormon which
they regard as entitled to eredeDce as being
! equally with the Bible the Word of God. lie
/ protessed to have revelations, Visions etc, and
! claimed that he sent to the world to restore
the Church of Jesus Christ, which, with the
! divinely appoHted "gifs of the Gospel" viz:
healing, speaking in tongues, prophesying, &c },
had disappeared from the earth His followers
protessed to speak in tongues, prophesy, heal by
laying on OF hands, and exhibit the other signs
which it is said 'shall follow them that believe"
and which they say were not intended, as Chris
tians generally believe, merely to establish the
Church OF Christ on earth, but to accompany it
always Settling at Kirkland Ohio, they after
ward removed to Missouri; did not get on. we'll
with the people there, were driven from place
to place, and finally over the Mississippi into
Illinois. Here they were kindly welcomed, and
formed large settlement; built up the City of
Commerce, afterward Nauvoo aud occupied
great deal Of the adjacent country. Finally they
and the 1llinoisans couldn't agree; matters grew
| worse, Smith accused of treason, and finally
gave himself up for trial. was put in Jail at
Carthage; the Jail was attacked by mob said
to be from Missouri Joseph Smith and his
brother Hyrum were shot dead, and John
Taylor, now one Of the twelve Apostles, wound
ed Shortly after this the Mormons left Nauvoo,
and after a temporary sojourn in winter quarters
in the neighborhood of Council Bluffs, Iowa, on
the Missouri River, struck across the plain. to
Utah. The 24,h of July, the anniversary of
the arrival Of their band of pioneers sent in ad-
vance of the main force, is celebrated holi-
day among them still. Mormons, ~of course,
attribute their troubles to the persecution which
| the Church Of God has often been obliged to
undergo. Gentle records say their thefts and
I other bad conduct brought it upon them, and
describe Smith as a vuls gar impostor.
| The Church. in accordance with their claim
that they are the original and only true church
Of Christ, is modelled after the earlier church,
and has apostles, elders, bishops, etc. They say
| that the Bible is true far it has been cor
restly translated, that the Book of Mormon is
also true, aud that they have received still fur
ther revelations of the Divine will. Polygamy
they claim the subject of a special revela-
tion from heaven, which is preserved among the
other records of their faith. Smith even pro-
fessed to give the words of the Lord used to
Moses during their interview on the Mount. In
their Endowment house, of which l. shall speak
hereafter, they 4race the same thing as that.
alluded to in the Bible, where the apostles were
endowed with power from heaven. And in
other particulars they aim to show that their
church is the only one which conforms to the
Bible standard. There is good deal of curl
osity to know what class of people in respect to
E-moraiity, sincerity, and education the bulk of
the people constitute, and do not know THAT |
could illustrate better than by giving descrip-
ton of few-of my neighbors in the little vii
lage in which I, with friend from the States,
spent the past winter. Salt1.ake City, and the
settlements generally, were at first surrounded
by fort wall, either of adobes or mud for pro-
lection against Indians. AS the settlepeuts in
creased in size and the danger disappeared, the
inclosure would be broken, and the wall remain
only in fragments, or be used as house or garden
walls; but the spot, frequently the centre one
in the village, would still be known as "the
fort" Beginning at one corner OF the fort, We
find an old couple-the husband an EGglishman,
the wife Canadian-who had been Mormons
for many years, commencing befo.e the exodus
to Utah. Both euinently sincere aud excellent
people. The man is 6rmly convinced that he
has been healed by the elders Of the Church,
and the wife, intense Mormon, often speak
ing in tongues, prophesying and interpreting
tongues, and had been trying to get her hus-
band another wife, not denying that it "would
break her heart" but striving anxiously for any
thing which nigh conduce to his her spirit
ual advancenent Next came young couple,
the wife the daughter of the pair already men
toned Both brought to Utah in early child
hood, retreshiugly ignorant of matters in the
outside world, religion included Further along
we find old EBglishman with old Danish
wife. lie has bad other wives one OF the vii
layers said, and they had all esther died or lefi
him. His present spouse used on the sly to
take -four and other articles of produce to barter
for tobacco, for while the old man used the
weed himself, she would have got into trouble,
perhaps incurred chastisement, bad be found
that bis goods were being disposed of to provide
it for her Both apparently sincere though not
remarkably intelligent
Passing this sfectionate couple, We come to
an American mechanic, shrewd and intelli-
gent man. brought up in the Mormon faith, and
whose father, eIce Mormon missionary, is now
residing in Dixie or Southern Utah. He (tbe
SOM was not in very good standing with the
church; had had some difficulty about his tith-
iog, and taking of going back to The States at
some future time. In regard to the truth OF
Mormonism, he said he had sometimes been III
clined to think that when it began there was
''sometbing ia it." Had seen people get we'll
after being ministsred to BY the church, but