Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-29
now no STUDY "MonMoNisM.'

spot;" I'VE have scnt a special CORE
rpondent to Salt Lake city 10 lnvesu-
rate Mormouism." These are some OF
the statements we Ind IN different
newspapers published In the East and
in the South. This would be both IN
tercstlng and encouraging 20 the NOR
mon" people. n the pretended invcsu-
cations were conducted with any degree
OF faI.nass, and dcslre to obtain facts
and correct information M TO the doc
trlnes, spirit and Intent Of the Church
Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
commonly called the Mormon Church
IL depends a great deal upon the state
Of mind and the purpose In the heart
OF an Individual who makes study Of
any religious. social or political ques-
ton. II he bcsins with settled convic-
tion that the system he Is about to pry
into IL wrong. and his object IL 10 dis
cover. n possible. evidences OF It's
falslty. he will no doubt ind many
things which will 1T Into his design and
confirm him In his original position.
Nearly everybody who comes TO Utah
for the nominal purpose Of "invcstlgat-
ing 'Mormonlsm." takes II for granted
Tint the whole concern ls either a
fraud or a deluslon. and he does not
look for anything but what viii cstab.
lish one or the other Of those spropoti'
tions.
In nearly every Instance. too. the
pretended inquirer goes to sources from
which flow only misrepresentation.
abuse, buriesquc and carlcature. These
fall In with the desire OF the querist
and he adopts them at once. In maxi
ing out his communications TO the Jour-
nal or magazine which he represents.
he sets forth these distortions as Nor
moninm.' II he quotes from Mormon"
literature he does not take the trouble
10 10 to the standards Of faith OF tho
Church. but accepts from Its enemies
eArbled quotations from works that are
not recognized nA authoritative. or iso-
lated sentences from old sermons with
out giving the explanatory context. In
relating Mormon" history. he elites
anti-"Aiormon" stories as though they
were authenticated facts. and In depict
ing Mormon" society he repeats alb
surd and monstrous tales told by repro
bittr VIM I'N'A ~ WV hAfh'
and who delight In scandal.
That is how "Mormonlsm" IL usually
studied by newspaper representatives
and clergymon who pay u brief visit
60 this city. and have the eublimo cgo-
tlsm to assume either that they knew
all about II before they came, or have
imblbcd complete understanding Of
the many questions involved In It's tho.
oioey. It's remarkable organization ana
the practical questions Involved In the
system, by n forty-elght hours or
weeks eojourn among lts most vlgor-
Gus ana subtle opponents. 1t IN rare
indeed that any Of them SO 60 the foun-
,ain head for information. II they do
mlngle with people who can give them
light, It IL merely that they may be
able TO say that they had interviews
with prominent "Mormons"
How often one may read In magazines
and eastern newspapers about what Is
In the Book q Mormon, and ind that
the alleged quotations are either not In
the book at all, or 80 changed as to DO
the opposite OF what the book conveys,
That work Ia frequently denounced
from the pulpit as "a religious ro-
nance" or condemned as blasphem-
Gus and ridiculous counterfeit OF the
Bible. AJAX tho Rev. preachers II
! they have ever read the book, and when
pressed into a corner FOR a direct re-
! ply. they have to acknowledge that they
have never eeen anything but alleged
extracts from II. The most oNtravagant
and nonsensical notions that could be-
! invented and called religious opinions
ore commonly presented to the public
as "Mormonlsm."
d Some Of the very worst Of the dctam.
ers OF the Mormon" people and their
doctrines, are among the ministers OF
the different "Christlan" dcnomina.
! tions. They are deserving Of all IN,
denunciauons heaped upon the pharl,
sees and scribcs and doctors and law,
yers by the Savior OF the world when lie
ministered among men. They are en-,
gagged In similar occupation. They
VIII be entitled 60 the same reward
Men Of their class wcrc the chief caus,
OF the prosecutions and bloodshed tina
came upon the I.atter-day Saints In tn,
early days o. the Church. They ar,
following In the same course. but VIII
other weapons, today, Thoy viii m
up the full measure of the cups Of thel
iniqul'y and then 70 to Their own place
We warn our contemporaries at &
distance, that 10 is useless To son,
clerical or journalistic representative
TO utah TO gather up anti Mormon
pabulum TO dish out to their readers
II Is waste Of time ana money. The,
can CLEAN all the kind OF stun the,
want from antl-"Mormon" literature
2 they desire Mormon" works. tho,
can get them from Mormon sources
p rhey can also be visited by mission
10 aries who are out among them for IN
hurpose OF dlnusIng correct lnforma
tlon. '''''
we notice in the Chattanooga. Tenn
its NsNH' that an Invitation was recent
extended from the President OF IN
vi southern States mission to minister