MORMONISM FROM A MORMON POINT OF VIEW. 161 



yet half a century old, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-clay 

 Saints has passed through a baptism of fire, and living men can speak 

 with mingled pride and sorrow of personal friends who died as mar- 

 tyrs to their religious faith. Thirty years ago Nauvoo, in Illinois, 

 was a Mormon settlement, almost equal in population and prosperity 

 to Salt Lake City at the present day ; those who witnessed its total 

 destruction can hardly be considered idle alarmists, when they allude 

 to the possibility of trials yet to come. The tone of the speakers 

 was thoroughly practical, exhorting to industry and sobriety, to 

 abstention from all stimulants, including tobacco, coffee, and tea, and 

 to the cultivation of all the useful arts, " even those of war, if neces- 

 sary to the safety of our community." These exhortations were 

 mainly addressed to the juniors present, a saving clause being in- 

 serted for those seniors who had borne the burden and heat of the 

 evil days, and who, having now established this mountain refuge for 

 the Saints, might require to " solace decaying nature " with an occa- 

 sional narcotic. The addresses breathed a tolerant and rational spirit, 

 the doctrines inculcated were simply those of a charitable form of 

 Christianity, and there was no mention of that peculiar domestic 

 institution which sums up in the minds of so many all notions con- 

 nected with Mormonism. 



After all, it is upon " plural marriages " that the interest as well 

 as the hostility of the outer world has always been concentrated; a 

 Mormon is simply regarded as a man with a number of wives, and 

 beyond this most people know little, and care less, as to the doctrines 

 or customs of the Latter-day Saints. Were it not for their polygamy, 

 it seems probable that the Mormons might now enjoy the same per- 

 fect toleration which is extended in America to other forms of reli- 

 gious eccentricity, and that Deseret would long ere this have taken 

 her place among the States of the Union. On the other hand, it 

 must be borne in mind that polygamy is a comparatively recent 

 innovation, condemned by the Book of Mormon in the strongest pos- 

 sible terms : 



" The word of God burdens me because of your grosser crimes. For behold, 

 thus saith the Lord, this people' (the Nephites) begin to wax in iniquity; they 

 understand not the Scriptures ; for they seek to excuse themselves because of 

 the things which were written concerning David and Solomon his son. Behold, 

 David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which tbing was 

 abominable before me, saith the Loi;d ; wherefore, thus saith the Lord, I have 

 led this people forth out of the land of Jerusalem, by the power of mine arm, 

 that I might raise up unto me a righteous branch from the fruit of the loins of 

 Joseph. Wherefore I, the Lord God, will not suffer that this people shall do 

 like unto them of old. Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the 

 word of the Lord ; for there shall not any man among you have save it be one 

 wife, and concubines he shall have none ; for I, the Lord God, delighteth (sic) 

 in the chastity of women." 



vol. x. 11 



