The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-08-21
Methodist Conference Report on
General Affairs in Utah.
SAYINGS ABOUT MORMONS.
Claims of Reverend Gentlemen Who
are Here to Promote the Inter-
ests of MethOdism.

| InlS morning session OF the Meth
odist conference was devoted to bust
ness, and the reports from all the COM
mittees were submitted, including the
following report from the committee
on general affairs in Utah.
1.-The report that we have to make
upon the state of affairs in Utah is for
the benefit of our brethren in the gen.
eral church, who are interested in the
work of spreading the gospel in this
inter-mountain region, and are seeking
front US.
These problems are taking on new
aspect with the passage of each year.
The real development of Utah has but
just begun. We believe that the young
| est in the sisterhood of States that
make up our great American common
wealth, is destined to exert no mean
influence upon the social and political
as well as religious life of this entire
region of country. From a material
| point of view, the basis of the pros
perlty and the consequent influence of
| this State is found in the courage, re-
sources and industry of the first pio-
neers, who We're of the Mormon faith,
and OF their successors, both Mormon"
! and n-"Mormon," who have each
contributed their share TO the building
of great commonwealth.
we regard it of very great import
ance that Christian ideas, Christian
sentiments, and Christian institutions,
should Keep pace in their growth with
the growth of our material interests.
we are at the center of an agricultural
region, which is famed for its fertility,
and of mining operations the magnitude
of which has just begu be recog-
nlzed and which will &C inly attract
the young and enterprising men from
all over our country. Every year the
wealth and corresponding influence of
Utah Is being felt over a wider stretch
OF territory, and is becoming more and
more dominant. There is abundant
reason for the establishment and main
tenance of strong evangelical churches
IN this State, from the fact that it oc-
cupies position of such strategic i'm
portance that its influence is destined to
be felt with increasing power through
out this entire inter-mountain region,
but this reason is emphasized when we
ada that here we find that a strange
falth has usurped the place of the gos-
pei of Christ and is dominant among
the people This faith is subversiVe of
many of the cardinal points of Christi
anity and impresses one as a grotesoue
addenda to the pure teachings of Jesus
and as fearful distortion of many
well established and cherished truths.
They believe in many gods; that
God the Father was once a man, and
still has body of flesh and bones;
that Adam was the Ancient of Days"
Michael the archangel; that Eve was
celestial wife whom Adam brought
with him from heaven; that he is our
Father and God; that we have a heav-
emily Mother as we'll as a heavenly
Father; that Jesus Christ was the po-
lygamous husband of the Bethany sis
ters and Mary Magdalene; that the
Holy Ghost is not a person, does not
possess intelligence, but is a substance
which can be communicated by the lay
ing on of priestly hands, as electricity
may pass from one material body to
another; that the sin of Adam was or
dered by God and necessary to fulfil
the Divine purposes of the race; that
marriage is essential to future glory
and that the relation will continue in
eternity with the same results as fol-
low on earth, and that in proportion
to the number of a mans wives and
children, both here and in heaven, will
be the degree of his eXaltation there
The vitality of the Mormon religion
is of concern not only to the people of
Utah but also to the Christian church
everywhere, and to those who believe
in the beneficent influence of the teach
ings of Christianity. For this strange
faith is not held in Quietness. 1t is
active and aggressive. Its mission
aries are swarming through the East
and the South and across the seas, to |
spread its influence and to gain con-
verts. 1t is a fact that adherents are |
being gained to Mormonism from the
Southern States, from portions of Eu-
rope, Sweden and rural England in |
particular, and from certain portions |
of the Eastern States. and new settle |
ments of these converts are continually |
being made in Utah, Nevada, Idaho, |
Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and other |
and western States. Be |
cause this is the central point of all |
this activity, we believe that there is |
no region of the United States where |
there is such vital need for earnest, |
true, aggressive Christianity as right |
here in Utah.
1T is a fact that is worthy of note
that but few converts are made to
in Utah itself. The en-
to evangelical effort in |
this field are far greater than is gen.
orally supposed. While it is true that |
the Mormon hierarchy seek to hold
their people with an iron grip and do
succeed in keeping multitudes aloof
from CHRISTIAN intercourse, yet power
full disintegrating influences are at work
among them, and these. added to the
results already achieved by the church.
es, give promise OF richer harvests in
the future.
Apostasies from "Mormonism" were
oy no means unknown prior to the eS-
adjustment of Christian churches,
when life and property were placed in
jeopardy thereby. But they become
numerous as the growing
strength of the Gentle element makes
detection comparatively safe. Many
accepting "Mormonism'' because they
supposed they would find in it a re-
stored form of Apostolic faith and
practice, arriving in Utah and discov-
sring it's true character-have turned
rom it in bitter disappointment. Some
lave fallen into total skepticism; others
lave found a home in evangelical
churches, and yet others have lapsed
nto Indifference.
statistics recently gathered from all
he Christian denominations show a
arge proportion of converts from the
dominant Church than the present
strength of the churches
Indicate.
MANY who have embraced Christi
nifty have been compelled by loss of
social ostracism and bust
less boycotting to migrate from the
state and thus have been lost to our
hurch statistics
There are churches whose gains
rom Mormonism in past years have
,een far greater than their present
otal numbers. They have been SO