Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1874-04-14
THE ORDER OF ENOCH
BRIGHAM YOUNG'S GREAT
CONFIDENCE SWINDLE.
The Prophet Spelling his People
The Order Established in
the Country Districts On
ly-NO Attempt Yet
Made in Salt Lake.

SALT LAKE CITY, Ma -ch 30.-SOme
mention has been made of the new
Order OF Enoch which Brigham
Young is endeavOring TO introduce
among his saints. The subject, how
ever, has not received that attention
i'm the East which it merits, foretell-
ing, us it does, to the minds of all in
telligent persons in this territory, the
downfall of MormoniSm. The attempt
to establish the order is, indeed, the
first confession of weakness which
Brigham Young has made for many
wears. He sees and hears, as perhaps
no man else can see and hear, and
polygamy in Utah is i'll its death
throes, and with the cornerstone of
Mormonism gone, the cdifice itself
must surely fall. What remains then,
but for The old man prudent to gather
i'm what he can for the remnant of his
goods. and take his departure to hap
pier climcs, where the Gentiles shall
cease from troubling, and he may die
at peace? Many things have conspired
To seal the fate of MormOnism. First
and foremost perhaps is the settled an
tipathy of the nation to the practice of
poIygamy. The miseries which are
it's legitimate fruits, have been brought
home 10 every intelligent reader
throughout the land by newspapers
and books. Then again the religion of
the Prophet is based solely upon the
ignorance of his followers. To pre-
serve its power, it was necessary TO
keep them still ignorant. The gentle
must he kept from the flock. But the
Gentle has pushed his way in, and
the time has passed by wher a murder
or two iudiciously executed served TO
preserve the purity of the fold. The
Gentle has brought knowledge with
him-that terrible. tree of evil-and
MANY saints have eaten thereof, aud
their eyes J e kbeen opened. The
ground is fairly trembling under the
PROPHETS feet, and he knows not
at what hour-at what minute-the
chasm may be opened and the Church
of Latter Day Saints engulfed.
Under these circumstances, true to
his ancient faith in the efficacy of
worldly comforts, Brigham naturally
turns about to see how he may prepare
himself to meet the coming blow. His
kingdom is crumbling and his sceptre
is passing away; butit may still be
permitted the old man to die in the
midst of plenty. His declining years
may still be sweetened by the enjoy
ment of the good things of life. Per-
haps by some other great Salt Lake
and in some other garden spot of this
great continent he may pitch his tent
and gather around him new band of
saints. Thousands of his followers
scattered about in the fertile fields of
this lovely valley still cling to him
hi nnaiScoF.v of 4 hn
most high God 1t is still left him to
speculate upon their weakness for his
own profit, and accordingly the Proph-
Of proceeds TO speculate. This is how
he does it: Towards the end of Feb
ruary the President Prophet held two
meetings of the faithful at st. George,
| and there he first proposed to them
the new departure which the saints
were to make for the sake of the
Church. According to the Bible
Tnoch was taken up to heaven with
out that prelimininary passage through
the dark vale which ordinary mortals
are forced to make. The prophet
goes further than the Bible, and as
sures his people that not only. Enoch
but the "City of Enochu entire was
thus taken up to God. Tbs, Brigham
assures the saints, vas an especial IA
vor granted to the EnOchltes because
of their superabundance of godliness.
The phrase would somewhat obscure
but for the explanation which the
Prophet kindly gives to his people
The first step, according to this high
authority, towards attaining TO the
godIiness of Enoch is too deed all their
property in trust to the trustee of the
Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints.
When they have thus impoverished
themselves they are appointed stew
ards of the Church "a. G., Brigham
Young), and are members of the Or
der of Enoch. This stewardship. as
expounded by Brigham, is in itself
peculiar. The saint is appointed to eX-
ercise his jurisdiction whittier the
Church dictates. He may be ap-
pointed to cultivate his own farm or
he NAV be established on his neigh
boris. Of the fruits of his labor he is
held to strict accountability. The
profits belong not to him but to the
church of the Latter Day Saints. In
short, he becomes simply steward
perhaps servant would be the better
word--to the Prophet, to whom he has
turned over not only all right To his
worldly possessions but the right to be
master of his own actions. Where
they shall live, what they shall do. and
how they shall do il is decided en-
tjreIy by the Mormon priests; and