Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-10-05
THE LaTTEn.Day SAINTS.

ne eultof OF tne Nlnodll hfdpnlr,
paper that appears in Kimball soutt
Dakota, deyotes much space to "Th,
Latter-day Saints in his issue Of Sept
20. In a Kind Of postscript he explains
that his father was raised as hos
within few miles Of Joseph smith't
home near Palmyra, being two years
older than Joseph. OFTEN before my
time, the editor Mr. c. H. Tinan says
he related the circumstance OF the
vision Of Joseph Smith and the 1nding
OF the plates. but along with other peo-
pie lhcreobouts, he took no stock in the
story Another reason" dr Than
continues why the Mormons' have
held more or less interest IN my mind
is that their first temple was erected
within few miles Of my boynood home
at Niitland Ohio, twenty-five miles
from Cieyeland-a place visited many
time when a kid-long after the Nor
mons had been driven out OF The coun-
try"
The gentlemans contribution to the
Mormon discussion Is different from
those OF many others, in thls respect
That Il fearlessly sets forth such facts
as the writer has obtained by investiga-
ton, lie has evidently eu,leavorcd to
get hold OF the truth and not Of SEN
sationallsm, A few extracts from the
article viii give the render an idea Of It's
contents MI Than says:
|
There isn't class Of people. clique,
clan or sect on the face Of the globe
| about which SO much is known that
isn't 50 as the Mormons Of Utah. As
| one writer puts II ask anyone what
| he knows about the MOrmons and the
chances are that he WIN say that they
are sect In Utah and that they
| practice p0lygamy His knowledge IL
likely 10 begin and end right there.
what he knows Is worse than nothing at
all The articles Of faith OF the Nor
mon church. printed az the head Of this
column VIII give the reader better
Idea OF religious belief than whole
chapters otherwise. Stripped OF poly
gamy the Mormon teachings and beliefs
vary but slightly from the religious
practices Of many bodies OF men re-
spected the world over without poly
gamy, there Is not much greater differ.
ence between the Mormon faith and
Professionals than between the latter and
Catholics"
He then takes up the question OF
polygamy, and proves that II Is no long
er an issue IN Utah though those who
had married several women have re-
fused TO cast the plural wives adrift.
lie continues;
But without any law Of Congress,
polygamy was doomed. one of the
leading Mormons OF Salt Lake City
said to me that his wife made him
promise before she married him
that he would never take another
Wife AS the younger race OF
Mormons grew up In Salt Lake city
surrounded by gentle influences and re-
tncment the natural antipathy Of the
highly educated Mormon girl to sharing
her husbands love and care with an
other, or several others. grew apace and
had Us effect among the young men as
we'll"
We quote this because It indicates
how the soscalled problem now
strikes candid investigator OF Utah
conditions, The observations made for
the purpose Of ascertaIning the truth
are worth more than all the one ided
statements made for partisan purposes.
Concerning The relations between
"Mormons' and nom" Mormons,' the
Writer truthtuly remarks 4
Much of the antagonlsm between
| the Mormons and the other religious
| sects In salt Lake City and throughout
| Utah as well has practically disappear
| ed, While the Mormons are the DOM
mating sect at Salt Lake City they
work In unity with the 'Gentiles In all
matters affecting the cty's good In
termarrlages are common At present
the mayor Is gentle. but the board
OF aldermen " made up of both Nor
mons and genties, and there is prac-
tically no difference In the administra-
ton OF municipal affairs than were the
Mormons so many Presbyterians or so
many Methodists"
Mr. Tinan closes his article with the
following comment ON the story OF the
appearance OF the angel and the un-
covering OF the plates upon which the
Book of Mormon was recorded;
There can be no question as TO the
NAlotNilNN vi pidlts NpNeTeu WIN Nero
glyphic writing. There remain pictures
of them to this day, and the whole
question upon which the life Of Nor
monism as q separate belief hinges Is
the credence that must be given to this
statement of the finding and dlsposi-
ton Of the original plates, the transla-
ton OF which, according 10 the Nor
mons, are the direct word OF God. No
comment is offered as TO the veraclty
of the story The facts are given as
they are recorded by the people. them.
selves, ana he who would truly become
a Mormon must give his assent. I'M
qualified and without reservation, as 10
his belief In the correctness and truth
fulness OF The story"
We think the admission that the
plates were actually found, MS told BY
the Prophet Joseph is quite important.
And the world win gradually have to
admit the historical fact, for facts are
stubborn and win not he suppressed for
ever But when the historical fac, is
admitted, the miraculous preservation
Of those plates and the divine lntcrnre-
tatIon IN their discovery and transla-
ton, necessarily follow. And thus the
entire system is vindicated. As the
primitive church stands, or falls. with
the historical fact Of the resurrection of
our Lord, so the Church in these latter
days stands or falls with the historical
fact Of the restoration of the Book of
Mormon.