The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-02-08
u0RNONS IN THE SOUTH.
-v WORK OF PROSECUTING AC-
49, lively PROSECUTED.

10
From the Ne,o York Times.
,-...-r,VooGA. Tenn, Jan. 31.-The
-. -, invasion of the south has become
;nvestment. Their army of elders or
.-.onaries has grown from three or four
,,rnand of ia in the past few years.
,o.rs ago the converts in the sonth to
foitb we're so few as not to be WORTHY
~ much consideration. Now the victims
counted by hundreds yearly in the
-.o,os comprising what is by the Mormons
..nsd the Southern Mission.
,r,era few years ago q handful of
w., sowed poison pr actically independ~
III a thorough organization now exists
aa master minds direct. SO quietly has
- work been prosecuted that only pass
,otice has been given them until re-
my when the people, suddenly awaken
ia, 10 the dangers threatening them.
~ or for the immediate and complete
ojec ment of the iuN ader
ITle york of the proselyters has, almost
~,itbout exception, been me i'll the noun
.ain districts and localities removed from
bainAueuce Of the enlightenment of cities
W. towns, AMI their growth has been I'M
S;ndered except in few instances, when
.La;r holiness brought them to unwOnted
ID6N uaNSs t'Oi4lAih1t
ho,ras making captves Of the weak. The
icla at many a southern b birthstone Is
i-comnIete because Of the influence of these
,,issaria of IN outlawed dogma. Neigh
Larhoots have been divided and communi-
ties shaken. and as yet no concerted resist
anca is being made TO the common enemy.
Notwithstanding the evident immortality
If Mormonis u, its vici1usness, and the
erruse it offers for the gressest sin under
-. t,,I 1J,rc = t,,,
or who come from choice, to make converts
N tbeir faith, quote glibly from the Bible
70 prove that thev are right, and even feign
IN believe in the Scriptures and to follow
tEair DreceDts. the moral example set by
these destroying 'angels" is undoubtedly
paoi As q rule, perhaps without excep-
lion they are models of morality.
In apparent uprightness they discount
many of the ministers of the Gospel. Not
one Of the pc sibly 200 who have labored in
the southern mission have ever been known
N he guilty of sin, except the sin of evil
influence They have been honest to a
nanny in all their financial dealings. They
are guarded in speech and unassuming in
demeanor 1t may be that many of them
actually believe that they are doing the
will Of the Creator. Certain it is THAI,
barring the open way to immortality af-
foried by their religion, they are not OBJ
iectionable sojOurr ers here. The opposi-
tion forming against them is not against
them as men. Ii would ne unjust persocu-
ton if it were SO.
Not to C nsume time or space with an
account Of the origin of the sect, which is
already a thresdbare subject, some Of the
beliefs Of the order, not generally known,
NAY he interesting
Aonzo j. Stockey, Of Clover, Tooele
county, Utah, is one of the most prominent
Of the elders ever sent to the southern mis-
sion a d anysne acquainted with HIM
would say al once hat he is either pro-
fou d believer in baueful faith or that
be IS consummate kuave acting faultlsssly
his part. In either event he has many
personal friends in Chattanooga and is
acknowledged to be companionable and
scrupuou,ly moral in all his practices lie
is tall and stOutly built, q blonde, with
long full beard, clear complexion, and
searching eyes. His habits are regular and
simple, and his manner ofliying, eschewing
injurious food however tempting, has made
him picture Of health. His father and
moth-r we're MOrmons and he was reared
In the faith. w On but a boy he began to
operate on a stock farm, and now, at the
age Of q, be IS well to do-even rich He
jOlHed the Mormon church when IL years
old and IS now an elder. He left u -ah two
years ago 10 do missionary work for his
chosen faith, AID not only does he receive
no salary, but no pays his own expenses.
In fact, SO far as is known, no dignltarieS of
the Mormon church receive any monetary
co sderation for their services. except, per
haps president, who necessarily gives
bis whole time TO the church.
Ld-r Stockey is assistant to Elder Spry,
who Is president or has charge Of the south
ern mission. He is enthusiastic and proud
OF his doctrines, many Of which be unfoded
TO the Times correspondent
The Book Of NO"m0U, used bv them as
theif real Bible, purp0rts to be a history of
the original inhabitants Of this Continent,
VINO, 1t teaches, came here Immediately af-
Ter the confusion of tongues at the Tower
Of Babel. Christ, after his crucifixion and
resurrection, came here and established a
cluTen similar H. character to that IN Pal
estlne lie chose apostles aud prophets,
ue4iFerlhg unto them the same command
InentN gwen to his people elsewhere. Nor
mon, who is said to have written the plates
FOUND by Joseph Smith, from which the
u'oN Of MORMON was translated, was the
!asI one OF the prophets, the people having
ueSert'd the true religion d gone after
strange gods. As a Judgment the skin of
I0t wicked was turned red.
Modelled after the Bible, this book teaches
Ial the laying on Of hands is essential. and
.0a. VIVA 10 power divine is conferred on
y"r elders OF The Mormon church. This
,il'R on oi lands extends even to mar
.ul'av', at least those # certain kind, for
W." nous believe in two kind5-one
''"' "eSlns and ends on earth, another that
a,e' Time and eteruity-and to have
ir 'N F"J 1e marriage must be performed
~ persons endowed with divine power to
wv hands. The Mormons recognize the
'i Age performed under the law of the
ID 'I a' valid, but believe its uoCar ands
with lte. 10 p0"oi 0"US
d C,'', re- es essential points the Mormons are
FD'uIes, the two most notable agree
s,( ''Ing IN the doctrines Of immersion
A ia me ieoeptlon Of the Holy Ghost by lay
Jag on Of hands.
4 mon church has no regular pastor.
v ~ ociety has several elders, any one of
4 ba'siN may oillclate as pastor. The supreme
4 H.. church is monarch with un-
A n,aoI power. The supreme power is the
4 pNent Next in power are the presidents
4 s.t.-Ac'' then bishops. The presidents
,..'-el consists of two counselors and
WE'VE ap stiles ""4
A Every county in the south are scattered
n jsI'I tracts on the discovery of the
4 - 80 VA which the book Of Mo mon was
sfts.. he'e tracts are ACCOMPANIED by
iyn,-'.' "nIrh nave great force with the
l6o., '.l ana superstitious. Perhaps the
/ b.. CI.i' que ~ these afiidavits is one signed
4 Ns.,..'e,[, Cowd CIV, David Whitrrer and
.,. ''"'fN The affidavit says:
t7,5.ssU. snown unto all nations kindreds
4 Come 80 peoples 10 whom this work shall
4 turrs,s. , We declare with words Of sol.
4 t'sgaY. .ii W. ", an angel Of God came down from
Az. s4w t,e nl lore our eyes. that we held