Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-03-30
a1HE PASSING OF THE MORMON"

.1HE PASSING OF THE MORMON"
That Is the title OF a paper In the
Arena for April. II commences with
these startling sentences: utah Is a
State. The Mormon Is Citizen
wonderful,is II not7 The reading pub
lie have known that Utah is state
for more than four years, and people
who are not aware Of the well ad-
yertised fact, are not very likely TO
learn It from the pages of the Arena.
And 80 "the Mormon is either" Is
he? Well, the great body Of the Nor
mons have been citizens for many
more years than the tins uiah has
been State. The first "Mormons'
and great many Of more recent con-
version were native-born, and all who
come to Utah from abroad are adj
vised to become naturalized. The coun-
sci has been followed by the bulk OF
them, and so the Mormon" may be
classed as q citizen irrespective Of
the status OF Utah as a state.
The next sentence Is also a remark
able utterance: here It Is: AS such
he 1.-THE Mormon'l Claims certain
rights that proportion Of his country
men are disposed TO deny him"
IL Is a little difficult 10 discover from
The rest OF. the article what these
rights are that the Mormon ciu-
zen claims" and that are In any
wise different from the common and
conceded rights of every citizen OF the
United States. But we gather from
other remarks that the writer means
the rights on "exclusiveness, and the
practice Of ''polygamy." He attempts
TO show that this alleged "exclusyeness
or separateness," Is radically opposed
to the genius Of the New World" and
that 'Polygamy is the one feature OF
Normonism that today keeps them a
peculiar people,"
All this shows that the Arena writer
Is very much behind the times, and IL
viewing Utah and her people through
the mists OF the dim and distant past,
and the smoked spectacles usually
worn by non Mormon" inspectors Of
Utah affairs. But what II has TO do
with "the passing Of the Mormon Il
not made 10 appear.
Ii Is amusing TO see the attempts that
are frequently made to phllosophize
and speculate on the Mormon prob
lem" and the fate Of the peculiar
people" who have founded a new
and fourlshing western State. While
disposed TO rldicule the Idea tina,
Joseph Smith, or any other modern
religious reformer, could be a seer or a
prophet, they indulge in flights Of fam
cN and utter predictions about the
"Mormons," which show that they
Imagine themselves 60 be gifted with
tine qualifications Of both.
The Latter-day Saints seek no other
excluslveness than that advised by Je>
sus OF Nazareth. that is, 10 be mot
Of the world" This does not imply
the "exclusiyeness" supposed to be o
feature of ''Mormonism"--the separa-
tlon Of Its followers from the rest Of
mankind. They are to be pc
culiar people" IN that their religion IL
practical, not mere matter OF belief,
but making them jealous Of good
works" and led by the spirit which
comes from above.
The "Mormons" are citizens In the
fullest sense OF the term. They take
part in the affairs OF the State and OF
the Nation. Not, however, as men,
bers Of Church. but as members Of
the commonwealth. And they make
no "claims" other than TO the ordi-
nary rights that belong to citizens who
are not Of their religious faith II is a
mistake 20 think they claim the right
TO practice plural marriage" The de-
cislons Of the Supreme Court Of the
United States settled that controversy
and the "Mormons' are complying
Herewith. The Arena premises are in.
correct and 50 the whole argument col
lapses.
There Is no passing Of the Nor
mon" unless It be to larger and more
active spheres OF usefulness and life
and power, as citizen OF this great
country, endowed with the full rights
OF an American sovereign. These he
claims and win maintain. They are
perfectly compatible with his religion
and It's aims and spirit And II he APP
pears peculiar II win be because he
is influenced by that religion IN his
home. his business. his politics and IN
all positions In life. to the extent o;
serving God and doing his duty TO his
neighbor, and aiding In the diffusion Of
light and truth as he understands the
right, making worldly things subordln.
ate 20 the interests OF the heavenly
Kingdom.
The passing 81 the Mormon Is a
corresponding phrase 10 The death
knell OF Mormonism. which has been