Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-11-20
MIR. sTODDARD'S LECTURE.
An Able, Clear and successful Arr
rnIgument of mOrmOnism.

rnIgnment of mOrmOnism.
The lecture OF Mr.. j. b. Stoddard at
the Federal Courtroom last evening was
largely attended The room was filled
beyond its seating capacity and many
were obliged to content themselves with
standing places. The meeting was or
ganized by the nomination by Colonel o.
j. HOLSTER Of Mr.. II. w. Lawrence as
President Mr.. Lawrence was unani-
mousy elected, and coming forward,
after few well chosen remarks, intro
duced to the audience the speaker Of the
evening, who was received with round
OF enthusiastic applause.
Mr. Stoddard began by saying that this
was only the fourth time that he had adj
dressed public audience since the good
old days when he used to stand up in
meeting and bear his testimony, and he
therefore did not pretend to be public
speaker. Before proceeding with the
lecture proper, the gentleman answered
several OF the filings which he had re-
ceived from the Mormon press, and he
downed them all with good common
sense reasoning He indicated himself
of every charge which had been made
against him, by proving these charges to
be false and illogical. lie gave some eX-
amples of the preaching of the Mormon
press in favor OF blood atonement, by
taking extracts from very recent publica-
tons.
The idea from which the form oil Mr..
Stoddard's lecture is taken is the arraign-
ment before the bar Of Justice of an ideal
= Il. 4. Ill H.
The indictment is read, the supposition
is made that he pleads not guilty, and
the lecturer then proceeds to prove that
he is guilty OF every offense charged. He
calls as witnesses some of the leading
saints, such as Brigham Young, Orson
Pratt and John Taylor. He takes their
sayings and writings, as printed i'll the
organ of their church, for their testimony
and shows it to be so convincing that no
Jury could fail to convict upon it.
The charge in the indictment against
Mr.. Mormonism is that he has united
church and state here in Utah, and while
his guilt in this case is perfectly well
known to every one in the Territory, Mr.
| Stoddard's proofs were such as would
convince native of the Fiji Islands, who
had never heard OF Utah. He quoted
from one Of the leaders of the church
who says with perfect calmness and ap
parent sincerity that the United States
Government is good enough for its time
but that it is only preparatory to the
establishment OF "this kingdom"
In speaking of blood atonement he
read portion of one of Brigham Young''
old sermons, in which the prophet says
81 say rather than that apostates SHOULD
flourish here, would unsheath my bowie
knife and STAY them. Let us call upon
the Lord to assist in this and every othel
good work"
He then spoke at some length on the
school question, told how the leaders o
the Church feared education, told of hi
personal experience in getting certiti
cate as school teacher. He said tina
he had to pass a certain examination, bu
before he could pass it he had to get re
baptized. He told how polygamy i
taught to-day in the Mormon schools
and made the statement that polygam.
is flourishing and growing more to-da.
than it ever has in the history OF Utah.
The charge OF perjury was fully estab
lished by evidence given by the church
leaders themselves.
The lecturer told OF instances that hat
COlne unueT lllS OWL IOJlCe, vi girls Dellli
brought over from England for the ex
press purpose OF entering pol! gamou
households. lie told how his own fathe
had sent 1925 to a married woman an
her two daughters to bring them to thi
country, on the condition that the girl
should marry him when they arrive,
here.
Mr.. Stoddard's lecture was made enter
tanning by the introduction of man
funny little incidents, and as a whole
must be heard TO be appreciated. HI
spoke in the kindest terms OF the MOI
mon people, attacking only their mon
strous political and religious system an,
its attendant infamies and practices
was an address which should be listene
to by every young Mormon in the Terri
tory who is independent enough to exer
else such freedom OF thought as wa
designed by the Almighty when He en-
dowed the human race with intelligenc
above the brute. Mr.. Stoddard is ev
IDENTIFY natural orator, and with eXper
ence is likely to attain a position anon
the foremost of the public lecturers of tn
country. He has prolific theme for hi
oratory and wide field for its practice