| Show I I I I I I I I MORMONISM A LIVELY THEME IN NEW ZEALAND Nelson Non New Zealand No Nov 19 9 1903 Recently Mormonism has be been n th tine cause of a great deal ot of excitement In Inthe Inthe the little town of Picton Now New Zealand Some time ago the Re Rev J Dickson on a Presbyterian terlan mInister rondo made a slander slanderous ous attack on in it a selmon to tine the Maoris at Pa A re lOrt of the tho sermon appeared inn In tine tho local puller and in cue course fell into the hands of sonic some of the Mormon lonnon Maoris Just about this time PresIdent George Bowies Dowles arrIved In this distrIct on iris his tour of tine tho South Island hi dl I He wins was shown tine the article arid and decided to hold a 11 public meeting inn in Picton arid and refute tire the charges made against and give gio a cor correct exposItion of oC the tho doctrines o of tine the Church of Jesus ChrIst of SaInts A hall was sas engaged anti and tub meeting was sas advertised b by preS notices and a house to house canvass At the appoInted time tImo a good sized audience assembled and after tine the opening exercIses PresIdent Bowles took tine tho platform and successfully refuted tire tho charges made by Ro Rev DIckson In iris his sermon nt at the Pa To use tine Ule word or of the Press President Is a speaker and must bl be blien given ien tire tho credIt of oC han his sub subject In a masterly manner tire tho close o of his address aldress President Bowles quoted tine tho followIng from froni the Rev Rov sermon lii In regard to the tho Mormons What hat wIll you do with break tire tho law but stand standup up imp for tor your unsuited wIves sisters and arnd etc and said that such language from a supposed Christian teacher did riot not exemplify tine the spirit of ChrIstianIty and ann that It was wastine tine the wives sisters and daughters ot of tine tho Mormons wino who mad had been beon Insulted After the tho meeting questions were asked b barlous by various arlous persons In tine the audience to which tine the presIdent replied In a 11 antis satis satisfactory factory mariner manner President Bowles then thanked tire tho people for tor their attentive uncaring hearIng and ono one of the most niost unique und and Interesting meetings ever even held In in PIcton came to mn 11 close halt hal an hour before however oel MormonIsm was not drop dropped pod ped for weeks after tine the meeting the correspondence column of tine the paper was full ot of comments on the tho question ot of tine tho Both aides were taken up but the articles wore signed under a nom mom do de plume A fow ow extracts from sorno somo ot of tho articles wIll riot not bo be amiss WIthout entering Into or 01 demerits of MormonIsm I feel confident In stating that oer every unprejudiced witness wIll assert that rider Elder Bowles conducted himself In a 11 courteous and gentlemanly manner once stooping to vituperation or abuse To morel anarchy state that the tho Rev Mr DIckson did not rise rIso to thIs dignity would be to pa pay hIm fin an extravagant HIs conduct no pretense to courtesy or even to faIr faIrness fairness ness Another My blood boiled at tho gross displayed ed In some somo ot of the reverends remarks and the Insulting epithets thrown out by byl bya a l Christian inn In a so 80 called ChrIstian community You sa say the Mormons live on the Maoris I sa say your mInisters live IIvo on tine the whIte people You say this Is n a free country countr and yet ministers lOt of would prostitute theIr calling b by hounding down a brother who hap happens pens to Into competition I lon them These Thee comments were not wrItten by Mormons but b by residents ot of PIcton Rev Rov DIckson through the tho Press invited some somo Macri Mormons to call at atthe the tho manse Three of our Maori broth rn ran accepted his invItation arid and for tor four hours th they discussed the tho subject ot of Mormonism but the tho Rev gentle gentleman man could not get Iet tine the bet best ot of them whom he terms poor simpleminded Tine Tho people ot of Picton were desirous that PresIdent Bowles come over again and hold hoid another meeting so 80 we sir nr ranged for tor tine the town towa hall hail and tine the presIdent dent came aver Over assembled d dIn In the hall hail arid and after the tho openIng C cx President Bowles rend read an ac account account count ot of the former as s nub nul I In Tine Outlook the or organ organ gan ot of tine tho Presbyterian church In New ew Zealand and asked those present wino who wore were In e at tire tho former meet meetIng meeting Ing It If It was II a fair crIticism After Arter dealing with the article articie In detail detal and amid callIng attention to Its he delivered II a powerful op on the principles of the tho gospel asked the audience It if there thera was anything un Inn unscrIptural scrIptural In theM theOd doctrin dO a At the conclusIon ot of hIs remarks thIn the was thrown o open n to quo questions lons which the presIdent cleverly Rev Rov asked a Cew ow questions but the president was too much for tor hint and turned tire the laugh on err DIckson and tine crowd yelled SIt down us a rest The next day Mormonism was the tho maIn topIc ot of conven atlon In the tho homes In the tho shops and on tire tho street streeL Tho president vIsIted several or of the tho prominent soon men of oC tire tho town and fur further thor ther explained the claims ot of the Latter day Saints tire tho wrIter had a on the tho street with the tho r r f fc c M Mc c preacher wIth about 20 0 roan men Ion tor an au audience Tine men man were almost l ly inn In fa favor 01 of oC Mormonism and It seem cd ad strange to me to have thorn them hoot tire tho Baptist when the Mormons are usually tine the ones to got cot hooted We fool teel that much good has been sic ac accomplished and tino tho Re Rev ef at forts to overthrow have only served to boost Mormonism high higher er than R over r t Much p prejudice cc has boon I I and friends made We hope t taIo also aIo that some sC seed d has been scattered that will yet et bear M I WALLACE ALLACE WOOLLEY |
