The record-union., 1899-07-29
moRMoNIsM's GROWTH.
It's Students at Harvard and Johns
HOPKINS

mO0MONx6NQS 03SO" LII
It's Students at Harvard and Johns
Hopkins.
The Rev. DR.. Francis E. Clark, Pres
ident of the United Society Of Chris
tan Endeavor, spoke to his neighbors
in Auburndale, Sunday evening, about
his recent trip across the continent to
attend a series Of Christian Endeavor
conventions, and the chief incident of
his address, was his description of the
condition of Mormonism as he found 1t.
Mormonism is not declining faith, as
most of the people in the East would
suppose from the fact that polygamy is
unlawful and the Gentiles are filling up
Utah rapidly. On the contrary, the
organization is spreading. 1t is ag-
gressive, and has missionaries who are
full of enthusiasm and are ready to
die for their religion, the same as mis-
s1onaries of other faiths. AS an evil
dence of the aggressive nature of Nor
monlsm and it's attempt to meet mod
ern conditions, DR.. Clark said that he
was Informed out there that they have
SIX Mormon students in Harvard, six
teen In Johns Hopkins University at
baltimore, while in Pratt Institute in
brooklyn systematic effort was made
by Mormons to make proselytes until it
was discovered and stopped by the au-
thor1t1eS of the institute. Thew have
missionaries in many places in this
country, especially in the South, while
Dr. Clark gave it as matter of his
own knowledge that there have been
mormon ri he ia
steamers every time he has crossed the
ocean, going or coming. They are
pushing out rapidly and are "a great
missionary church
One particular reason why they are
able to do this is because they have a
system of tithes. Every member of
the Mormon Church must give to the
church every year tenth of his in
come. Thus it is that, though the peo-
pie as rule are not rich, they have
an immense fund for the prosecution of
missions and for their church expenses
The Mormons accept this condition
readily and live up to their financial
obligations to the church.
The Mormon people are doubtless
sincere in their faith, as rule, though
they are led by shrewd prophets and
Bishops who are very capable men and
sharp in worldly matters. DR.. Clark
spoke of Congressman H. B. Roberts,
who is one of their leading men in re-
isious matters. He was described as
"a straightforward, open-hearted and
aboveboard man." as a man who is
clean and honest" He undoubtedly
has firm belief in the infallibility of
the revelation through Joseph Smith,
the Mormon prophet DR.. Clark at
tended a meeting of the young people
OF the Mormon Church at which Con-
gresham Roberts spoke. The Con-
gresham dwelt upon the Peace Confer
ence at The Hague, for it was Peace
Sunday and the Mormons took up
the idea and observed the day, the
same as the Gentiles did Mr.. Roberts
said that the Peace Conference would
not amount to anything practical, and
he justified his position by reading from
prophecy made in 1880 by Joseph
Smith, in which he predicted the re-
bellion of South Carolina, and described
such condition Of conflict in the years
to come that Mr.. Roberts felt sure that
the conference at The Hague will be
fruitless. He had as much confidence
in the accuracy of the prophecy as if
it had been guaranteed to be a direct
divine communication.
Congressman Roberts is the origina-
tor and present head of the young peo-
pies organization of the Mormon
Church corresponding to the Christian
Endeavor movement. The name of the
society is the Mutual Improvement So
c1ety of the Latter Day Saints. and its
purposes correspond somewhatato the
purposes of the Christian Endeavor
movement DR.. Clark was given the
compliment (Which he regarded as
rather doubtfuD of being called the
II. B. Roberts of the Christian Endeav-
or movement. He was invited to speak
to the Mormon young people from the
same platform with Congressman Rob-
erts, but he declined the invitation. The
Weighty reason in his mind was that
II he should do so, then it would lead
10 the comment that Christianity and
Mormonism We're not so very different,
after all, for they We're so nearly alike
in essentials that a representative of
the one felt sufficient fellowship to
speak on the platform of the other. But
he attended the meeting and, heard
DR.. Clark spoke of the dangers of
Mormonism to this country. 1t is not
polygamy which is the most dangerous
part of their creed. By a new revela-
ton it has been decided that polygamy
is not an essential part of their body of
doctrines. But they teach the absolute
supremacy of the religious power over
the civil power, and they hold that
special revelations are not ended, but
that the Mormon prophets may receive
new dispensation from heaven at any
time. Thus they can vary their doc
trines as they please, and can adapt
themselves to circumstances The
new revelation that polygamy is not a
fundamental part of Mormonism was
received Immediately after the passage
of the law against it by Congress. But
| that will not prevent a further reyela-
ton, at any time when it may be con-
venient, that the former dispensation in
this respect has been restored and that
polygamy is part of their creed. The
doctrine of plural wives had a great
effect upon the women, for they had
been taught that they would not get
to heaven unless they were sealed as
the wife, from first up to any other
number, Of some Mormon. The women
believed this doctrine absolutely. In
the main the Mormons have full conf
dence in their religion, but DR.. Clark
said that some of their leaders are not
at all of that class, and he mentioned
one of their prophets as having noto-
riously made a fortune out of his posi-
ton. The danger of Mormonism to
this country, above all other things, is