Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-10-14

The following criticism By Congress
man u. n. Roberts. Of Miss l.. Doug
airs novel. THE Mormon Prophet was
published IN the Sew York Times sat
urday Review ot September 25'
II was expected that sooner Or later
some attempt would be mndc TO tN-
plain Joseph Smith. the Mormon Pro-
phet." Such was his character. aueh
the importance Of the religion he found
ed. 10 remarkable and thrilling the hts
tory Of his people. that he could not
be- ignored.
Already Of biographies there have
bcpn many, some written from the SIDE
OF sympathy and belief In hia prophetic
calling. more from the standpoint OF the
polcmlc contcmnor. Even ncuon be-
fore now has found incldcnta Ia MS
career and elements In his character
that promised material for ~ purpose,
nut the fiction In the main has been
sorry stun, utterly contemplate from
lls dlssriion of fncts and sickrnins inr
10 distorti0n Of facts ana sickcnins ia
l-4url-in its childish efforts to deny the
Mormon" leader or his people any
honesty of purpose. upriEhtneHa Of M
tcntion, or praise for what they have
achieved. The latest work VI Miss LILY
Dougail. "rhc Mormon Prophet. hove
ever, does not belong 10 that class OF
fiction. Here at least We have strong.
| clear-cut. purpose story, lofty IN tone,
| Ito incidents easily within the lines OF
| probability. and aingularly free from
/ the Vuirarity OF nearly all the writer's
/ OF fiction who have made their Work
/ at any point touch Murmonlhin, u u
an honest effort to account for Joseph
| smith and his work. and, / may add,
| without depreciutlng any one worthy
Of confederation. that Il enjoys the dis
tinction Of being about the urst hon-
| est effort In the department OF hctiuu
TO account for the Mormon Prophet
This Il must be- explained. " not SAID
In approval of the entire book or its
purpose. but IL said Of the story az
understandable fiction and the honesty
OF EFFORT upon the part of the nuthorcal
20 solve what must have been To hcf,nud
what Is to the world. a difficult prob
lem.
innate acquaintance with the early his
tory OF the MormonH " apparent On
every page; that she has followed thi
order Of events. all acquainted with ths
history Of our people well know and
n. ms she explains In her preface, nh'
has taken necessary liberty with In
cldcnts.f those that she has used have
not been violently wreHtcd. and thos'
Invented have not been much out VI
harmony with the facts Of history.
, The point at which her work Ia vul
ncrable IL the point OF view from whicl
, character and achievements ~ JOSEPH
, Smith. she was evidently not ready &
Z accept him az prophet truly inspire
!. OF 0od. nor could she accept the the
: DRY Of conscious invention" as q rcn
? ponable explanation OF his life's work
FOR. had that been the eouroc Of hi
efforts In founding a religion. ~ woul
J, | not have iCft sufficient power 20 carr
h him through persecution. In which n
4 life hung IN the balance, and his caua
4 appeared 10 be loet, nor could she b'
g llevc that the class OF earnest me
+. who constituted the rank ana lie OF III
e early following would have been .
q long deceived by deliberate hyp,
= critic" 1T appears 20 me-, she ~
q plains. more likely that smith wa
g genuinely deluded by the automnt
:. freaks of a vigorous but undlaclphne
brain. and that. yielding to these, D
bccamed confirmed IN the hyHtcrlcl
l. temperament which aiwaye adds to d'
"a fusion sclf-deocption, and 10 eelf-dccei
To- ton hRlf-consclous fraud She col
Z To- tho aid Of her thcory-and vii
"A marked rkiil. be II said-the inclinatig
4. 81 the times toward superstition. 4
n hla day" che remarks. 1T wac ncoo'
M nary to reject a marvel or admit !
spiritual Significance, granting the hot
cot dcluHion as 10 hie vision ana h
A., book. hIa only choice lay between coun
~ ing himself the sport of devils or q
~ agent OF heaven; an optimistic ten
~ permanent cast the die"
~ This II Mics Dougul'a point OF vie
4" In the treatment Of her subject, ar
.. Il Il utterly untenable. The facts
N which MOrmonlsm had ~ origin are
Vi such "a character that they cannot
- resolved into deluHion or niatnl'
u. Either they were truth or conaciou
Slmon-purc invention, II IN not Pc
y, Hibie TO place the matter on midd
a ground, Joseph Smith was either
I'd true prophet or a conscious fraud
AZ villain. Had his religion found It's OF
nd gin In the visions OF his own min
r.,