Book Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1889 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XV. MORMONISM AND POLYGAMY. What 13 Mormonism ?--Tenets or The Church--Sacred Books And PersonAges--Organization--Priesthood--First Presidency--The Twelve Apostles--Patriarchs--Elders, Bishops, Priests, Teachers, And Deacons--The Seventies--Stakes And Wards--Marriage--Temple Building-- Tabernacle--Political Aspkot--Polygamy As A Church Tenet--Celestial Marriage--Attitude And Arguments Of CiviliZation--Polygamy's Reply--Ethics And Law--The Charge Op DisLoyalty--Proposed Remedies. We are now prepared to ask the question with some degree of intelligence, What is Mormonism? In formulating an answer, we must consider as well the political as the religious idea. I will examine the latter first. v/Morinonism in its religious aspect is simply the acceptation of the bible, the whole of it, literally, and following it to its logical conclusions. As the Christian world has advanced in civilization and intelligence these two thousand years or so, it has gradually left behind a little and a little more of its religion, first of the tenets of the Hebraic record, and then somewhat even of those of the later dispensation. Long before religionists began to question as myths the stories of Moses, and Jonah, and Job, they had thrown aside as unseemly blood-sacrifice and burntofferings, sins of uncleanness, the stoning of sabbathbreakers, the killing in war of women, children, and prisoners, the condemnation of whole nations to perpetual bondage, and many other revolting customs of the half-savage Israelites sanctioned by holy writ. This they did of their own accord, not because they were so commanded, but in spite of commandments, and by reason of a higher and more refined culture--a culture which had outgrown the cruder dogmas of the early ages....