The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-03-09
MAS. YOUNG's LECTUREs


M rs. YOUNG's LECTURES.
Mrs. Ann Eliza Young delivered lectures in
City Hall Saturday afternoon and last evening
to rather thin houses. The smallness of her
audiences is much to be regretted for the pub
lie mind needs awakening to the enormities of
the abominable social and religious systems
held by few sensualists and their deluded fol-
lowers who have settled in the country about
the Great Salt Lake. This lady, Intelligent
thoroughly in earnest, acquainted with, and a
sufferer by tue gross evils of the bad system.
and a natural orator, is we'll fitted to lead the
crusade against polygamy.
The lecture delivered Sa turday afternoon was
entitled
POLYGAMY AS IT is.
Mrs. Young began her lecture os follows: Po-
lygamy in savage land or among the Turks
does not shock us, because it harmonizes with
their religion and is part of their institutions,
but polygamy iu the United States is a dis
grace. Geographically considered it is an in
truder in this country, and politically it is a
monstrosity and blot on the face of the ma
tons history, Polygamy in the United States
is not Pigment of the imagination,.it is not a
sensational story evoked from the fertile brain
of an irresponsible Bohemian; it is fact Its
originator was a resident of New England and
native of Vermont. and many of its strongest
advocates to-day, are legal citizens of the
United States. The things which will speak
of L know; to many of them have been wit
ness, and of many more | h we been theHvictm.
Polygamy is contrary to the fundamental prin-
ciples of Mormonsm, for it is written in the
statutes that man may have one wife but no
concubines; and love for the wife is enjoined on
all men who embrace the faith. Joseph Smith
had revelation on July II, 1S43, recommend
ing him and his followera to take plural wives,
but although they carried ont the provisions of
the revelation IN private, it was some time he
fore they openly practiced such nefarious doc
trines. There was conflict between two reve-
lations, for one eDjoined strict obedience 10 the
law of the State, and the other supported no.
lygamy, while by the statute law of Illinois big
amy was felony. The men embraced the new
faith willingly, and the women received it, not
as their privilege, but as their cross.
Mrs Young then exposed the practice of
missionaries in Europe, who denied the exis-
tence of polygamy and enticed many innocent
and unsuspecting girls into their tolls, only to
break their hearts and blight their lives. The
arguments used TO support and Justify the sys-
TEN, in addition TO that of direct revelation.
were taken from the Bible. Not only were
Dav ID and solomon held up as opponents and
supporters of the practice but even Adam who
was accused of having another spouse besides
her of Eden, as handed down to us by tradi-
ton. That passage in Isaiah where the seven
women are said to have taken hold of one man
is further strengthened ny the bold assertion
tn at the love of Christ for Martha and Mary
and Mary Magdalen was an instance of plu-
rality of wives, and the marriage feast of Cana
was one of His nuptial ceremonies. They teach
that there are numbers OF spirits floating
around in absolute space, who require bodies
before they can reach the highest point in pro-
gressive development, and that it is the duty
of all men to try and furnish them with snch
bodies; and that those who have the most
children will have the most exalted place in
heaven. Adam. of course, will be first, as he
ha the largest number of descendants, and
each man will rank in proportion.
The lecturer then went into the details of the
system, and drew vivid sketches of the heart
rend;ngs and the wrelchedness which it entails
upon thu poor victims who are dragged into it
by falsehOod and treachery. 1t blights love and
wifely affection and duty; destroys personal at
fractions, and divides and aenates households.
1t is the duty of the United States to wipe out
this stigma on her fair fame, and to free from
bondage the hundreds and thousands of women
who lift up their voices and cry for help and
protection.
Last evening Mrs Young delivered the third
and last of her series of lectures. 1t was en-
titled
THE MORMON RELIGION,
She began by speaking of the boast of the
Mormon leaders that they knew no distinction
between things secular and things spiritual,
and said their Sunday dscourses treat of medi-
cine, agriculture, laws the raising of stock, &c
All of these topics are frequently introduced
into single address. The theory Of Mormon
ism is that the head of the church and the head
of the State shall be one, and from the head
downward the system is religio-political A
Mormon bishop is expected to preach tile Cos
pei, collect fittings, administer to the sick and
| adjust disputes
/. Mnrmnnisyo profaScoc 10 ba n ra,;,o1 &c -.
| tive Christianity and a restoration of the
| church as God intended it to exist in the last
days. 1t claims to derive its authority from the
| Old and New Testament as we'll as from the
Book OF Mormon, and doctrines ana covenants
The Book of Mormon processes to be an &C
| count written by the angel Meroni, of the wan
| behring's of branch of the human family, wht
| crossed the ocean and reached this continen
| soon after the dispersion from the Tower O
Babel. 1t is said to be derived from gold plate
| which Joseph Smith, then youth, found nea
his home in New York. These plates wer
covered with unknown characters, whicl
| he translated by divine inspiration, afte
| which they were given into the hand
of the angel Gabriel, who disappeared
with them. The doctrines and covenant
are made up of sundryi revelations {
Joseph Smith and others. and are held to be su
| perior in authority to the Bible All NAL
Mormons are members of one of the priest
hoods,of which Melchizedek is the highest 9Th
/
and his seven counsellors, who are the chic
men in matters spiritual and temporal, thoug
their chief glory is in obeying their chief fam
proclaiming their subserviency to Brigham
| Young. Below the counsellors are the twelv
| apostles, who are next followed by the bishops
and they by the ward teachers. The functio
and duties of these several classes were explain
| ed by the lecturer, some of which were mos
| ridiculous and absurd.
All outside of the Mormon kingdom is calle
| Babylon, and all converts are told to gather il
| Zion, the city of the Saints. 1t is believed tina
] Christ will return to the earth before the clos
of the present century and take up hi
| abode in Zion, when the Saints will be exate
and all other nations cut off.
| Respecting the Divine Being, it is held tina
God is being of body and parts like ourselves
that he was once of inferior rank-perhaps n
greater than we are, and has risen TO his pre-
emit estate Adam being the highest det
of the human family, Brigham YouD
is the highest of the Mormons, and b
is to advaace until he shall create and peopl
other worlds.
The Mormon religion teaches that woman
exaltaton in the future will be in prt
1 Guauon to the number of her Chi
mil ana man S in proportion to tn
r,ann;t OF his wives and children. Som
marriages are for time and others for eternity
some extend throughout time and eternitv
s aiiiase ior time terminates at death, and on
lor eternity begins at death. In some cases
Moluan is sealed to one husband for time an
another for eternity. AS polygamy is I'll
hlgnest marital state, SO it will be Continue
hereafter, and the spiritual family is to increas
'hg ere as the physical one does here.
Ano remainder OF the lecture was devoted I
an explanation and discussion of the subiect
OF OF bbaptlsm for the dead; the horrible ceremon
Vi Diood atonement for sins committed; prof.
eer!y, and its conservation to the church by I'll
1atntul; Mormon exclusiveness, and the az
, vtpcacy o! non Intercourse with the people
the outside world; teaching the suscep tib
mat all women outside of the church we
} eease; crying against fashions in dress; IL
, franchise and the manner of making voters al
several other peculiarites of the inner life
Mormonism,