THE ESOTERIC DOCTRINES OF MOR- MONISM.
Correspondence of The N. Y. Tribune.
SALT LAKE CITY, Oct., 1856.
In order to understand Mormonism aright, it is necessary to bear constantly in mind that the foun-dation of this remarkable system of fanaticism and imposture lies in the doctrine of direct revelation from Heaven in respect to all things pertaining to spiritual or political government, and that the whole fabric of the Church, both doctrinal, ethical and liturgical, may be at any time changed by a new revelation uttered by its Prophet. And again, that one of the most important points in their theo-logical system is the regular progression to be ob-served in the conversion and subsequent advance-ment of a person in Mormonism.
This principle is thus explained on page 507, vol. XY., of The Millennial Star, the Church organ in England: "If a man receives all truths, he must "receive them on a graduated scale. The Latter- "Day Saints act upon this simple natural proposi-"tion. Paul had milk for babes, and things unlaw "ful to utter." In carrying out this doctrine, they have invented a series of secret rites and ceremo-nies founded upon the Masonic ritual, and embrac-ing oaths of obedience to the counsels of the priest-hood more binding, if possible, than those of the ancient order of Jesuits. This system consists of several degrees which are called endowments. The highest orders of Mormonism, consequently, are only attainable to such as have proved themselves, after many years of service in the Church, to be useful and trustworthy; and those alone who have penetrated into the Holy of Holies (the most sacred and mysterious of these endowments) are intrusted with the secret plans and machinations of the Mormon Government.
The influence which has been acquired over many of their ignorant followers by these means is unbounded. I will give you an instance. While traveling a short time since, I had occasion to ride in a wagon with a Mormon who was very firm in the faith but naturally communicative. In the course of a conversation which we had about Mor-monism, I found occasion to ask him what he would consider it his duty to do if Brigham should counsel him to murder me. His reply was that if Brigham told him to murder me, it would be be-cause God had revealed it to be necessary that I should leave the world, and, therefore, he, as the instrument in the hands of God through his prophet Brigham, would not be responsible in taking my life. Alone with this man, far from any settlement, this confession, made in a solemn, earnest manner, impressed itself deeply on my mind.
Thus you see the importance which is attached by them to the completion of the Temple, for it is not, as many suppose, to be a place of public re-ligious meetings, but in it are to be celebrated their infernal rites of endowment; within its walls animal sacrifices are to be offered up for the remission of sins; in one of its apartments, baptism will be made for the dead; and if we may judge from Brig-ham Young's own words, human sacrifice will be the fitting accompaniment of their blasphemous, demoniacal ceremonies.
You will find in a sermon delivered by Brigham Young, Sept. 31, and published in The Deseret News of Oct. 1, 1856, the following paragraphs:
"There are sins that men commit, for which they cannot receive forgiveness in this world or in that which is to come; and if they had their eyes open to see their true condition, they would be perfectly willing to have their blood spilt upon the ground, that the smoke there-of might ascend to Heaven as an offering for their sins; and the smoking incense would atone for their sins. Whereas, if such is not the case, they will stick to them and remain upon them in the spirit world. I know, when you hear my brethren telling about cutting peo-ple off from the earth, that you consider it a strong doctrine; but it is to save them, not to destroy them.”
Again, he says:
"It is true that the blood of the Son of God was shed for sins through the fall and those committed by men; yet men can commit sins which it can never remit. There are sins that can be atoned for by an offering upon an altar, as in ancient days; and there are sins that the blood of a lamb, of a calf, or of turtle doves, cannot remit, but they must be atoned for by the blood of the man."
The foundation of this Temple is laid, ready to receive the superstructure, and Brigham has de- clared his determination not to bring over any emi-grants next Summer, but will devote the funds and energies of the Church toward finishing the Temple; the work on it will accordingly be re-sumed as soon as the season opens. The square on which the Temple is to be situated contains the Tabernacle and the Endowment house (a building which at present answers for the purposes of a temple), and is surrounded by a high adobe wall with a stone caping.
Mormon missionaries still unblushingly point to Utah as the place where female virtue is protected, and refer to the law which makes it death for a man to seduce the wife or daughter of a Mormon (without Brigham's consent). They fail, how-ever, to tell us the punishment for a Mormon who seduces a Gentile girl, for they have before them the example of Brigham Young, who by pictures of the fearful misery and agony to which a Gentile is doomed in the future, and by promises of happiness and visions of a heaven of sensual bliss which could scarcely fail to entrance the senses of a weak-minded person, together with that easy, personal address characteristic of the accomplished roue, succeeded in seducing Mrs. Cobb, the wife of a Boston gentleman, and induced her to flee with him to ruin and shame, taking with her a beautiful daughter. They remember Parley P. Pratt, the Apostle, who, by similar means, graced his harem With Mrs. McLean, the wife of a gentleman in New-Orleans. In fact, they can scarcely find a single one of their leaders who has not only ruined and thrown into utter degradation, wives and mothers but has supplied his harem with young girls whom he has seduced, and induced, under the disguise of religion, and by the grossest misrepresentations and falsehoods, to leave father, mother, home, and rush into absolute slavery and despair.
The anxiety of the Latter-Day Saints to save females from perdition has, since their settlement in Utah, led to results which will make the genea-logical trees of succeeding generations exceedingly picturesque and interesting; they will not have the stiffness of outline which our old ancestral trees had.
Mr. David Wilkin of this city, already happy in the possession of two better halves, who were sis- ters, fell in love with a pretty Scotch girl. This beauty, however, had an aged mother whom she refused to leave. David thereupon, with the con-sent of Brigham, overcame the difficuity by marry-ing both mother and daughter. But last Spring, finding that with the enormous rates for provisions and breadstuffs he could not support four wives without making large inroads into his pile of the needful, he gave the two sisters notice that he had supported them long enough, and that they must find accommodations elsewhere. Accordingly, they had to leave him, and now support themselves by wash-ing for some of the Gentiles. Again, you will find at Springville, on Utah Lake, Mr. Aaron Johnson (its bishop) serving the Lord by supporting as his spir- ituals five sisters, his own nieces, and the report is that he has engaged to marry the sixth so soon as she reaches her teens.
From these examples (taken from the number-less ones to be found in this Territory) you will ap-preciate the interest with which the children trace out their relationship to each other. They com-mence by calling each of their father's wives, ex-cept their own mother, aunt.
And yet the Mormons quote the Bible in support of these monstrous iniquities, and say that Christ himself had two wives who were sisters, namely, Mary and Martha, sisters of Lazarus. And you will find on page 346 of the Journal of Discourses, published by the Mormon Church, the following paragraph in a sermon delivered by Jedediah M. Grant (Brigham's Second Consellor):
"The grand reason of this burst of public sentiment in anathemas upon Christ and his disciples, causing his crucifixion, was evidently based upon polygamy, according to the testimony of the philosophers who rose in that age. A belief in the doctrine of a plurality of wives caused the persecution of Jesus and his follow-ers. We might almost think they were Mormons.”
The second wives, or spirituals, are not all sup- ported by their husbands; on the contrary, there are numerous cases on record in which the women support the men, going out even in the field to work. The light in which the women are generally looked upon in this country is illustrated by the fol-lowing incident: When the first hand-cart train entered the city foremost in the line were noticed three buxom Welsh girls, who had drawn their hand-cart some 1500 miles. Wishing the next day after their arrival to see a Mormon with whom I had some business to transact, I inquired of one of his spirituals where I could find him. She answered me, with an ironic smile on her lips:
"He has gone to engage as spirituals those three Welsh girls who were in the lead of the hand cart train. He thinks they wouid be very useful in hauling his winter's wood from the canons, they make such an ex- cellent team."
