Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-08-21
Methodist Conference Report on
General Affairs in Utah.
SAYINGS ABOUT MORMoNS.


odlat conference was devoted to buai-
ness. and the reports from all the COM
mittecs were submitted. including the
following report from tho committee
on general Affairs in utah."
THE report that we have 10 make
upon the state OF affairs in Utah BE- for
the benefit OF our brethren IN the gem
/ crnl church, who are intcroated IN the
work ~ spreading the gospel In this
inicr-mountnn region, and are seeking
with uH to solve the problems that COM
/ front us.
These problems nre taking on new
aspect with the passage Of each year.
Tho real development OF Utah has hut
Just begun. We believe that the young
cot DO the slstcrhood " States that
make up our great American common
wealth. b. destined 90 exert no mean
influence upon tho social and political
~ wen MS religious NE OF this entire
/ rrEion Of country. From a material
/ point uf Wow, the basis ~ the pros
/ parity and the consequent Influence OF
/ THIS State o. found boo the courage. re-
| sources ana Industry OF the frat pio-
| hrufH. who were ~ the Mormon" faith.
ann ui their auCCessurH. both Mormon"
| ana none Mormon" who have each
| contributed their share 20 the building
| N great commonwealth
| we regard Il ~ very great Import
| huco that Christian ideas. Christian
| sentiments, and Christian Institutions.
| should Keep pace in their growth with
/ The growth VI our material lntorrnts
We nrg Bt the coutor of nn agricultural
| fnFl'n. which o. famed f0r its fertility,
! ana ui mining operation Che magnitude
/ ~ which has Just bUg. D. ue reeuE.
| nltod and which viii o. uly attract
| the young ana ont0rpfHug men from
! ull over our country Every wear mo
/ wealth and corresponding Influence ia
| ltlh iH being fclt over o. wider stretch
| or territory. ana o. becoming moro and
| more dominant There Is abundant
/ reason Tor the establishment and main.
/ iehnhco uf strong evangelical churches
| lu thlH State. from the fact that q 1r.
! curIrH position uf such strategic inn
| pufinuco that ne influence Is destined 10
! be irlt with Increasing power through
| out THIS entire lutCr-muuutaiu region.
/ nut thiH reason o. emphasized when W0
900 thht here We ind that strange
| ltlih mas uHurpod the place 90 the ruF-
| pel ~ Christ and iH dominant among
! The people. This faith IT. suhypr4iyo III
many % the cardinal points uf christi.
! tnliN ana lmprCHHCa one nH r. rrutesuue
] nllcndn 20 the pure teachings ~ Jesus
d
we'll established ana cherished truths
lhgy believe in many gods. that
| God the Father was once I'd man. and
! sun has body Uf foHh and bones
] mat Adam was the Ancient ~ Days"
! Michael The urrhnuFel. that Eve was
l celestial vito whom Adam BROUGHT
] WIN MN from heaven. that he ~ our
! Father ana God that We have 70 hoav-
| nnly Mother uH wrll a. heavenly
| Father, that Jesus Christ was the po.
! lyEhmuuH husband Of tho Bethany sis
! tors aud MARY Angdllcnc. that the
| h"lN bhosi o. not "a person, does not
| POSSESS intelligence, but a. substance
| which can Doe communicated by the luy.
/ ing uu NJ prieHuy hands. as electricity
] may pass from one material body 10
| another, that the Hin " Adam was or-
! uorrl by God ami necessary 20 fulnl
| the Divine purposes OF tho race, that
| marriage o. essential 60 future glory.
! ana that tho relation viii continue In
! eternity with the Same results nH FOL.
| low uu earth. and that IN proportion
] 90 the number uf "a mans wives aud
| ,hllufeu, both here ana In heaven. will
| DC the degree uf his Oxaltntluu there
''lho vitality uf the Mormon religion
] l1 uf concern not only ca the people OF
] ltuh but also 10 the Christian church
/ everywhere, ana 90 those who hplIUv.
! ln Che huueuynut influence uf tho teach.
| INKS uf Christianity rn this strange
| tuith d. not held in quletnpHs. n is
| active aud aggressive. ItH fuIsslon.
| aries arr Hwlrmlng through the East
| uud tho South and across the Houa. 10
! spread o. Influence and 90 gain cun-
| NrrtH, II ls fact that ndherrutH arc
/ being gained 10 MurmoniHm from the
! Southern States, from portions uf Eu.
| rope, sweden ana rural England In
| particular, and from certain portions
/ NJ the Eastern States, and new settle.
/ WrntH Of these converts are continually
/ being made IN Utah, N1vndn, Idaho
/ Montana, Wyoming, Colorado aud other
| iutpr-mountuln ana western States BE-
! cause this rs tho central point ~ an
| this activity, We believe that there ia
mo- region of the United States where
! there is such vital need Tor earnest
true, aggressive Christianity az right
| hurp Ia Utah
~ ~ a fact that ~ worthy Of note
that but few converts uro made 60
MprmunlHm In Utah itself The en-
uuurugumrnt 10 evangelical effort In
This field are far greater than ~ gem
orally supposed. while IL ~ true that
the Mormon hierarchy seek 20 hold
their people with an iron grip ana do
succeed ln keeping multltudUs ulnof
from Christian intercourse yet power
! ful dlTlutpgruting influences are nc work
among them, ana these, added 10 the
results already achieved by the church.
va, give promise OF richer harvcata In
the future,
Apustisics from "Mormonlsm" were
| by mo- means unknown prior 10 the os-
ubllshmont of christian ChurChoa
when life ana property were placed IN
/ jeopardy thereby, But they become
! Increasingly numerous ua the growing
strength OF the Gentle element makes
detection comparatively safe. Many
accepting "MormoniHm' because thcy
supposed they would INA Ia II "a ~
stored form OF Apostolic faith and
practice, arriving In Utah ami dlsCny-
Hrlur itg true chuructcr-huye turned
from u In bitter disappointment. Some
have fallen into total skcptiolsm, others
have found "a home IN evangelical
/ churches. and yet others have laps1d
! into indifference,
statistics recently gathered from an
| tho Christian denominations show
! largo proportion NJ converts from tho
dominant church than tho present
| numerical strength of the churches
| indicate,
"Muuy who have embraced Christi
! uultv have boon compelled by loss OF
! employment. social OHtraCiHm and busi-
ness boycutting Co migrate from tho
| State. and thus have been lost 20 our
] church statistics.
There are churches whose gains
| from M0rmunlsm In past years have
] been far greater than their present
] total numbers. They have been 80
| depleted hy removals as 20 appear dis
] u1ufnruigly feeble, while they have
] rtnIN moi with IA good degree of sue