The Mormon Puzzle, And How To Solve It Part 1

The Mormon Puzzle, and How to Solve It.

by R. W. Beers.

PREFACE.

The following pages have at least the merit of being addressed to a subject of living interest to the American people. Perhaps with the single exception of the labor problem, the Mormon problem is the most important question before the people of our country at the present time. It is a problem which has thus far been unsolvable by the moralist, the statesman, and the politician. It still remains a PUZZLE. No feasible plan has yet been hit upon for getting rid of it.

From the past failures to solve it, it would seem that the problem has either not been studied from the proper standpoint, or has been misunderstood. Accordingly, we inst.i.tuted a careful study of the problem in all its different phases, and endeavored to conduct our investigation in a fair and impartial manner. In doing so we consulted the leading authorities, both Mormon and non-Mormon, and must here acknowledge our indebtedness especially to "New Light on Mormonism," by Mrs. Ellen E.

d.i.c.kinson; "Illiteracy and Mormonism," by Henry Randall Waite; Professor Coyner's "Handbook on Mormonism;" Schaff-Herzog's "Encyclopaedia of Religious Knowledge;" and back files of the _Independent_, _Christian Union_, and _Deseret News_--all of which were freely used in the preparation of this volume.

It has the merit of being the product of about two years' careful thought and research. Most of the writings on Mormonism at the present day are the result of a few days' study of the subject on the field of Utah; but, apart from the insufficient time which such authors devote to the study of so knotty a problem, their minds are very apt to be warped by the people among whom their lot is cast during their short visit there, and they almost inevitably present a one-sided view of the question.

Thus, some have fallen into the hands of _the Mormons_; and they have returned from Utah delighted, and let fall from their lips naught but encomiums for the priesthood and apologies for the Mormon system. Many of our legislators have in this way been the dupes of the Mormon priesthood.

On this subject the much-lamented _Mary Clemmer_ wrote the following pungent lines:

"Legislators constantly pa.s.sing to and from California find Salt Lake City a most attractive stopping-place. The Mormon hierarchy, sly, cunning, astute, to the last limit of human nature, is ever sharply on the lookout for these potent summer visitors. 'Prophets' and 'apostles' board every train of cars that enters Utah bearing an important traveller. The freedom of the city, the hospitality of the show 'happy families,' who are never taken by surprise on an off-day of misery, is lavished upon the ingenuous guest.... The facts impressed upon his senses, as well as his understanding, are those of great industry, thrift, wealth, prosperity--of shrewd men and of seemingly happy women. Indeed, their supreme occupation while with him is to prove to him that they _are_ happy, while the men are equally busy in spreading before him the vast resources of both the Church and the Territory. This man, who is one of many men whose voice and vote tells upon human affairs, leaves the Territory at last deeply in debt personally for favors received and mentally somewhat dazed by the material profitableness of a religious system that he wishes to denounce, but does not pretend to understand."

On the other hand, many have fallen into the hands of _bitter non-Mormons_ during their brief stay in Utah; and their minds have been filled with horrible stories of the brutalities and crimes of the Mormon people. They have returned disgusted, and have uttered harsh tirades against the whole Mormon system and all who believe in it, declaring that it should be utterly exterminated, even by the sword. Of their utterances and writings the official organ of the Mormon Church, the _Deseret News_, in its issue of July 21st, 1886, reasonably complains. It says: "Salt Lake City is not Utah, and conversation with a little knot of anti-Mormons does not impart much accurate information on 'Mormonism.' The books that are written by tourists who come in by the cars, take a hack, a ride around town, a sniff at the lake, a glance at the Temple, and a guess at the situation, and who make up their data from other publications and the yarns of persons who take delight in filling up travellers with blood-curdling Munchausenisms, are not likely to correct the public mind on a subject about which there is more misinformation than almost any other.... And these books are not any less reliable than the remarks and tales and remedies that fall from the lips of men who spend a few weeks in a given locality in one Utah town, and then go to the world and air their great experience and knowledge about the 'Mormons' through 'a protracted residence in Utah.'"

It was our desire to avoid both Scylla and Charybdis--to treat the subject with an unbiased mind--to get the real facts, and then propound, if possible, a solution to the problem. We have not been in actual contact either with Mormons or non-Mormons. We have not been on the field of Utah at all, and believe that the value of this volume as an impartial study is thereby greatly enhanced. Furthermore, while we have avoided the narrow views of the subject which would almost inevitably have resulted from a personal visit to Utah, we have been in communication both with leading Mormons and non-Mormons on the field, and have in that way acquired all the _reliable_ information which could have been obtained by a _long residence_ there.

The result of our long and careful study, which was prosecuted while we were engaged in regular pastoral duties, was first given to the members of our own congregation in a series of lectures on week-day evenings; and while they have since then been enlarged and carefully revised, they still have the free oratorical style which, though inexcusable in a work prepared exclusively for publication, may be pardoned in an oral lecture.

The solution of the "_Mormon Puzzle_" to which we have arrived is given forth with the firm conviction that it is practicable, and if carried out in its various parts would peaceably overcome all the bad qualities belonging to Mormonism, which are the sole cause of the puzzle now before the people of our country. Nevertheless, we do not antic.i.p.ate for our views the indors.e.m.e.nt of the extremists on either side; but we believe they will commend themselves to the fair-minded people of our land; at least, it is hoped that all minds open to conviction may find something in these pages worthy of their serious thought. We only ask that the reader may adopt the precept of Bacon: "Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; but to weigh and consider."

THE AUTHOR.

PRESBYTERIAN PARSONAGE, ELKTON, MD.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

He was a sage and a seer who remarked concerning Mormonism: "It presents a problem which the wisest politician has failed to solve, and whose outcome lies in the mystery of the future." It is acknowledged to be the Great Modern Abomination, the most pernicious heresy of this century; and yet in ten years from its origin its devotees numbered thousands, and Joseph Smith, its founder, predicted that it was to be the religious faith of the Western Continent. To-day its members.h.i.+p numbers its hundreds of thousands, its organizations extend over a large part of the globe, and the most careless observer of the times must realize that this inst.i.tution has become one of the gravest and most difficult religious, social, and political puzzles of the day.

Throughout our whole land it is universally despised and execrated; and if popular odium could extinguish it, it would speedily be sunk in the slimy depths of the Great Salt Lake. But thus far it has successfully withstood even the fiercest opposition. That Mormonism is not the weak, empty, insignificant thing which it is so generally a.s.sumed to be must be obvious to any one who sets himself seriously to account for its origin, its growth, and its present position and influence. There _must_ be more in the system than is popularly supposed; otherwise the organization could never have grown to be what it is, nor could it now stand up so persistently and even prosperously in the presence of such universal opposition.

Very much of what is said and written concerning Mormonism amounts to but very little because of its obvious failure to understand what it denounces; and it will be well for us at the outset to notice A FEW OF THE MISTAKES CONCERNING MORMONISM that are now current.

1. Most people talk as if _Mormonism and polygamy are synonymous_, whereas polygamy is only a comparatively trifling and non-essential part of Mormonism. For ten years after the Church was founded, it was not heard of; and it was not openly taught for twenty years. If it could be brought to a sudden conclusion either by a new revelation, or stamped out by law, Mormonism, with its preposterous claims, its absorption of things political in things ecclesiastical, its ideas, some of them more than heathenish, its intensely secular spirit, its standard of morality lamentably low--MORMONISM, in its worst phases, and in what it is most damaging to souls and fullest of peril to the Republic, would still stand unscathed.

2. And then, in strict accordance with that false notion, is the idea that _the Mormons are a mere horde of sensualized barbarians_, and should consequently be dealt with in the most severe manner imaginable; whereas, the fact is that the great ma.s.s of Mormons do not practise polygamy, and _never have done so_. It is true that, as a people, they are chargeable with the gravest crimes; and yet they have been perpetrated by _the few_, while _the many_ have been, and are, devoted to what _they believe_ to be the true and the right. Contrasts are often drawn (and truthfully drawn, too) by their preachers between "the unworldly lives of the Saints and the evil practices of the Gentiles," and pertinent examples are given of aberration from rect.i.tude of men intrusted with the making of our laws or those who ministers at the altars of divine wors.h.i.+p, until they regard themselves as clothed with the resplendent robes of righteousness. Perhaps the worst thing that can be said of the ma.s.s of the Mormons is that they are poor, ignorant, and superst.i.tious, and therefore an easy prey to a corrupt and infamous priesthood. But many who are equally poor, ignorant, and superst.i.tious can be found in every State in the Union, and in some States they are far greater in number than in Utah.

3. Then, too, there is another mistaken idea concerning Mormonism. The a.s.sertion is often made that _it is an exotic--an importation from the Old World_, and especially that the pollutions of polygamy may justly be charged to the English, Swedes, and Danes. But this is not true. Facts compel a conclusion far less flattering. Smith and his system are essentially a New World product. It took its rise in a region lying between the birthplace of the Rochester Rappings, from which Modern Spiritualism sprang, and the seat of the Oneida Community. It had much in common, too, with the great Campbellite movement, which antedated it only by five or ten years, and from which it received a large number of important accessions. Millerism and Shakerism were also near relatives and neighbors. Yea, more--in Mormonism we have an obnoxious plant which _sprang from Puritan seed_, though it first _took root_ in the Empire State. Joseph Smith, its founder, and Brigham Young, its greatest leader, were both born in Vermont. At least ninety per cent of the converts gathered during the first ten years (1830-40) were of New England descent.

In 1860, out of a population in Utah of some 70,000, it is affirmed that 10,000 were born in New York and 20,000 in New England; while in the legislature, of thirty-six members, thirteen were born in New York, six in Ma.s.sachusetts, and five in Vermont. And in an editorial written less than two years ago, the official Mormon Church paper states that "of twenty-eight men const.i.tuting the general authorities of the Church, twenty-four were born in the United States and eighteen were of New England birth or origin. Of twenty-seven 'Stakes of Zion,' twenty have presidents born under the Stars and Stripes, and a large majority are of New England parentage. The founders were mostly descendants of the Pilgrim Fathers; the leading minds are nearly all of Puritan blood." It is, however, some comfort to know that, since polygamy was accepted and proclaimed, recruiting from among the sons of the Pilgrims has almost altogether ceased; and yet it is well for those of us who are so boastful of what Puritan thought and energy have accomplished for America to remember that this greatest abomination of our land is also a product of the thought and energy of the descendants of the Pilgrims--an inst.i.tution, therefore, ESSENTIALLY AMERICAN.

4. It is also commonly supposed at the present day that _about nine tenths of the Mormons are foreign rather than American_; but the last census gives Utah a foreign-born population of 43,933 and a native-born population of 99,974. Making allowance for the probable preponderance of the native element among the Gentile population, and allowing a large subtraction from the latter figure on account of the thousands of children born of foreign parentage in Utah, it would still be probable that the native is, at least, equal to the foreign fraction in the general aggregate. And this will be the more readily admitted when it is remembered that, while public attention has been more attracted toward the recent importations of converts from Europe, the earlier Mormons in Utah were almost exclusively American. So far as personal prominence goes, if not in numbers, _the native element has always been, and is now, entirely predominant_.

Since, then, there are so many common mistakes with reference to Mormonism, let us endeavor to look at the system fully in a fair and impartial manner, considering _its marvellous history_, in the first place; and, then, _its threefold character_ as a religious, social, and political system, with which we have to deal not only as patriots, but also as Christians.

PART I.

HISTORY OF MORMONISM.

"Examine history, for it is 'Philosophy teaching by experience.'"

--CARLYLE.

"'Tis strange, but true; for truth is always strange, Stranger than fiction." BYRON.

CHAPTER I.

Alleged origin of Mormonism--Joseph Smith's early life--Finding the peek-stone--Visited by an angel--Received the golden plates--Was Smith a swindler or an enthusiast?--"Book of Mormon" published, and Mormon Church established--Smith's first alleged miracle--Rigdon joins the Mormons--Mormonism compared to Mohammedanism.

It is acknowledged by all who have given careful thought to the subject, that Mormonism presents us with a very extraordinary civilization and the most peculiar religion under the sun; but _its history_ is as unique and peculiar as the system itself, and is well worthy the attention of the philosopher as well as the student of human nature and human history.

Its alleged origin was miraculous, and calculated to inspire its followers with wonder, admiration, and awe. As Moses, the founder of Judaism, received the two tables of the moral law, which const.i.tuted the brief Bible of the Israelites, from the hand of G.o.d Himself, while the lightning blazed around his head and the earth quaked beneath his feet, so Joseph Smith (it is alleged) received his Golden Bible from the hand of an angel on the Hill c.u.mmorah near Palmyra, N. Y., amid thunder and lightning. He is represented in an old picture as kneeling on the steep incline of that hill, the wind blowing his long hair out in all directions, and his eyes big with surprise. Above him in a cloud is the placid angel, gazing intently upon the future prophet, who is eagerly taking his credentials from a cemented stone chest which had been buried some 1400 years, while out of the overshadowing cloud have come forth zigzags of lightning which are playing around both Joseph and the angel.

The name of the angel was Moroni, and he informed Smith that the fate of the early inhabitants of America was written on golden tablets within that chest, and that these could be read only by the aid of some wonderful stone spectacles called "Urim and Thummim," which were also in the chest.

Smith said that on opening the precious box he found six golden tablets eighteen inches square held together by rings at the back, and also the stone spectacles to decipher the tablets; and besides these, the sword of Laban and a "breastplate" which had been brought from Jerusalem by the early inhabitants of our land were inclosed in the chest.

The hill on which these sacred things were found is at present known as Gold Bible Hill, and the true Mormon venerates it as a sacred spot, and travels from afar to see its quiet but not remarkable beauty. It is a conical elevation several hundred feet in height, and in its isolation and peculiar form bears a certain resemblance to an extinct volcano. It is smooth and green to the very top, from which there is a picturesque view of hills and dales in all directions. It is situated in Wayne County, N.

Y., four miles from the village of Palmyra and three miles from the home of the false prophet who has given it its present fame.

Like all other prophets, whether true or false, Joseph Smith was of very humble origin. His father was a cooper by trade, and he dug wells and worked on the neighboring farms when he could. His mother washed by the day, but it is said that her employers were careful to have the clothes in before dark, as experience had taught them they would disappear if left on the lines over night. The whole family made baskets and maple sugar, and raised and sold garden vegetables.

The youthful Joseph a.s.sisted generally, and (it is alleged) was an adept in robbing hen-roosts and orchards. It seems that when quite young he could read, but not write. His two standard volumes were "The Life of Stephen Burroughs," the clerical scoundrel, and the autobiography of Captain Kidd, the pirate. The latter work was eagerly and often perused.

At an early age he committed the following lines to memory, which seemed to give him great pleasure:

"My name was Robert Kidd, As I sailed, as I sailed; And most wickedly I did, And G.o.d's laws I did forbid, As I sailed, as I sailed."

A certain superst.i.tious feeling concerning the Smith family existed in the minds of their more ignorant neighbors on account of the reputation which Mrs. Smith had for telling fortunes. She seems to have been a woman full of odd conceits and superst.i.tions, while at the same time she possessed a great deal of natural talent; and Joseph resembled his mother in mental quickness and imaginative power.

When he was scarcely fifteen years old, while he was watching the digging of a well, he said that he found a peculiarly shaped stone that resembled a child's foot in its outlines. It must have resembled the stone foot of Buddha at Bangkok, Siam. At any rate, it has well been said that this foot "has left footprints on the sands of time." This little stone, afterward known as the "peek-stone" and the "Palmyra seer-stone," has been called "the acorn of the Mormon oak."

For some time Joseph Smith obtained a subsistence by means of that stone.