| Show iee lee THE ZEE ITS GROWTH tue TUB new yew york far aar star with ith ath other journals on the atlantic coast is troubled ovar ever the continued arrival of mormons cormons Mor mons from abroad but bat it does not fall into the barno same error erro as some gome of its contemporaries and allege that these thess immigrants come to the country with intent to break its laws tho the star virtually admits its own inability to determine the attraction which moves mormon converts to utah etab and the means by which ll 11 mormon missionaries achieve so much success it acknowledges now ledges that the gmo mormon mon moa church as a propagandist is one of f the most remarkable institutions of modern in deria derik times and also that the people VV who ho arrive at new bew nork york under its auspices are ara not ho she ignorant beings they are sometimes nerre dented to be the iwar isar the immigrants jut just aro arc fully tally up to the average of immigrants in jn appearance and in intelligence what is the special point of attraction heid held out to the heads of camill la milies 9 to the patents of children that decides them to embrace such a faith and cross the ocean to join a people everywhere spoken against and under tho the imm immediate eulate pressure of 0 the government the e ecclesiastical ceslas r system of utah is despotic and carh in the tha extreme its eo so called religion hab haa no winsome features and polygamy produces a in every healthy mind yet we the cormons mormons make tho thousands of converts every year nind and flourish in spite of persecution permeation what Is the secret act of thia this growth there is no secret about it the lg labrance ign granco branco that prevails preva lia iia on this bub sub dectis is not in consequence of an any secrecy on the part of Cf mormon missionaries but ia Is the tha result of nn un alli engness ln gness on the part of the public and the papers which undertake to enlighten them to ree rec receive receiver eiver eivar lh information rma from the r only iol lol reliable lable labie source they will accept iho most absurd statements from the avowed cne mica of tha the mormon system and people but will not listen t to the explanations pla nations and testimony of those who know angwill and will relate the facts chestar the star makes three assertions in regard to 11 in expressing its wonder at the number of mormon converts and each of them ia Is incorrect and based on h hearsay ea rs a y birst first the ecclesiastical system in utah is not 11 harsh or of despotic but liberal an and d kindly in the extreme the eto ato rles ries to the contrary y and they ara the inventions of interested opponents second this thia religion has a great warly many win winsome winsome some tome features eo winsome that the people who embrace it are ara ready to B home comfort shein their good name and all things else for its sake third the polygamy of the cormons mormons Mor mons ans does not produce revulsion in a healthy minds but on the contrary dry it is either elther an improper idea concerning it which causes that revulsion or the mind which ivsich rejects it ia Is when it is correctly understood healthy minds admit the good there is in it to humanity and perceive the reason why it was d and established of old by the deity it la 15 no mistakes like these that fallacious conclusions ism lam and of its growth are founded the staf star goes to tossy to say bay it has one element in fix its favor which DO no protestant Prote Protea siant lant sect can boast it is to some extent a socialism the church authorities have a secular oversight of the affairs of ita ito membern which no 40 other sect exer exercises ches thero is more of a real fellowship among amon gy thom them even in business and i industrial matters than exists elsewhere they lookout look out for nor me the hindmost instead of beaving leaving them to be p picked eke d up by the duvil devil and this feature to poor and struggling lieo peo pia pla who feel their isolation iso laton and think that nobody cares for them is a very strong r point the W weakness of protestantism the world over is its excessive individualism it is no onos onea 0 nes nos keeper heeper fe ceper it lets everybody alone it ife is very happy of your eminently respectable and well weli dressed company on the way to heaven but if you drop out oui and go to the th a bad it has only In ineffectual effect uri ur url I regrets it itsou you I 1 prosper well but bat if you fall and fall nail it may possibly pass round the hat or bend send you to an aims house j thero there is no strong bond of fellowship extending even to secular af no strong bond of fellowship extending even to secular af fairs which people everywhere crave this is its weakness and an d perhaps the fose posE possession essi essl aon lon of this to bome some extent accounts for the euc enc cess of a degrading and effete superstition like ilke mormonism in gaining convents converts tb the elex weakness kness anesa of modern christianity and its great departure from the system established by the great nazarene Naza rone roae does havo have a little to do with the success of mormonism by offering a contrast bat but the real secret of the growth of mormon mormonism is this it id is the real christian religion restored and revived it has been set up by divine divina authority and has the identical doctrines ordinances din ances gifts and priesthood and has the identical doctrines ordinances din ances gifts and priesthood which existed inthe lathe in the days of the apostles ordained ordain cd by jesus jesua the anointed and it 11 gives to every true convert the same spirit as that poured oat upon the disciples or t the he dakof day of pentecost thus thug the preacher and the people have a common bond of sympathy tho the mormon missionaries preach the gospel in its primitive ity and power POW er it is is recognized as the gospel of the a contrast exists edisto between it and the multifarious sects of modern times the promise is confidently given that jail who obey it by bell beli believing eting eyIng repenting and receiving baptista baptism sra from the authorized administrators shall be olied filled with the woly holy ghost giving divine assurance of the truth wherever people do receive and obey ita it they declare that this divine witness has been conferred upon them these are the facts this la in the secret of the growth of mormonism the influence of the spirit received by mormon converts in every nation is BO so wm somo that it has moie attractions for them thera tb than an anything iny thing of an earthly nature and that is why they cross the heaving sea and end travel over mountain and plain to gather to the bosom of the church which bears this divine treasure and hai has the pearl of great price the star and other papers may dispute athia they have a perfect right to dobo do BO if they do not believe it but we jenow it is true there Is a power which attends the preaching of this thing called mormon ism elsm which its missionaries know la 13 superhuman and which its converts are equally certain is divine other people may call it what they pleaze please but bat its existence a and nd influence are unmistakable it produces similar effects to those enjoyed in fix tho the early christian church which were called the fruits of th the spirit espirit it has all the characteristics of holy ghost as described in holy writ it Is conferred by the bame same ordinance as adam administered by the p primitive eameal r apostles it brings the fame assurance su it is beyond an and d above and searches deeper than adyth anything n 3 of an eart earthly bly nature and a od to t those hose who receive it is a veritable certain experienced spiritual force those who wha attempt to tonn dout the secret power of chiseo called mor mon Lorall d ignore this fact will never understand the system nor its workings nor the people who have been brought tinder under its influence and who before they can be bel bol turned from that system will wiil have to be convinced that they have been de threats bolt bolts bars the sword fines expatriation patri patria tion or death itself will have no effect upon them they do not leave their native lands for mere temporal considerations they do not cling to their church from the tho co common M of ot aws T yiv liv humia maity malty alty to them it is the work of god and they bow bom emow know if it and nothing but a new conviction can ean ca n turn them away if those who think mormonism niam so untrue and vilo vila can offer m ente sufficiently strong as to convince its followers they aro are mib mis taken benj the mormon problem may be easily solved let them try fry their hand hafid if they do noe not not nol succeed they wili will at least have used christian and rational weapons angwill and will be no worse oft than now with the utter failure which haa baa attended harsh measured mea me asuree surcE get got at the secret of its growth philanthropists and reformers and iben then see if you can retard it up to the present tin time ae you have all bien hien been lien working in the dark |
