Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-05-08
A STRIKING CONTRAST.

| ltblHlH'lil lawyer pi AINtNtt Inc 1T
that State, TO AR Charles ellis OF this
city. in eulogy OF his pamphlet enti-
tied "Mormons ana Mormonism" The
! gentleman was an Elder In the Pres
bytorlan Church for twenty-five years
but voluntarily severed his connection
with that body. because he could ma
longer endorse its Views and meth
obs He states that, at the age OF
siEty-seyen, he looks upon "the Nor
mon phenomenon and It's problem in
the broad. stable light Of sheer, simple
juc,ea, and with an appralsement Of
the quality, value, etc, Of this adj
vent Of a new religion with its Incl
dentals In a manner similar to that
of Mr., Ellis to whom he says;
"Your stabs at vulgar eccleslastl-
| clsms are accurately aimed and deliv-
cred with overwhelming force. II IS
| Ions since | have encountered any de-
| llyerances that tend more powerfully
To arouse dreary, hypnot2ed church,
ianity from its moral, as well as men
| tai torpor, to some adequate concept
Of what any sort OF religion. worthy
the name. is and what Is means The
test of It's efficacy, which ought TO de-
clare iis excellence too, must be its
fruitage in these earth walks OF
I men, and as we witness that fruitage
OF Mormon" life. we are left no RAJ
t0nal ground Of hesitancy az to whera
justice awards the palm, In view OF
the universal comfort, average Of in
telllgenoe. efficiency In all worthy aims
and endeayors With commonsense
consistency OF endeasor In pursuit OF
these, such as everywhere shiningly
marks Mormon" communities. OF
the Mormon religion and Church
say nothing; but the Mormon" life Is
a book that may be. 10 their own profit,
read and studied Of all men"
We refer TO this communication be-
cause we have now before us Mr. FL
lis latest pamphlet entitled Christian"
and Mormon" doctrines, which is be-
ing extensively circulated and In
which some OF the tenets Of orthodox
Christianity are contrasted with the
more liberal, consistent and rational
principles Of "slormonlsm.' The
writer Is neither a Christian nor
Mormon" lie is not an atheist nor
an inhdel He believes in Deity-a
great first cause who is immanent In
nature but not In creeds
This pamphlet aims some most sturdy
blows against the definitions OF an i'm
material, bodiless partless rassionless
three-in-one God, and the horrible doc
trlnes of predestnation total deprayty
and endless punishment In literal he'll
fire fortunes. Liberal quotations are
made from the writings Of ecclesiastical
authorities. showing undoubtedly their
belief in the most repuslve features In
the theories Of foreordinatlon to ever
lasting misery, infant damnation and
the salvation OF the very few "elect"
irrespective OF their good or bad deeds
in this life, and also as to the eternal
anger and vengeance Of a passloness
formless nonentity.
The writer's exposition Of those awful
Inconsistencies is unsparing In It's
caustic and mercIess logic, and 1t will
no doubt open the eyes Of great many
persons who have not heretofore ex-
amined closely the dogmas Of ortho-
doxy IN its varied forms, and the value
Of his work appears to us to be greater
in thar direction than In his statement
of the contrast afforded by the doc
trlnes Of "Mormonism" These are not |
entered into very fully and such ex-
plantations as are given are brief and
do not contain a number Of important
details.
For instance, In touching upon the
Mormon" conception of Deity he says
II is polythdstic That may be true In
a certain sense, but II is not correct as
the term is commonly understood.
While "Mormonism" teaches the exist
enee OF number Of exalted beings who
are called God, It does not convey the
Idea Of pantheism or that these per-
fected beings are to be worshiped The
does not set forth the Nor
mon doctrine Of the trinity in unity.
nor OF the complete oneness Of an the
who have arrived az that
status which renders them NJ to be
called gods and. further he entirely
'mits To mention the Mormon" belief
N a universal essence which is without
beginning or end which is the life ana
he light OF all things visible and In.
Visible, which peryades boundless space
md never was created or made. This
a very important part Of the Nor
non conception OF Deity"
However, Mr. Ellis evidently intends
o be fair IN his exposition Of Nor ,
non ideas as well as In his tremendous
against the strongholds Of
ana the contrast he
raws between the two systems Is clear
nd convincing The pamphlet. which
an be obtained at nominal figure. Is
'ell worth reading, and It's distribution
throughout ChrIstendom would result +
much good through the overturning
{ error and the dispensing Of many
LIQUIDS Of darkness The authors stvle Il
noted Tor It's perspicacity and ylgor. u
Is yelled humor Is very taking. and
is evident sincerity and fearlessness n
hine out In an that he writes The !,
amphlet is both instructive and enter
lining aud we recommend it 90 our
,aders. 81
ILLMAN USES HIS PITCHpoRK