Morning journal and courier., 1884-03-08
The Mormons and Their Country.


 ship and the Mormon Leafers
 Professor Brewer of the Sheffield Scientific school in his lecture on '.The Mormons and their Country" Thursday evening, after 8 brief review of the points of his preceding lecture said ''In the early days at Norvou, H., the Mormons were very prosperous. They titled fine farms, built beautiful homes, and began the erection of great marble temple. They were thoroughly organized by their hierarchy. body of well drilled sol diers, and secret society system. They were originally all Masons and being expelled by the general body of that fraternity they marched of and made it 6 religious order. It now forms one of the most difficult eues- tions to deal with in connection with the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. They often came into collision with the law and constantly met with violence and outrage Many of their leaders and elders were tarrsd and feathered by the mob of offscourings which then infested the frontier. But they were self-reliant and ready to defend their rights. That they were much to blame is true, but their fault cannot compare with that of the surrounding Gentiles. Norvou
 
 provision was inserted for maintaining military force. The body contained four thousand well trained troops commanded by Smith, who rode about decked out in gay uniform and intensely arrogant. B tt he was not satisfied with these honors. He aspired to the presidency of the United States and corresponded with the leaders of the great
 Tk oAk kJ,s &Lok his revelation came for plurality of wives. He wisely kept it from all but the leaders at the time and the common people knew noth- ing of it until long after. 1884 was an eventful year. The Governor of Missouri was assassinatsd and Smith was charged with the crime. He was tried and acq uitted, but hostility against his religion grew steadily. All kinds of crimes were charged against his followers. But attempts at arrest met with resistance from the military. The Governor charging the Mormons with treason called out the militia to sup press them, but the saints were the more powerful. Thereupon they were promised full protection and 8 fair trial if they would surrender, which Smith, his brother and. many of the leaders did, and were lodged in jail There were many then as now who believed these people would gain control of the country and overthrow its ln- stitutions These fears culninated in June, A in riot, during which the jail WAS burst open and the prisoners, including the Smiths, murdered in cold blood. This outrage was most disgraceful and the Mormons immsdi- ately gained immensely in sympathy and converts. All classes admired what was really tho martyrdom Of these men. But b efore his death Joe Smith had sent mission aries to explore the far western country, where there was no more prejudice beyond the United States. Hither the persecuted church now turned it's eyes. Many are in- clined to laugh at the Mormon religion as 8 great joke. It is the greatest, most impor- tant delusion of modern times. Religious belief is a response to powerful instinct. There is no one with proper human feelings who is not swayed by it. Every one, no matter what his belief, has some superstition. But what seems natural and right to one seems foolish to another. This is the cause of all our intolerance. We regard ourselves as right and others wrong, and what is wrong must be removed. It was this case. The Mormons differing from their neighbors were looked on outcasts and were perse- cuted. But persecution can only be made successful by exterminatlon. Driven from place to place these people constantly ln- creased. They started in 1880 with six members and have grown by suffering to one hundred and fifty thousand. It only needs two or three more United States armies to double their number. Persecution also kept them united. Internal dissensions which would have been formidable were stilled before the common foe. In 1846 the great exodus began overland to their present home in l Utah. Twenty thousand people in mid-win- ter driven from their homes, leaving all their property and pleasures, many of them sick and dying, crossed the Mississippi on the ice and iourneyed into the wilderness. There is no more pathetic story ln history. But they were terribly in ear with armies and bayonets They have made the country west of the Rockies bloom as none of the surrounding regions do. They are industrious and thrifty. But their be- lief in their church is absolute. Their faith in the miracles and revelations of Smith is as stcadfast as ours in those of Christ. They are often described low They are mostly drawn from low sources. yet you will find in this city audiences lower still. They are poor and honest but not the scum of society. Many are from some Christian denomination in which they could not find | | pressed abroad have joined them They are taken to Utah, have homes, fellowship and 8 | faith given them and are the most contented society in the world. They are bible read ing people They study the Old and New | Testaments much more diligently than we. They bear much the same relation to as | we Christians do to the Jews. And they be- lieve the two former dispensati were | merely progressive to the great church of | the Latter Day Saints which will finally tri- | AL S--k1 o1---. \ istic and thus complcates the question of dealing with polygamy. They believe | that even God has a material body and that \ the only real spirit is the Holy Ghost. Their | chuch organization is complete, consisting of | a hierarchy, headed by a president with
 bishops, ,descons and teachers It is strange 1 mixture of the Old Testament system of | priests and the modern municipal govern l ment of New York, They preach not only for the spiritual but the temporal good of
 the people. They live poorly and without luxury Their wealth b not great, nor is
 thls to be wondered at, when polygamy is considered But they are indus trious. Their emblem is the bee | and everyone must work. The | Normons are not all polygsmists. The | highest estimate given by Gentle or Saint | in Utah is that about one fourth of the men
 have more than one wife Probably the | true number is less than this, as here only inc first wife has any standing before the
 ford Only her children are legitimate and
 csn inherit except by will. All other mar
 riagee are secret and are solemnized in the endowment House No woman has an
 existence in the next world urless united to l a faithful Saint in this Anna Dickinson
 once said in this city that if the ballot were | oiyen to women polygamy would be
 abolished. The Mormon leaders have
 tried it and the women always
 vote solid for the Mormon leaders They
 consider polygamy hard burden, but the 1 ford llas ordained it and they submit. We