The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1899-11-15
PRESENT ASPECTS
MORMONISM
REV. r. q. McNIECE, ID. d.


ConoiHdod mis- uot.
Mormonism never had so much po-
litical power as il has to day. II vir-
tually controls Utah. Idaho, Wyom-
ing and Arizona, and in close cleo
ton would hold the balance Of power
in other states, thereby securing quite
a group OF men naturally ready TO OPP
pose any legislation which the Nor
mons might not like.
Ill. The fruits of Mormonism.
There is something inherent in the
polygamous part OF the Mormon sys-
tenn which tends inevitably TO break
down that sense OF moral obligation,
that discrimination between right and
wrong, that truthfulness and honor
and purity of life which true Chris
tianity is so powerful in building up.
The contrast in these respects be
tween Mormonism and Christianity, is
like that between light and darkness.
We are speaking now in regard to
the poly gamous part Of the system,
and would be far from denying that
there are many honest and truthful
and kind hearted people in the Nor
mon ranks, whose lives are largely
governed by the teachings Of the BIZ
Bile. But in order to be specific, let
us look at two of the evil tendencies
OF this polygamous system:
Take first its tendency to destroy
the principle of truthfulness. This
lack Of truthfulness had many sad IL
iustrations before the courts during
the anti-polygamy trials, between 1884
and 1888. The wholesale lying OF
the Mormon witnesses was something
appalling. The able United States
district attorney during those years,
in speaking of the matter in a public
address says:
"The tendency of this crime of pol
gamy, and Of the teaching which en-
courages il is this: that the public
morals of the community are becom-
ing debauched. There is being rear
ed up here community Of hypocrites
and perjurers. That is strong term
TO use, but | use it advisedly. say
Just what | mean. The one crime
begets the other; it is the prolific
mother of crime here. Ii is almost
a daily occurrence, when the courts
are in session, to witness the sights
and hear the words which prove the
truth Of this statement. | have seen
a woman go upon the witness stand,
hold up her hand before High Heav-
en-, aud swear TO tell the truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the
truth, aud when she took her seat up
on the stand, after taking the oath,
admitted that she was the mother of
young woman who was a member
of her household; that the daughter
had given birth to child, and that
the daughter was married, but this
mother could not, TO save her soul
from perdition, tell who the husband
was. After mentioning other cases,
the district attorney refers TO the fact
that the church officials did nothing
about this wholesale classifying. He
says that mo word Of condemnation
10y any one in authority has ever been
uttered against the perjury daily com
mitted in our courts, aud that portion
of the press which voices the senti-
ment OF the dominant authority here,
so far from speaking word of con
domination, daily apologies for, and
defends and praises these perjurers
for their cunning while upon the wit
ness stand"
Then take as another evil fruit, the
tendency of the Mormon system to
destroy morality and purity in pri-
vate life. The gross immortality
among the young people in Utah,
which is the inevitable result of this
polygamous system, is beginning 10
alarm the chief men in the church.
At the semi-annual conference of the
church last October, one of the apos-
ties created great sensation by the