The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-04-27

q, % separated, b long fed upon sephistry
and fAaaticism without en4nngoring mem
tality and life; this b the great lesson q
Iormonism.
Orson Beam did not come to his mothers
door until the lamps were lighted that night
An day he had been lying in the under.
growth across tho valley, striving and
doubling and supplicsting, ashamed to face
his fellows, and ever more and moro feeling
the slavery Of his faith oppress and stihs
him. When his mother saw him standing
hands lifted and . look Of unspeakable dis
emotion changed him.
What had he donei she implored. For
answer he fell down before her with his
head in her lap and cried like child. He
had done the Prophets bidding, he scbbed,
and his heart was brokenl He had lost his
innocence! o, he had lost his innocencei
God had turned away His face from him,
and he was in darkness, in bitter, bitter
darkness!
The woman's lips frightened, then she b.
dition of her son was indeed inexplicable
and appalling. Suddenly he leaped up and
cried out IN strong. feeling against the sys-
tenn under which they suffered.
I'VE are involved as in the meshes of .
net; we have no freedom!" he cried. 'Ohs
mother, this is not religion, this is villainyl
We are not made free and pure by the
Gospel, but enslaved and polluted! Yes,
=.
give US our blindnessv' and he stretched
his hands up imploringly as he paced to and
fro in his agitation. The woman sat and
stared at him like one struck dumb.
II tried to kill fellow-man!" he broke
out again. II was hidden to do it by one who
claims to be DO pure that God speaks directly
through him to US! oh, mother, think of
the villsiny Of thisl the deception practiced
upon W, and the injury done US! It has de-
stroyed me! 1t has taken away my limo
seuce! shall never be clean again!''
It was narrowing thing to witness his
mental suffering. The mother in her con-
sternation did not notice the torn place In
his clothing at the shoulder, and he, for the
time being, had forgotten his hurt in the
fresh agony of his inner-wound when look
ing upon her face.
Mother" he went on, beseechingly 'syou
do not know how much Of infamy there il
in this. We, Of tho lower Priesthood, have
been compelled to subscribe to such oaths
in the secret chamber Of the Endowment
House as would make your gentle blood run
cold. have vowed, under penalty Of death,
not to reveal them. But to-day, lying
yonder among the bushes culprit, instead
of a minister of the Gospel, the hideousness
Of it all rose up before me like o mountain
Of horrors. These men who are at the front
are using us; from the incipiency Of our
cause have made US slaves and criminals
for their own unhOly end! have done
serving them, mother. To-day they came
before me with every selfish purpose laid
bare; their greed and moral dcformities rs
clear to me as their physical parts would
be were the walls of their bodies made Of
transparent ice. The whole system, too,
from end to end, became illumined in my
anguish Of heart; became revoltingl am
done with it!
..Look at me, mother! What has it done
for me! Strive az would after purity of
heart and uprightness of spirit. it ~ left
me defiled and miserable, thing Of loath-
ing in the eyes of Heaven! Can such q sys-
tenn be Christian and the way of salvationl
Never! o, mother, lying out there I saw
plainly what it was: An ancient barbarism,
put away by Christ, but fastened again by
designing men upon the present. 1t is the
same, mother; the exclusiveness, the pre-
tension Of being the chosen and special
children Of God, all other peoples not in &C
cord with US being supposedly hated by
Him and our rightful prey, the practice Of
plural marriage, female slavery, blood
atorement, tithing, government by prophets
and priests, the laying on Of hands, anoint-
ing with oil, and hundred other sins and
phasmas Of old barbaric days. Gods chosen
people is the human race, mother, not little
handful of Mormons here among the mount
aims. He loves them all alike; they are all
His children, and His kingdom is the gen.
eral human heart. Oh! this truth came to
me out there like a burst of sunshine, and
no little band of the great family Of earth
suddenly seemed more blamable and more
to be pitied than we of these valleys, large
ly ignorant as we are, Wanting our accept
arce with Heaven and crying out to each
other Of our holiness, declaring all the rest
of the world Sodom and all other societies
dictated by Satan, while we ourselves have
turned back on the road of human progress
and enlightenment, which is the true build
ing Of Gods kingdom on earth, to sin and
barbarism!
"Christ taught that we should forgive our
enemies and do them good. and that moth
ing could justify us in doing evil What
are we taught heres Oh, we have been fol-
lowing the commands Of base man, and
not the fine monitions of the Beautiful One
Of old We have been deceived and de-
luded, mother, and must leave it now. /
can not live under it longer"
The mother, while he had gone treading
heavily to and fro, and crying out against
their religion in his wild bitterness of heart,
had swayed forward with her forehead in
her hands and with tears slipping silently
from her withered cheeks. She did not lift
her head when he ceased to speak, and he
flung himself down upon his knee before
her, and with his arm about her shoulders
kissed her silvery hair.
Mother, you have doubted the truth Of
this system for long time!" he said. She
nodded assent, still weeping.
"You have not married again through
disbelief in polygamy, nor passed through
the Endowment House from fear Of its obi
cations! You have chung TO Mormonism on
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