The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-03-18
MoRMokIsM IN MITCHELL
\ Protest Against the Mormon Mis-
sion:ries Introducing Their Re
ligion in Mitchell

! ligion in Mitchell.
Editor Republican: The propa-
ganda in our midst for winning con-
verts to Mormonism is a serious mat
ter. 1t is little wonder that the wo-
men aroused in opposition 2 or 8
years ago, or that a %neighbor should
have lately shown the missionary,
who openly commended polygamy the
door most unceremoniously. The
gard to religion is much misunder-
stood or misapplied. Think of the
priest of a heather religion being
made chaplain of congress-, or any
of our public institutions. Our col
onies were planted, and our institu-
lions framed by firm believers in the
Christian religion and the Word of
God, and mainly for christian pur-
poses. Our neutrality, properly IN
derstood, is between christian demon
nations, not as to the christian re-
ligion itself. Washington in his i'm
mortal farewell address, warned his
countrymen against s%upposing that
morality and virtue could be MAIN
tanned without the vitalizing sup
ports of true religion.
But this Mormon propaganda is in
the interests of a form of religion
whose doctrines are abhorrent to our
fundamental conceptions of christian
ity; as hat God is a material being
with body, parts and passions like
ours" that "Jesus Christ himself
was a ~polygamist, Martha and Mary
being two of his wives" that an I'M
ed to the future life, since a woman
must be called up by her husband
at the resurrection;" chat there are
millions of human souls yet unborn,
for whom it is the duty Of faithful
Mormons to provide bodies as rapid
ly as possible"
These quotations are from an ar
ticle by George B. Sweazy, principal
of Salt Lake Collegiate Institute, in
the Home Mission Monthly for last
October, an eye and ear witness"
says one Of the ablest and best maya
zines in the country, who has stud
led the problem in Utah itself under
conditions favorable to first hand and
accurate knowledge Of the system"
1t is not alone, however, as a re
ligion of such abhorrent sentiments,
that we object to this propaganda,
but because of its principles of NOR
ality fundamentally subversive of the
first elements of Christian civiliza-
ton, in substituting polygamy for
the christian family and home. Par
ents, citizens, are you willing to have
your daughters inocculated with this
Asiatic system? Remember, no mat
ter what may be asserted to the con-
trary, the process of this p~roselytism
is to introduce religious tenants APP
%parently in harmony with the christ
above doctrines and morals, until tie
sympathies and affections are Won,
and the conscience engaged in behalf
of new revelations and Divine pro
point, they are carried over to en-
brace of these un-christian, un-Ameri-
can principles of a false religion and
corrupt civilization.
NJ NE~~-o~~ oI,,,o1 ;~ ~,o &c +in
most perfect organizations in exist
ence, and its missionary propaganda
one of the most ~selfdenying and ag-
gressive. If we give them credit for
sincerity, it is only to concede the
greater danger of success. These
men are prepared to nee rebuff,
and to endure persecution. A little
persecution is their badge of honor,
and the entering wedge to the SYM
pathies Of the guileless and unsus-
pecting. There are nearly 1000 of
such fearless and aggressive mis-
sionaries carrying on this work. The
president of their church, and other
high f~unctionaries, are open and de-
faint polygamists. The church is gain
ing strength and awaiting the day
when they can practice their system
~unmolested by law. They hold full
political sway in Utah, and a balance
of power in four or five other states.
It. is time that public sentiment
in Mitchell was aroused and organia-
ed to put a stop to a canvass disloy-