The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-04-11
MORM0NISM.
Facts That Will Be Of Interest al
This Time.
THE CREED OF THE CHURCH
paEad Jssus Would.


q Newspaper as He Sup
posad Jssus Would.
While managing the Tereks caHitsl
as he considered Jesr. would run q
newspaper the Rev. Sheldon printed a
great deal of stuff about the Mormons
and he had man at Salt Lake City
write a story about the Mormons at
home. 10 this article it vas said that
few converts to the faith were being
made and many were being lost. The
religion, it was said, was losing ground.
In the Topeka Capital the writer says:
Mormonism is the conundruu of the
century. Such medley Of supersti-
ton and shrewdness, Of absurdity and
sssacity, Of religious fanaticism and
worldly wisdom, the world has never
seen.
Recent events have SO brought this
strange faith and peculiar people into
the focus of public attention that cor
rect information concerning the
Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day
Saints cannot be lnopportune.
Inquiries concerning Mormonism
cluster around three points-creed, re-
ljgious life and ethical results.
1. The creed. MornoDistn profes-
ses to be q restored form Of the gospel.
1t claims that universal Christendom
had departed from apostolic doctrine
and practice, and hence God called Jo-
seph Smith to be the Prophet and Great
High Priest of new dispensatiou.
Through him has been re-estsblished
the Melchisedek and Aaronic priest
hoods. AS no sacrifices are offered, not
even the sacrifice Of the Mass as in the
Catholic Church, the functions of the
priesthood are to exercise authority aud
TO be the channel through which alone
saving grace can flow to the people.
There can be no salvation without i'm
mersion, administered by one Of the
slly order, and complete obedience
!, its commands 10 sll things.
The doctrine of Immediate Revela.
con is the corner, stone Of the system.
rhe Bible is but one of several of many
5cvelstions. Etrevealed the Divine will of
rod s ancient people in the Eastern hem.
isphere, while the Book of Mormon was
a revelation to the early inhabitants Of
the Western Continent. But more i'm
portant than either is the Book of Doc
,rines and Covenants containing reve-
jations to JOSEPH Smith and other mod
ecn seers.
EAch succeeding head Of the Church
receives revelations from time to time,
aud the lster revelation supersedes
those previously given if 10 any partic.
ular they disagree. Hence, polygamy,
though forbidden by the 3 'uk Of Nor
mon, was commanded to Joseph Splth,
then suspended" through President
Woodruff, and may be at any time re.
established by later communication
TO some inspired head of the church.
Baptism for the dead is prominent
doctrine Of the sect As there can he
no salvation but by ium.rsioa, admin
istered by priest, the generations who
have died without this rite are held In
a ghostly prison until some frteud!y
soul an earth shall undcrgo vicarious
Baptism in their name. President
Woodruff, shart!y before his death,
stated IN the Salt Lake Tabernacle that
forty years ago he had beeu baptiSed in
one Of the Utah temples in the ma nes
of Georke Washington, Thomas j. fer.
son aud many other Of the fathers Of
the country, aod that thereupon these
worthless had been freed from their i'm
prisonmeut aud Introduced into the
b, avenly state.
This superstition gives the priesthood
d fearful power over the people, for
they are made TO believe that not only
their ow1 salvation, but that OF their
departed kindred, depends upon their
obedience to the Church.
They believe in many Gods; that
God the Father was once man and
still has body Of flesh and bones. They
teach thu. We have Heavenly Mother
as we'll as Heavenly Father. for how
otherSise could God be the Father Of
Spirit,?' They believe that Adam was
the Ancient Of Days" that be is our
Father and God; that Eve was a celes-
tial wife whom be brought with him
from Heaven. They also believe that
sll faithful saints will ultimately be
come gods.
Polygsmy may be correctly described
as an essential feature OF Mormooism.
The degree Of glory to which saint
may attain in Heaven will be deter
mined by the number of his children,
as these will form the family or tribe
over which he will reign. Hence 1t is
that every facility be allowed
him to secure numerous offspring. As
the marriage relation will continue in
Heaven with same privileges and re-
suits as a,taca To it here the nuch-mar-
ried saint will enjoy perpetual advan-
tage over his poor homogeneous brother.
To sustain the doctrine aud practice
Of polygsuy it is taught and generally
believed that Jesus Christ was the poly
gsmous husband Of the Bethany sisters
and of Mary Msgds!ens and probably
Of others.
AS salvation depends upon such
things as baptism, the laying on Of hands:
obedience to the priesthood, payment of
sithes aud doing of temple work, out
ward observsnces of all, there is no de-
maud for those inward changes on
which the Christian faith insists. As
regards religious emotion the Mormon
Church is veritable Desert Of Sshars
for dryness and barrenness.
The true test Of religion isits ef-
feet upon character and conduct.
Judged by this standard Mormouism
must be pronounced conspicuous fail