Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-01-19

sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmace. ID.

Los Angeles, Cal, Jan. Ia. = That
Mormonism constitutes real danger
10 the republic AMI that it is a growing
ratner than decreasing peril is shown
IN tnis sermon. the text for which the
preacher takes from Isaiah iii, o. sgThey
declare their Sin as Sodom: they hide
it not"
The study of the lives of great men
mas always been with me a passion.
Next to reading the works of the great
authors and the speeches of the great
orators have always had a longing to
know how these leaders of thought
looked and lived and acted I'm their
public and private lives. Thus as a
young man when had the opportunity
or entertaining in our home DIR. Byron
sunderland, who was to preach in the
brooklyn tabernacle couple OF Sun.
DAYS, l literally pumped the cid man
dry OF all his "reminiscences. Great
was his well OF information and Der.
sonal experiences. 49, 49,
DIR. Byron Sunderland for nearly
half n century had been resident OF
Washington He was not only known
as the pastor OF presidents, but FOR
years he had been chaplain OF the Unit.
ed States senate. Webster and Clay
and Benton and Pierce and LINCOLN
and Conkiing and Blaine, all the
mighty political giants north, south.
east and west, had been his intimate
friends or acquaintances. Hour after
nour would speed by as the old man
talked to me. L remember well the last
night we were together. 1t was nearly
o'clock in the morning when 1 said,
DR.. Sunderland, you have been de-
scribing to me many men. Tell me
the strongest personality you have ever
known. Then the old man said:
The scene was not in Washington. n
was in Salt Lake City. The man was
not Webster or Clay; he was Brigham
Young. Many years ago the Mormon
church challenged the gentiles to de-
bate, and some of the leading ministers
or the east took up the challenge. Bish-
op John Z. Newman of the Methodist
church and myself were delegated to
meet the Mormon representatives. The
debate took place in the Mormon taber-
nacle, which holds some 10000 audi
tors. The debate had been going on
for some days, and we had come to the
closing night Bishop Newman was
summing up and making his perora-
ton. With the skill of an accomplished
orator he was wheeling his facts into
line, and he said substantially: There
fore. IL this Is so and IL that is so and
IL the other thing is so, then we are fore.
ed TO the conclusion that Mormonism
stands for nothing else besides licensed
hbertinism and Wholesale fraudv Ten
thousand angry men and women in
stantly leaped to their feet and began
TO press down toward the platform.
The cry was taken up everywhere:
Lynch him! Lynch him, XIII him.
Stab the heretic's hcarti Kill hint
Lynch him nowr
II sat beside Newman at the time"
continued DIR. Sunderland. II did not
see one avenue of escape. Suddenly
Brigham Young arose and stepped to
the front Of the platform. He swung
his arm out over that cursing, swear
ing. angry mob and uttered just two
words. Sit DOWN. They dropped into
their seats as the grain falls before the
hiss Of the scythe. That was to me the
most marvellous scene Lever witnessed.
As came under the leaders spell J
realized that he was one of the greatest
or men and one OF the most dangerous,
IL not the most dangerous, to American
liberties who had ever trodden Ameri-
can soil" u
What Byron Sunderland said to me
over fifteen years ago was absolutely
true. Brigham Young was one of the
greatest and one of the most corrupt
men who ever lived ON American soil.
Bis evil influence is bringing forth its
baleful harvest today. &,A~
have been to Salt Lake City. have
carefully read many of the books writ
ten both for the advocacy and for the
condemnation of Mormonism, and from
the mass of conglomerate testimony
into which have delved 1 can come
but 10 one conclusion-that- Joseph
Smith was crack Drained epileptic.
who. with his fits OF hysteria, was just
the man for little while to appeal 20
the ignorant and superstitious people
with whom he came In contact hut
Joseph Smith could never have created
the Mormon church. 1t needed more
than an epileptic visionary to do that.
No sooner was Joseph Smith dead tand
he died some fifteen years after he had
begun to proclaim himself a prophet)
than this monster manipulation, this
modern Blue Beard, this leprous Frank
enstein, this robber OF mems gold and
OF women's morals, Brigham Young,
stepped forward and gathered together
Smiths craZed followers and nodded
them together into a social organism
OF which he was to be the cAief blood
letting vampire. And all that Brigham
Young stood for fifty years ago the
present head of the Mormon church
stands for today, though the claw may
have temporarily sunk out of sight In
the soft flesh Of the tigers paw.
Stands the Same Today.
To show that the Mormon church to-
day stands exactly where 1t did in Brig
ham Young's time 1 would quote part
OF the interview which Irving Sayford
had few months ago with one of the
chief men of the hierarchy. Mariner
w. Merrill IL one of the twelve apostles.
Question: "Mr Merrill, have any Of
the doctrines or covenants in the Nor
mon faith been altered or modified in
any respect in recent years. or do the
principles, doctrines ana covenants
stand today precisely where they have
always stood?'
Answer: There have been no changes
made"
Question: '1f that is so, why has the
Mormon church repudiated the princi-
pie OF polygamy as witnessed In the
manifesto OF 1902
Answer: you are under misappre-
hension. The Mormon church has not
a A-.l a..