The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1906-09-20
Twenty five Mormon Elders Come
to Zion City to Secure Con-
verts for Mormonism
LITTLE DIFFERENCE IN CREED
Elders Seek to Secure Colony of Dowie's
Followers to go to Salt Lake City
Work Bitterly Opposed
in Zion

Twelve full-hedged Mormon elders
have made their appearance in Zion
City during the past week and they
are trying to take advantage Of the
nnrest by winning over the unsatis-
fed people to their religion. They
are holding street meetings and are
also making a thorough house to
honse canvas, exploiting their ideas
and the teachings Of the Mormon
faith.
They have gone SO far as to state
ahat Dowie leans toward Mormonism
adding that at one time. he remained
ia Salt Lake City years studying
Rbe Mormon faith and that he liked
1T and instilled its ideas into his own
cnlt
They are trying to sell the Mormon
Bibles for fifty cents each. The men
are shabbily dressed and claim to
have been sent to Zion by the au-
thnrities from Salt Lake City.
rs yet, they have made no per-
CeptioIe progress in winning over
converts, as the residents of Zion
City, duped innumerable times are
rather careful of the deals that they
enter.
Although very shabbily dressed,
these Mormon elders have framed
qnite eloquent appeals, and some of
their reasons are almost sure to APP
peal to the susceptible zionites.
The elders are just as enthusiastic
in their efforts to convert the ex-
Dowieites as the latter were in trying
to convert others when they sought
10 bring all the world to Dowie's feet.
The elders are trying 70 show the
people of Zion City that Mormonism
and Dowieism is much alike in many
respects. They point to the fact that
both sects believe in Divine healing
as the intent of the Almigh ty and
they delve into Mormon bible as be-
ing the book referred to in the bible
as the book which should come after.
The elders seek to get the Dowie-
ties into an argument with them and
when they accomplish this they are
satisfied even though they do not APP
parent1y make any Roadway in the
maaler of converting the listener.
The residents of Zion are naturally
very susceptible to the wi1es of re-
ligions preachers anyway, their pc
cnliarities being of the nature to
canse them to wish for new light on
anything pertaining to religion. It is
thus evident, that while the Nor.
mon elders may have made no con-
yerts they likely have had many IN.
tent listeners and in the end may get
converts.
The elders point out to the resi-.
denis of the city that it would moi
be a very hard matter for them tt
step from Dowieism to Mormonism
because of the great similarity Of the
Two religions. They further point tt
1he fact that, many years ago, Dowit
himself spent five years IN Salt Lake
CifY watching the methods of the
Mormon faith and copying after then
mach when he founded the Zion faith
They insist, therefore, that, be
Eanse of these facts, the people O.
Zion should in reality be members O
the Mormon faith rather than follow
ers of Dowie.
The elders do not deny the fac
fhat they believe they will be able t,
get a conversion of Dowieites an,
ahat ultimately, after the expecte,
Smashup comes at Zion City that the,
will be in position to lead an exodu
from Zion City to-Salt Lake City il
what they feel will be one of the big
gest religious movements ever in
angnrated, unusual in many respect
as il would be the conversion of on
8anatical sect to another even worse
~ -r~,r~- ~ -