Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-05-01
MORMON DOCTRINE
DR.. A. e. Craig Tells of It's Spread
in This Country.
HERECENTLY VISITED SALT LAKE CITY
While in West Devoted Considerable
Time to Investigation and Declares
Mormonism Is Steadily Adding Be.
levers to Its Ranks.


Mormonism Is Steadily Adding Be.
levers to Its Ranks.
"Mormonism numbers it's devotes by
the thousands and at the present time
absolutely controls one state in poll.
tics, holds the balance of poweS in
two and promises in the near future
to gain the balance in ten others,
said DR.. A. f. Craig in Ills address last
evening at the First Methodist Episco-
pal church in this city on the subject
of Mormonism. DR.. Craig gave brief
sketch OF the history of Mormonism
from the time of its foundation. He
told OF the migration of the believers
to Illinois and later of their colonial
ton in Utah. He pointed out the
tyranny OF their belief and practices
and raised his voice in warning
against the onward move of the Nor
mon belief His description of Salt
Lake City was most vivid. He also
told of the practice OF polygamy
which is at the present time carried
on among the believers of that creed
and of the cardinal principles of their
belief, the blood covenant" which he
declared sis no more than systematic
ed murder under the sanctity of the
church."
DR.. A. E. craigs Address.
The large audience room of the
church was filled to it's utmost capa.
city last evening to listen to the adj
? dress delivered by DR.. A. E. Craig on
the subject of salt Lake City and
n1ic hn 10 nj
the series of addresses delivered by
Dr. Craig on his trip to the west and
was one of the most interesting that
ject of Mormonism, DR.. Craig said in
part as follows:
"That there is such an institution as
Mormonism, perhaps every American
knows. Indeed, it is system that has
been published round the known world
for it's votaries are untiring in their
missionary efforts. That it is well
understood by the majority l am dis
posed to think improbable. If l were
to ask the ordinary person what is
Mormonism he probably would be dis
posed to say it is a certain religious
sect, with its headquarters in Salt
Lake City whose popularity is that
once in its history it practiced polyga-
my. At that point the average intelli-
gence ceases. The disposition is to
look upon these people as good quiet
Industrious sort of folks, who are en-
titled to the peculiarties of their faith,
and the presence of whom in our midst
is not a matter for deep concern to
anyone. When I suggest that Nor
monism instead of being an innocent
phase of religious popularity, perhaps
misguided but sincere. living it's simple
life out in the distant mountain fast.
nesses, leaving other people alone and
only asking the same boon of religious
tolerance say instead of such an in
nocent affair it is one of the most mo-
mentous menaces that exist in this re-
public, and fraught with the most haz-
ardnus possibilities do not over
state the case.
III may be surprise to many to
know that instead of being phase of
Christianity that it is little more at
lied to Christianity than is Moham-
medism. that it is really pollythe-
ism, acknowledging plurality of gods
that it has as cardinal doctrine of it's
faith and for that matter practice the
blood covenant" that is the defence
of murder in the holy name of Zion,
that it preached and practiced polyga-
my in the past, that it breaches and
practices it today, that it, instead of
being feeble handful of folks that
are not worthy of counting, already
number its devotees by the hundreds
of thousands, that it now not only con
trolls one entire state but holds the
balance of power in two others, that
iGe IN hN1 L,1 G
political power in ten states and terri
tories, and that its missionaries are
spread by the thousand all over not
only the west but the east and espe.
cially the south making converts by
the hundreds. Such is Mormonism to.
day as an institution. We say as an
institution We think of it as a
church 1t is hierarchy, and as such
Is. politico-socioiogical system, a pro.
poganda of the most virulent and wi.
cious type.
Let us trace briefly it's history.
Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormon.
ism, was born at Sharon, Vermont. in
1903. According to his own account
while living in Ontarion, now WAYNE
county, New York, at the age of Is he
began TO have visions. On the night
OF September 81, 1923, the angel Mo-
roni appeared to him three times tell
ing him that God had work for him
to do, and that a record written on
gold plates, and giving an account of
the ancient inhabitants of America
and Gods dealing with them, was de-
posted in a particular place in hill.
With the records were two transpar-
ent stones with silver bows like spec
tacles, which were anciently called
the Urim and Thummin, on looking
through whoch the golden plates
would become ineligible On Sep
TENDER %, 1927, the angel of the Lord
placed in Smiths hands these plates
and stones. The plates were eight
inches long, seven inches wide, little
thinner than tin, and bound together
with three rings. They were said to
be written in Egyptian Hieroglyphics.
These Smith translated, and with the
help of friend transcribed them and
by the help of another friend had them