Part 12 (1/2)
”8. We believe the Bible to be the Word of G.o.d, as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the 'Book of Mormon' to be the Word of G.o.d.
”9. We believe all that G.o.d has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the kingdom of G.o.d.
”10. We believe in the literal gathering of Israel, and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion will be built upon this continent; that Christ will reign personally upon this earth, and that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisic glory.
”11. We claim the privilege of wors.h.i.+pping Almighty G.o.d according to the dictates of our conscience, and allow all men the same privilege; let them wors.h.i.+p how, when, or where they will.
”12. We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates; in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
”13. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we say that we follow the admonition of Paul: 'We believe all things; we hope all things;' we have endured many things, and hope to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.”
The fact is, that this nineteenth century heresy bears much the same relation to the Gospel of to-day that Gnosticism, Montanism, and Manicheism did to that of the early centuries. On the true foundation of the Old and New Testaments, it has built a structure of wood, hay, and stubble. ”To the law and the testimony,” is the constant cry. Argument is based almost entirely upon the Bible. Proof-texts are quoted by the thousand.
Our object in directing attention to the Christian element in Mormonism is not to furnish apology or to divert attention from its fearful errors; but it is mentioned because it furnishes a decided clue to the vitality and persistency of the system, and also opens our eyes as to the best way to solve the religious puzzle which this system presents before us. The great question to be answered is: How are we to get rid of _the erroneous doctrines of Mormonism_?
CHAPTER XV.
THE RELIGIOUS PUZZLE (_concluded_).
The character of efforts. .h.i.therto put forth to solve the puzzle--What has been accomplished--The plan somewhere defective--Mormonism to be reformed, not destroyed--Why Mormons will not listen to Christian missionaries--Moody and Sankey's meetings in Salt Lake City--_The Deseret Evening News_ on Bishop Tuttle's sermon--Mormonism a perversion of Christianity--The educational and colonization scheme best fitted to reform it--Proved by comparing Roman Catholicism in the United States with Roman Catholicism in Mexico or Brazil--The probable effect of a larger intelligence--The probable effect of the introduction of Gentile colonies--The religious puzzle solved--The duty of the hour.
Hitherto the efforts which have been put forth against Mormonism as a religious system have been the same in character as when contending with Buddhism, Confucianism, or any other pagan religion. _And what has been accomplished?_
It is not our desire to depreciate what has been done in Utah by the n.o.ble Christian men and women who have faced the insults of men and sometimes death itself in battling with the errors of Mormonism. They are Christian heroes and heroines, and are deserving of all praise and honor. They are worthy to receive crowns and laurels that can never fade. But their sterling worth and Christian heroism do not alter the facts concerning the visible results of their labors. It is true that nearly twenty years elapsed after the occupation of Salt Lake Valley by the Mormons before any attempt was made to introduce the Gospel. It was only by the occupation of Camp Douglas, in 1862, by several regiments of United States troops that the way began to be opened; and only since 1865 has there been any missionary work done in the Territory. But in the twenty years of missionary work what has been accomplished? How many converts from Mormonism have been obtained?
Rev. R. G. McNiece, D.D., of Salt Lake City, in a personal letter to the writer, said: ”The number of converts directly from the Mormon ranks I cannot give you; but it is very small, especially among adults. Among the youth the number is greater, and here is where the hope lies. The children and youth come under Christian influence first in the day-schools maintained by the Christian denominations. In the Sabbath-school this influence is deepened, and thereby the way into the Church is opened. I should say that THREE HUNDRED WOULD BE A LARGE ESTIMATE OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CHRISTIAN CONVERTS FROM THE MORMON RANKS; but the work thus far has been preparatory.”
Now, while it is very true that the work has been in great measure preparatory, nevertheless no such long preparation as twenty years should be necessary in dealing with a people to a great extent speaking our own language. If it were China, or j.a.pan, or India just opened, and it required time for the missionaries to get acquainted with the habits and language of the people, it would be a very different thing. It seems from the small crop of Christian converts thus far obtained that the system of missionary work adopted is somewhere defective.
And does not the fact of the large Christian element in the Mormon religious system show that it must not be treated as a pagan religion? and that different methods must be adopted to overcome its evils? All missionary labor in Utah up to the present time has been in open and direct antagonism to the whole Mormon system, and its object has been openly and professedly to exterminate it from the face of the earth. Now, we raise the question, _Can any Christian sect be easily annihilated?_ Should it be our desire to exterminate it? Should not the object of all our efforts be _to reform it_--to purge the gold of its dross? And so, does it not seem far more likely that Mormonism is not to be _destroyed_ at all, but rather _reformed_ by various influences brought to bear upon it?
The adult Mormons will not go to hear the Christian missionaries, for they believe that all that is good in Christianity they have already in their own system. The only difference is that they have more; they have an enlarged and expanded Christianity. Consequently they think their system is vastly superior to the Christian's. Mormon boys write ”_Come to Jesus_”
on the clean, white window-sills of Christian chapels, while their parents at home tell them that they know a hundredfold more truth than the Christians, whose whole creed, they say, begins and ends with this despised phrase.