THE MORMONITES.

(From the Atlas.)

Some time ago we had to defend the principle of religious liberty from attacks made upon it by two daily journals, in the persons of the Mormonites, or as they call themselves, the "Latter Day Saints ;" but although we do not scruple to claim for them or any other sectarian body the full right to the exercise of their religion so long as they do not make it a part of their faith to do wrong to their neighbours, we cannot look upon the success which attends their proselyting efforts without a deep sense of shame at the fact that it is possible to convert thousands of Englishmen and Englishwomen to become the victims of such an absurd and degrading superstition.

The Mormons claim to have thirty thousand adherents in this country, and a considerable emigration to Deseret is constantly going on. Of course, the majority of their converts are made from the ranks of humble life, and the grossly ignorant districts of Wales furnish a very large proportion ; but the movement is not confined to the lowest and least instructed part of the community, for we are credibly informed that in Liverpool and many other towns, families belonging to the middle class, possessed of considerable property, and of the average amount of mental cultivation, are among the most strenuous supporters of the system of Joe Smith. This is a phenomenon well worth an elaborate investigation, because it is impossible to suppose that many hundred persons can be added every year to the followers of a new faith of this description without a far larger number being equally ready to surrender their reason and plunge headlong into the absurdities of the strongest and most exciting superstition which may be offered to their notice. Indeed, if it were necessary to seek proof of the widespread existence of a state of mind favourable to the growth of false religions, we might in addition to the existence of Mormonism, point to table-turning and spirit-rapping, and the belief in unknown tongues, all of which indicate a morbid craving for intercourse with spiritual beings superior to man, accompanied with the most absurd views of spiritual nature and agency. Moreover, we might adduce the hold which Puseyism has acquired over the upper circles, and which exhibits a belief in the efficacy of idle ceremonies, and in the supernatural power of it priesthood to an extent that could not be exceeded in heathen times.

Thus in accounting for the success of the Mormons we must first recognise the deplorable mental condition of a large part of our population, and their consequent craving for the excitement of spiritual dram-drinking—an excitement which is obtained by applying to an astrologer, accepting the Book of Mormon, listening to unknown tongues, taking part in a revival, or filling the mind with the trash poured forth in huge abundance by what is called the "prophetical press," which professes by its interpretation of Daniel and Revelations, to connect the siege of Sebastopol with the battle of Armageddon, the end of the world, and the advent of the Millennium. A true account of the superstitious literature of this country would be perfectly astounding, from its amazing quantity and utter abnegation of reason and common sense, and still more surprising would it be to find the large proportion of victims to its delusions which the upper and middle classes afford. What are the causes and what might be the cures of this deplorable state of things are inquiries well worth making ; but in giving especial consideration to Mormonism, it becomes apparent that one great source of its power is the fact of its accepting all the ordinary doctrines of orthodoxy, and confining its endeavours to their amplification and perversion, and thus being most successful with ignorant and superstitious believers in the Bible, who have never been accustomed to consider the true meaning of Holy Scripture or give a reason for their faith. We shall illustrate this by a few extracts from a letter we have received from Mr. John Jacques, setting forth the views of his sect :—

" The Latter-day Saints contend for faith in God and Jesus Christ, repentance of sin, water baptism for the remission of sins, the laying on of hands for the impartation of the gift of the Holy Ghost in all its heavenly manifestations of dreams, visions, prophesies, tongues, healings, &c. . . .

"Christian is not the proper name for the people of God—that name was bestowed upon the followers of Christ first at Antioch, by their enemies, the same as the enemies of the Latter day Saints denominate them 'Mormons,' because of their belief in the Book of Mormon. Saint is the proper designation of a follower of Christ—if living in former days, a Former-day Saint ; if in latter days, a latter-day Saint. The apostles did not address their epistles to the Christians, but to the Saints. Second, the Christian Dispensation, or the Dispensation opened by Christ, came to naught after the apostles were slain, for the early church apostatised and fell away from the faith as Paul foretold, insomuch that at the present time Christendom can present no even distinct similitude of the original. That the Latter-day Saints believe in the book of Mormon, is most true. Why do they believe it? Be cause it is recorded of the dealings of God with the aborigines of the Western World, and has been attested in our day by the voice of God and of Jesus Christ, by the ministration of angels, and by the gift and power of the Holy Ghost, which are as strong testimonial in favour of the divine origin of the Book of Mormon as can be adduced in favour of the divine origin of the Bible. Christ has not been "dethroned," but he reigns still in heaven, and will soon reign on this turbulent earth as King of kings and Lord of lords, and to him every knee must bow, and every tongue confess.

"The Latter-day Saints believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet of the Lord, an apostle of Jesus Christ, a minister of righteousness, a herald of salvation, and consequently that he held similar power to what Peter and Paul did in days of yore,"

To many of our readers these passages will appear blasphemous and to all ridiculous, but to thousands of badly cultivated minds who hold the doctrines of Revelation in an unreasonable manner, they make the most effective species of appeal. Unhappily, there exist in nearly every sect men who unwillingly prepare the way for the Mormon illusionary by depressing reason and exciting a passion for anything which transcends the laws of nature or the boundaries of possibility ; and even the Established Church con tributes to this effect ; for we have recently had one clergyman affirming table-turning to be the action of the devil, while another at Leeds mistook the temporary insanity of hysterics for the opera- ration of the Holy Ghost. The real wonders of God's world, both of matter and spirit, far exceed any of the inventions of superstition ; they surpass human reason, but never contradict it ; and hence, while their contemplation throws the sound mind into an extacy of devout admiration, they do not satisfy the appetite of the diseased mind, which will be content with nothing that does not outrage science and scandalise faith.

It would be had enough and sufficient disgrace for our age and country if the Mormanites stopped where they began ; but the prominent part of their present creed is that the Bible sanctions polygamy ; nay, more, that this abominable practice is a religious duty. Let us again hear Mr. Jaques :

" The Latter-day Saints teach a plurality of wives, and practise the principle in the territory of Utah, as it comes not into opposition with the law of the land. But in the countries where the law of the land forbids the practice it is not put into operation. Hence, In England, were a Latter- day Saint to marry two or more wives, he would be excommunicated, and delivered over to the law of the land, that he might learn to be subject 'to the powers that be,' or, in other words, the constituted authorities of his nation. Adultery and all lewdness are most severely reprobated. In Utah, adultery has been punished with death, and in this country the Latter-day Saints will on no account have fellowship with an adulterer, On the first conviction, he must repent, if he wishes to stay in the Church, otherwise he is excommunicated ; on the second conviction, he is excommunicated, and not allowed to return.

" It appears strange to me that a believer in the Bible should quarrel with the Latter-day Saints because they walk in the footsteps of 'faithful Abraham,' and Jacob, and Moses, and David. Those worthies had divers wives and the express favour of God at one and the same time. The Latter-day Saints believe that God has not changed. Why should you believe that He has ?"

That such sentiments should make a powerful appeal to the licentious passions of wicked men is no wonder ; but it is horrible to think—as we are informed is the fact—that even well-disposed young women belonging to the middle class hare been misled, through a perversion of their religious feelings, into submitting to the irredeemable degradation which this atrocious system involves. The Mormonites persuade their wretched dupes that the acceptance of polygamy is essential to the inheritance of Eternal Life—thus the Millennial Star of September 30th says, alluding to a writer who had attacked their creed :—

" We involuntarily inquire, has the writer had a religious education? Does he believe the doctrines of the Bible ? Is he aware that, to Israel pertain 'the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the services of God, and the promises,' 'and of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came ?' Or has he forgotten that the Twelve Patriarchs were the sons of four mothers, the honourable wives of one man? 'These did build the House of Israel.' 

Every man that would call himself a son of faithful Abraham must own his father a polygamist. The holy Jesus, whose redeeming blood was shed for the sins of the world, chose for the royal line of his incarnation, a people and family of renowned polygamists, a fact sufficient of itself to thrice hallow the heavenly institution. " Who, then, that would inherit Eternal Life, can wash his hands of that holy ordinance ? Who, then, can be a Christian, or a true believer in the Bible, without being himself a polygamist ? Echo answers who?"

The same Journal gives us the following extract from a letter of Mrs. Belinda Mardon Pratt, written at the Mormon settlement of Utah :—

"For instance, I have (as you see, in all good conscience, founded on the word, of God) formed family and kindred ties, which are inexpressibly dear to me, and which I can never bring my feeling to consent to dissolve I have a good and a virtuous husband, whom I love. We have four little children, which are mutually and inexpressibly dear to us. And besides this, my husband has seven other living wives, and one who has departed to a better world. He has in all upwards of twenty-two children. All these mothers and children are endeared to me by kindred ties, by mutual affection, by acquaintance and association ; and the mothers in particular, by mutual and long-continued exercises of toil, patience, long-suffering, and sisterly kindness. We all have our imperfections in this life; but I know that these are good and worthy women, and that my husband is a good, and worthy man ; one who keeps the commandments of Jesus Christ, and presides in his family like an Abraham. He seeks to provide for them with all diligence : he loves them all, and seeks to comfort them and make them happy. He teaches them the commandments of Jesus Christ, and gathers them about, him in the family circle to call upon his God, both morning and evening. He and his family have the confidence, esteem, goodwill, and fellowship of this entire territory, and of a wide circle of acquaintance in Europe and America. He is a practical teacher of morals and religion, a promoter of general education, and at present occupies an honourable seat in the legislative council of the territory."'

Thus, while an abandonment of polygamy is a necessary step in advancing from barbarism to civilisation, we have actually a set of men attempting to revive it in its most disgusting form—that, of degrading women, who have known better, to submit to its abominations under the notion that, they are performing a religious duty.

Whether the present condition of Utah is as bad as it has been represented or not, no sane person can doubt that it must speedily sink into a den of licentious iniquity and come to a violent end, for there is a wide difference between the polygamy of early nations who knew no better and the deliberate degradation in our days of that sex which it is the pride of Christian civilisation to place in a position of purity and honour. When we find such grievous superstitious rife amongst us, we ask what have the clergy been about? We compute the cost of deans and chapters, endeavour to add up the bishops, and venture to inquire whether it would not be advisable to sell off a quantity of superfluous dignities, and apply the proceeds to a sound system of national education that might stay the plague.

 Empire 16 February 1855,