The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-25
wOGlC" OF THE
MORMON ELDERS

poIygamous thinking and practices and
servlIty to the priesthood is depicted
upon the faces of the followers OF Joseph
+. Smith. This is a strong statement.
but the conclusion was derived from long
and careful observations OF Mechlsedcc
methods II is we'll known that the chief
polygamis1s are abnormaliy developed in
the posterior portion of the croniunl. de-
noting n strong development OF the ami
NAL passions and an inclination away
from true manhood and possibly a re-
version TO early tribal relations. The
conclusion of the former Mormon would
be strictly In accord with the laws Of
evolution OF life forms and of It's activl.
| ties.
Instinct is the guide for the activities
| OF the lower animals. while intelligence
| rules In the higher forms, but the line
between the TWO cannot be distinctly
| drawn Poysamy by the gorilla might
be from instinct, but with the Mormon 1t
might be considered the highest attain
| ment of Mormon reason ct is difficult
| for the Mormon elder TO distinguish be-
tween his passions and true reason for
tho former overwhelms the latter) And
this form OF ''unreason" is found in all
fanatical sects. eNempliflcd by Adam
! God. the Doukhobours. a learned scient-
| ist says that certain teachings and prac
tces after d few generations become 10
| he oheyed almost as an instinct. II
| hurts the Chinaman to be deprived OF
his queue and the Melchiscdcc Mormon
has much the same attachment 10 polyG-
I
| II is safe under the MormonlZed admin
| istration of the laws. both national and
state in Idaho and Utah?
| There are laws OF thought which all
| rational minds follow and these laws
| have been studied and set forth in works
| OF logic, and the study Of the mind IT.
| self is related TO logic. 1t is TO correct
| reasoning from cause and effect that we
owe the progress of the race from
savage state to civilization and the de-
velopment Of the sciences, No mind full
Of tanatlcisms can make any prosress
False teachings are handicap 10 the
mind, filling IL with worthless harmful
stuff that stops growth OF the mental
and moral powers and results in that
atrophy OF mind that Is so dcletcrlouS TO
nations. Morality is defined as the keep
ing the passions within the domain of
reason; so then il is easy TO see that the
fanatic is an unsafe member OF society.
and what influence he eXerts is hurttul
TO tho general good. His power OF rea-
son is impaired 10 a greater or lesser ex-
tent by the association OF the false
premises which he has stored up as facts.
Joseph F, Smith from his deviation from
the moral standard OF the American ma
tbn is unable TO reason that for the
and the Welfare OF the Mormon people
that he should obey the laws of the land
cease his violations OF the moral sense
and virtue. subdue his passion for pelf,
and abandon his desire 10 exert his
Kingdom OF Melchisedec gods" in pcliti-
cal and state matters. thus contaminat
ing republican institutions 10 the hurt
of posterity. But. as said before. the
that the ego Smith tries TO always ap-
pear In the role OF god. rather COM
mon form Of an unbalanced being.
False Cause.
II is often the boast OF some returned
missionary to the heathen" that he has
OF Melchsedec logic. Struck dumb is
a favorite term OF these elders. This
conclusion OF the elder is erroneous 10
the cause of silence, for what sane man
Gus. arrant, ignorant fanatic. The elder
takes this turning away Of a rational
mind from an unfortunate one as phe- |
nomenon showing the power of God
miracles OF Mormondom are only the
products OF frenzy. fanaticism and in
some cases of direct lying 10 deceive fol- |
lowers OF Mormonlsm into false premises
that more falschood may terminate and |
impair the reasoning powers. and such |
minds are una BILE to resolve natural |
phenomena into the causes that. produce
accepting falsehood for faith and filling |
the mind with false premises from false |
prophets who have contempt for the |
must see ghosts. hear voices OF unseen
things (Which do not eXist), and always
have a supernatural explanation OF phe-
nomena In Mormon history. story Is
seTds Of up nunEr as food xf ana Mepc
either aling or badly afflicted with YER
min II the thing did happen. or the story |
the product Of alteration. One Of the |
"LIon-o of the Lord" kind of saint who
made trip to the United States In the
winter in the early days says that the
Lord caused wind TO travel in the
road about hundred yards ahead" and
cleaned the snow out OF the Melchisedec
PATH tns natTa eXPa1naon Would be
possibly his whiskers blowing up before
his eyes. and the Mechisedec state of
mind would do the rest. II is remarkable
distance ahead. Bread and cakes fall
ing from the sky" for the furnished elders
is either an illusion or a delusion. Any
tramp can find a piece OF bread on the
road or fish II out OF the swill barrel |
and not accuse the Creator OF providing |
that special feed. II these elders were
able to grasp the Interpretation Of these
miracles Ito HIND no one would ever
the product Of atrophy OF the moral
sense. 1t Is known that the Gentle in
giving the proseiytins elder meal, 1t is
not any kindness OF the Gentle. but AN
act Of God. making the Gentle feed
the saint"
II has not been so Ions. ago that an
elder told OF hearing the voice OF
Brigham crying. out in the desert near
the battlefield of the elders at Mountain
Meadows. Now it does not take ma
ture faker TO have some knowledge OF
the solitude OF the desert and tho paucity
OF animal life in the summer and any
unusual sound might startle one and the
explanation OF one who was superstitious
would be far different from that OF a
man who would look for a natural ex-
planation. Badgers. horned toads," and
scorpions and a few other forms Of life
are on the desert, and may not badger
In peeping out OF his hole to get a
glimpse OF those old Mechlsedecs who
sometimes have eaten badger on one
OF their military expeditions according
70 Mormon chronicles-well, II this
badger inadvertently stepped on a scor-
pion. and the scorpion would Immediately
administer" to the badgers foot and
the pain would cause an exclamation
that might easily be taken for a
Melchisedec voice. and the voice falling
upon Melchsedec ears would be given
such Interpretation as the state OF imag-
ination saw flt
Fanaticism and hypocrisy are exempli-
hcations OF mental and moral descneracy
or non development, and the inability to
be acquainted with ordinary wisdom is
a result. and the contradictions in the
Mormon publications themselves is a
testimony" OF the peculiar logic" II