Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-11-01
Che freemau.
The MsrmOn Problem,

~ REV. PETER MERRILL, NoRTHFIELD, VT.
Mormonism has existed in this nation
over Il half Il century. When Joe Smith
gave notice that he had revelation from
God Of his will to man, which superseded
tie Christian Scriptures, the idea was so
absurd aud foolish that it excited but little
interest at first but he soon had his disci-
PIES and followers; which has been the
fact in all ages which has given the world
false teachers and fanatics who could not
teach anything so absurd but what they
would have their followers. 1t is claimed
to-day that there are one hundred and fifty
thousand Mormons under the Jurisdiction
Of the United States governments with
one hundred and forty-three thousand
inhabitants in Utah, ninety thousand are
Mormons. Many of the iifty-three thou
saud in this territory who do not now
belong to the Mormon church once did
and are now inGdels and Sp itists.
and siX'y.soven persons who belong 10
different Christian sects in Utah; five
hundred of these belong to the Roman
Catholic church. Relgiously, then, the
Mormons have a small force TO face. less
than three th)uS md Protestant5 in Utah.
1t would look then, from religious stand
point that the Protestant church has a
hopeless task to destroy Norm )nism. But
few Mormons hlve ever been converted
to the Christian f,ith in the long past
history of it in this nation, while Mormon
ism has been gaining in numbers, wealth
md politicu power every year. The
church has not solved this Mormon prob.
lem by any means.with all of her appi.
anccs. Mormonism laughs at her multi,
piled efforts to make inroads upon her fold
What has the national government done
TO solve this M)rm)n problemp 1t has
disc lss ii the subject in congress for long
years, anl nude laws to check its power
and increase, bl! to no purpose. The
Edmunds bill ptssel in the last congress
to dsftanchise Mormon polygamists was
Lailed by leading minds in the nation as
the death knoll t. Norm )nism, but time
is proving that this bill does not touch the
seat of the disease at all, that the leprosy
off Mormonism is too. deep .seated
in the whole system to be removed by
such Il mild treatment, that the whole
machinery Of Mormonism is 50 compi-
clted and mysteriouSly wrought tint it is
u.criY impossible to ferrei!olt, in many
instances, who arc p)ly5lnjStS, anl it, is
booming an acknowledged fact to-day by
loul.ng minds in the nation that the
Lgsllton thus fur on this subjec! is II
dead letter. Mild measures, the nation
should learn by this time do not curtail or
uproot this vile fanaticism, this nation II
curse, this modem S)dom. HIS Mormon.
ism any claim to the protection of this
government in It's declared hostility to it,
it, defiance OF it in its hostility to the
Christian Scriptures inaits claim that it
has Il bible which sets aside the teaching
Of our holy religion?
What is the history of Norm onism but
that Of fanaticism, polygamy, deception
hypocrisy, treason, tyranny, blood, muir.
der, and social, civil and moral debase-
mont? The only way to treat it efectutlly
is do by it rs this nation did by slavery
when it put its reasonable hands on oul
national government to tear it in pieces; tC
stamp it out by military power. Col has
ovcrtmrown nations and cities in the past
history of the world when they have
become so corrupt that their was no hope
for their redemption, and when their cor
rlD.ion WAS 81 intense AMI defiant that it
culngerei the safety of the worlds
ilhlbi,ants. Is il said that it would be
religious persecution to treat Mormonisn
in this way. We deny the charge. No
more than it was religious persecution
for this government to put down slave
holders rebellion by the force of arms
They clIlmed that slavery was divine
institution and hat they were fighting fol
their civil AMI religious rights, aud tina
they would iii. before they would give
them up. NJ Mprmols claim that they will
fight and die b fore they will give NJ
Mounonism which they have by divine
authority. Well let them die then, if they
will not give it up, for Christian civiliza
ton and Norm )n5m clnnot poaceably
exist under the same government, one or
the other must die. Which shall il bel
Let not us dream over this subject longer
There is to much pending to do it. lie
not sickly sentimentalsm blind the eye
of statesmen and the Christian church OF
this momentous subject any longer.
has done it too long already when any
threatened danger faces the governmen
bold and defiant. Debauched politician
may treat this subject in the future,as the
nave in the past, as of no Importance; al
phases of lntilelity may do it, and tn
Iewd of all classes may do it who want t
DO away with the sacredness of tn
marriage covenant, but God fearin,
people should not do it by any means.