The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1870-04-14

4 - S1'tlS SrSHeSA Va Lie ~ ClafiJ "
the Mysteries and Crimes of Nor
monism," (" which will serve to Civ,
the reader some idea of the scop,
and style Of the work. q, 4. =
ANALYSIS OF MoKsfoz TIlEoIoGY.
In their origin, the Mofrnons ma,
be said to have been an ofshoo
from the Campbcllitcs; Sidney
Rigdon, the author oftheir earl,
doctrines, having originally left th,
Baptists to join Tie former sect
from which be a'. 6eledalnC
founded a sect Is l0callv
known as ADiscin|1 Df fbii
band a portion went crazy as Nil
lenarians, another part becam,
Perfectionists, and the remaindeI
followed Rigdon when he Joined hi
fortunes with those Of Joe Smith
and assisted in founding Kirkland
Ohio. Under the early teaching
of Brigham Young they adopted
the Methodist order of services
Their missionaries when abroad
at present, first preach principles
very similar to those of tn,
Campbcllites; and what thC
Mormons call 'the first pf'pciples
Of the gospel are mainly those o.
that sect. But it is the smallest
part of Mormon theology which has
its origin in any recognized Chris.
tian system; and by the successive
additions of Rigdon, Joe Smith
and Brigham Young, the laborious
philosophical speculations of Or.
son Pratt, and the wild poctical
dreams of his brother Farley P
Pratt, it may well be said there is
scarcely a known system of rclig-
ion, ancient or modern, but has con.
tributed some shred of doctrine to
Mormonism.
1t is now beyond the power OF
man to invent n new religion. Al
this late day combination is all that
is left for the innovator, and the
doctrinal points of Mormonism are
culled from three different sources,
viz:
l. Christianity, by a literal in
depreciation of the Bible, particu.
larly the prophecies.
ii. Ancient mythology and var
ious modern forms Of pagan philos-
ophy.
III. The philosophical specula-
tions of various schools; the whole
modified and practicalized by reve-
lation applied to events of daily oc-
currence.
Thus has grown up a vast and
cumbrous system which is the stan.
dard Mormon theology, but Of
which each individual Mormon be.
lieves so much or so little as he
can comprehend. 1t were an end
less task to pursue these doctrines
through all the variations, neces-
sary to force some sort of agree
ment, and the lifeless application
of perverted texts of Scripture
But the distinctive points in which
they differ from all Christian sects
may be grouped under five heads:
/. Pure materialism; but slight
ly different from the atomic mater
ialism of the Greek school.
ii. The eternity of matter.
III. Pre-existence of the soul,
and transmission of spirits.
~. A plurality of gods.
V. A plurality of wives, or "cc-
lestial marriage"
All these are blended IN Various
ways, and depend upon each Other
in a score of combinations and con
fused cr-rclations; but rs far as
possible they are treated of separ
ately.
/. The Mormons hold that there
is no such thing as spirit distinct
from matter; that spirit is only
matter refined, and that spirit:
themselves are composed of purely
material atoms, only finer than thu
tangible things of earth, as air il
finer and more subtle than water
while both are equally MATERIAL
"rhe purest, most refined and sub
tie of all is that substance callet
the Holy Spirit. This substance
like all others, is one of the ele
ments of material or physical eXis
tence, and therefore, subject to tn,
necessary laws which govern al
other matter. Like the other ele
ments its whole is composed of in
vidual particles. Each particle oc
cupies space, possesses the powel
of motion, requires time to movC
from one part of space to another
and can in nowise occupy two pla
ces at once, in this respect differ
ing nothing from all other matter
1t is widely ditfused among all th'
elements of space; under the con
troll of the Great Eloheim it is thu
moving cause of all the intelligen
ces, by which they act. tits omni
present by reason Of the infinitud'
of it's particles, is the controlling
element of all others and compre
hends all things. BY the mandat'
of the Almighty it performs all th'
wonders ever manifested in th'
name of the Lord. It's inheren
properties embrace all the attrib
utes of the eternal power and God
head."* m a
Gods, angels, spirits and mer
the four orders of intelligent be
ings, are all Of one species, compos
ed of similar materials, differin
! not in kind but in degree. God
! a perfected man; man is an en-
bryotic or undeveloped god. o.
son Pratt has pursued this dot
trino to its widest ultimate, an
proves to his own satisfaction tht
every original atom was endowe
: with a self-acting, independent il
. tellioence. md they merely lgot q