The Savannah morning news., 1901-01-16
MORMONS MEETING
TwENTY-sEVEN ELDERS CAME TO
SAVANNAH AFO0T.
CONFERENCE AT K. OF P. HALL.
ELDERS DISCUSS THEIR CUSTOMS
AND THEIR DOCTRINES.

the MOrmODs-He Denies the
Charge That They Work Only
Among the Ignorant and the Low.
Why They Do Not Work Among
the NegrOeS-House to House
Method Followed i'm Preaching, the
Apostolic Teachings Being Those
the MOrmOns Accept.
Twenty-seven Mormon elders are in Sa-
vannah to attend the meeting of the
Georgia Conference of that portion of
their church in this state. The meetings
are held at the Knights of Pythias' Hall
and are presided over by Elder David II.
Elton, of Chattanooga. Tenn. There will
be a meeting at o'clock this afternoon
and at o'clock tonight.
1t is a matter of note that the elders
are remarkable for their comparative
youth. There are few among them who
have attained middle age, and nearly all
are very young. Il is the shibboleth of the
Mormons that old men are for council
! and young men for war. The activity of
the younger men counts in their work
for proselytes, and it is for this reason
that they are favored as laborers in that
. particular corner OF the vineyard tndl
they have chosen for their own.
The first meeting of the conference was
hel3 yesterday. 1t was of business ma
ture, and the elders were eXhorted to go
forth to their labors with renewed de-
termination and courage From the re-
ports, showing that there are some $50
members of the Mormon faith in Georgia,
Sbav emf
to spur them on in their efforts, and all
express qualification with what success
they have achieved in Georgia during the
few months they have been at work.
Another meeting was held last night at
| Z O'Clock at the hall, and the attendance
then was larger than in the afternoon.
At the first meeting there were only some
five or six of other creeds or beliefs than
| the MOrmons'. but at night the number
was greatly increased. Elder Elton talked
al some length to the congregation, max
ing clear some of the doctrinal points of
the Mormon faith, and exhorting the ED
ers to unceasing efforts to foster and
| spread the creed.
Elder Elton is the representative of
| President Benjamin e. Rich of Chatta,
nooga, who is the head of the Southern
states Mission of the Mormons. Loren
20 Snow is prophet of the Mormons, hav
| ing followed the line of prophets that
have been at the head of the church since
the death of Joseph Smith, who was
succeeded by Brigham Young. The elder
| pfesldes at all the meetings of confer
| ences that President Rich is unable to at
| tend. He is young man, who impresses
ms hearers favorably by his clear concep-
ton of the teachings of the Bible. accord.
ing 10 the light with which they are re-
Vealed TO him, and his exposition of the
doctrines of Mormonism is forceful
We are seeking" said Elder Elton. "to
allay prejudice that exists against us bv
selecting the large cities as the meeting
places for our conferences. We have re-
Gently held such meetings in Richmond
Goldsboro n. c., Memphis and other
places of their rank as cities. We invite
the searchlight of publicity to be turned
upon us, for we have nothing to fear
but rather a great deal to court from
publicity. There has long been a popular
pehet that we appeal only to the igno-
rant the low. the depraved, the immoral
and the illiterate. That belief we are glad
TO be able to refute. We can refute it if
we are but given the opportunity. and
1t is in the hope of such an opportunity
that we invite the public to attend our
conferences wherever they are held.
The most scholarly, the most literary
the ecclesiastical. in fact, all of learning
and refinement are received gladly at our
conferences. Naught can be found to of
fend 'Mormonism fosters where ignor-
ance prevails is mistaken convention
of our faith that should be corrected and
it can best be corrected by the gathering
of those who know enough to recognize
a truth when it is presented to them, and
who are not bigotted enough to hold err
ror high above truth and welcome one
| while throwing the other to the dogs. We
would like to have the ministers of Sa-
vannah attend our meetings, for we want
them to have a clear idea as to what it
| is we preach"
Elder Elton was asked about polygamy
He declared that the practice has been
| abandoned by the Mormons, though they
| do not deny that it is permissible under
| their Interpretation of the law of God.
| The law of man forbids them, however
from having more than one wife. and
there is a tenet in their faith that re-
quires them to yield to the demands of
| civil law. They may believe in polygamy
and yet not practice 1t.
Elder Elton was asked if the Mormon
elders do any evangelical work among the
| negroes. They do not, he replied. Such a
course would but serve to add fuel to the
flames of public criticism and give color
! to the claim that recruits for the Nor
man faith are sought among the il'iterate
| Besides said the elder, the Mormons
want greater prestige and stanGiug in a
community than they could secure were
they to work among the negroes.
Another of the elders was asked about
his views as to the salvation of the ne
groes He said that no particular effort
| is made among the race. No elders ever
try to get up meetings for them exclusive
! ly Should any negroes desire to attend
! a meeting of white people that is address,
ed by an elder II is left with the whites
as to whether they shall be allowed to
| do so. No negroes, the elder said, ever
| apply for baptism, but, We're they to do
| So they would be recognized and received.
| Some conversation ensued. too upon tho
! question of polygamy. The elder said
| that few Mormous practice polygamy.
! though they accept 1t as coming from the
| prophets of old, many of whom, the in
! struments of the Lord i'm the transmission
! to the world of His word, had many
wives Joseph Young, the prophet of the
| last century. had a revelation from on
! High that polygamy might still be prac>
| ticed. Wifred Woodruff. another prophet.
! had revelation in 1890. and issued a
/ manifesto. declaring that polygamy should
! not be practiced The Mormons so revere
! their prophet the head of their church,
as to accept his word for a revelation and
question is not raised when he so desg-
mates any proclamation he may issue.
/ They accord him the place of mouth-piece
of the Lord.