Show HUXLEY ON MORMONISM THE popular science monthly Months for april reproduces the article by professor Hux leyon agnosticism from the nineteenth century we notice it because it contains a reference to mormonism a portion of which has been given to the public by the associated press annexed are the full remarks of professor huxley on this subject when the historian of religion in the twentieth century is writing about the nineteenth I 1 foresee he will say something of this kind the most curious and instructive events in the religious history of the preceding century are the rise and progress of two new sects called mormons cormons and positivists to the student who has carefully considered these remarkable phenomena nothing in the records of religious self delusion can appear improbable the mormons cormons arose in the midst of the great republic w which ae though comparatively insignificant at that time in territory ry as in the number of its citizens was as aa we know from the fragments of the speeches of its orators which have comedown come down to us no less remarkable forthe for the native intelligence of its population pu lation than for the wide extent of their information owing to the activity of their publishers in diffusing ausin g al all 11 that they could invent beg borrow or steal sl nor were they less noted for their perfect freedom from all restraints in thought or speech or deed except to be sure the beneficent and wise influence fluence of the majority exerted in ewe case of need through an institution known as tarring rand and feathering the exact enact n nature of which is now disputed there is a complete consensus of testimony that the founder of mormonism one joseph sn smith ath was a low minded ignorant scamp and that he stole the scriptures which he propounded not being clever enough to forge even such contemptible stuff as they contain nevertheless tife less hem he must have been a man of some force of character for a considerable sid erable number of disciples soon gathered about him in spite of repeated outbursts of popular hatred and violence during one of which persecutions smith was brutal brutally murdered the mormon body steadily increased and became a flourishing community but the mormon mo practices being objectionable to the majority they we were re more than once without any pretense of law but by force of riot arson and mur der driven away from the land they half had occupied harried by these persecutions the mormon body eventually committed itself to the tender mercies of a desert as barren as that of sinai and after terrible suTe sufferings rings and privations reached the oasis of utah here it grew and flourished sending out missionaries sio sion aries narles to and receiving converts from all parts of europe sometimes to the number of in a year vear until in 1880 the rich and houns flourishing bing community numbered souls in utah alone while there were probably or scattered abroad elsewhere in the whole history of religions there is no more remarkable example of the power of faith and in this case the founder of that faith was indubitably a most despicable creature it is interesting interesting Inte I 1 to observe that the cou course arse taken oy the great republic and its citizens runs exactly parallel with that taken by the roman empire ire I 1 and its ite citizens toward the early FY christians christiana except that the romans had a certain legal excuse for their acts of violence inasmuch as the christian sod alitia were not licensed and consequently wem ip ipso 80 facto illegal assemblages until ti in the latter part of the ni nineteenth no century the united states legislature decreed the illegality of ol 01 polygamy ly amy the mormons cormons were wholly ry within the law we refer those who desire to know the professors views on Positive 1 to the body of the article the foregoing extract is striking and interesting because of its closing sentences the former part occasions surprise it is strange th that at one olle who figures so prominently in modern science should handle this part of the question in a so BO thoroughly ul n scientific manner prof Hux leys views are clear and sound as to the course pursued toward the cormons mormons Mor mons l by their alleged nd the similarity between the persecutions of the mormons cormons Mor mons and of the primitive christians the latter day saints and the former day saints these are deduced from om know facts from veritable history but his remarks concerning the cue founder of mormonism are simply the echoes of unfounded rumors ft repetition of epithets flung against a great and remarkable man by bigoted and enraged sectaries sect aries whose craft was in danger from his thuu thun der bolts of invincible truth the statement that he stole toe the scriptures meaning of course the book of mormon is a falsehood which has been so completely es el plodded that professor Hux leys mio information is almost inexcusable judged by the rule used in the case of joseph smith the greatest bo to personage of the ages would classed in the same category tn enemies of jesus christ denounced him as a wine bibber a glutton a friend of harlots an associate of publicans public ans and sinners a dja di exorcist a treasonable treaso nab plotter against the government worse than a robber and only tit nt for or an ignoble death his accusers v eluded not merely the rabble but learned doctors of law the mow devout and pious teachers of the times respected persons of his bis owa lineage and tribe and various parlous ladi ind who offered a co conse consensus esus of testimony agalos him yet even prof huxley wo would hesitate to say anything disrespect ful fal of the great nazarene whatever he might think of the divine avine nature eatn claimed for that exalted the epithets hurled by a one en mies are no guide to his ch aegeter ar geter the scorn and contumely ivr wo which aich the very name of joseph etith is received by men who knew him not are scarcely to be received 44 evidence to his discredit and it la Is not unlikely that future generations will do justice to the prophet of f the nineteenth century who must indeed have been I 1 a man of some force of character or he could not hava gathered about him so great and fervent and devoted a y of disciples and given to this awo ge the most vigorous and scriptural astern of faith and practice that the world has ever seen since the open hag g of the christian era it is marvelous m that such a mind ft as prof Hux leys should accept without investigation the estimate of so 80 remarkable a man as joseph smith made by his religious appon ts bo unfair and unscientific a proceeding on any agnostic subject or individual under discussion by would be denounced by prof f huxley himself those who were familiar with the we and character of the latter day I 1 seer r are to this day enthusiastic in lus bu praise although at the begin clug 8 of his prophetic career he was waa uneducated educated in the learning of the schools he was by no low minded but of a lofty spiritual nature a youth strong faith and devotional mind ue c was no I 1 scamp 11 but a hard forking ad and an active perse erang vigorous man who acquired 40 inconsiderable learning and cul tuft att in the midst of a busy life in which all his powers were taxed to an aa extraordinary degree there was as him L Be hearted generous hospitable and d free he bound mens souls to hio own with indissoluble bonds d was always on the side of pro grea material and intellectual the contemptible stuff he brought aught forth consists of principles thu oat have remained i d imbued with a spiritual influence ice that is in abiding and mighty though he is dead slain by wretch ft e who reviled him the religion he s instrumental in giving to the woid orld is a living system pro 1047 aced by its bitterest aniag alste te the most complete on earth wad the most difficult to assail contemptible stuff is in j awed hect harmony with the cevela abba of the book venerated in me e by the christian world and the demonstrated facts and tos of science if not with the poelee Poe see and guesswork guess work of that own MB philosophy which sometimes abe for science the trouble with men like prof huxley in treating mormonism is that tb at they accept common fallacies for granted facts they take no palm pains to enquire critically into their merits mormonism is assumed to be a mass of contemptible stuff and joseph smith a most despicable creature on no other ground than the misrepresent misrepresentations lations of prejudiced enemies the most deplorable ignorance prevails concerning both and it is great if not greater among the educated and upper lipper classes than among the masses many of the most vigorous anti mor imor mon writers know absolutely nothing of the mormon creed legislation against the mormon people has been framed and voted for by men who could not for their lives explain correctly one tenet of the mormon faith or cite any proven fact against its devotees the I 1 consensus of opinion which crucified christ killed the prophets burned the martyrs and pelted belted and pilloried the reformers of all ages is the same aggregation of ignorant and prejudiced rumors by which mormonism and the mormons cormons Mor mons have been condemned in these latter times even professor huxley without intending it adds to the volume of misrepresentation which has produced the results he depicts and deplores by echoing the unproven slanders against the founder of 1 mormonism which wh ich originated in that common desire to persecute when arguments are futile or not forthcoming it is perfectly true that the treatment of the mormons cormons Mor mons finds a parallel in the treatment of the early christians also that until recent years there was no ground whatever on which to base a reasonable excuse for the course pursued by their enemies and even now the position assumed by their assailants is of shadowy tenure it is chiefly the relations formed years ago when the cormons mormons Mor mons were wholly within the law or when the validity ty of that law was everywhere doubtful that are now the object of so much intemperate opposition in both periods the cause of the general hostility was the same mormonism is primitive christianity restored the principles of both axe are identical the spirit of one is the spirit of the other naturally the present system evokes the same opposition and the parallel holds on throughout It la Is certain that the professors of modem christian ity have not been christian in their treatment of the mormons cormons Mor mons and it is equally clear that the mormon question in some of its ite aspects at least has not been treated in a scientific manner by the scientists of the age including the prominent agnostic scientist and philosopher professor thos H huxley |