The New York herald., 1871-12-03


Avery common, but vay erroneous opinion,
prevails in the Eastern States that polygamy
and Mormonism are identical, and that If the
former is by law abolished under the prosecu-
tions now going on in Utah the latter will also
disappear. This is not so. Polygamy is not
vital to the existence of Mormonism at all,
and were it destroyed tomorrow it would not
materially affect the religious belief of the
Saints. The theory upon which this system
is based is declared, like many other ab-
surdities, to be founded on the warrant OF
Scripture. The Mormoas, so far as we have
been able to ascertain, do not deny single
tenet held by the Christian. They believe in
Supreme Creator and Ruler, in Divine
Saviour and vicarious atonement, in the
trinity and unity of the Godhead, in the con-
stant and personal presence of the Holy
Spirit in the Church, and in the plenary
inspiration Of the Scriptures. They hold to
two sacraments-baptism and the eucharist
and accept immersion as the proper mode of
administering the former. Wherein, then, do
they differ from us? Not in the rejection of
essential truths but in the addition Of vulgar
supersGitions.
| The foundation doctrine upon which the
Mormon system rests is that of special reve-
lations from God. How do we know they
ask, that the canon Of Scripture has been
closed? The Church of Christ, they assert,
has degenerated and made shipwreck Of faith,
and God, of course, cannot reveal Himself, as
IN rxrho In mott
of the Lord when it is given. Hence for ages
| there has not been divine revelation. But
that is no argument against the possibility or
the probability Of such revelation whenever
the fulness of time should demand it and the
conditions of the Church should be favorable
to receive and recognize it. Such time and
conditions had arrived about forty years ago,
when God revealed to the p;ous Joseph Smith
the basis upon which the true Church of Lat
ter Day Saints should exist. The three forms
of Church polity-patriarcha prophetic and
| Christian-are united in this Latter Day
Church. Tithes and sacrifices and revelation
and high priesthood are, therefore, necessary
adjuncts, since the Almighty designs to restore
the Church to its primitive purity. We fear
very much that Judge Mexican and his Gentle
friends will either materially interfere with
or greatly aid ia this publication. In the
first named period of the Church the Melchise-
dean priesthood existed, to whom, as Paul
argues, the Aaronic, or prophetic, priest
hood paid tithes and recognized its supe-
riority. And from the former more especially
Jesus Christ descended, though in his person
the two were combined. He, therefore, be-
came the High Priest of our profession. But
since those days there had not been high
priest of God upon earth un.il Joseph Smith
was selected as such. And the Church being
perpetu institution the priesthood neces-
sarily becomes so. Hence Brigham Young,
being the rightful successor to Joseph, is the
only genuine High Priest and repres entative
of God upon earth, and his apostles and
elders are the oaly true ministers of the
Church of Jesus Christ in these latter days.
This is the finely spun theory of Mormonism,
and these the doctrines and dogmas which
they hold and teach. The Mormon popula-
ton of Utah consist very largely of Methodists,
who were once members of Christian churches
! in Europe or in the Eastern States OF the
Union. They, Or most of them, are wholly
persuaded of the alleged divinity of Mormon
ism, and while they may yield to inevitable
fate and give up olygamy they are ready to
fight and to die for their religious faith. And
! Christian ministers from these parts who have
sojourned among them, and inquired diligently
into the grounds of their adherence to the
scheme, assert that the women will be the last
to give up either Mormonism or polygamy.
The legal aspects of the system we need not
touch upon at this time.
But why, it may be asked, was not polyga my
revealed to Joseph Smith and the Church that
he gathered instead of being withheld until
after his decease? Brigham Young and his
apostles answer the question by asking
another-way Mormonism itself was not
revealed before Smiths timer They answer
both questions again by saying that until Joe
made his appearance on the stage of life
there had been no man like-minded to whom
God could have revealed His will as He did to
Smith. And for similar reasons, until the
Church of Latter Day Saints had been estab-
lished in sure habitations, God did not reveal
the polygamic doctrines. And the Saints
await patiently for any other revelations which
the Almighty may have to make. As things
look now, however, all future revelations to
the Mormons will probably be made after con-
sultaton with Uncle Sans officials in Congress
or in Utah, and through them alone.
Orson Pratt, one ofthe foremost Elders of the
Church, insists that Mormonism and polygamy
are identical, and that the former cannot
exist without the latter. He therefore de.
clared that they would never give up poly gamy
for any civil government OF power on earth,
and with this sentiment he bad the hearty ap-
| nroyal Of his entire audience. We might ask