Show from the daily alta california MORMONISM about a hundred ears since philosophers congratulated themselves that they had finally 1 illuminated civilized nations and that thereafter the success of religious impostors pretending to prophetic character by direct commission massio n from heaven heava n would have to be coffin confined ed to the barbarous nations and the congratulation was not entirely unwarranted one by one old superstitions beginning with the belief in ghosts shrank back into their na native ave night year after year vear saw new light thrown upon science history and helgn religion the people of the united cited states were supposed to be possessed of all the enlightenment of the time and nevertheless some twenty years ago joe smith did set up tor for a prophet in the united states and found such success as few of those acknowledged to have been worthy of being considered prophets have encountered As has happened to in all ages joseph found but bat little favor in his own country and finally sealed with a martyrs blood the faith which he be taught truly or falsely A close in vesti gation would perhaps show that no founder of a religious belief has met with such success cess I 1 if all the circumstances be considered smith had nothing to commence with save his talent he had no education no wealth no external aid no propitious circumstances not even a reputation he was looked upon as an idle worthless fellow he commenced to teach leach a new doc trine not against it weak poetical mythology or a degrading idol worship in dark ages among ignorant and credulous people but against a multitude of zealous christian wets sects among a people strongly inclined to be incredulous and yet within twenty years titer i sni n has 9 grown rown to be considered one of the most moat important phase of existing religious belief numbers more than a hundred thousand believers among civilized nations and is spreading more rapidly in in proportion to its numbers than any other faith to account for this success is difficult the be best at reason that can be given is that smith s talent was equal to the task the mormon prophets would have us as believe that the faith prospered because the lord looked upon it with favor but such reasoning would incline us as to believe that the lord has favored many different and inconsistent doctrines the martyrdom of smith for such the execution deserves deserve to be called could not have had much influence there was lothine in the smith bloodwor blo blood odor or in any other human blood which bould lend wisdom or success bucce as to plans formed long before I 1 Morn mormonism was successful bea before ore smith died the true relic religious rious fervor had already taken possession of the te in bority of the believers arid and ap apostles t fee of the new faith how little ground for the faith it boots us as not to inquire the faith was sincere and persecution could not compel its surrender by what magic power by what kind of political maLna gement by what kind of i church government smith ob gained ed and preserved his absolute power it will be the duty of the future historian to ei explain plain fo for r as yet w we e be have ve no book worthy of the is as said id by all who knew him to have been a man of wonderful talent he was sociable an aad d even familiar with all even the rudest of his followers plain straightforward and unostentatious in his manners exceedingly hold bold in his plans plane ready in his wit and conversation a very able talker oot not an orator but an unsurpassable debater speaking invariably to the point and with convincing clearness and sure to make himself master the favor of every person upon whom he exerted his powers though many doubts might be entertained of smiths talents talen upon the lie testimony of those who knew him personally there is little room for doubt after considering the harmony and success of his system wh when left to the care of others long after his death it is besiA besides es clear that no ordinary man inon could have oom cam manmed implicit obedience from such men an brigham young sydney rigdon orson hyde and and parley earley pratt when then them men acknowledged their faith the prospect of worldly gain was but dim and it was so distant that a keen eye was required to see its suc success cear and since then the path of the mormon leaders has not been over a bed of rows roses the supposition that smith and his hie apostles were conscious of being im impostors imposters imp posters is not without its difficulties imposture is in something which does not thrive under dangers and difficulties it seldom happens that a man win will seat seal a lie for its own sake with his blood and yet el S smith mt th did it he was in constant danger of losing t ing his bis life from the time he arrived ved in missouri until he was wait shot in illinois linow II Il yet he never swerved he might easily have modified his doctrines and by bending a little before the storm have adapted himself to the he circumstances so that thai the mormons cormons would have lived in peace and himself become by the AS natural I 1 influence influence of votes li a man of politic sm portaree porta por taO aee he might have made far more uie it of hi his power might have pw tied himself beag befog the public blie might have bowed ovied before thi the polia cal parties but his bis eye appeared too single t the government of ochi his follower and the of the ered mormon doctrine the position of the mormon leaders leaden at pre present is a one which mod moat impostors would shun ban brig ham young has shown so no disposition to wv bo before the majesty of the united states and art know what will be the result if the ow same stil ti necked policy should continue to prevail pre rail tain it is that in no case came can the position of ii i leader of the mormons be a sinecure ne eure neathe is the position of an apostle a very tory desirable one OIK there are many missionaries in these days bw but none are equal in devotion to the mormons cormons Mor mons to call these men fanatics fools bools impostors ac is unwise unjust and impo hope bitic mormonism ean be conquered not k force and contemptuous treatment but only 4 k mildness and fair reason many doctrines coi as foolish as mormonism prevail the belief ii the holy gout coat of trover which found it many man y womb worshipers i pers in the th e heat heart of europe a co 0 pie of years since was far more foolish TW similarity clarity of the treatment of the mormons cormons mw aj the early christians christiana is worthy of notice th christians like the Mo Moir imons mons vre charge with dishonesty and all ah abominable vices aad the charges found general faith at a distance it is quite probable L tt at some of the professed sied mormons cormons are thieves or worse but the fain hood of the charge as made agai against the w am bears the falsehood upon its front tacito speaks of the christians in terms very similar simi larto t those used by a majority of the americans il ia speaking of the mormons cormons Mor mons into the future of mormonism it is difficult t see but it can safely be said that come ww may so long ay av the present organization is pra st served arved anti and the present leaders retain their power mormonism must moist thrive utah a territory ai aft miles ion long by wide i is 5 under heir co control nirol tow brigham Brig brigham hav young now holds his commission n governor from the president of the states stales and the appointment was politic ui proper difficulties may happen when the he pe pie apply for admission into the be union as a st state I 1 whether polygamy will be aba abandoned byth mormons cormons and permitted by congress will ix 6 the great question for that is the great tang tangi ihli hit objection to mormon morality |