Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-02-21
THE TALES THAT ARE TOLD,

The INLtS ihhi h'fN '''"'
Nearly every day we receive letters
from some part Of the United states
complaining Of outrageous statements
made from the pulpit concerning the
Latter-day Saints, their religion and
their manner Of life, The Elders tray
cling as missionaries are confronted
BY these terrible tales, told with all
the force and JUNCTION OF the profess
slonal sectarian preacher No doubt
many Of the ministers OF the various
churches who repeat these stories IN
sensational style to their congrega-
tIons, believe a great deal Of what they
tell to be true. They originate wlth
men claiming to be disciples and SER
wants of Jesus Christ, and their state
ments are accepted with little or no
investigation because Of their standing
and position.
II II lamentable to think that persons
looked upon as spiritual guides and ex-
Founders OF the Gospel OF salvation,
VIII engage In the business Of purpose
~ misrepresentlng ana dlstorting the
doctrines OF Church which they dis
like, and defamng people whom they
have failed to convert, and thus be-
come guilty Of bearing false witness
and Of decelying their fellow crca-
lures, But II Is a fac, that the mon
strous stories which are being narrated
from so.caled Christian pupits,
are invented chiefly in this city and
State ana are thereupon repeated IN
religious circles throughout The coun-
try
II the Deseret News were TO respond
10 all the requests TO reply to these
stale and stupid stories, our space
would be occupied daily and fully, by
refutations which have already been
published time and again and for a
great many years that are past
II Is astonishing that the old Solo
mon spauldlng story, which every we'll
Informed person who has investigated
the subject at all understands TO be a
fabrication, should be. at this late date
repeated in the pulpits Of the churches
to account for the origin Of the Book
OF Mormon. The "Spsulding Manu-
script Found as we have stated over
and over again, Is now in the library
OF Oberln College, Ohio, and may be
compared with the Book OF Mormon
by everybody who desires to know the
truth concerning the subject.
It IS equally amazing that the stupid
notion should stll obtain that people
who apostatlze from the Mormon"
Church cannot escape from Utah, and
that one of the customs among the
Mormon Is to XIII people who leave
their faith Even the idlotlc idea
that all letters sent by people
here are examined by the Mormon"
authorities, before they are permitted
80 so to their destination, Is still held
by otherwise rational people. The wick
ed falsehood that our missionaries are
BENT out to entice women and girls to
come to Utah that they may enter
"Mormon' "harems.' Is also yet re-
peated by sectaran Preachers, in order
~ innamc the public mind and prevent
pur Elders from promulgatlug the Cos
pei Of Jesus Christ which has been re-
stored to earth in these latter times
Garbled extracts from discuurses deliv-
cred In this city nearly half a century
ngo, mingled with alleged declarations
from our Church leaders which they
never uttered. are used extensively for
h similar purpose,
The latest influence which "a being
Brought to bear TO arouse prejudice and
mallgn our people, Is that concerning
Abe present status Of the poIygamy
question. The following dispatch, sent
10 US from Kentucky, and which has
appeared In a great many papers
throughout the country, shows how
these false reports, starting from this
Sity. are spread throughout the land
This dispatch, which was four-heade(
and displayed, is clipped from the Lead
sille Courler-Journal
salt Lake. Utah, Feb. 1.-THE Min
isterial alliance Of Salt Lake has unan
imously adopted the report Of the com
mite OF that organization appointe,
90 Investigate and report on the allegel
practice and teaching Of polygamy b!
the M0rmons az the present time Thi
report Is 20 be used as petition for tn
passage OF a constitutional amendmen
prohibiting poygamy, and win be sen
to the judiciary committees Of con
gress
THE report. which Is quite lengthy
sets forth that positive evidence can b
produced that polygamy is both prac
tioed and taught by the Mormons al m
present time in open defiance OF IN
laws Of the State, The document con
tains numerous statements alleged {
have been made By Mormon leaders {
Wnlcn the practice ana teachings q
polygamy are advocated and urged. ~
gardless Of man-made laws to the cen
trary.'
The statements in the document "al
legged to have been made by Mormo
leaders, are either direct fabrication
entirely untrue, or such mixture {
truth and falsehood as to make thei
Hes In effect II the ministers who foi
mulated he address and inserted thos
pretended quotations from Mormon
speeches, were to be treated in sim
lar manner when they deliver Sermon
they would be rampant with rage an