Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-30

| ndu an nolr chat mere with the Ven-
cradle Lorenzo Show. the president of the
| Church of Latter Day Saints, and the
leader of the three hundred odd thousand
| MormoEs who are scattered over the
United States. Mr.. Snow is now eighty-six
| years of age, but like many of the old men
| of his church he looks much younger. As
| he shook my hand / could hardly realize
| that he had passed his three score and ten
| sixteen years ago, and my mind went back
| to President Woodruff, who was at the
| head of the church at the age of ninety-one
| curing my last visit to Salt Lake. Presi-
| dent Snow does not weigh more than -
| pounds but ne is very active. He had Just
| returned from church meeting at Ogden
| thirty miles away, and he told me that 1t
was his custom to take long walks every
DAY. During the talk l asked him some
| questions about his career. He has been a
| Mormon all mis- life, has preached Mormon
| ism IN nearly every country of Europe. and
| has practiced 1t, plurality of wives q am
| told he has had five or more) and all, from
| his boyhood until now
| AS for myself, | am a caSt-fron Presby-
| terrain, but do not question the honesty of
| President Snow in the statements which
follow:
How He Became Mormon.
The Mormon Church. you know, believes
that its elders and members have revela-
| lions direct from God. President Snow
| told me there no doubt in his mind
| that the Father and Jesus Christ really
/ appeared in person to Joseph Smith while
he was upon earth. and that Joseph Smith
had frequent and full directions for all
/ things connected with the church from on
| high. He said such revelations were man.
| ifested today, and | thereupon asked him
point blank il he himself had ever had a
| revelation or direct manifestation from
God.
Il know that 1 have. and that several
times, replied the president of the Nor
mons The first one was when | was a
| boy My parents were very well to do
They sent me to college at Oberlin, Ohio
but found the professors, they We're Con-
gregationalists. insisted | should believe as
| they did, and / left and went TO Kirkland
There | met Joseph Smith and the Nor
mons. l attended their meetings and saw
the brothers and sisters prophesying,
speaking strange tongues and giving forth
the revelations they received from God. [
was converted by them. l believed they
mad the true religion, and l joined the
church. So far my conversion was merely
matter of reason. L had had no manifes-
tatlon, but l expected one.
II was about two weeks later when I
Went out in the woods one day to pray that
II came. was on my kiees when | heard
rustllnS like that of a silk dress and
something came down upon me and en-
Veloped me l can't describe it, but [ knew
II was from the Lord | was filled with
ecstasy, and my sins seemed to have passed
away l was immersed in the presence
"hich stayed with me for perhaps an hour
II came again at night when | was in my
bed After that | had the power of CON
version and healing by the laying on of my
hands and parties have told me that when
my hands were placed upon them they ex-
perenced the same feelings l had in the
woods. mat was many many years ago
nave been a Mormon ever since.
Plural Marriages.
Later on in the conversation referred to
the case of Roberts, and asked the presi-
dent whether poiygamous marriages were
still contracted in Utah. He replied:
L answer emphatically that they are not
There has not been one such. so far as l
know, since L have been president of the
church."
VIII there be more of such marriages in
the future?" l asked
No, l think not We believe that plural
marriages are in accordance with the will
of God, and that if the rest of the world
saw things in their true light they would
be encouraged and approved of by all. Bat
they are contrary to the laws of the land
and 1t Is sometimes best to omit the exer-
clse of your belief for the greater good in
other ways trusting in the Lord to make
all things right in the end"
How many men are there in Utah who
have more than one wife, Mr.. President?'
L don't believe there are more than
1,500,' the reply. There were about
900 when the Edmunds-Tucker law was
ne mos Oh these are oid and
49, W. tu are put rev young
Are these 100 living in poygamy?'
wives apI MI rT5 seiei any SUPPORT their
nnnch of tbaTo II ]bay Ala nt NJ ~, th4Ilh
tered into a soia,,n cor, 80 no. lucy en-
become tbair bnSha,ds ~ -; Ux uo 81 10
next, and many Of rbeyn dnSb,ies, 'i ,, 1ns
consider themselves sna,,asror "Soto
should refuse to nerfoTyn thlsa oo IL oneS
| believe MANY have not baa, I'LL. aG ;i
their plural wives as husbsnd Us -, -
Some | doubt not have been doing 90 go
some have probah1y had cbil5rane - 49,
wives since then Such rnattars h ~ suCn
are left to the Individual They ar 80
controlled by the church The cb,,rnh ~
scented to these marriages II a.. ~. I'm
how it can restrict action Of fndf,.jI,I LII sec
regard to them now '- ia
p
as 10 Fiural Wives.
L here asked President Smith If he couId
give me a statement of the exact baltaf -
tho Mor,oo,s &c :, -, t.. 'eiei VI
- 80 ~ man having more tnan
one "le- IN reply ne gave me one of the
church books containing the revelations AL
legged to have been given bv God to Io.a,b
Smith From, tbi. 7 600 ,ba. 81. 1922
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