The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-20
MORMONISM.


zeal of Mormonism, and with its
increase of members in various
portions of our country, SO little is
said to warn the innocent and un-
Suspecting. 1t is said that more
than n hundred missionaries from
Salt Lake City are at work in
Indiana alone They recently visited
every house in this city, and in the
country, holding meetings wher-
ever they could get into quarters.
They are very religious, calling
themselves "Ministers of the Lord
Jesus Christ" and "will not take
no for an answer" | had to re-
peatedly forbid two of those
"elders" coming into my house.
They proposed to come in any way,
and instead of leaving on warning
they stood and attempted to argue
for almost an hour. They are on
salary, but beg thei" meals and
lodginS. They instruct the people
not only in Mormonism, but that it
is very wicked to pay a man to
preach the gospel to them; that
they 60 out and preach it "with-
out money and without price !" l
wonder why the press is so indif-
fcrent respecting this monster?
That it is multiplying caunot be
denied. The last census gives:
California, 1896; Colorado, l, ,762;
Nebraska, LOIS; Michigan, 1, $40;
Wyoming, 1886; Kansas, LOG;
Iowa, 5.303; Idaho, 1872; Ari-
zona, 300, and Utah, us, ,125.
The Southern States have been
invaded, and now tie Central and
Eastern States will be worked.
They teach that the book Of Nor
mon is sacred and equal in every
respect to the New Testament
Scriptures and that Joseph Smith
was a called prophet of Jesus
Christ! happened to know about
as much of his history as they did,
and more about some things than
they wanted to know. Born in
Sharon, VT, in 1905, at ten years
Of age he moved with his father to
Palmyra, n. y. 1t is said of him
that he was ignorant, an idler,
and given to thicving. Both he
and his father were superstitious,
and believed in witchcraft. In dig
ging a we'll he found peculiar
shaped stone which he called a
"pcepstone," and said he could
find lost things with it. He soon
learned that the people liked to be
"foolcd," and finding the manu-
script of an unpublished novel he
pretended to have found it under a
great stone through the direction
Of an "angel," and TRANSLATED" it
behind a sheet stretched across the
corner Of his room! He took some
followers from Kirkland, Ohio, to
jackson county, Mo-, and from
there to Nauvoo1, III. From all of
these places he and the "saints"
were run away, there being so
much obnoxious teaching and
thioving Gas it is said) that the
citizcns would not endure it. For
many misdcmeanors Smith was
finally arrested, and in an attempt
to escape from Jail and justice an
infuriatcd mob ended his career.
He Informed the people one time
that ON n certain day he would
walk into the river and not sink.
The night previous he secured a
long plank just under the su 'feco
Of the water, marked the place,
and the water being oily the board
could not be detected. But some
very bad fellows had, unobserved,
watched his maneuvers, and before
the dawn Of tho cvcntfnl morning
had removed theplank. The crowds
camc-so did Joseph. After i'm.
prcssive CD ceremonies he started
in, and-splash! lie was rescued
by friends.
| related these and many other
interesting incidents to the
"elders," which they did not deny,
but continued to argue that he was
Gods prophet. spoke to them
respecting polygamy. They said,
ooh, we do not practice it now"
Said | 'Ut is inst sc ,nuob of a