The Anaconda standard., 1897-12-16
The Spread of Mormonism.

Mormon church is exciting the
wonder and denunciation of
other religious bodies. Enquestionahly
Mormonism is making rapid progress.
If the gospel Of Mormonism is not yet
being carried into all the world. il is
being carried into all parts of the
United States and is being preached
with zeal and fervor. The elders sent
out from Salt Lake have the true mis-
sionary spirit. They address themselves
especially To the poor and lowly. They
administer to the sick and suffering.
They live simple, quiet. unostentatious
lives. In some places in the South they
have been mobbed and run out of town.
Yet these demonstrations had their
origin in the preconceived prejudice Of
the people against Mormonism In gen
eral, not in any specific acts of immor-
aity or obnoxious teachings of the
Mormon elders themselves. To most
people in the East and South, Mormon
ism is still synonymous With poygamy
and they despise il accordingly Yet the
Mormons do not preach poiygamy; on
the contrary they assert with every ap-
pearance Of sincerity that the church so
far from longer countenancing the evil
advocates strict morality. patriotism,
loyalty and obedience to the laws OF
the land.
The New York Christian Advocate.
the chief organ of the Methodist I.pis-
copal church. IA few weeks ago com
mented upon the remarkable i,ains cf
the Mormon church as regrettanla and
truly alarming. The same View is taken
by the Presbyterian Banner, which
characterizes the result of the labors
OF the Mormon missionaries as wonder
I fur and adds. The Mormon problem
is by no means solved. its solution Is
| one Of the difficulties noN staring tbs
| people of the United States in the face,
! and it has been greatly intensified by
/ permitting Utah 10 become ono of the
| states Of the union. These comments
/ have stirred the Deseret News af SAIL
Lake to Indignation and wrath. Tie
/ News enters this protest:
i There Is in fact no Mormon problem
/ in any other sense than there Is. for in
j stance II Presbyterian or a Lutheran
/ problem. All that is probematc about
/ Mormonism exists III the imagination of
j
/ Knowledge as To its principles, doctrines
/ and scope. IL is especially true that the
/ particular religious system mentioned
1 presents no problem staring the people
| Of the United States in the face. that
! is ii offers nothing At which the nation
i as such must feel alarmed il is no men-
ace 10 the institutions Of this country or
/ amy other country. Its votaries teach and
practice loyalty To the established gov
ernments, and have done so even III the
1 face of oppression and persecution
Standing the fundamental principles
embodied In the constitution Mormonism
only asks To be accorded the rights
therein granted. equal with other relig-
! ious systems. As did Luther and other
! champions of religious liberty, IL respect
fully asks for hearing and to be Judged
by reason or the word Of God. IL has no
i problems for the state TO solve.
Enemies Of The religion of The true and
I living God have nearly always fought
/ that faith on The pretense of its disloNaltS
i Ia the state. II was 50 III the case of the
i BabSlonian mobiles who contriNed to open
the lions den To Daniel, the Hebrew.
They found that his success was greater
! than theirs, and that. no matter how
/ closely thex watched him. they could find
no plausible cause for action against
| him Here was a problem indeed, Yet ii
was solved by an imperial decree. the pur-
pose OF which the emperor himself was
far from suspecting.
/ The Son of God was treated much in
| the same way. Ills death was deoreed II
We mistake moi the lessons of sacred his
tory chiefly because lie interfered with
the scandalous traffic within the pre-
etncts of The Temple. in which the mighty
family Of Annas Was Interested, But
even false testimony WAS insufficient fol-
conviction. Another terrible problem, Al
last ingenuity mislnterpreted His teach
ings and made Him pretender TO The
throne Of David. then in the hands al
I Caesar. and thr purpose was accomplish
I'd hS the very crowd that according &c
The ancient testimony, themselves Were
the consprators.
All that the Mormon missionaries
seem to ask is to he judged by the other
churches Of the land in accordance Will
the old rule by their fruits ye shall
know them" Some of the tenets Of ths
church may be at variance With com
monty accepted ecclesiastical beliefs. II
particular the miraculous origin as
eiibed To the Book of Mormon does no
commend itself To intelligence. But /
the Mormon church is doing good. if i
is pefsuading men and women To leas
better lives. the situation Is one tha
really calls for no parosssms Of alarm