MORMON CAMPAIGN

Horowhenua Chronicle, 16 May 1911, Page 3

MORMON CAMPAIGN

» I THE QUESTION OF POLYGAr.IY. j | AND SOME INTERESTING FAC TS [BY ELKCTHIO TKLEGHAI'H-OOPYRIGHT.J 1 f'KH I'IIEHS ASSOCIATION. J NEW YORK, May 14. i Despite frequent denials of polygamy in the Movm'on Church at Salt Lake City, it is announced that two Elders have been deprived! 0 f the j priesthood, consequent on recently , practising polygamy. (Chronicle Noto: Tn connection with the present active propaganda of the Latter Day Saints in England, it is interesting to reproduce a summary of a discussion between Mr Freece, of the International Reform Bureau, Washington and Elder W. P. Monson, of Preston, Tda.ho, U.S., which took place at Bank Buildings. Kingsway, London, W.C., In March. : The anti-Mormon (Mr Freece) acj copied the Christian Churches as now existing as the Church of ! Christ. The Mormon maintained ! that the only true Church i Church of the Latter Day Saints, ! whose distinctive notes were the | fivefold ni der of apostles, prophets. ! pastors, evangelists, and teachers, and the doctrine that the Holy G-host was onlv imparted by the Mormon priesthood by the laying on of hands after baptism for the remission of sans. On the question of polvgamy Mr Freece quoted the following paragraph from a report from the Commissioner of Immigration in Boston, as follows: "About 700 or 800 Mormon converts, a majority of whom are probably women, pass through this port annualIv. And. furthermore," he added, "here is an extract from an epistle issued in 1885 hv the Church of the Latter Dav Saints, quoted in the Congressional records, whioh' state that the practice of polvgamv is a religious tenet, and to forbid this entail's da lunation." "We repudiate Hir> authority of that epistle." said J R'der Monson. "Its contents are i not binding upon any Mormon. We I nt-p onlv bound hv the Bible. Book of Mormon, the Covenants, and the Pearl oF Great Price, in none of which will von find the doctrine that nnlvcrninv is necessary for salvation. The souls of the dead pass into (1) celestial region reserved for those who are true believers in Christ nd who are valiant in His testimony: (2"\ a terrestrial region inhabited hv those whose hearts are pure towards God. but whose eyes have been blinded that they see not the truth : and (3) the telestial region, which corresponds to purgatory, for the imnenitent." "Then von do not claim with Brijrham Young and other leading liebts that to reach the celestial region man must marrv more wives than one?" asked Mr Fieece. "Certainlv not. Neither of us has married more than one wife, and we defv you to find a single Mormon in Utah who with' the sanction of the Church has married more wives than one since polygamy was abolished in 1800. We challenge you to produce one. We will pay von a thousand dollars for every one." Mr Freece. by way of reply, produced a list of 23fi Mormons whose names wore published in the Salt Lake Tribune as being at this moment livine in polygamy. "Why," he asked, 'if these men are libelled, do thev not prosecute the newspaper?" "Tt is 7iot worth powder and shot," was the reply.)