The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-06-11
The 1ormOnS.

periencing great evangelizing
effort by the Mormons. Two weeks
ago great conference of Mormon
elders was held near Chambersburg,
the last Sunday in May in a large
barn. More than score of elders
attended on foot from various
quarters of the country. The meet
ing was so successful that funds
were raised to build stone church
which will be named Fairview
Church. Six converts were baptized
on Monday.
Thirteen hundred Mormon mis-.
sionaries or elders are now laborine
to spread the doctrines of "The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints.n
Their missionariesare young men,
for elders past the prime of life
cannot endure the hardships result
ing from the rule that compels
Mormon eyangelists to journey or
foot. The young Mormon who
enters the ministry is obliged also
to sell all his property, and to start
upon his work with the funds thus
raised, leaving behind his wife and
children.
They claim that they give nc
encouragement to converts to &c
to Utah, and that they draw from
all churches and classes. Last veal
they added 10000 members t.
their church, and now have a tota
membership of more than 100000
This year marks the seventeen
anniversary of the finding of the
"Book of Mormon" by the Vernon
farmer. 1t is fifty years since
Brigham Young and his pioneers
arrived at Salt Lake.
AS ridiculous as the origin of the
religion of the "Latter Day Saints
may be, and Notwithstanding the
palpable fraud the pretended find
ing of the tablets by Joe Smith
which contained the gospel of The
"Saints," the fact that it has en-
dured for 20 years and defed per
secution and privations of every
conceivable kind, the "religion'
of the Mormon grows and returns
to the scenes of its childhood, strong
and defiant to gather proselytes from
the folds Of its prosecutors.
The history of the Mormon
church is almost Identical with thu
history of every religion in the
annals Of the world. They hav,
all arisen from the ranks of thu
lowly, have endured persecution
from the wealthy and powerful
religions which rose and fourisheG
before them. Great men have
joined their ranks and aided il
pushing the new doctrine among
the masses, the lowly that are
always seeking some road of escape
from their toll and trouble. Every
new religion holds out the hand OF
brotherhood to the millions who are
looking for help and finding it not
among their old institutions. Brig.
ham Young is classed as one of the
ablest men this country ever pro,
duced, judged by the work he per
formed in building a state in a
desert country. The methods he
pursued, aside from the professed
religion which he used more as a
practical instrument to control his
followers than a divine faith in
which he believed, is a lesson
which political economists study
with profit.
When a religion wakes strong
and rich and becomes popular
among the wealthy classes, the
fraternal spirit which enabled it to
rise to power and commanding in
tluence is forgotten. The poor and
lowly are lost sight of and avarous
luxury and allthe spiritual microbes
take possession of the unhealthy
body and commence devouring it.
The multitude care little for the
origin of a religion they only see il
as it exists around them and judge
it by its actions and its fruits. The
same causes which undermine and
destroyed the religions of the pagan
world are attacking the christian
church, and the lowly are turning
to the brotherhood which they find
in such organizations as the Saliva
ton Army, the Mormon, the
Seventh Day Adventists, etc. These
hold out to them the hand o.
brotherhood which they earnestly
grasp, the old religions having
deserted them. Thus has it ever
been. Thus must it ever be?