Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-09-05


i During the whole Of that time the
n public mind has been more or les.
Re interested and perturJei in regard
n to this strange people, who have
.e been more talked about, aud written
e about in books, pamphlets, maya.
e zines, brochures anu newspapers
e than any other religious sect that
e mas arisen in this century.
: Many, perhaps most, 81 the books
:. Of Gentle or anti-NIormon authors.
p are utterly unreliable. some are
E characterized by the acrimony Of
r Gpostste rancon, and some by the
t Ofiitm H,sSloglcaIa Of rival sectari-
= anismi while C:hers are flied with
! ssn.alionai stories mole OF les
apocryphal OF fabulous, and illus
tratei with mon-tr5Us pictures. a
few deplorable fact in Mormon his
tory are eked out with imaginary
padding invented by the author. or
copied from some preceding and
equally unreliable writer: the ob-
. ject being merely a. make a L5JE
that will eel, ty pandering to the
popular taste fort marvellous.
Thus II has come 10 Iil>s that there
are many prevalent Popular errors
in regarJi 10 tie M0rmJus AMI their
real character; and / propose in this
paper 10 point Out anu correct some
OF these errSrs. Concerning my o.
portunities FOR 4 knowledge O! the
subject, Il will not Ice Improper Tor
me 20 state that for nearly seven
years / was nlemuer u the Utah
Commission, appointed by President
I Arthur in ls-.. under tine anti
p1iygamy act II Congress of that
year; auh that was the chairman
OF the Commission iurin. the batter
half Of that period,
The tack I undertake Is = Ciilicult
and unsrICi0us one. because there
are many persons who would rather
believe a lie ia regard 10 3 hate! re-
hgiOus sect than u be- enlightened
with the truth; and Il is easy, a.
well A. a gretabl--. for some VeorIe 90 .
Indulge Ia hyper, be ami fiction
against those whom l. j. the fashion
10 de-pi-e.
But IL j. my deliberate judgment /
that the Mormon people nave been
more mis-egr eut.-l and mi-Iulrr-
stood than any other community iu F..
! modern times. / therefore deem % F..
! 20 be a duty, as well as e pleasure a- I
I ! understand IT,
Error No. !. 10 IS a Common Dee
lief, proIlg1tei hy sensational writ.
err, anu designing auI iu-eIgsteI
persons, tina: the slurm.-s ate 3
gang 81 inc-5riEiHie Fus-as ard
criminals. wE.:i, ia fact. ar,,sr!ir-
% ne testimony u every Uuprsiu-
diced imam who j. acquainted with
them. that, for honesty. industry.
sObriety. neighb0Tly kiuGuuS, ami
peace and good order the MOrm8n-
are ~ least 81 AL. IL not superior, o.
any other community ON this CONT
nent. OvcT - FER cent uF 70. sa-
loon kcynezs aud gamblers Of Utah
are auti-Mormous. and while the
MoTmous are over IS per cent u the |
population. We; TX or seven elghflz
u the heiuIls and iel1uiau- dfItu- q
-, As murder, maus!au.aiur. bug
glaTy. robbery. rape and TIM. Ike. Z
are committed 10y the Gentle or
non Mormon minority.
Error No. =. That the AI1rmous !
are a sort Of IaEans. ani do no,
even profess 30 believe in the Christ !
ian religion.
On the contrary. they believe In Q
the Old and New Tu>taEl--t-ip 2
the Father. Son ami Holy Ghn-f-fu !
ali the cardinal doctrines @! tb, q
Christian religion. A. l,sf,i.1;,. -. 4
pentancc, tire resurrection. e. q
They believe Ia the Bible absolute. e
" aud literally with an uuEu.iff- J
ing faith. Whatever they find ~ o.
corded in the New Testament CON g.
cerning the creed and practice Of n
the first Saints in the days 81 Jesus q
and His apostles and the carly d!s- q
ciries they adopt as the creei and ~
practice of the latter lay slf1...,' a.
for example, the gifts Of i!lr H5iv Hi
Ihost, such n healing by tine Law a'
ing on ofhaud-. Speaking In tongue,
aud the Interpretation vi t1u.lrts. "a
etc. They say TINT u
.hese gii:s, in different degrees. in "a
leTc 10 all them that believe, In "a
III ages and countries; and thev 90
Eill not allow that a plain ulsssa.s Do.
q Scripture shUGii he done away ca
with, a typical, figurstiye. %. a 81
iaTing gone 10y LAPSE 81 time. into 60;
'innOcuOus desuetuIr." "a
That the MUrmons. a. rule. are Z,
Intensely devotional, ami nome, on
ND sincere in their religious pr.- vi
ession has been confirmed hy The -
ne Unanimous opinion Of the five tl
members Of the commission iu their ID
.iiicial reports. N.
Error No. 3. That the Normons an
ne disluyal b. the government. ga
rms Is charge that, IN process ih'
time, has been made arlirst ulnr,. ssh
lan one religious Denomination pr
al has a certain degree 81 f.lausi. iS'
iiiiy from the 0ft.puea'eI ,Ie-l,ra tli,
on OF ecclesiastie- and reIf.ri,r,- avl
Enthusiasts, that the law o.G0I !. mi
lefior 10 the laws Of the land. -
al mat the laws Of God are b. h.. sht
eyed rather than the laws Of men. Civ
.dd TO this the idea % the king ina
I'm 81 God on eaTth.'' when ali jar
''d Christians pray fo.. AMI thar
ioFmer Times some enthusiast. No
nong the Murmlns believed faud tae
me, PERHAPS, still believed that the eve
lngdom has already come. and a.. the
ign of the Saints has alrg1Jy ~ ls5
IN IN Zion; fulfilling the uruI'beti. ere
aeles Of the Book 90 Daniel AMI pie
{ revelations Of ~. John: and IL tho
III be seen upon what theory tIl,. wal
ormons are charged with d. thi.
yally u the civil authority ILr
pecially - 1t i claimed that they 7
t bound % obey the helI al fba3- tan
urch. Just a. il has been fs1ir.- tax,
.n'-I tilat the Catholics are hound Mo-
obey the Pore 81 Rome. whi
Accordingly. Il au early dar In rzl'
ssoufi, ahUu; she time G1veru-- dill
gss issued his Herald-liLe 1-1rl,- he !
.tion that AL the Normnus .hol,lI ing.
eNterminaied, when one %. fl. wuu
.nts was on trial befcrea ID 5.-iu..,r, lati,
ice oi the peace on a charge - a.!u
ras0n,' the prisoner uas Esd ora
question, "DD yzu h..lfpv. ir H.. com
Ok 81 D1niei?'' the Prisoner m 4
cred in the affirmative. s.prt p,-r
! down, = said the Justice II bfs Ter.
Il, that Is evidence Of treason. :, mn
ioTever, the leading 1IormBus 81 SIo-
Jay hold with other dru5n,i- TI,.
ions that the Kingdom is VET rect
'come.' -.
gam, there were tr0ublous times In. /
-tah between thirty and forty e1,ir
r. ago, growing ont 81 conflict ill.,
he jurisdiction o. the courts. A., lie
y was sent out hy President fir,.I
'', -. :. ~ is2.- Ia this 'M1r- ton
, - ~ GeisEs: nou-dy SIS prov
-, a.. ~ silaiA Dung sent out max
- -. me " Fs4ers with pena
"A I Aa-t4'i order that mo folio
- be shed" Under the excite Nor
u many intemperate speeches 81 n
AaAANAAH stFE maize lax Fgrfsrka-.- srrse.