New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-07-17
Communicated.
THE MORMON BIBLE.

| tuC hCN. Ii. u 4 AVG W
man, who came amidst our people in tn
midst of war, and by the force of his elo
quence gave sOlace and courage to thOs
gallant men that were then fighting tn
battles of the country, and by his force o
character succeeded in building hand
some church here, wherein he diligentl,
preached the word of God until he was
called to another and larger sphere
has recently been drawn into a con
troyersy upon the subject of polyg
amy. In the Methodist Episcopa
Metropolitan Church of Washington City
where he now presides, he delivered, OF
Sunday, the twenty-fourth of last April, 8
sermon against polygamy AS violation Of
| the divine law. This admirable sermon, Of
the New York Herald styles it, was pub
lished in that paper. on the following day
the publisher having taken steps to secure
a special report of the same, that it's many
readers might have the pleasure of reading
Dr. Newman's learned discussion of a
practice he considers, and ably argues
to prove, is violation of the divine
law. The publication of this semon
delivered in church that is attended by
the President and his family, and published
in the Herald, had the effect to draw forth
a specious and rather skillful reply from the
distinguished Mormon Elder Pratt, which
was also published in the Herald, directed
to that paper from the Great Salt Lake
City-the great city of the believers in the
''BOok of Mormon" This famous or in
famous book, regarded by its followers,
misguided or otherwise, as second Bible,
or more properly as the Mahomedans do the
Koran, is said to be translation from GER
tain brass plates found by one Joseph
Smith in the town of Palmyra, in the State
of New York, in the year of our Lord 1926.
This makes its origin of modern date and
stamps it as an American institution if, in
deed, it is permitted to become established.
The absurdity of the origin of the PERM
ciOus doctrine and practices inculcated by
the "BOOk of Mormon leads us to give
something further Of its history, The brass
plates that Smith pretended to have found
were inclosed in box, which had, to all
mon sized window glass. Smith
pretended to interpret them, with a stone in
his hat, and his hat over his face, while one
Martin Harris was employed to write down
the contents at his dictation. A disagree
ment arising between the parties, Harris
went away, and one Oliver Cowdry came
and wrote for Smith, while he interpreted
as above described, till the Book of Nor
mon" was completed. Smith then gave out
that it was revelation from heaven, and
that he was prophet; and thus
he was enabled to collect around him
class of simple and credulous people
whom he persuaded to sell their property,
and follow him to the new Zion, which he
said he was commissioned to establish in
Missouri, west of the Mississippi river, a
place he designated as "the centre of the
world" A settlement of these people was
made in jackson county, Missouri, from
which they sent out preachers in all direc-
tons to collect proselytes. They were
in Utah, where Brigham Young has
proved even greater as a Mormon
ruler than Smith himself, who is the in
ventor Of this great modern humbug and
scandal to civilization. The contents of the
Book of Mormon are said to be series of
puerile eastern romance, with abundance of
names, but no dates, localities, or cOnnec-
ton of any sort with sober history. There
can be nothing more evident than that this
10 q uCOCptAOA, 81 ldI tS It's ulN UlC
revelation is concerned; deception so
weak that the wonder is that it should have
deceived so many in this age of reason.
The letter of Elder Pratt has been an
swered by letter from DR.. Newman, pub
lished in the Herald on the third of the
present month. 1t makes over five columns
in that paper, and is a most thorough refl-
tation of the specious arguments used by the
Mormon elder to prove that the Bible sane
tons polygamy This able and interesting
letter completely disproves, by the Bible
sanctions the degrading practices of the
Mormons. The following extract in defense
of true womanhOOd and the chief end of
marriage, is well worth copying:
according to Mr.. Pratt's theory, the end
of marriage is offspring; but the Creator
declared that companionship takes the pre-
cedence. Before He gave the command to
multiply He said, 1T is not good that
man should be alone; will make him
elpmeet-Genesis, H., Is. In the marriage
union there must be love and confidence,
souls. Elder Pratt places the beautiful wO-
men of America on the footing with cows
ana other female brutes, and declares the
chief end of woman is to bear children,
ana When they cease to bear, like COWS,
they must be led to the slaughter. Polyg-
amy Is destructive of all the finer, nObler
1ee!ings OF womanhoOd. God made her the
social equal OF man, and such she is in the
eyes OF all rlghtminded men. For argu-
ment'. grant the chief end of marriage is
offspring-this end is defeated by polygamic
marriages. will take nv facts from Nor
monism Itself and prove Mr. Pratts theory
failure. Mr.. Brigham Young has twenty
five actual wives, only ten of whom are
mothers, fifteen of whom fail in their great
life mission. He is said to be the fatbSr of
but fifty children by the ten wivesMeouaI
to the average in other families
The Mormon Bishop of Provo has five wives
and no children. 1t is a historical fact that
homogeneous nations increase more rapidIv
than polygamous. Compare the Greeks and
Romans with the Egyptians and Persians:
compare the Germans, Irish. English and
Americans with the Turks, and all must add
nit that homogeneous nations have risen to
superior glory in art and science, in law and
government in philanthropy and Christian
ity. And it is remarkable that "a gentleman
apparently so intelligent as Mr. Pratt.
should be chargeable with the anacronism
that our foretathers derived their mono
gamc laws from the barbaric nations of
Greece and Rome This certainly is news
to the Christian world. We all admit that
God established monogamy in Eden, but
we did not know that Adam and Eve were
Greeks and Romans
Dr. Newman states in his letter that it is
his intention to visit California in August.
anu he proposes stopping en- route at Salt
Lake City, where he will either preach a
series OF sermons on the question, Does the
Bible Sanction POlygamy9" or will debate