The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-09-01
Communicated.
ANNEX. AUGUSTA Co., Va

ums of your paper. permit me pronllscously to
put few things concerning Mormons, Nor
monism, the government and laws and pres
ent President OF the United States of America,
before your numerous readers? at the pres
ent time, there are, in the United States four
separate and distinct classes of religionists,
each claiming to be 1.-The Church of Jesus
Christ OF Latter Day Saints" and each coming
into existence since the organization of the
government and laws of the land Both of
these classes are, by the world, indscriminate-
| ly looked apon as one and the same, and call
ed "Mormons," when in truth, the difference
| between the two is, as the difference between
light and darkness. One of these parties has
its headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, and
is now under the leadership and presidency of
John Taylor, but formerly ofthe late Brigham
Young, and is in numbers by no means insig-
niicant.1 Two of their representatives, some
six or eight weeks ago, made me a short visit,
at which time they assured me that their par
ty was gaining in numbers and influence very
fast in their region, and spreading and enlarg
ing their borders in the adjoining and neigh
boring States and Territories to Utah. pre-
sumo these two individuals are the same whom
have recently been informed of, as travelling
and preaching in our Augusta county When
visiting me they said that they had been told
| that was Latter Day Saint. told them
u
| Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day SAINTS,
but promptly informed them tina: my Latter
Day Saintism" Was of a very different type to
that OF Utah MormOnism." AS soon as they
learned the position | occupied, after giving
me slight warning concerning things in the
World to come" they dropped me as dog
would hot dumping, and have not visited
me since Now, this Utah Mormon Church."
is the one, and the only one, at variance with
the government and laws of the United States
Among its obnoxious and heredical doctrines,
are, Priestly dominion, do as you are told by
your file leaders and ask no questions, Poly
gamy and Spiritual wlfery Adam-God wor-
ship, Blood atonement and such like.
The recognized Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter Day Saints, differs from the Utah Nor
mon Church, in that, it repudiates in, toto the
above, and all other pernicious doctrine, and
evil and wicked practices.
The headquarters of said church is at Plano
Kendall county, Ill. Its members are organic
very nearly every State and Territory in the
Union, together with the Canadies, and in
many parts of the Old World.
Its president Is young Joseph Smith, son of
Joseph Smith, jr., president of the original
Church.
The recognized Church is an incorporate
body Of religious worshipers. Incorporated in
the State of Illinois. Its faith and doctrines
in the Bible, Book of Mormon, and Book of
Doctrine and Covenant, which is Original
Mormonism," and is not in any way antago-
nistc to the government and laws of the Uni
ted States By Original Mormonism" mean |
the platform on which the Church was organ
lied in 1880, from which | will give a few |
quotations from the above named books
In Bible, Jesus says, "in the beginning God
made man, both male and female, and said,
for this cause a man shall leave father and
mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they
mot halt dozen or nineteen) twain shah be
one f1esh' In list Cor. 7 chap. I'd verse, Paul
says, Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let
every man have his own wife, and let every
woman have her own husband" Book OF
Mormon says: "Wherefore, my brethren hear
me, and hearken to the word Of the Lord
For there shall not any man among you have
save 1t be one wife; and concubines he shall
have none, for I, the Lord God, deligheth IN
the chastity of women. And whoredoms are
an abomination before me, saith the Lord Of
Hosts" In Book of Doctrine and Covenants,
sec. AZ, paragraph 5, is thus recorded: And
again, the elders, priests and teachers of this
Church shall teach the principles of my Cos
pei which are in the king James translatiOn)
Bible and in the Book of Mormon, in the
which is the fullness of the gospel" Sec. So.
par. 5. LET no man break the laws of the land
1Or ne tnat keepeth the laws OF GOD hath no
need to break the laws of the land" One 9th
er quotation, sec. AZ, PAL. 6, B. D. s. G. "Thou
shall love thy wife with all their heart and
shall cleave unto her and none else" I also
sendyou Eptome OF the faith and doctrines of
the recognized Church, with Findings of
Lake county, Court, Ohio, in Kirkland Temple
Suit.
Now, between President Garfield at the
head of the United States government, in the
execution of the laws of this land of the free,
and home of the brave, and the Recognized
Church of Jesus Church of Latter Day Saints
in the principles and doctrines aboriginal Nor
monism,' there can be no legal collision. For
this Church being composed of about fifteen
thousand souls, whose prayers as of one man
are ascending to the throne of the most high
that the life of our beloved President, James
A. Garfield, may be spared, and he made in
strumental in the hands of an all wise Creator
in erasing from our Nations fair character
the foul stain caused by "Polygamy" that
twin relic of heathenish barbarism Not by |
persecution Not by mobocracy. No But |
by putting in operation the strong arm of the
law force criminals to justice and meet out to |
them the punishment due to their crimes. To |
which end let all good aw-abiding citizens
eyer work and pray.
Aug. %, 1881. O.E CLEVELAND.