The Mormons.

              Gihon, J. H. “The Mormons.” Evangelical Magazine and Gospel Advocate (Utica, New
York) 10, no. 46 (15 November 1839): 364–65.

For the Magazine and Advocate.

THE MORMONS.

Under this head an article appeared in the Magazine of the 6th ult., written by H. R.
Schetterly, of Utica, Mich. The author’s design is to give an explanation of “the religious
opinions” of the Mormons, or as they now very modestly designate themselves, “the Latter day
Saints.” His information was derived, we are informed, “from an attentive perusal of some of
their publications, and more especially, from a protracted and friendly conversation with one of
their Elders.”
As I, too, have had some considerable conversation with a Mormon Elder, both of a
friendly and an unfriendly character, and as I have attentively perused some Mormon writings,
and believe that I have some knowledge concerning both the faith and character of the Mormons,
I have thought proper to follow the example of Dr. S., by penning a short article on this subject.
Dr. S. says, “The Latter day Saints are Restorationists to the fullest extent.” And after
noticing their pretensions in regard to the working of miracles, and having “direct revelations,”
and “visions,” and seeing wonderful “signs in the heavens,” he observes, “in all of which I
believe they are sincere.” Concerning these two particulars, I have arrived at a very different
conclusion. I do not believe these people are Restorationists in any sense, much less “to the
fullest extent.” Neither can I award them the meed of sincerity in their absurd and wicked
pretensions.
In the Mormon Bible, a work which Mormons consider a key to the Old and New
Testaments, without the aid of which their mysteries can not be unlocked, or their teachings
understood, (a work, too, containing many expressions which every intelligent Universalist must
pronounce ridiculous and blasphemous in the extreme,) we find the sentence of “eternal
damnation” virtually pronounced upon all who reject its wretched and absurd teachings. And this
phrase, “eternal damnation,” is evidently employed in the popular sense, and understood by
Mormons as significant of endless wretchedness. Surely there is not much Restorationism about
this. One Elder Brown might have told Dr. S. that he was a “Restorationist to the fullest extent;”
and he might have been perfectly honest in so doing, for aught I know to the contrary. So, also,
however, did one Elder Winchester tell me precisely the same thing in substance; but he
afterwards, in my presence, publicly denied not only this sentiment, but that he had ever told me
he believed it.
From all that I can learn of these people, their faith is somewhat like a weather-cock,
continually shifting its position. When partaking of the bounty of a Universalist, they are
“Restorationists to the fullest extent.” When quartering with the Baptists, there is a perfect
agreement between them in sentiment. But when associating with the enemies of Universalism or
the doctrines of the Baptist church, these are the most absurd things in existence.
Elder Winchester, a preacher who has been remarkably successful among a certain class
of people, called at my house some months ago to solicit the use of the church of which I have
control, for an evening lecture. During our interview, which lasted some hours, he gave me to
understand that according to his belief, mankind universally will finally be saved. He stated
however, that there had been a universal falling away from the primitive church—that all
religious sects were in error but their own—and that the Mormons, who were the only true
believers, were appointed by, and inspired of, God to restore the church to its primitive purity.
He said that none were true believers but those who could show the signs which Jesus declared
should follow faith, and they were the only people who could show those signs; and much more
such nonsense, too tedious to repeat, he gave me as the belief of the “Latter day Saints.”
Being willing that this man should be heard by the people, I granted him the use of our
church, and circulated a notice of his meeting. The evening came, and the house was filled in
every part. Having heard that the Baptists would constitute the larger portion of this
congregation, he so contrived as to convince them that he was a real, genuine Baptist, and they
one and all hailed him as a true Gospel preacher. His sermon, if so it can be called, was pointedly
directed against the very sentiment which he assured me was one of the principal items of his
faith: and for more than an hour he continued to pour out a stream of the most bitter invective
against Universalism—sending all who believe it to hell—and repeatedly defying any one to
disprove his foolish positions and gratuitous assumptions. In answer to his repeated challenges, I
made a few remarks when he had closed, which so aroused the old man within him, that he was
worked up into a fury, and before he left us, he gave us substantial reason to believe that his
inspiration partook more of the spirit of the devil, than of the Master whom he professed to
follow.
Shortly afterward, this same man preached in a village some miles distant from here,
where the Baptists are but few in number, and his discourse resulted in a controversy between
him and the Baptist clergyman, while the Universalists were convinced that he was full in their
faith. On one occasion, I attended a meeting where a controversy was to be held between this
Mormon on the one hand, and a Methodist and Baptist preacher on the other. Finding that these
men were not likely to accomplish much, from the fact that they were as ignorant of the true
meaning of the Bible as the person they opposed, I arose, and with their mutual consent took the
stand they were occupying against the Mormon. I attempted, and believe successfully, to show
that in nearly all his scriptural quotations, he had disregard the connection; that in some instances
he had been guilty of the most palpable perversion, and that the sentiments he had advanced
were opposed to the plainest declarations of the written Word. The reply I received was an
appeal against myself to the prejudices of the people in favor of endless misery. He warned his
hearers against what I had said, in substance as follows: “You should remember that the person
who has just addressed you is a Universalist, and if his exposition of the passages I have cited
and he has examined, be correct, Universalism is true, and none can refute it: and surely this no
Christian will admit.” Here is a very fair specimen of “Restorationism to its fullest extent.”
At another time, after hearing this man deliver a lengthy discourse, in which he very
freely and charitably denounced all but the Mormons as ignoramuses or impostors, and as
enemies of God and of the truth, upon whom he pronounced, without mercy or measure, the
vengeance of Heaven and the torments of the damned, I inquired of him particularly if any
others than the Mormons would be saved? He answered unhesitatingly, No! and cited in proof,
“he that believeth not shall be damned.” I asked him if he supposed God would damn the heathen
for not believing that which they never had an opportunity to believe? “No!” was the reply,
“none will be damned but those who, having heard the Gospel preached, persist in rejecting it.
You were safe yourself, before you heard me preach, for you never before had heard the Gospel;
but as you have now heard, if you do not believe and embrace what I have told you, [it was the
most perfect nonsense I had ever listened to,] and if you are not baptized by immersion, and have
hands laid upon you for the reception of the Holy Ghost, you will be damned.” If this be true,
Mormonism is the greatest curse ever sent into the world; and he is the most unfortunate of all
human beings, who happens to hear a [364] Mormon preach without embracing his preposterous
tenets; and he is the greatest philanthropist who does the most toward arresting the progress or
preventing the proclamation of those tenets.—If I understand Mormonism correctly, it maintains
that none but genuine believers, viz., Mormons, will finally be saved—unbelievers who have
never heard Mormonism, will be destroyed or annihilated, and those who have heard and
rejected Mormonism, will be damned forever.
And as to the sincerity of Mormon preachers, were they ignorant and deluded fanatics
and enthusiasts, there would be some ground for the supposition that they are sincere in their
wild vagaries and marvellous pretensions. But such is not the case. They are a cool, deliberate,
calculating set of men; and are capable of resorting to the lowest cunning, and of practicing
almost every species of trickery to impose their absurdities upon the ignorant, and make
proselytes to their faith. The man who can believe these persons sincere, must possess a faith
capable of stretching farther than mine is wont to reach. Their pretensions are of that nature, that
it is not possible for them to be deceived in relation to them. And either they do see wonderful
signs in the heavens—they do receive special visitations from God—they do see and converse
with angels—they are divinely inspired—and do actually work miracles—or they are base
imposters and hypocritical deceivers. And certain it is, that the evidence in favor of the latter
position amounts almost to a demonstration. They pretend that Joseph Smith, their leader, found
in a rock, or somewhere else, the golden plates of a Bible, deposited there by Divine authority,
and brought to light by Divine assistance, and yet they have never seen these plates. They
pretend to believe all this, upon the authority of Smith and several of his associates, men who
were once notorious for their immortality, and who have never given any substantial evidence of
their reformation. That Smith, Harris, Rigdon, and Co., are imposters in passing off their book as
a revelation from God, and in affirming that angels appeared to them, testifying that it was such a
revelation, is evident to every Universalist, from the simple fact, that the book itself contains
doctrines diametrically opposed to the teachings of the Sacred Record. The author of Smith’s
book was unquestionably a believer in all the prominent items of the Partialist creed; and was a
Trinitarian in the strictest sense of the word. Hence he makes his Bible not only teach the
doctrine of endless misery, but also of the Trinity, and in language as plain if not plainer, than
that used by the professions of these sentiments when endeavoring to enforce them. Mormon
preachers pretend, too, that they are divinely inspired, as was the apostles of our Lord, and yet
they know that they are as irritable and passionate, as ignorant and worldly minded, as their
uninspired neighbors. They pretend to see wonderful signs in the heavens, but can never show
those signs to others. They pretend they can work miracles, but none but a Mormon ever saw a
miracle worked by one of them.
If these men are sincere in their pretensions, they are the most cruel hearted and wicked
men living. They profess to believe that men are going to an endless hell because of their
unbelief, and although they have the power to convince them of their error, and make believers
of them, and thus save them from destruction, still they will not exercise that power. I
requested—nay, entreated Elder W. to show me one sign—to work one miracle, assuring him
that I would believe at once, if he would do so; but no, he would rather see me go to hell, and be
miserable there forever, than grant me this little favor. I have so much charity for him as to
believe he could not.
My principal object in writing this article, is to warn our brethren against the impositions
which Mormons are practicing upon them in different parts of our country. They neither regard
our sentiments nor ourselves any further than they can make them subserve their own interests.
They are Partialists in the strictest sense of that word—Partialists both in faith and practice—and
more bigoted and exclusive than any other sect of Partialists with which I am acquainted. Let us
be careful, therefore, lest we lay hands upon them too suddenly. They may be no credit to us. So
long as they retain Smith’s Bible as a portion of their faith, they are neither Restorationists nor
Universalists, whatever they may say to the contrary. And when they reject the book of Mormon,
and make less lofty pretensions, it will be time enough for us to hail them as bretheren in faith,
and extend to them the right hand of Christian fellowship. J. H. GIHON.
Hightstown, N. J., September 19, 1839.