Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-03
sLANDERoUs HISTORY.


Mr.. Wilson Odeli of Homlny Falls.
Nicholas county, West Virginia. sends
to the News" on article written by
one Arthur MLean and printed in the
! Methodist Episcopal Advocate of SUIT
ton, in that state. which deals with
Mormonism and its founder, the
Prophet Joseph Smith. Mr.. Odell states
that he Is not Mormon but that Nor
mon missionaries have often been at
his house. and that he regards them ms
perfect gentlemen. He suggests that
the News" reply to the clipping.
Mr.. MLeon's article begins abruptly
with this sentence: Among the grent-
est stains ON Americas history Is Nor
monisin." This declaration Is n sufii-
Client index OF what follows. which
embraces some sarcastic remarks about
the people who become converted to
Mormonism, and the reiterated asser-
ton that the Elders who convert them
are ignorant and illiterate. II Mr..
M'Lean were to make such statements
and Misrepresentation :. as are con-
tanned in his article. On his own re-
sponslbility and alleged Information
1t would be an easy matter to dispose
of him and his utterances to the salts
faction of candid persons. But he sup
ports his assertions. and his character
ization of the Mormon people. by
lengthy quotations from the Eclectic
History of the United States.
The work named purports to give
condensed narrative of the early rise
and progress of the Mormon Church,
and brief biography of its prophet
founder. 1t is n crime in any historian
to pervert truth and falsely history In
the manner In which these things were
done by the author of the work
quoted by MIR. MLean. He has made
himself deceiver of multltudes re-
speeding sacred things, and has placed
upon an innocent people the burden OF
proving to the world that they and
their leaders are not guilty OF the
things with which he charges them.
But such crime brings its own pun
ishment. In this age OF free discus
sion and an omniscient and omnipotent
press. the truths Of modern and current
history cannot be suppressed nor per-
verted permanently; and the writer
who, in the semi-sacred character OF a
historian. in a record designed for the
instruction of posterity. deliberately
characterizes a people as lacking the
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oal,r,ny no has nerne,rotad. his writ
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ho 1a,asted and no 1yiI, be consirned To
tho coptar,nt and ohlivion ne deserves.
rha account Of Normonism given by
tho WORK relied upon Inv Mr.. MLean
NAV he briefly disposed of by simply
remnrl,inp that II was written from the
standpoint of n reckless enemy, rather
than of a painstaking and impartial in
yestipator. and with n view to popu-
larity rather than the presentation of
historical truth. This description, with
more or less modification. will fit vast
mass of literature, purporting to give
the truth about Mormon history and
doctrine. which has issued from the
press, particularly in the United States,
during the lifetime of the re-
ligious society that has been
the subject matter. That society was
long regarded with almost universal
prejudice, and 1t was a rare thing for
an author not n member Of 1t to dis.
play courage enough to tell the truth
about It, This fact should be remem-
bered in connection with the axiom
that n mans friends rather than his
foes should be applied to for correct
Information concerning him.