Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-10-31
MORMONISM.

The courts appear to be causing serious
trouble to the Mormons in Utah. Haw
kins has been sentenced to prison and to
pay fine for adultery. Brigham Young
has been indicted for murder, and
will have to appear and answer if he
does not fee the territory. 1t is reported
that he has left Salt Lake City on a jour-
ney southwark, and surmised that he
does not intend to return, but of course
this is all conjecture, as well as the idea
that the whole Mormon population in
tends to make another exodus for the en-
ioyment of their peculiar institutions.
This latter plan is more easily conceived
than executed. The exodus from Nauvoo
with only about ten thousand people was
a great undertaking, but it is small mat
er in comparison with a similar attempt
by eighty thousand persons.
The history of these people is a remark
able one thus far, and if they still attempt
remarkable things we may not be sur
prised In 1927 Joseph Smith, then re-
siding at Palmyra, New York, announced
that he had found the book of Mormon.
This book was subsequently proved to
have been kind of religious romance,
written by an invalid clergyman, whose
manuscript had fallen into the hands of
Smith Upon this the Mormon church is
founded. The first church was estab-
lished in the State of New York in 1880.
1t consisted of thirty men and women,
with Smith at the head. But the western
wilderness was the locality which they
had chosen for settlement, and SO in 1881
they planted "stake" at Kirkland, Ohio,
and chose for their ''New jerusalem a
place in Missouri. In both these places
they excited the opposition of the original
inhabitants and were prosecuted and
obliged to leave. In 1887 they settled in
Illinois, at a place on the Mississippi
river, which they called Nauvoo. Here
they built temple. In 1874, Joseph
Smith and his brother Hiram, while in
prison on charge of treason, were muir
dered by a mob, and Brigham Young
was chosen "seer" Their troubles with
the people continuing, they resolved to
abandon Nauvoo, and seek settlement
so far in the wilds of the West as never to
be interfered with by others. According
ly they turned their backs upon Nauvoo,
and in 1S47. nearly ten thousand strong,
they entered the Great Salt Lake Valley
of Utah, after a remarkable exodus, and
there pitched their tents and erected the
banner of polygamy and Mormonism.
There they have grown to be nearly
eighty thousand people, and until the
building of the Pacific Railroad were able
to defy the United States authorities to
interfere with their practices. They have
missionaries in all parts of the world en-
gagged in making proselytes to their faith,
and by this means their are greatly aided
in growth and strength.
From the late proceedings it appears
that the day of reckoning has come with
them. They must submit to the govern
ment or leave the country. If they I'M
dertake to resist they will be crushed. If
they take the other course they must
leave all that they have struggled for at
Utah, except polygamy, and renew their
wanderings under greater difficulties and
poorer prospects than ever before. What
plan they will adopt remains to be seen,
but under the vigorous steps now takeu
by the authorities against them their de-
cision cannot long be deferred.