MORMONISM IN RELATION TO WOMEN.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4299, 11 October 1882, Page 2

MORMONISM IN RELATION TO WOMEN.

An ex-priest of Mormonism has been letting the outside world behind the scenes of Mormonism. The following is worthy of perusal:—"lt is a serious thing to contemplate that every three months or|so a number of young girls from England, and even a larger propor tion from Wales, are to be shipped off to Salt Lake City, to become the victims of a system which is founded on gross and sensual wickedness, and from which they cannot escape, How are they caught for such a purpose P " The Sisters here," says ex High Priest Hawkins, "become acquainted with young girls, and lake them to the meeting houses. After a while they ask them to be baptised. If the girls say that their parents will object, the elder quotes scripture to the effect that whosoever does uot leave father and mother for the Lord's sake is not worthy of bim. " Last year," he adds,- " 125 girls arrived at Salt Lake City, and only in ten cases did their patents know what had become of them." Thus under covnr of a frightful religion, there is practised io London and throughout England a Bjstem of deception that,, is only comparable in its results to those Belgian abductions, which so recently moved the horror and indignation of the Euglish people. The method of " sealing "in tbe Mormon Churoh seems devised to specially impress the minds of girl's who may thus be lured away. The ceremony of the "endowments," as it is called, which usually lasts from 7 o'clock 10 tbe morning to about 4 o'clock

in the. afternoon, is, if ex• High Priest Hawkins may be belie Ted, blaa phemous almost beyond the power of imagination. The bride and bridegroom are bathed and anointed, and afterwards " endowed" with white garments, an apron of fig-leaves, and a " new name." They are led through one room after another; they listen, awe-stricken, wjiilst " Elohim " repeats passages of Scripture to the Archangel Michael in the darkness. In turn they are introduced to Adam and Eve, to Satan (who squirms about on the floor in token of his defeat), and to the Apostle PeteT, who snips pieces from the wedding raimant with a pair of scissors ! The ceremony is completed by taking oaths to which reference has already been made." * .