The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1877-11-07
MORMON VIRTUES AND
a VICES.
An Episcopal Bishops Sermon on
the POIygaInists and their
Religion.

fss hHlA9AOAs
The Rev. DIR. Daniel S. Tuttle
Protestant Episcopal Bishop o
Utah, Idaho, and Montana. spoke il
the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
in New York, recently. on Mormon
ism. There are over 100, 900 peo
1 pie in Utah. he said, sand proba
| bly, over 95, 600 of them are pro
fessors Of the Mormon religion. In
Salt Lake City alone there are
10000 inhabitants. of whom over
$4,000 are Latter Day Saints. Now,
who are they3 1 will tell you, and
I think that after I have concluded,
you will look on them more favora-
bly, than you have been accustomed
to do. Spripging from the centre
Of your own State. in 1880, they
drifted slowly westward, under the
guidance of Joseph Smith. through
Ohio, Illinois aud Missouri. until
they finally rested in their ,perma-
nent home in the basin of Great
Salt Lake. L know that the pee.
pie Of the East have obtained the
most unfayorable opinion of the
Mormons, and. to a great extent,
have judged them unjustly. The
Mormons, bad as they are and per-
nicious as is their system, have
many traits that are worthy of adj
miration, Since their first estab-
lishment in the Salt Lake basin
sufficient time has elapsed for the
growth of new generation, which
has been under teachings of Nor
monism, and which has never known
in any other land, people, or creed
not to be found within the limits Of
Utah. They know only what has
been taught them, and they believe
with a fervent faith that their re-
ligion is a direct revelation from
God. We of the East are .aceus-
toned to look on the Mormons as
either licentious, arrogant. or re-
bellious mob, bent only on defying
the United States Government and
deriding the faith OF Christians.
This is not SO. Their religion is an
impious mockery and delusion; but
still let us give them their just due.
know them to be honest, faithful,
prayerful workers, and earnest in
their faith that Heaven will bless
the Church of the Latter Day Saints,
by ultimately giving it a complete
triumph over all other churches.
They believe implicitly that the ten
lost tribes crossed over Behring's
straits, that they left the golden
tables of the law, that Joseph Smith
dug up the golden treasure, and was
divinely appointed to make known
the heavenly revelation on which
the Mormon creed is founded. An~
other strong and admirable point in
the Mormon religion is the tenaci-
Gus and efficient organization. They
follow with the greatest care and
devotion all the forms of the old
church. For instance, on, Sunday
afternoon the sacrament of the
Lord $ Supper is administered-not
with bread and wine, as with US, but
with bread and water-and all chill
dren over ten years of age may par
take. a 5
'.I might speak for hours of their
detestable qualities, for [ think
their religion is worse than heathen-
ism, and a stain on the escuteheon
of our free country. I could show
how it pierces the honor of woman
hood. stains manhood, and fosters
the grossest materalism but I can
not say that they are a horde Of
sensualists who have possessed
themselves of that far-off valley in
the West to freely practice their
sensual vices 1@