Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-11-22
THE HASK1N LETTER
Nv Frederic j. Haskin.
MoRMONS.

these brisk days of newer and
| still newer cults and isms. when peo-
nile change their religion almost as
| frequently as they do their spouses,
il is rather surprising TO find an old
time religion like Mormonism still
attracting crowds of recruits to It's
beehive banner.
The Church of Jesus Christ OF
Latter Day Saints now has a menu
bership of 100000 souls, and this
number is increasing every week,
both by birth and by conversion.
Salt Lake City Is full of Bahaists,
Yogiists. Buddhists and adherents OF
many strange sects. in addition TO
the usual variety of faiths, but none
of these churches, Ii is a has been
able to compete with the spectacu-
lar increase of the Mormons About
seventy-ive per cent of the popula-
ton of the state of Utah Is now
Mormon, and according to such in
fallible authorities as Mr.. Irwin Cobb,
the entire country from Canada to
Mexico is filed with the loyal de-
scendants of Brigham Young alone.
One reason for this increase is APP
parent at once. The Mormons do
not believe in birth control. They
put a premium on large families,
and consequently Utah has more
baby carriages than it has automo-
hiles-Mormon baby carriages. with
the Zion trademark on them. Many
of them, moreover, are the two-pas-
senger variety.
While baptism in the Mormon
church is administed only to adults,
the children are sent to Sunday
school at an early age. and so i'm
pressed with its doctrines that they
can nearly always be relied upon to
grow up Mormons.
Add to these circumstances the
fact that Mormon missionaries con
vert hundreds of persons TO Nor
monism every year, and you can see
why the number of Latter Day
Saints is so rapidly increasing.
How Missionaries Work.
Much as we prefer babies, We
shall take up the question of the
missionaries first. For the Mormon
missionary system is extremely in
teresting. These enthusiasts prose
lyters journey into all parts of the
world, but principally to England
and the Scandinavian countries
scattering the pearls of Mormon
wisdom totally without the aid OF
money. At least. the church is said
not to pay their expenses, and as
many of the missionaries are known
to be poor and to have large fami-
lies to be supported at home, the
thing remains a curious mystery;
unless o explain 1t as the Nor
mons do-namely. that God takes
care of the missionaries.
When a Mormon is called by this
church to this duty, he obeys in
l 81 ~ 80 - 49,.
his personal affairs. During the pc
riod of his service he receives nc
salary. In fact, it is said that nc
official of the church receives any
salary. But upon his departure a
last reception is given in honor OF
the missionary, TO which all the
members of his church are invited,
and at which a collection plate is
passed. The contents of the plate
are expected to defray his travelling
expenses, after which the matter Is
to be put up to God. Apparently
God responds well to the RESPONSE
bility thus thrust upon Him, for the
Mormon missionaries go about their
PROSECUTING in a comfortable, if not
luxurious way. and have never been
known to starve.
Another thing which may explain
the sustained prosperity of the
church is its splendid system of or
S~anization. Since the war, every
body knows how effectively organ.
lzation steps in where enthusiasm
fears to tread. Well, the corner
stone of the Mormon system of or
Sanization is the tithing system. Ev-
cry Mormon is required to pay a
tenth of his income to the church
it may be in farm produce or in dry
goods or In hardware or in preferred
stuck, but it mi be a tenth of hi.
worldly goods. Each ward of the
city contains a tithing house. pre-.
sided over by a bishop, and on a spe.
CHIC late every month this house
takes on the appearance of a coun.
try fair. as the faithful pour in with
their varied contributions.
A Liberal Church.
The church organization also EN-.
braces a remarkably good system al
recreants for its young people. TIL
Mormons have a few prejudices con
corning conduct. They are firml,
opposed to swearing. drinking ant
smoking, and scarcely any of tn,
Mormon males do these things; Ger
tainly none of the TIL,
women also, 1t is said, are forbidden
mat ilost precious wee OF their Sc,
to gossip. Any Mormon matrol
repeating scandal concerning he,
neighbors is in peril of being ex-con
municated. But the church is no
opposed to theatricals or to dancins
and in connection with every. meet
ing house or church there is a dane
hall where dances are given tw
or three nights a week; each dane
being opened with a prayer
Thus the Mormons have had tn
great wisdom to keep up with tn
spirit of the times, or perhaps the
nave merely had the good forum
to have the spirit of the times cato
up with them.
The church. according to Mo,
mon history. had it's origin in tn
burst of religious feeling which oc
CURED in this country during tn
early nineteenth century. All of tn
various sects, it seems. were holdin
revival meetings-especially in Ne.
York and New England-eac