Mormonism Not Polygamy

The hioago correspondent of the I.oui-,villr ('onricr .lournal has been invi'sti;itIng the subject of MormonUm, and f rom a long letter the following U taken : ¦ Che general Idea gi veo bytheannouncenieiit of a Atormon charch here wu iliut I lullv expected tbal my investigations Yfoud hnn; me in contact witli a disrepu.table anr ot proselyting polvgamists, sein bere m ¦üMonarlM by the Utah mormons u ¦ part of n genera] plan throughout tlie country to créate, as far as possible. a frlendly gtrength and aid In all dircctions. 1 had determined to hold up thia rappqsod diagracefol foólneü to the keenest peaalble public scorn ; but, quite contrary to my expectationa, I have run across aj)eople vll()(' religión is full of romantic fidelitv, tender loyalty, and sacrificial faitlihilness. It has deeply Interested me, and I am sure it will Interest mhers. Altlionli tliere lias been a great deal written and :üd on the subject of Mormooism, o little has been understood regarding it that the vital and just distinction is scarcely ever made, between MorUonlun, pure and simple, and that foulest of all social and religious excrescenees, volyganiy. TUE OKOANIZATION. The Mormon choreo was lirst organizad :is :i rellgloiu body iinder the name of " The ('liureli of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. " at Talmyra, New York. on the 6th of April, 1830, by JoRcph Smitli, and was lounded on certain well-defined doetriaee whtch are Bel (brtti In the Blble, Honk o( Mormon, and the Uook of Doctrine and Covenant. The Mme vaar tliis goclety moved In a body to KlrÓind, Ohio, wbere lts memberï built their flrsi house of amp, unie-u ioey canea lemple. Nol '"." afterthe main body moved to N'auvoo, uiii-n. iii,v remained until the death of JoBeph Snii'i. „l.;„i. - _„.ii t, chnrch, whiili tben numbered over 100,000 niembcrs, thus left without a reeognized leader, brok up hito stnall fragmenta, each i wliiih pat forward the claim of representlne the trae church ; and the remora! of the largeatof these dlrUiona, underthe leadership of Brigham Young, to L 'tah is uuiversiillv knou n. In the Book of Mnrmon uiay be found this passage : " Wheref ore, my bretbren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord; for there sliall not any man among you have save it be one wil'ë, and concubine be rtull bare none, for I, the Lord Uod, delighteth in tbfl chastity of woraan." Nothing m our own Bible is more exjtlicit opon iliis polnt, and tliis is one of the funlameutal doctrines of the true Kormoa shurch, and one whicli was never violated ty any of itg followers until eightyen after Joseph Smith's death. TnE OBIOIN OF rOLYGAMY. In tlie year 1842 John C. Bcnnett, the a iromtnent politician of Illinois, hlmselfa Vlormon, attempted to introduce polyramy nthe church.but Joscph Smitli woiild recognize nothing of the kind, and Bennett was expellod from the church. never Uuin oiiie iv secure a reinstatement. Quite an incorrect impression has always een current regarding the oriprin of the auvoo troubles. H ig a fact, which your correspondent lias thoroughly erUblUbod, hat they were in no wise caused by polygamy, but were purely of a politica] nature, So closely did these people cling together, hat whatever political cause they espoused was certain- at least locally- to prove victorious. This eventually led to disturbmces, riotous demonstrations, and the flnal rutal expulsión ol these people. But durng the month of August, 1852, a special onference of the Mormons was held at Salt jake City, anil it was at this session that he doctrine of celestial marriage and a pluality of wives was flrst inflentially promul"ated. Orson Pratt, one of Brigham Toanál iiot eloquent elders and pliant tools, on his occasion preacheda most powerful dis(iiirso, advrwitingpolyg-amy.and announcng with all the power, solemnity, and elouenoe of which he was capable, all of vhich was sustained with equal solemnity )y Brigtiam Young, a revelation from God o the effect that Joseph Smith, two years lefore his death, had received from the Umlghty authorization ol" and commands o follow this practice. A Dl l.M " ""SXhia " 'aiion, it wasclaimed, had been m íiwiiy with can', lut liad been subwuently foitnU by Kinnia Smith, Joseph Imlth'i wite, wlio was so enraged that she mrneil it. A copy, howerer, had been relined by Brigbam Young. wbtch was prouoed on this occasion. Not only did Jo? epb Smith's wife at this time make oath of he utter falsity of this, but it is true that hal iipon herdeath-bed, in the presenceof eliable witnesses, she again gave the He to his most Infamom falschood. The Book of Mormon is rogarded by the irighamites as lightly as last year's almaïac. Tlieir teachings, their church government - in fact, their whole system - are all ntagonlatic to the spirit of Mormonism and lie fundamental doctrines upon which it rai MtablUMd by Jowpb Smith, and l iow taught by the true Mormon, from the ook whicii they believe tobe, tbrongb Urn, ivvclation from (}od.