Mormonism: Its Leaders and Designs

MORMONISM:

ITS LEADERS AND DESIGNS.

BY

JOHN HYDE, Jun.,
FORMERLY A MORMON ELDER AND RESIDENT OF SALT LAKE CITY.

NEW YORK:
W. P. FETRIDGE & COMPANY,
No. 281 BROADWAY,
OPPOSITE STEWART'S.
1857

DEDICATION.

TO THE

HONEST BELIEVERS IN MORMONISM.

My Friends:

In writing the following work, I was not actuated by the base design of helping to malign an unpopular people, nor by the unworthy one of administering to mere idle curiosity. I wrote it neither to feed public prejudice, nor to supply public scandal. I wrote it for you; to you, therefore, I dedicate it.

I know your sincerity; I know also your delusion. As sincerely deceived as yourselves, I have preceded you to Salt Lake City. Some things of what I there saw, with the reflections they have suggested, are contained herein. Of the much that ought to be said, I have endeavored to say a little. The subject, however, is by no means exhausted.

While it is better to learn by personal experience than ever to remain ignorant, it is far wiser to profit by the experience of others. Although the practices of individuals can not determine the principles of communities, yet, when those practices are criminal and those individuals assume to be prophets and apostles, all men ought to hesitate before committing themselves to their jurisdiction, believing their pretensions, or imitating their examples.

If the following pages, for which I solicit your serious, and candid perusal, accomplish no more, may they at least lead you to a thorough and careful re-investigation of your grounds of faith; while they teach you to remember that new thoughts are not, therefore, true thoughts; nor new light true light. To industriously declaim against the evils existing in the world, does not render proposed remedies necessarily good; and wise men should deliberate before rushing

"———from evils that we know,To those we know not of."

I am your sincere well-wisher,
THE AUTHOR.

New York, July, 1857

Contents.

Introduction, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter I.
The Author.
Mormonism in England and America Embraces Mormonism Is ordained and preaches Goes as a missionary to France Leaves England for America Visits Nauvoo and Carthage The Smiths Icarians The plains The Indians Arrives at Salt Lake Is initiated into Mormon mysteries Efforts to leave Salt Lake City Appointed a missionary to the Sandwich Islands Leaves for California Doubts and difficulties Pacific ocean Arrives at Sandwich Islands Renounces Mormonism Brigham's certificate Motives for acting Conduct of the authorities toward him, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		13
Chapter II.
Salt Lake City.
"The big mountain" Emigration kanyon The benches Great Salt Lake The city wall The city The inhabitants The houses of the leading men near temple block Kimball's city property Brigham's Lion house The Mansion and White House Mormon theater and dancing-hall Public buildings Tithing office and system of tithing Communism and consecration Public lands Temple block Tabernacle and Sabbath services Endowment house and Temple The soil Capacity to support increased population Starvation Manufactories Liquor making and consuming Iron and coal for the Pacific railroad Minerals Weapon manufactories The Mormon census and lying Mormon prosperity and purity, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		27
Chapter III.
Practical Polygamy.
Family arrangements Favorites Domestic happiness Sleeping alone Making tabernacles Mormon salvation Wife hunting Mothers and daughters sealed to one man Half-sister wife Effects of polygamy on first wives Whisky Termagants Adultery Jealousy Brigham on connubialities Proportion of the sexes in Utah Arguments used to induce young girls to marry polygamists in preference to young men Why they do not leave Effects of polygamy on the children Mortality Sterility of women Early marriage Divorce Mrs. McLean and Parley P. Pratt Mrs. Cobs and Brigham Utah marriages, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		51
Chapter IV.
Mormon Mysteries.
Sealing for eternity Women sealed to one and married to another husband Spiritual wives Cause of Smith's death Smith's widows "Proxy doctrine" Marriage and sealing for the dead The endowment Washing and anointing First degree of Aaronic priesthood Second degree of Aaronic priesthood First degree of Melchisedec Priesthood Second degere of Melchisedec priesthood "Behind the Vail" Obedience with examples Sealings at the altar Murders Initiation lectures Sealings to Indian squaws Adoption Selling Daughters, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		83
Chapter V.
Education.
Practical education School system Braggadocio School teachers Three months terms and nine months' vacations Evening schools Dancing schools Orson Pratt v. Brigham Young Kimball on educated men Pratt's mathematical class Grammar schools Cultivated female society Home education Female "bas bleus" Literary institutions Novel-reading Deseret alphabet Newspapers Book of Mormon Smith's revelations New translation of the Bible Book of Abraham Key to apocalypse of St. John Prophecies of Enoch Gospel of Adam Written law v. Oral law Controversial works, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		115
Chapter VI.
Brigham Young at home.
His biography Birth and education Embraces Mormonism Meets Smith the prophet Journey to Missouri Is ordained an apostle Preaches Appointed president of the apostles Flies for his life Relays foundation of temple in Jackson County, Missouri Mission to England Returns to Nauvoo Brigham and Smith Brigham and Sidney Rigdon Builds up Nauvoo Conducts Emigration Mormon battalion Salt Lake City Brigham's leadership Appointed president of church Quarrels with judges and expels them Colonel Steptoe "Modus operandi" Should he die, fate of the church Personal appearance In council and in pulpit Satellites to this planet His manners Style of oratory As a writer As a husband and father Domesticities His wives His favorite Women courting the men Occupations and property Universal confidant and adviser Administrative blunders Secret of success, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		136
Chapter VII.
Brigham the Prophet.
Intention of Mormonism Smith's prediction and design Mormon prayers Christ coming in 1890 Where he shall descend Brigham's position Brigham on himself Drawing the sword of the almighty Shedding blood Brigham on prospects of Utah Fanaticism His army His intention if arrested His method of government Stealing Bribery Debt-paying Frightening apostates Mormon missions and missionaries Brigham's policy His successor Joseph Smith, jun. Heber C. Kimball O. Hyde P. Pratt Joseph A. Young Brigham's god Adam the father of Christ, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		172
Chapter VIII.
Chronological history of Mormonism, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		199
Chapter IX.
Analysis of Internal Evidences of Book of Mormon.
Introduction Nature and purport of the book Contradiction as to plates As to Urim and Thummim As to Hebrew language Jewish materials for writing Laban's plates and their contents Genealogies Copies of the law History of jews Various prophets of Bible and Book of Mormon Contradiction in prediction Lehi's compass or Liahona Natural history of Book of Mormon Of American natural history Importations of stock Elephants in America Astronomical anticipations Contradictions between the pretended authors of the Book of Mormon Solomon's temple in America Gifts of the spirit before Christ Jared's barges, what they were and what they brought Plagiarisms from the Bible Inconsistencies Prophetic apologies, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		210
Chapter X.
External Evidences of Book of Mormon.
Mormon style of argument Attacks on the Bible examined Laws of evidence Contradictions between statements Urim and Thummim Affidavits of smith's acquaintances Contradictions of probabilities Smith's previous character Affidavits of eleven citizens Of fifty-one Of different individuals Smith's three witnesses Contradictions Oliver Cowdery Martin Harris David Whitner Of the eight witnesses Analysis of testimony False grounds of the Mormons Their prophetic evidence Summary, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		237
Chapter XI.
Real Origin of the Book of Mormon.
Credibility of testimony Money-digging in New York Chase's "Peep-stone" Smith's mode of translating Page's stone Smith's plates Wiley's plates Cupidity of Smith's family Smith's object Martin Harris's inducement Oliver Cowdery's inducement Origin of name Origin of matter Spalding's relations testimony Smith's means of obtaining Spalding's Mss. Incidents of book of Mormon Religious decisions Religious style Grammatical construction The bible, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		262
Chapter XII.
Theoretical Polygamy.
Position Anti-scriptural Adam Noah Lamech Abraham Jacob David Christ Paul Christian dispensation Anti-natural Proportions of the sexes Nature a confirmer of revelation Irrational Woman's position the test of progress Children's dependence on their mothers Wives' influence over husbands History and destiny of races Different laws of marriage Unmarried prophets Inferior races most prolific "Polygamy a preventive of prostitution" examined Anti-Mormon Revelations Population of Utah, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		284
Chapter XIII.
The Suppression of Mormonism.
Mormonism as a civil polity and as a religion Causes of Mormon persecutions at Missouri and Nauvoo J. Smith a candidate for the presidency of the united states Smith a Mohammed Brigham successor to his designs as well as office His management Famine v. ambition The causes of his future fall Mormon politics The objects to be accomplished with regard to them Suppression of polygamy Duty of the government in the premises Benefits of annexation to the men and women Majority of the Mormons foreigners The effects of merely appointing a governor and sending troops Mormonism as a religious evil Means of uprooting it Duty of seceders and of Christians Its fundamental errors and weak points, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		306

Letter addressed to Brigham Young, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		331

This work was published before January 1, 1930, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

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