Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-03-06
SCIENCE AND "MoRMoNIsM

ism" is receiving general attention.
Some critics review It very favorably,
while others find fault with the doc
trlnes advocated ms well as the logical
reasoning through which the conclu-
slons are established. But all agree
that the volume is written by a forceful
| thinker and that II Is full OF interest
Among the numerous reviews that have
appeared are the following. The Amer
lean journal Of Religious Psychology
and Education, Vol !. No. 2 says:
Scientific Aspects OF Mormonism,'
| by Nels l., Nelson. o. y. Putnams
| Sons. New York. 1904. The very title
OF this book viii surprise some. IL
| discusses the claim OF Mormonlsm to
| be the religion Of Jesus Christ Some
OF the most interesting chapters are
| those which discuss the Mormon COM
| ceptlon Of God and his personality, the
| place Of religion In the economy OF
| life, Mormonsm as a transcendent sys"
| tenn of evolution, and mans spiritual
| life regarded as process Of evolution,
| how God shapes the destiny Of man
the individual and how He rules among
| the nations, the scientific aspect OF
faith, and the Identity Of truth, educa-
ton and repentance, the logical neces-
slty Of the latter and OF forgiveness MS
well as OF baptism, what intelligent be-
lngs win DO IN the future, the philo-
sophcal difficulties In the concept OF
q personal God, Godhead as incarnated
and It's real meaning, the fullness OF
Priesthood MS Godhood, Mormonlsm
destined to have the last word It's so
al ~
etc.
Another volume amplifylng the So
cial aspects of Mormonism and pro-
missing to discuss plural marriage, not
however, with any view TO the recru-
descence OF the practice but merely
with a view to lifting the obloquy
which now rests on the entire social
system through a Misunderstanding OF
this relatively Insignificant feature Is
TO follow i Will certainly interest
every philosophical mlnd to see this
faith discussed IN this large way. we
only regret the slight traces OF dog
matism and severity which sometimes
appear although neither OF these traits
Is prominent
The Canadian Congregationalist OF
Jan. 20, has this to say:
"The Missionary Review OF the World
recently gave an extended review or
volume by Nels L. Nelson, Scientific
Aspects OF MormoTnsm,' copy Of
which the author has kindly sent to
the Canadian Congrega tionalist. The
editor has very pleasant recollections
Of a Sunday spent In Salt Lake City, a
few years ago, when an unexpected In
cldent afforded an unusual Insight into
certain aspects Of Mormonism The
reading OF this book has been OF inter-
est In confirming the impressions then
gathered. Casual acquaintance with a
Mrs Wells who told me that she had
been the seventh wife Of the father Of
the then Governor of Utah, revealed
klndly-hearted woman OF an extreme
" devotional type. Her simplicity Of
goodness, and her conversation, entire
~ convinced me that, whatever dark
side there might be to M0rmon,sm In
theory or In practice 10 many II con-
stituted a positive religion, held and
practised with n sincerity Of conviction,
which ] could not but respect, however
far removed ! might be in almost ev.
cry particular from the conceptions ON
which II rested.
"In n volume Of $50 pages, the au-
thor, who is Professor Of English In the
brigham Young University, at Provo,
Utah. has hardly al all referred TO the
darker side, which, even now, Il Is
claimed by the foes OF Mormonism, is
being revealed by the Reed Smoot in
vestigation Prof Nelson complains,
quite Justly, OF the narrowness and un-
fairness with which Mormonlsm has
been utacked and considering his
standpoint his plea ia I'm good spirit,
but he must none the less remember
that the conviction OF fault In the
plaintiff does not clear the defendant
However, as this II not the theme n
the book, neither viii Il be that OF this
review
whatever science may say az to the
authors attempt 10 harnonize It's con-
illusions with Mormonlsm the volume
seems TO me 10 be entirely out OF touch
with what I should be disposed 10 call
the present dav science Of religious
thought and biblical study II would
be impossible. IN the SCOPE Of this re-
view, TO discuss all the intricate prob-
lens presented IN lis many pages sur-
nee II 20 say that 10 the man who is
az an I'm harmony with what are today
regarded as the most essential elements
Of Christian thought, Mormonism win
be found wanting ot the very outset I'm
itg conception Of God. The doctrine Of
the Incarnation Involves certain an.
thronomorphlsm In the Christian con-
ceDtlon of God, hut this has little IN
common with the m9terplzed and To-
c1li2cd conceptions here asserted MS the
base " Mormonism. n 10 believe that
GOD ls spirit, IAN assertion which
os the contest shows, Jesus made In
direct opposition 10 the idea Of mater
i0llsm and local2aion, which the an
thor brings 10 its lntarpretltlon-Is 10
depart from tho end % Abraham
lmoc ana Jacob 10 the Cod Of Bud
dha,' most Of us WIN he nono tho less
ro1dy TO make the departure. As
matter OF fact however. II IL Jesus nnd
not Buidha who h1s vlven this splr-
itugl conception and n a man be 20
lacking ln ME sense or progressive
revelation That ne must brng the pa
ir1r'ha' ma New TnNnment coucep-
tnn1 nto ornof.tlon he VIII In my
op'nlon o"t strangely IN choosing the
former
'Th1t there should he practically no
reference 20 rolyg1mv throughout the
many pN"e NJ 'h'' volume WIN ne sur
prlslng 20 those who have a pro-con.
ccivel notion NJ Mormoulem. This Is
TO be explained by tho authors claim
that il is an lnnlgnlncant feature In
relation 10 the fundamental concep-
lions NJ which n rs an outgrowth, and
by the fact that further volume ls
promised on Social Asrccts OF Nor.
monism'' IN which this subject will be
90 p putnam's Sons are the pub
fishers Of the volume, which is, upon