“HIGH TYPE”

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 164, 4 March 1932, Page 7

“HIGH TYPE”

MORMON ELDER AND ATTITUDE TO MARRIAGE. SYDNEY, Saturday. Elder Tingey, who came to Sydney by t the Marippsa. tb Jbecome president ; of the Austraiian Mission v of * the Chureh of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, said to-day that with the disappearance of prejudice the Mormon religiohiW'as expanding.and progressing. „ "The marriage laws to-day are just the same as tho'se of other Christian religions. "It is true that there was a time when a small percentage of the Mormons indulged in a pluralty of wives, but nothing like what the average citizen believed." "Before the practice ceased in 1890,'' said Elder Tingey, "not more than 2 per cent. of the people .practised plurai marriage, ahd before they could do so, they had to secure the approval of the first wife and of the church authorities. Those who did enter the life believed they had a direct revelation from God to do so, ahd instead of living in anything verging on immorality theirs wa's a high type of life." The religion, was flourishing in Australia, he added. So importaht was virtue co'nsidered by the founder of the Mormons, Brigham Young, that he provided in the Cohstitution of ,the State of Utah — and it was still there, though never acted on — for t the death penalty for adultery. Utah, he said, was the healthiest of all the American States,