Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-03-18
.uommoSrsM" ~ MAGAZINES

-
III strange fact that although the
religious system 81 the La,ter-day
Saints has been before the world for
over half century. and although null
titudes profess 10 be vitality concerned
about IT, tcnetr. ye, they manifest ne
much Ignorance about It, doctrines
and history ~ n both Wcrc buried In
the dim past ~ prehistoric mythology.
We are led 10 this reflection BY %
paper on "Mormonlsm' In tho current
number ~ the Midland Monthly Maya
zine. II IL but me out ~ many SINH
lar productions that arc being given
to and accepted hy the public.
In the paper referred To the author
essays 20 give an account ~ the NOR
mon war In Missouri" aud rndeavoru
to prove that the trouble ar,se from
tho 'insolonos" and corrupt practices
N tho "Mormon-" which excited the
Innocent "MormonH" o. Ecncmi
uprising Tor the purpose ~ nvcuEinr
their wrongs nnd vindlcatlnE morality.
The entire article h string ~ mis-
statements The author rarhlcs the
facts until they ARE no longer 10 be- rcc-
ognlgcd A an appeal 10 popular
prejudice his effort b.. no doubt. efIec-
tive. but nH u record N history. u re-
fleets little credit either on him or the
magaaluc In which II appcan
After brief hut highly oolorcd ac-
count ~ the bringing to ilFht ~ the
look M Mormon In the Hill Cumorah.
tho writer says "Auor u conflict
with the dryil and his angels the an
goi ~ the Lord safely delivered 10 him
tho plates Ut gold. bcllrhapcd. KS IN
ches In Hlzc and 6 Inches thick. and
fastened through the ends with rings"
This paragraph N Illustrated with %
representation NJ one ~ the "brll-
shaped" platcr, Hu there can be no mis-
take about the ignorance NJ the author
on the subject he has taken Tor his
theme,
The "beilshaped" plate thus printed
AZ one ~ the plates NJ the Hook of
Mormon IN doubtless copy NJ On. oi
the lIlnderhook plates. as they Wer,
called. said 10 have been discovered
several years after the hook NJ Nor.
mon was published. II shows how lit.
Tie tho author ~ the magazine artici,
knows on the Mormon" question and
illustrates tho unrclnbility 81 M,
whole contribution tn current luon.
turc, Iils conclusion that Mormon
/ Ism" is"a montai dilorium and humhug'
Is deduccd from just such false prem
ises MS his alleged fact about the platter
~ mormon" Some " the nblest Ito
man philosophers und Statesmen
viewed Christianity In the sans ligh
ms this magazine writer boholds "Aior
munism,'
The Chrlstian rcllgIon they thought
was born NJ superstition and foHtrrc'
by ignorance. The spirit NJ JOY and On
thuslasm with which the early disciple
Of the new faith met persecution an
death was looked upon as mental de
iirlum." and II was declared by lhci
opponents that they delhcd Him, whor
Roman law had branded as malofae
tor and this was regarded AZ insanit,
II il strange that this ignorano
should stitl prevail, hut there are NAT
mal causes Tor H. II seems 10 b. pai
Of the business NJ the anli-"Mormon
champions reverend or otherwise I
deceive the public on this topic. Quit
recently % minister NJ salt Lake ca
stated In the East. that "Mormoniuu
Is "heathenism.
Il has been the Just complaint ,
Catholic authors that Professionals hn,
treated their faith very partially
Writers have polluted the very faui