OCR Text |
Show F-3 WOMAN'S EX PONE UK speaker Jie ia bold, powerful and convincing, modo and the possessing both the maviier in vise and prudent, yet jortiier in re; as a leader, fearless as a military commander; brave and determined as a citizen, worthy, affable and kind; bland in his manners, and of noble bearis ing. His amiable lady, too, the electa cyria, a woman of superior intellect and exemplary piety in every respect suited to her situation in society, as the wife of one of the most accomplished and powerful chiefs of the age. "Ilyrum Smitn, the Patriarch oof the Church and brother of Joseph, is forty-twyears of inches high, age, five feet, eleven and a half e one hundred ninety-threand pounds. weighing and Seer and a is Revelator, too, He, Prophet, is one of the most pious and devout Christians in the world. He 13 a man of great wisdom and superior excellence, possessing great en ergy of character and originality of thought." The following interesting extracts are taken from a letter addressed to the Editor of the New York Herald by an officer of the U. S. 'Artillery, dated City of Nauvoo, 111., May 8, nf Joe Smith, the Modern Ma-and a hornet. Spread of the Mormon Faith, New Religious Revolution at Hand.' we received a va"By the mails last evening from Nauvoo, the riety of letters and papers emcapital of the new religious revolutionary and also from pire, established by Joe Smith; the extraor-' other towns of Illinois, exhibiting most extraordinary dinarv progress ofthis the themselves call 'Latter.day who people, folSaints.' These letters and papers are as lows: First, a letter from a United States arwho tillery officer traveling through Nauvoo,moveMormon gives an original glimpse of the o ment there. Second, an extract from the Journal of the 3d of June a newspaper in favor of the Whig party, and opposed to the Mormons on account of their locofoco tenordency, requiring a review of their military ganization. Third, a law of the Mormon city of Nauvoo, extending toleration towards all religions; even Mahometan, and assuming nonchapower to legislate for all with imperial lance. Fourth, a- public meeting of Mormons in Nauvoo, developing their sentiments and Fifth, a position in the elections in Illinois. wife of the letter to Mrs. Emma Smith, the Prophet, from a lady in Edwardsville, exhibiting the singular mixture of piety, politics, tact and shrewdness of those who believe in All these letters and documents disclose a most extraordinary movement in human affairs. What they mean we can hardly tell, but is it not time for some great religious revolution, as radical as Luther's, to take place in the Christian world ? "In the early ages of autiquity, before the dates of the monuments of .bgypt, we have distinguished names handed dawn to us by tradition Brama, Vishnu, Confucius, Zoroaster, Isis, Osiris, including Adam, Seth, Noah, Abraham, were the master spirits of great antiquity throughout the ancient world. In later times, Moses and the Prophets, Peter and Paul and the Apostles of Christ, and even Mahomet, who acknowledged the truth of Christianity. Each of these movements was a religious revolution, but that which followed the time of Adam, Seth, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Christ and the Apostles, has developed the only true system of morals, of belief, of revelation, of prophecy, of man, of God, of eternity. When the Christian Church was overwhelmed with follies and superstitions of Rome, and the thousand quarreling sects of monks and idlers, a fresh spirit aftse in the world a spark came down from heaven Luther lifted up his voice, and a religious revolution started at his word, and renovated Christianity. But a new age has come, a fresh infusion of faith is required, a strong impulse is rendered necessary. "May not this wonderful Mormon movement be the signal for a new religious revolution? Is not Joe Smith its master spirit, and General Bennett its military spirit ? The vast progress of the last century in art and science 'through steam and type, has changed the nature of man and society. Is it not necessary that a new religion and a new faith should come down from heaven, to carry out the destiny of 1 I'.' Cf me rautr uuuer ius present condition "It is very evident that the Mormons eirhihJf. a remarkable degree of tact, skill, shrewdness. energy and enthusiasm. The particular features of their faith are nothing against their success, juo tney Delieve their new bible, their virgin revelation, their singular creed ? If they do so with enthusiasm and .practice their shrewd precepts, the other sects will fall before Thi 13 certain this is buman nature. In Illinois they have already shown how to acquire power and influence, by holding the balance ot power between both the ties. They can already dictate to the State of auuu mey pursue the same policy in wiu mey twl soon aictqte to un - x. "Yesterday was a great day with the 'Mormons,' Their legion, to the number of two thousand men, was paraded by Gen. Smith, Bennett and others, and certainly made a very noble and imposing appearance. The evolutions of the troops would do honor to any body of armed militia in any of the States, and approximates very closely to the regular forces. Before many years this legion will be twenty, and perhaps fifty, thousand strong, and still augmenting. A fearful host, filled with religious enthusiasm, and led on by ambitious and talented officers, what may not be effected By them? Perhaps the subversion of the Constitution of the United States; and if this should be considered too great a task, foreign conquests will most certainly follow. Mexico will fall into their hands, even if Texas ehouJd take it. "These 'Mormons' are accumulating like a snowball rolling down an inclined plane, which in the end becomes an avalanche. They are enrolling among their officers some of the first talent in the country. Only a part of their officers, regents and professors, however, are 'Mormons,' but they are all united by a common interest and will act together on main points to a man. Those who are not 'Mormons' when they come here, very soon become Mor-monis- m. rt so. "The Smiths are not without talent, and are said to be as brave as lions. Joseph, the chief, i a fellow, a Mahomet every inch of him. The postmaster, Sidney Rigdon, h a lawyer, philosopher and Saint. Their other Generals are also men of talent, and some of them men of learning. I have no doubt that they are all brave as they are most unquestionably ambitious, and the tendency of their religious creed is to annihilate all other sects; you may therefore see that the time, will come when this gathering host of religious fanatics will make this country shake to the centre. A western empire is certain. Ecci0 siastical history presents no parallel to this people, inasmuch as they are establishing their religion on a learned footing. All the sciences are taught: and to betausrht in the coIWr with Latin, Greek, Hebrew; French, Italian, Span-- ' ish, etc., etc. The mathematical sciences, cure and mixed, are now in successful under an extremely able professor of operation, the name ra.tt.(Prf?r90n Pratt); and a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, is President of their University. X "Now, sir, what do you think of Joseph, the modern Mahomet? Who will say that the Mormon Prophet is not among the great spirits of the age?" The followbg dated June 17, 1842, is also from the Xi. Y. Herald, and is headed: "Won- - - San-gam- ; .1842: NT- noble-lookin- g . A arm and decide t the presidency In all matters of public concernment they act as one man,, with one soul, one mind and one purpose. "Their religious and moral principles bind them together firmly. They may be, and have been abused and calumniated partly true, partly false but whether true or false, these attacks only increase their popularity and influence. Unlike all other Christian sects, they adopt at once all the modern improvements of society, in art and literature; and from their", singular religious faith give the highest enthusiasm to the movement at large. There is nothing odd, or singular, or absurd about them. "Verily, verily, we are truly living in the 'latter days,' and we should not be surprised to see that the Mormon religion is the real MiOne thing is llennium already commenced. certain the. Mormons are so constituted that in these temperance times they will swallow up all the other, lukewarm Protestant sects, and the moral and religious world will be divided between the Pope and the Catholics on one side and Joe Smith and the Mormons on the other. The oyster is opening and soon will be equally divided." The writers of the above, though rather extravagant in some qf their ideas, spoke more truths than we have been accustomed to hear for a long time, and many more than the opponents of "Mormonism" would be willing to admit, though they oftentimes do so unwittingly. We are entirely too clannish to suit the agents of his Satanic majesty, who knowTs as well as we that "uuion is strength" and power, and that his craft is in danger; he therefore abhors it. But as the religion of Jesus Christ, whose ways are pleasantness, whose paths are peace, whose end is perfect joy," teaches us to become one, and as we choose to obey the Almighty, who, I would ask, among His groveling subjects, should claim the right of .saying, "Why do ye so?" This is the last religious revolution, and our faith and enthusiasm have been equal to every emergency. In all that we undertake we are in earnest, because Ave know that we are fighting uuder the bright and glorious banner of Truth, and though the lot of man is trouble, and we are looking and preparing for it, and for the time when the whole world will unite to fight against! this work, we have nothing to fear, for truth, though crushed to earth, will rise again. If those not of our. faith, who visit our cities, came with a determination to lay aside their prejudices, to learn the facts concerning us, or our religion, nothing would give more pleasure than to tell it them; but too many who have come here, after being treated with every politeness and escorted t seats in our Tabernacle which are reserved for the stranger, sit there, under the very altar of the Lord's Supper, in. the hearing of Saints who assemble to worship God, and spit out their venom, or make ridicule of every thing that we hold sacred. But the most despicable characters are the overly righteous souls, who are filled with such holy horror at the mention of "Mormon" polygamy, and are the ones whom we look upon with suspicion, and set them down as among the mo?t corrupt of hypocrites. It is through their paintinjjs and misrepresentations that those at a jdistance join in the cry of the hunters and hounds, for no other reason only her, cause they see others do it. Many, who are or jeaJousyO.kecp UP among us (for the hue and cry about the dreaded ""Mormons' who are spreading oyer these Territories etc-- ' till their ignorant dnpes migbt, easily 'suppose that this people, who sought refuge m e . Rocky Mountauisj were preparing , tq4 swallow them up at one mouthful; and more 'than1 likely .". '"'".' take in the whole planett If everybody had 'been as much '.concerned and interested in their own affairs, and attended . self-intere-st , . H "Ifcl! |