Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-09-10
THE SOURCE OF THE EVIL.

The distribution OF anti" Mormon
literature prepared by sectarisn minls-
tcra and used both by the deeelyers
and the deceived, has been for q long
time one Of the chief weapons Welded
IN the warfare upon the Church Of Jesus
Christ OF Latter-day Saints. AS an aid
10 that mean and mendaclous manner
Of assault, pictures, many Of which are
OF a character that units them to pass
through the United States malls. ars
printed and circulated for the plous
purpose OF holding up the people Of
Utah to obloquy and ridloule, and bring
ing persecution and personal injury
upon the missionaries sent into the
world to promulgate THE gospel Of tho
kingdom"
Attention has been called recently to
the shameful ca%rioatures and black
guard cuts, thus palmed upon visitors
and people at n distance as dellneations
OF Mormon" life, and even pronounced
nom "Moymona'' have been strong and
animated in their denunclations OF such
base endeayors to mallgn the people OF
this state. We think that every place
OF business where those vile and nasty
cards are kept for sale, should cast
them out Of their stocks-in trade, or
those stores and stands should be
Stunned by respectable citizens Of All
shades OF religious and political opinion,
We notice an excellent editorial on
the subject OF anti Mormon Islander
in the current issue Of the Intermoun-
tain Catholic. II Ia pointed yet moder-
ate and reaches the source and MAIN
spring Of the evil. We have not space
now for more than the closing para
graph Of the article, which Is as fol-
lows:
"All this m~isconception Of a people
arises from false stories sent out n
pictures sold 20 give them semblance
Of truth. Those who are earnestly pro-
noting the future Of a state In re-
sources as grand az any In the west,
constantly rub up against hostile OBJ
stacles, and all the more a~ggravatlng
because those obstacles represent an
intelligence that IS hostile. All the
more a%ggravatlng, too, because this
hostility is fed In the East with the
brands flung into the furnace by the
Ministerial Association OF Utah"
There Is exposed the secret spring
from which flow the streams Of SLAM
der and Misrepresentation, that trickle
through press and pulpit and poison the
souls OF men and m throughout the
country. The stories that are told OF
the moral status Of the "Mormons,' the
abominable burlesques Of their faith
and distortions Of their doctrines, that
are accepted by the uniformed
throughout ChristendOm as yerltable
expeditions of fact and precept, are
traceable 10 the source named above,
and that renders them and their au-
thors all the more despicable.
Now, why are those professed dlsci-
pies and representatives Of the Savior
so venoumous and m%aleyolent In their
%antagonism to the Latter-day Saints?
Why is II that while positively disa-
greeting with each other on vital re-
liglous questions, so much so that they
are intense and vehement in their diff
ferences, they unite as by open res
olution as well as by actual work, In
their determined attacks upon Nor
monism' and the "Mormons?' Is It
not for the same reason that drew to.
gether the Scrlbes and Doctors, Pharl-
sees and Saducees. Essences and Hero
dians in the days OF the divine Na2a.
rene? He proclaimed their lack Of au-
thority and declared that lie alone was
"the way, the truth and the life'
The Church Of Jesus Christ, whether
Of former or Of latter days, was and is,
aud must OF necessity be the one
Church holding His authority. All oth-
er organizations are and We're OF men,
That Is the only rational and scriptural
view OF the matter, rs Christ Ovid
sd?' pertinently asked the Apostle OF
Old. There can be but one body OF
'hrist,' and an that gathereth not
therein "scattereth abroad" In vain
they cry Lord, Lord aud do not the
.he things he said" The numerous and
varied organizations called churches
throughout Protestant C|hristendom can
all be traced to human origin. None OF
hem pretend to direct descent Of au.
.hority from the early Apostles or To
lave received immediate divine CONF
nunication This leaves them on their
)wn basis as the systems OF men, Why
should they become SO violently angry
At mention Of the simple truth?
OF course these facts do not prove
hat "Mormonism' is OF divine origin.
That Is another matter. That rests up
IN its " evidences and light ana
bower, That Is capable Of %demonstra-
Ion I'm lbs own behalf. But that Is not
he subject under this present consider
'tion. Yet lbs claims are open to fair
dispute and us doctrines ana ceremonies
o the opposition of disbellevers. But
loweyer they may dislike or reject
he faith Of the Saints. they have no
light, moial or religious, to abuse, ma.
ign, berate or m%isrepresent them 81
0 entertain towards them the malice
md bitterness that are exhibited in
he sayings and dolngs Of the Drotu-
ypes Of the prosecutors Of Christ ana
lis Apostles.
In repudiatlng the %pretensions OF
modern ministers OF the scots to any
authority from God to act in HIS holy