Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-05-19
DID HE CONVERT A MORMON ?

Reference has been made In these
columns to little pamphlet entitled
conversion OF Mormon Priest by
d. J. Mcmillan, DID, and published
by the Board Of Home Missions OF the
Presbyterian Church. New York City,
It's contents, however we have not
hitherto reviewed, We pay some atten-
lion 10 II nov because OF the statements
made in this city by its author who "a
also the author and repeater OF the
sanpete fable about McMillan's appear
ance at Mormon" meeting with
bible In one hand and pistol In the
other. 10 protect himself against the
'Mormons" who had threatened his NE
We regard the story about the CONVEX
sion Of Mormon Priest" In New
York. In much about the same light as
we view the sanpete story, but whether
the Mormon Priest was converted or
not is OF very little consequence in this
connection, for II such q person was
turned from the truths OF "Mormonism"
by such arguments as are contained in
the pamphlet, he must have been a
very weak disciple and never truly a
Latter-day Saint, The opening para
graph OF the pamphlet is in these
words;
"'onee a Mormon always a Mormon
was an apothegm OF Brigham Young
That, to begin with, IL an inven-
ton. not perhaps Of the writer's
because we find nothing In his pretend
ed converting assertions that Is not a
plagiarism. Such sentence as that as
orlbed to President Young cannot be
found in any Of his published sayings
or dlscourses II is used by the pre-
tended converter to place our late Pres
ident In a false light, and to form a
contrast TO the untruthful assertion
which follows, that,
Hundreds and thousands have dis
oarded Mormonism and become as other
men, and thousands OF them have
turned 10 the Saviour and become de-
yout and consistent Christians"
II is a well known and admitted fact
by the numerous sectarlan preachers
who have tried to turn the 'Mormons"
to the various conflicting creeds Of mod
ern chrlstendom, that such CONVEX
sion is Of very rare occurrence, and
even then the Convert" seldom II ever
becomes entirely dlslmbued Of the faith
from which he was apparently turned
away, and which in Itself attaches him
TO the Savior Of mankind,
But according to the claim OF Mr.. Nc
MILAN, he succeeded In so working upon
the, mind and feelings OF the unnamed
individual in New York city whom he
designates as a Mormon" Priest, that
he was melted down so that ne wanted
to put his arms around him as "a
father or older brother whom he could
love and trust" Mr. Mcmillan says:
Brother let Us pray" said I. We
knelt In prayer and arose with stream
Ing eyes He threw his arms around
my neck and laid his head upon my
shoulder ! need not give the con-
versaticn which followed. He after
ward went 70 the Mormon headquar-
tiers IN this city and demanded that his
same be erased from their records"
Now let us see what were the won.
derfil arguments by which this melting
and saving process was effected
Hummed up II amounts TO these points.
che first edition Of the Book Of Nor.
non has on the title page, Joseph
smith, Author and Proprietor In sLJ-
sequent editions that IS omitted, ant
Instead thereof It Is stated that II was
"Trznsle;ed by Joseph Smith, Jr," Fur.
tleS that
Then In fuller ana explicit state
mont Joseph Smith said he dii not
translate the plates at all,that he never
read a word that was on the plates AMI
iid not understand & single character,