The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-07-01
LATER DAY
SAINTS"
THEClTY OF MERIDIAN and vicinity have been great.

Ihf'1ii " '''' "". 'N"'' 49," e"h
SAINTS" i " wrought up Of late over the presence Of a number Of
Later bay Saints of Jesus Christ, commonly known a. Mormons. 1t is
said that these apostles Of the religion Of Joseph Smith have been 50 persist
cut and defiant in the propagation OF their fahh that they have made them
4lye, an ln,IHcrabe nuisance to he good people Of that city. a few days
since with Judge /. ". fewall at the head, "A party of met waited upon
these Later bay Saints, " and impressed upon them the fact there are
other places with more congcniaI surrounding for them than Meridian, and
suggested to them that they had better move on And they moved. No
violence wa. done these misguided apostle of Il false religion. but the news
paper report indicate that their would have been trouble had not the Nor
mons vacated. Their bodies were not bruised. but they yer driven away
II has been suggested that this treatment OF the Mormons is religious perse-
tcutou. There r. no question about the absolute faith in and devotion of
some nf these people other religion, From the time when Joseph Smith in his
"IIoy OF IIour, made by hanging a blanket across one corner Of his room,
read from Nnhmau Npaulding "Mann>crpt Found, and had Oliver Cow
NmDon>" these people nave fought, suffered and died for their religion.
They have indmcd hard,au~ and suffered sacrifices worthy OF a better cause
-~u they have suffered. There is no doubt about the dishonesty of the
founders uf tr, sect there Is no doubt about the fal>ty of the religion. 1t
mad it, origin In rupdty. and has been sustained for all these years by de-
.rrption and industry, still, it is a religion. and a large majority of the peo-
pie who from> mth in it are just as honest and sincere in their profession
a. the major y d the faithful u any other religion, There is no doubt of
that N"& is TO the pnp1ety and justiceo Of the employment of harsh meas
mr, to eliminate Ih, element from society. 50 long :, these poor, con-
tumptlttc people do not violate the laws Of the state Or the proprieties of
Ic. As we understand it, violent hands should not be laid upon them, This
ia government by reason supposed TO be- and nothing should be said or
do@e which will in any way tbHdgc the liberty Of free speech. After read
ing tho history ot Nornont~m, it ka mystery to us that any sensible self,
respecting person w~oaIdiocrmt one Of these apostles to enter Their houses
Vet "e know they are often permitted to enter and their doctrine is listened
W. know o. Constructed, or rather outlined by an iliterate knave-the
idea taken from the stolen manuscript Of an unpublished move. and after a
God We have concluded that the person who could accept that religion is
tit for that religion aud no other. We are very much inclined to the opinion
any way, that mans religion is -hapencd to a great degree by his mental
requirement. moral tendency and physical environments, 1t seems to rs
that Commissioners has SO designed it There is one thing about the
Mormon religion as taught in their books, aside from their disgusting
p"yaamous tot"hingsth there is nothing especially bad. Some of the same good
lessons taught in any other creed can be found there. Indeed, there are
some very good things taught in the Mormon book, but they re stolen from
the bible. We do not believe it will serve Il good purpose in boz Guilt ~l
Nomous So long A. they do not violate the laws of the land, We think it
better to leave to reason to combat their absurd religion.