INTERESTING FROM THE MORMONS. The late Mormon papers received from Great Salt Lake, Utah Territory, contain several articles “defining the position" of the saints, their duties to themselves, to their God, and to those emigrants who may visit them on their way to the land of gold. In the Deseret News of the 26th of June, there is an article upon the latter subject, in the course of which the editor draws the following vivid picture of the "California god," and of the faith which sustains its devotees. The picture few will deny to be true to life. After speaking of the approach of the time when the worshippers of the California god will begin to pour into the city, the writer proposes to answer, for the edification of the saints, the question what it is that sustains the pilgrims in the midst of their arduous undertakings, bears up their spirits, and comforts them in all their toils and tribulations. He says:
"We answer, that it is their great faith, hope, and charity which they have in and towards their god. Faith is the first great moving cause of action in them; it inspires them with zeal and ambition; they most firmly believe that if they can get to California the veil of the covering will be taken off from their eyes, that they shall be permitted to stand in the presence of their god—beholding his shining glory—handle him with their own hands—hug him to their own bosoms, and know of a surety that he exists. This hope is in them like an anchor, it makes them sure and steadfast in their pursuits; it sustains them in the toils and hardships encountered on their long pilgrimage. They are not hypocrites in their religion, for they do really manifest their faith by their works. No god is more popular among the nations than this one: he has been sincerely and devotedly worshipped by the high and the low, the rich and the poor, by nations and generations from periods of the most remote antiquity.
This god has no established or fixed laws or principles to govern his worshippers; each one is left to do as he pleases, to seek after him as he pleases, and to follow the dictates of his own will. This god has no conscience himself, and consequently does not require his followers to have any; they may take the advantage of their neighbor, plunder, steal, rob, murder, or do anything else for the sake of him, and yet he finds no fault.— His attributes and qualities are greatly loved and adored by all his numerous followers, not because they adorn, exalt and ennoble the mind, but because they gratify the sensual appetites and lusts of the body. He does not profess to be the god of the next world, but only of this; hence his followers are required to part with him and bid him a final adieu, as they leave this world for the next.
It is very seldom that any ever apostatize from his worship; final perseverance to the end is the general characteristic of all his votaries, and when they take the parting hand in the hour of death, it is with much regret and sorrow; they loved him to the day of their death, and they now commend him to their children, telling them to worship the god of their fathers with unwavering perseverance, after the example and pattern set before them. Thus generations have come and gone, toiling, laboring, merchandizing, manufacturing, stealing, robbing, murdering! and all for what? For that which they they themselves know and admit can never be carried with them nor enjoyed out of this life. O fools! when will they learn the true source of lasting happiness? when will they learn to seek after, adore and worship that which alone can make them happy either here or hereafter? "
The News exhorts the saints to treat these stran-gers kindly; to extend to them the hand of benevolence; feed the hungry; minister to the wants of the sick and distressed, and allow them to go on their way rejoicing. But if any of them shall become sick of their golden god and desire to turn unto "the God of the saints," they are to be "taught to repent of all their sins—to cease from all unvirtuous conduct—to renounce all impure, unholy, and unvirtuous desires and affections—to refrain from all dishonesty, to confess all their faults before God with humble and contrite hearts with the sincerity and meekness of a little child, and if they shall do this, and enter into an everlasting covenant to walk no more in the ways of sin, then let them arise and be immersed in water, that they may be born thereof, and be washed and made clean before the Lord, that their sins may be forgiven, that his Spirit may be poured out upon them, and dwell in them, that they may be one with you, and you with them, that you may be all glorified together."
Under the title of "Lead us not into temptation,” the News of the 12th of June contains an article of a somewhat different stamp. A person reading the following extract would be warranted in exercising the belief that some of the saints are not entirely unacquainted with the worship of the "California god" whose service is portrayed above. The article reads:
"Just as we had done writing the above, we were called upon to dine; (Monday, June 7, 2 P. M.) While eating, we heard the report of a man who was praying in the street, in front of our house, on this wise, "Whe- ho hoy, God drat ye — whoa, come along here;" when we looked out and saw 3 or 4 wagons near by, with 3 or 4 yoke of oxen on each, the whole having the appearance of travellers from a far- off country; and soon after noticing some hundred of loose cattle coming down the next street, we naturally concluded that emigration had commenced for 1852. Whether the man who prayed so fervently had his prayers answered, we cannot say; we suppose the head of his god was gold, residing in California; the body of his god was brass, that portion of which was not in his brains and pockets still lay back in the States; and the feet and toes of his god were over on the continent, still further east; but as the laws of Utah require a twenty-five dollar license for all such prayers, we suppose if some of our police had been present, they could have answered his prayer easier than his god, while in such a scattered condition.
This little circnmstance, while at dinner, remind-ed us that now is a good time for the saints to pray that they be not left in temptation. Some years since, when a large emigration was passing through the valley, some of the saints were left in temptation, and saved all their butter, eggs, cheese, garden sauce, &c., to sell to the traveller at high prices, and left the brethren on the public works to eat bread alone; and not exactly at home, for they could not get bread to eat all the time; the bread which they should have had went with the butter and cheese, while the laborers feasted on hunger; at the same time, some of those who sold all to the traveller quieted their consciences by thinking they would give a heavy tithing out of their rich sales; but having been left in the first temptation, to sell all, very easily fell in the second temptation, to give little or nothing of the avails of their sales.
The Lord wants his saints to behave as well at one time as at another; and all who feel to pray that they may not be left in temptation, will do well to secure an answer to their prayers as they pass along, and lay by and hand over at least one tenth of every good thing, into the hands of the bishop, where it belongs, and when it is due—let the travelling price be ever so high—and then you will be sure that your prayers will be answered; but if you keep the answer to your prayer, or the temptation, in your hands, or sell it where it does not belong, you put it out of the natural reach of your heavenly Father to answer your petition; and you may rest assured he will not work a miracle to help you in such a dilemma of your own seeking."
The papers ridicule the idea of there being any necessity for troops being sent out to enforce the laws or to protect emigrants from the States to California. Of the Snake Indians they say, "$1000 in provisions, presents and true talk, will make them more quiet than $10,000,000 in powder, lead, buckram and epaulettes."
Another article proclaims " Peace, PEACE, PEACE; all is peace in Utah, let the rest of the world quarrel as they may."
In another column we find the following practical exhortation:
"Brethren, look out for your water ditches; if your wheat don't get a sup from the clouds, the Lord will require it at your hands, for there is plenty of water from the snow on the mountains at this time."
