Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-05-01

l fASPSoSN
to the upper Mississippi valley, where
they held forth sixty years and more
ago. Not only are missionaries being
sent back to Missouri, Illinois and
Iowa from Utah to carry on the awak
ening of Mormorism In the States
which once attempted by force of arms
to stamp it out, but the Utah branch
OF the church is acquiring property
rights and officially recognizing the his
toric places which have been ignored
before.
Sometime ago the Utah Mormon ED
ers Of the northern and southern I'LL
nois and Iowa conference held thell
annual meeting in the old Mormon
stronghold of Nauvoo. ILL.,, from
whence their fathers had been driver
by force of arms sixty years ago The
Utah Mormons revisited the site Of
the original temple and of JOSEPH
Smiths historic house and fraterntzet
with the sons of the men who had per
secuted him.
Still more recently the Utah Nor
mons, twenty-one In number, made {
pilgrimage to- Carthage, ILL.,, and pur
chased the old Jail in which the foun
der OF the church, Joseph Smith, ant
his brother, Hiram, had been killed
Whether the Jail is to remain simply
shrine for pilgrlmages or is to bs
converted into modern tabernacle has
not yet been disclosed. Utah Mormon.
IN large numbers have recently revis
ited places In Lee County, Iowa, Gar
Gen Grove and Kanesville, in the West
ern part Of the State, where the origl
nal Mormons settled after being driven
out OF Nauvoo, and before going or
masse across the plains to Salt Like
City.
In Missouri, Illinois and Iowa more
mormon proselyting has been carried
on IN the past year than ever before
ihere Is general awakening of In
terest IN the places which once knew
Mormonlsm, but stamped 1t out. Nc
attempt Is being made to return So
cretly. The deed to the Carthage tai]
property reads: ITO Joseph f. Smith
In trust for the Church of Jesus Christ
of the Latter-Day Saints, residing IN
the city and county of Salt Lake. ir
the State of Utah"
The Nauvoo reunion was remark.
able In many ways. 1t was the first
official revisiting of the first great
stronghold of Mormonism. Seventy
elders were in attendance for three
days, were given the freedom of the
quaint old town and "had a fine spIr
itual and social time, on the testimony
Of Nauvoo newspaper.
In Iowa the revival of interest has
been especially marked. Iowa is the
headquarters of the homogeneous
branch Of MormonIsm headed by 10.
seph Smith, a son of the original
prophet and seer. The two branches
OF the church are at enmity, but on
the occasion of the recent fire in La.
moni. where many valuable records of
the Iowa church were destroyed, sin.
cere expressions of sympathy were re-
ceived. from the Utah branch. Valu
able papers handed down from Josepb
Smith l. to his son, Joseph Smith II.
and intended for transmission on tc
Frederick Smith, the future head OF
the Iowa and Missouri Latter-Day
Saints, were destroyed.
Early NIormonism,
This revival of interest In Mormon
ism and the apparent coming together
In friendly feeling of the Utah and
the Mississippi valley branches of the
church founded by Joseph Smith serve.
to recall the story Of Mormon settle
ment and occupation in Missouri. iii
nois and Iowa more than half cen
fury ago, the prosecutions of the time
which drove the Mormons westward
and that remarkable hegira across the
plains of 10000 people which is one
of the most romantic and unsuaI pic
lures in the panorama of American his
tory.
The first attempt to found colony
Of the followers of Joseph Smith. af
ter his remarkable discovery In New
York of the sacred tablets and tn,
glasses by which to translate them
was made at Kirkland, Ohio, with the
aid of Sidney Rigdon, an eloquent
preacher of the Christian, or Camp
belllte, church. On April 6. 1890, these
two men organized the church of Lat
ter-Day Saints.
Then came the epochal revelation tc
Joseph Smith. The Mormons were
commanded to found colony in the
far west and build temple in this
New Jerusalem.
A location was chosen in the vicinity
Of Independence, Mo-, and there the
devout converts strong in their faith
moved. A large tract of land was Sc
cured. houses were built. farms open
ed and the foundation laid for the
temple. But while Missouri was &
New Jerusalem to the Mormons. Nils
souri, did not yearn for the company
of the religious enthusiasts. The citl
zens of the western part Of the State
became intensely hostile to the new
sect. and finally large mob gathered
attacked Its printing office and other
buildings. and logged some of the
Mormon leaders.
Driven from Missouri.
Matters finally became SO bad thai
Governor Boggs called out the State
militia and volunteers. 5000 strong
under Gen. j. B. Clark, with orders "tt
exterminate the Mormons or drive then
beyond the borders of the State" Lit
tie time was lost in obeying the in
stuctions. A large number of thu
Mormon leaders were arrested, theil
families driven from their homes a
the point Of the bayonets and the ell
tire Independence colony hurriedly
sent destitute out upon the bleak
prairie. without even tents to protect
them from the driving storms. The
rivers and creeks were unbridged ant
filled with floating ice; the snow was
deep, impeding progress. Many of thu
Mormons were killed, others desper
ately wounded. families were separat
ed, women and children sick and dyin,