Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-04-04
LATTER AYLUNACY.
Morgan, the Mormon, Among the
Mudsiils. e.- -
How the Work Of the Missionaries From
the Land of the Oessret is Car
risd on in the Sunny
South.
THEIR REMARKABLE SUCCESS.

CHATTANOOGA, April l.-Thursday was
the grand exodus day for the Mormon con-
yerts who have been collecting her for sew
eral days, preparatory to departing to the
| far west, where there is no such marrying
and marrying. This being the semi annual
| departing day for the saints, l50 con-
stituted the company the Mormon
missionaries had gathered together.
Chattanooga is the point at which all
the proseIytes rendezvous before starting
on their journey, and Elder John H. Nor.
vice in the South, spends great deal OF
| his time here. Desiring to know some
| thing about Mormonism, their customs,
modes OF procedure, treatment BY their
| opponents, progress in the South, &C.,
correspondent called on Elder Morgan at
| the Florentine Hotel, and found him ia
the proper mood for unbosomiag himself.
Mr.. Morgan is a pleasant spoken genHe-
man, and answered all questions with
courtesy that denoted q true and refined
| gentleman and scholar. His manner IS
such that one cannot help feeling at home
when enjoying his company, and his warm
handshake will make him friends on first
acquaintance. On making known our
mission, which was to learn and publish all
we could about Mormon elders in the
| South, the Elder furnished US with the fol-
| lowing information, which is given in his
| own words as near as possible.
Morgan's Exposition.
The Southern States mission comprises
sixteen Safes, geographically known as the
| Southern States, with headu uarters at Chat
| tanooga Tennessee. The mission is divided
| into conferences, each State being oonfer-
| ence' which is in turn subdivided into dis
| trcts One elder presideS over the entire
mission, and each conference has presd-
ing elder, who directs the iabors of the
elders travelling in the vaIious districts.
There are about eighty five elders in the
mission, Tennessee, Virginia and North
Carolina predominating as to numbers.
We find that from FIVE to fifteen
elders have to be added to the force
per annum. The president Of
the mission is supposed to remain in the
mission al the while, and there is no stated
time for the visitation OF leading elders.
The missionaries are men called from the
various avocations OF life, merchants, farm
| ers, mechanics, day laborers, etc. Not
preachers in the general acceptauon OF the
term, but men who are willing TO lay down
their labors and leave their homes and
households, for from one to three years,
to proclaim what they honestly believe to
be the gospel. They pay their OWL eI-
penses while out. On arriving at the head.
quarters of the mission, they are assigned
to fields of labor, an inexperienced one be-
ing placed with one who has been in the
field from six TO twelve months. travelling
two and two, as rule,
without Pure or Scrip
preaching to the people in their schools,
meeting in private houses by the roadside,
under the shade Of the trees, anywhere
and everywhere that men will listen to
them' The burden Of their song is, THE
kingdom of heaven is at hand" have faith,
repent of your sins by turning from them,
and receive the laying on OF hands for the
reception of the Holy Ghost The honest
in heart come forward and are baptized, a
branch is organized, one OF their number
selected to preside over 1t and the mission
aries press on to a new field.
The elders as rule, do not use tea or
coffee, abstain from the use OF tobacco and
maintain tota! abstinance in the use OF in.
toxCants They endeavor 10 lead lives OF
purity, and set good example before the
people, maintaining their vows OF chastity
believing that Illicit intercourse between
the sexes, with murder is one OF the un'
pardonable sins, and out Of the $50 elders
who have been in this mission, in the past
six years, We are at the defiance Of any and
all men TO adduce one single iota OF truth.
full proof that one of them has stepped
aside from the paths of virtue. Relative
TO the whole body Of the church, there are
instances, OF course, where men and wo-
men 60 astray, but they are the rare ex.
ceptiou and not the rule, and the crime oil
sexual intercourse outside OF the marriage
relation is punished by accommodation
from the church, and had we the making
OF the civil law we would inttict
The Penalty Of Death.
We teaoh this to the people.
There have been 3So.ba ptisms within the
past twelve months, which with children
blessed, would make an addition OF about
700 To the church. Tennessee, Virginia and
North Carolina yield the greatest number
OF converts. They are, as rule, small
farmers and mechanics, having sufficient
means. after they dispose OF thoir real es-
tate and personal property, to emigrate
themselves, and make a start in their new
homes. They emigfate Of their own Tree
will an d accord, believing il 10 be com.
nandrnenl of God, and being uu Silling to
endure the persecution and COntumely OF
former friends and Christian neighbors'
heapPd upon them because OF their adher-
enoe to an unpopular belief. -
We receive converts from all the various
denominations-ahout equally divided.
Possible one-half O. all our converts
have never been. members Of any church.
We find this class the most liberal, they
treat Hs the fairsst and, as rule, are viii
ling to hear before they coademn. They
are the Zaccheuses of to-day 10 whom we
can turn for shelter and protection. to
whom we bring salvation, and they re-
ceiYe us joyfuliy.
our s~etsrtau Friends
accuse US Of consorting with publicAas and
sinners. I'VE have come to save sinners,
not the righteous the whole need no ply
sician."
liza man thinks the Methodist, Baptist
or Catholic creed can say shim, that ends 1t.
We have no right so say or do GUght that
would interfere with hi1 obsei vance od that
c.eed. Man is, and OF night, should De free
u worship, God according to tbs dictates oil
his own conscience. He who. insarferes
With that rght, strikss blOs al !he very
wtals OF freedom.
Por, know this, th1k every soul - free.
To choose his life, and what he u be.
For this eternal truth is aiyen,
That go! will fore no man to HeaSen
The opposition that We have 70 encoun-
ter, consists in Interpretations oil me oo-
jects and aims we have IL view. Sf the doc.
trines hat We tCach, and OF oar personal
characters IL shapes itseltinto correspou-
Gsnee and editorials in newspapers, Ger
u ons IN the puipits, resolutions passed al
religious cOnveations, threatSoi
Personal vIoissee.
night rsidipg sy masked Hea, whippings,
| ard in one Instance assassination, IN the
| csss of Elder Joseph Standing, who was,
killed by aa armed mob OF twel We men
| in Whitfield county, Georgia, on tie 2tst
ei July. 1879. Hs, mnHdsrers are to day
| nnpunished for tae terrible crime. In Clay
/ and Cherokee counties. North CasolinA, q
\ branch os the ehlrck Was organized in the
! same year EJder JssaFh II Perry. the
travelling eide, 10 thAk district, VAS taken
| from his bed BY usob and brutsIly beasen
| with hickory sxiieses. The houses 2i ine
members vsre raidrd By the mob, led by .
| Methodist minister by the name OF Gseen,
| the saints Esre dls.sged from their bed Nmen,
| women and children. and cruelty beateo
| w,th cluss and switches. Jamsa Harni.
| son, an aged gentleman wao had h.d the
| respeca and Confidence Of tbe entire COM
/ munity up to the time Of his ioining the
church, wes 50 terribly abused thai he
L fingered 4 few months and died from the
7 fleets OF The mistreatnent he had receiv.
ed His siie. an aged lady o. 20 yerA