Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-12-29

idea like black shadow. The Church
1f Jesus Christ OF Latter lay saints,
The only church which may be termed
DISTINCTLY American, p church Whose
brief history has already found 10
way 10 the utlermJst eudB o.
the earth, commanding attention
among law m1keTs, clergymcn,
philosophers, high ami low, learned
and unlelrnej-ihis Church, whoss
Temples are The admiration NJ all who
have seen them, had no recognized
representative in tic parliament NJ.
Toy ueedlcssly feels tho necessity OF
makiug au apology Tor this 10 the
world. He siys;
No member uf the Mormon Church
was osant, hui tho exclusion OF This
body WAS based nDt 20 religious. hut on
moral grounds. Moruuus might, Indeed,
urge That Accommodation, nn equally
oii1uaivo system. WIS welcomed! uut 90
this be might fairly uo replied, tlu ,uu.n
who spoke Tor N1hammsdiui,m uuIurei
pplygamy aut such Hu utIuutilu no
Mormon would De- prepared % make.
the MormIn Church, then, wa
excluded on "monl" gr0uud,g Was
M. Foy present In tho committee
meeting when IL was decided to close
the parliament against the suuu2 II
rot, his statement is but a conjecture
worth nothing. Ia order 10 subsianti.
ate his guess he has u resort % a
plain misstatcmcnt % fact. He says
the Mohammedaus who spoke atjured
lolygamy,an ihls the Motmons would
not do.
Ia the drst place, no MohlmmcJan
would ever "abiuro" p1lygamy. As
on a former occasion pointed cut by tho
NEws, the Koran does Dot teach that
doctrine asa duty, but u allawsit ~.
der certain circumstance. What the
Koran allows, no follower OF M0ham.
mcd would ever "aljure." AZ the
religious congress ITSELF &c will bc
remembered, MIR. Webb offered o dc.
fcnsa 'or the practices, although, no said,
he would not preach It IN this country.
Mt Toy must hu raIly misinlormei
concerning tho MohammtdAns.
la tho second place, the M1Tmons
have solemnly declared agtinst tue
practice OF polygamY. a n1. which
ought to be known by this time. Mr..
Toy Is evidently asignoraut about the
Mormons a. about the Mohtmms1ans.
As long as the fact rem aims that not
only tho followers Of the Arabian
Prophet, but other religious bodies
Whose members practice pOlygamy,
were admitted 10 the Congress, the
plea tina, the Mormons wero excluded
on moral grounds ia absurd. A moro
probably aupposiIiou would be that fear
was entertained by the leading men
that n clear, fotcibie statement Of the
truth would not be without influence
on the vast audience. Ssctariln mar.
rowness aud med Wgl bigotry may
have ruled In the decision.
No apology is neBIod, however. The
exclusion Of our Church from that con.
gress was no doubt toe right thing.
IL was necessary 10 make an tfilrt
to be heard, lest Afterwards the
feeling might have prevailed that
glorious opportunity had been neg.
lected. The refusal to llstsn to us lifts
the responsibility from tue Church.
Our religion Is not for exhibition pur.
poses. Il Il not on level with the
systems Of Confucius, Buddha or
Mohummed; nor Is It to be compared
TO the yarloua fragments VI Christian
systema that prevail. IL 10 the eternal
truth revealed by ODD. Il has to bo
10 the world as a testimony,
aud In the night time OF tho Almighty
twin encompass tho earth, bringing
peace, Joy anu happiness to all the
oimen.