MORMON MEETING.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 236, 16 September 1884, Page 2

MORMON MEETING.

DISGRACEFUL MOCKERY. A meeting convened by the Mormon Elders at present in this district, was held at Makaraka last night, when there were about 40 or-50 persons present. The whole affair was a fearful mockery, not on the part of the conveners, but on the part of those amongst the audience, and the blasphemous language made use of during the whole of the evening was truly disgusting. One, whose audacity was evidently limitless, kept incessantly interrupting the speakers, and on one occasion went on to the stage and endeavored to entice the Elders to take a drink with him. After that he brought in a large pint pot full of beer with a glass, and proceeded round the building offering each one a drink. Showers of stones and missiles were thrown on the top of the building. In their addresses the Elders complained of the prejudice and bias sent abroad against them, and of the ieports circulated around which were defamatory to the cause they represented. One was that if a man once went to Utah he could not get away again. They asked to be allowed to examine the consistency of that report. First, Utah was under the Government of the United States of America, and was subject to the jurisdiction thereof, and in fact the Governor of the territory of Utah, and the district judges were all appointed by the President of the United States, and the law making department of that territory was vested in the legislature of the States. Was it consistent and reasonable, that under such a Government a man could be held a slave for ever? Another report was that all letters and mails were opened and examined before they passed out from Utah into the world. That also was inconsistent and unreasonable. There were nearly 200,000 people in the territory, and ipiagine the number of letters, <fco., that were sealed which regularly passed in and out of the territory, and the amount of labor such a process of reopening and sealing would incur. That was a foolish report. Another reason why there was so much prejudice out against them was because the people were ignorant of the cause they represented, but they would show that they ( believed in the Bible, not only in parts of it, ‘‘'but in the whole of it. The subject of the Bible they discussed was the plan of Life and Salvation. The Bible contained a biographical, historical, and doctrinal phase, and laid down the programme by which this earth »vas created, and what the people on it would be hereafter. They then quoted from Genesis pointing out the creation and mortality of man, and stating that man was placed on this earth to be tried for a future state, and in order to accomplish that it was necessary that he should fall and be redeemed. They then proceeded further showing the doctrine of Jesus Christ and his Apostles whilst in this state, and to prove the commission given by Jesus to his Apostles, they quoted from the 16th chapter of Mark loth verse. That

was one of the greatest commissions ever given to mankind. The 2nd chapter of Acts, verses 1,2, 8 and 4, explained why the disciples after receiving their commission to go forth to the world, tarried at Jerusalem, that was to qualify them as faithful servai ts of the Lord, as they had to show their faith by their works. They (the Elders) claimed that their creed also taught that a man must show his faith by his works. Man was called upon to fill up the measure of his creation in righteousness, and was called upon to believe in Christ, and to be baptised for the remission of his sins. Baptism for the remission of sins was one of the most important principles laid down, and that principle was taught by Jesus Christ and his disciples. The Gospel taught them four great principles :—lst, Faith in Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost; 2nd, To believe in that faith ; 3rd, To be baptised ; 4th the Holy Ghost. That was the gospel as preached by the Mormons, and there were also other doctrines they taught which were also taught in the Bible. At this present stage man boasted of advancing in learning and science and yet mankind was unable to answer the questions, why he was here ? what he was here for ? and where he was going to when he should pass away ? Theii’s was a good cause and God had now stretched forth his hand for the redemption of the people. They had a book of their own faith which they claimed was handed down from the forefathers of the aborigines of America, who in former ages had the gospel of Christ preached unto them and they were in a much more civilized state. Rumours had gone abroad by the newspapers that they were a “muchly married people,” but they contended that that was only caused by the ill-feeling which existed between them and other denominations. It was impossible for anyone to enter into that relationship unless they also entered into certain ordnances of their principles. When they were required they would be found quite able to give good and sufficient reasons for what they performed according to their religion, and they were quite willing to compare with any society on the face of the earth. They fully realized their punishment if they were preaching untruths and testifying to that which was false. A vote of thanks to Mr. Beresford for the Hall, and a general prayer brought the proceedings to a conclusion.