Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1905-04-14
MORMONIsM is DEFIANT.
Its Missionaries Making an Increased
Effort throughout Country.

aimed at Mormonism in the Reed
Smoot hearing at Washington, the mil
liant missionary branch Of that church
is preparing for a vigorous campaign
for recruits, a Chicago paper asserts.
In each of the Western States it main
tains headquarters. Orders have
reached here to push the work of pros
elyting as never before. Last year
more than 5000 missionaries were EN-
ployed in this work, and this year the
total number assigned will not be less
than 1000. Most of the recruits are
young men, who report to elders, men
grown gray in the service of the
church. These missionaries bring to
the work zeal and earnestness that
mean many converts in the course Of
the year.
At Salt Lake City and two other
points schools are maintained in which
the work Of personal evangelical ton Is
taught. The brightest and best takers
among the younger Mormons are Sc
lected for this work. They are special
~ drilled in the tenets Of the faith and
are made thoroughly familiar with the
Bible and the application Of it's pas
sages to Mormonism. Before they are
sent forth they receive thorough test
| and examination.
The Middle West is accounted a good
missionary field. Every campaign is
carefully planned from headquarters.
Men have previously been sent into
various parts of a State to spy out
profitable territory. If the investiga
tons disclose a Roman Catholic COM
munity or one peopled by Europeans
| with equally tenacious ideas about re-
| ligion. little time is spent. The most
| favored sections are those where Nor
| wegians, English Germans, Swedes
and emigrants from Eastern States
predominant. 1t was early discovered
| that the emigration to those sections
| was largely from that class of people
| which found it's means too small in the
older settled sections to purchase land
at prevailing prices-the homeSeekers
with small means, in other words.
| When a section is favOrably reported
upon, missionaries are sent there.
There is a perfect division of territory
so that no effort is wasted. The mis-
sionaries generally travel by twos.
Each is CARRIED in black and carries a
Bible in hand or coat pocket. They go
| up to a house, knock, and when they
| gain the attention of the occupants
| proceed to push their work with all Of
| the pertinacity of the veteran book
agent. If they receive the slightest en-
coura cement they come again and
| again. They are under instructions to
pick out thrifty, prosperous and indus
| trious citizens of the middle class, and
1 where possible these receive substan-
tial inducements to join the colonies in
| the Northwest.
| These missionaries are careful to
state that Mormonism has eschewed
the doctrine of polygamy, and they not
| only do not teach it, but teach against
| it. The younger Mormons, as mat
| ter Of fact, are opposed to polygamy.
1t has long been recognized as an I'M
| natural condition in a civilized coun-
! try, and education is making it more
! repugnant to the younger Of both
| sexes. Many of them refuse to coun-
| tenance it in any way.
The church organization is so COM
| pact that it is possible for it to act
| quickly, and the mail and telegraph
| are freely used to transmit edicts.
| Within two days after President Smith
has formulated one, it is in the hands
| of every Mormon church officer within
radius of 100 miles Discipline is
| vigorously maintained, and disobeai-
| ence has met with such prompt pun
ishment that it is rare nowadays.
| 1t is asserted that the Norman
| church is growing more rapidly than
| any other in the world. and all credit
| is laid to the thorough organization
for eyangelzation. Recruits are COM
| ing from all parts of the globe, and the
| general policy of the church to mass
| it's strength in Utah and adjoining
| States is still being followed.
| Half of the vote in Salt Lake City is
| cast by Mormons, and in the remain
der of the State the church polls so per
cent of the total. In Idaho nearly a
| third of the voters are Mormons, and
this fact has given the leaders there
immense political power since by
throwing it one way or the other po-
| litical control is fixed There is no
fanatical political feeling among Nor
mons. and they readily obey the order
of the church, which has many emf
| nent politicians on its official roll.