The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-26
THE MISSIONARY BASIS,

81 wonder what he has been do
ing now?' used to he familiar query
among the Saints in Utah when some
elder was called to go on a mission to
preach the gospel to the nations of
the earth But it had prophetic in
spiration,' as may be seen in exam
inatlon of sermon delivered by Pres
ident Brigham YOUNG. February "a,
1886, which clarifies The matter in the
following language (see Journal Of
Discourses, volume l., page $780,
Some of you wondered why I sent
Thomas Bullock to take your names: /
wanted to know the men who were coax
ing hell into our midst. for | wish to
send them to China, to the East Indies
or TO where they cannot get back, at
will send off the poor curses on a mis-
sion, and then the devil may have them.
and we do not care how soon they apos-
tatize, after they get as far as Cali
fornia.
Now, il is not TO be assumed that all
who were sent on missions were of this
character, for there were many earn
est and upright men who went out
with clear conscienccs and clean hands
TO carry what they considered to be
the message of truth to the world. But
it is true that there were many rascals
sent out by tho church with the excuse
that mission might possibly have the
effect of reforming them. In many
cases undoubtedly that effect was cx,
perenced, But the absurdity of the
practice appears when ono comes to
consider that supposedly pure and un-
defled teachings were to be reposed in
these unclean vessels for transmission
TO the world for its reformation. In
many instances tho wickedness dis
played by these missionaries at home
was carried with them abroad. They
lied 10 people in Babylon induced
them TO come to this Territory under
false presentations; and the natural
outcome was that disgust at the facts
when the converts arrived here had
the effect of causing numerous apos.
tastes. The truth is that of converts
made in the world by tho Mormon
proselyters more than half have apos-
taized-a greater number left the
organization than remained with it.
AS illustrative of the characters
Brigham had to deal with, little bit
further on in the same sermon serves
the purpose (see page 240). President
Young said to the saints assembled
in the tabernacle, 81 am ashamed of
many of you," and then proceeded to
castigate them in the following de-
lightful manner:
Men who love corruption, contention.
and broils. and who seek TO make them
curse you in the name OF the Lord
of your lands shall be smitten with
mildew. your children shall sickcn and
pray God to root you out from the So
cicty OF the Saints. To sit
among. them is like sitting in the depths
of hell, for they are as corrupt as the
bowels OF hell, and their hearts are as
black as the ace Of spades.
Rather picturesque language from
professed "prophet unto the Lord of
Hosts.'' A bit unkind, too, to come
from the lips of one supposedly in
spired of heaven-an exemplar to those
among mankind who would follow in
the path trod by the patient and for
giving Nazarene. But there is not
the least doubt that Brigham had ample
provocation TO these occasional out.
bursts; because it must be said, in re-
gard for the truth, that some of the
elders in Israel in that day were pret-
ty tough propositions. A desire on the
part Of some Of them to possess a
''crittcr'' was sufficient to bring pos
session, regardless of rightful owner
ship. AS Brigham often said, the hay,
the grain, the irewood, the garden
truck and the chickens of an honest
man were never safe from the raids Of
these marauding elders. The situation
became so bad at one time that the
"grcat pioneer leader" told the saints
(and thereby suggested to them ready
remedy that if he caught one Of the
raiding elders on his premises he would
"do him up" without ceremony.
All, but those were strenuous timesl
But if you listen to the Deseret News
you will hear that before the Gentiles
swarmed into this vicinity the com
munity was as "pure as the driven
snow" Which is another of the false
hoods that have been promoted by the