The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-05-04
THE MORMON CREED.
sketch Of the Queer Theology of the
LHttsr-Dey saints.


sunday AfternoonI
The Mormons, 1t Seems to me. have no rell-
glon. They. however, have creed and
believe In It. They have q system of theology,
too. but such u conglomerate affair is Ii that
II delies description. 1t is worthy OF mention
only us curiosity. Itteaehes primarily that
there are many gods, and TINT eminent saints
become gods IN heaven. They rise one above
another In power and glory to ipfinity.
Joseph Smith Is now the god OF this genera
ton Above him Is Jesus OF Nazareth, whose
superior god Is Adam Above Adam Is Jeho-
vah. and above Jehovah Ia Elohim. These all
have many wives and they oil rule over their
| descendants who arc constantly increasing
| In number and dominion. The glory Of q
saint when he becomes god depends In some
degree upon the number OF wives and children
| which he has. Hence it IL that polygamy s
taught and enforced us duty. Wives are
sealed to saints here Ofl earth to Increase their
dominion In heaven. Tho gods are III the
form Of men. and are the fathers Of the souls
OF men III tuis world. The ton command
ments are the rule OF life, together with n
revelation given to Joseph Smith Ia 1893. Ibis
revelation Ii called "A Word Of Wisdom and
| IL regarded simply MS counsel not MS law Ac-
| eor,ing to the Mormon cresd infant sprlnk-
| ling Is condemned. At eight years Of age
children are immersed. Baptism for the
dead is practiead, q living person beng hap.
| tized for pIls or more dead persons. Some ~
the great men Of the nation and Of the
church Of Lat,er-bay Saints. Ms Washington,
Franklin, etc There bave been many dtspe1l-
satons of religious truth, but the Greatest
VI all Ia that made through the Prophet Jo-
seph. This dlspensation will eulminate In the
settlement III the saints In jackson county.
Missouri, whence they were expelled. Here
will oil the Saints bs gathered In duo time,
and all others be cut off. All preaching, 50
far as doctrine Is concerned, Is ringing "a
change on these poluts. The people Know
their articles Of faith by heart ana are not
allowed to forget them. Neither can Cen
tile, though ~ fool, full to learn what the
Saints believe. It Is an eclectic theology that
they hold made up OF contributions IRON
every creed 1t Ia compound Of Christianity,
| Philosophy and Mythology III about equal
parts. lhe form d church government ls T. that
OF the Methodist Church, although the leaders
were originally Cun9regntfonaists in the
matter Of church order aud Baptists by pro-
| feasiOn.
| This conglomernte theology is diametri-
caly opposed to the doctrines Of the Bibls,
/ "a In being purely matsrnlistic, vi In teach-
Ing the eternity OF matter, tt9 In declaring the
prs-exlsteDce and transmission Of souls, ~ In
preaching plurality OF gods, and % Ia id
vocatlDg the doctrine Of q plurality OF wives
| or celestial marriage.
10 enlarge on Theses points little:
t. The Mprmons hold that there Is no spirit
distinct from matter Spirit Is simply mat
ter refined. God lisa perfected man and every
man Is II god In enbryo
| There never was n creation, except rs apprO-
prAtion and combination constitute q crea-
ton. New worlds are constantly being
| formed from "iuatter Uniformed and void" to
,lss tho Prophets words. These worlds are
stocked with spirits unenbodied. Saints Of
this last dispensation rule over Theses spirits
and become gods.
D. Countless spirits are born In oil these
worlds, and are awaiting physical processes
by which they may enter earthly tnbernacles
and begin their probationary state. These
spirits have organs of Thought, speech, hear
| ing, etc, but they must be subject to the
| moral law Of earth that regeneration may 60
on. Hence they seek for tabernheles. It is
woman's highest glory to furnish these tab
ernacIcs, aud her glory Is IN proportion TO the
number she furnishes. Man may preach
and thus attain the highest order Of
| Baintship, but only one avenue la avail
able for woman She must INTRODUCES these
spiritual bodies to earth. so Only can she at
tain exaltatiou.
T. There are vast number Of gods In the
| world over kingdoms, nations, families. etc,
but only one god regntnt in each world.
! Worlds are given In due time to tho saints.
Each saint must build up his own kingdom,
|. g., populate 1t. EIohlm is the greatest god
known to man. He dwells In the planet KO-
lob In the centre u our system, VIII Oh ire
with the Lord as one day. There were six OF
our days In the first creation" or "appropri-
alton OF matter void, and six Of the Lords
! days In the great preparatory course OF this
world. each one thousand years. There
were two days to each dispensution; two to
the Mosaic, two 10 the Patriarehal; Christi
unity had It's two days Of trial, and after the
death Of st. John began tho great apOstasy
j Now have continued eighteen hundred years
Of darkness, when no true priesthood has
been on earth. The various seets have each 9
part Of this truth, but the light has dawned
The Lords day approaches. Great wars vii
soon destroy nearly all the Gentiles-the sur
vivors will serve the saints. Men will, in
deed, be scarce, so scarce that seven womer
will lay hold on one man: The lndiaus. de
become ~ delightsome people" The tor
lost tribes will be found. They will gather
at Jerusalem about 1900. The new Jerusalem
will b. In Missouri, there Is the paradise
, promised to the saints.
.