Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-02-15
\ REPLY TO REV. BLISS.

Two notable facts at present cal
the attention Of the world to Mormon
ism. one is its rapid progress anon
the nations of the earth as result
OF the divine power accompanying IL
opponents and manifest wherever the!
go. Another is the strenuous bu
futile efforts Of the adversary to stol
it's advance, generally by ridlculing tn,
belief OF the Alormons and inventlnl
all manner of falsehoods concerning
them.
The snbjolned Associated Press dis.
patch from Boston illustrates tbs
methods OF nearly all engaged in war
fare against Mormonlam. Peiversior
Of truth is their forte:
"Boston. Mast. Feb. 15.-Rev
| Charles II. Bliss. financial agent II
the Salt Lake Financial college. Utah,
| delivered at the Boston Congregation
al ministers meeting startling adj
| dress In which he said the Murmons
mean war. Mi. Bliss said:
The present extended missionary
movement of the Mormon Church.
embracing, 1t is said. no less than
| ! 400 missionaries at work in this coun-
churches TO examine the fundamental
doctrines by the force Of which the
Church proposes TO overtIrn the
Christianity of the age. They are as
| follows:
"'Our Lord is Adam; the universe
Is governed by quorum OF Gods
probably polygamous: the Holy Ghost
Is Il fluid; salvation is by Priesthood,
Joseph Smith was n Prophet of God
nj al l.. 1.
gin; polyEamv is of divine origin and
binding force: all Christian churches
since Apostolic times are apostate
from the truth and teachers Of false
doctrines and should he subvarted.
ION the basis of these doctrines, II
proposes not only to establish n the
ocracy In Utah by which NIL the
vitnl affairs OF the State shall be gov
erned. but also to destroy oil Christian
churches. II ought not to astonlsh
anyone that the manifesto OF 1850, pro-
Tossing to suspend polygamy, has not
done So The mask is falling off. Six
Years after the manifesto was issued.
the first State legislature In Utah
legitimntized all the polygamous chill
drcn born up to the date Of the act
As n rule the News" takes but little
notice OF the oratorical eTusions of
persons who 60 abroad for the purpose
of coning the sympathy of their
Christian friends into currency. for
their own benefit. As already intimated,
one result OF their labor is to draw at
tention TO the marvellous spiritual and
temporal work of the Mormon people.
and this Is by no means Objectionable
to us. on the contrary, Mormonism, or.
which Is the same. true Christianity,
is given to the world for the purpose
of being seen. 1t courteously invites
investigation In every detail. Once in
while, however. 1t seems necessary to
repudlate the slanderous attacks. not
so much in defense of the truth, which
Itself is impregnable. but for the benefit
of those whose judgment is easily in
fluenced by bold assertions.
The burden of the address of Rev.
Bliss, whoever he is. seems to be that
the Mormons have broken faith with the
nation. and that polygamous marriages
are secretly iourishing In Utah: that
the aim of the Mormons is to estab-
fish theocracy in their State and
destroy all Christian churches, all of
which can he characterized as unquali-
fed falsehood. The Presidents mani
festo Of 1890 was the end of the
marriage controversy as far as the
members of the Church are concerned.
Before that time 1t was openly prac-
tised TO verv limited extent; after
wards not at all. The reference of Mr..
Bliss to the act of the Utah Leglsla-
ture recognizing children born in
plural marriage as legitimate, MS
proof of his contention that the prac-
tlce Is still In vogue, only proves that
he Ia very careless logiclan. The fact
is that this was done first by acts of
Congress and that the State Legislature
merely continued in force q law previ-
ously recognized by Congress as Just
and expedlent. Mr.. Bliss in his criticism
of the Utah Legislature attacks Con-
gress.
But the charge is that plural mar
riages are contracted In secret and
that polygamy exists VIGOROUSLY all
through Utah. The "News' has re-
peatedly admitted that men who under
previous conditions assumed the res
possibility of plural family relations
have felt In honor bound to support
and care for their children and the
mothers of their children. What would
n professed exponent OF Christianity
have them do? Repudiatc their chill
dron and cast adrift the noble women
who faithfully stood by them in years
of trouble and suffering? No man, de-
serving that name, he he Gentle or
jew, Christian or inGdel, would advo-