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Rhondda's High Death-Rate

The Rev. James Davies, Salem…

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New Skating Rink for Pontypridd.

Treherbert Tag.

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Treherbert.

Letters to the Editor. --,

--The Utah Mormons.

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The Utah Mormons. To the Editor of the Rhondda Leader." Sir -Kindly allow me space in your valuable columns to warn the public against the insidious efforts of those Utah Mormon elders who are busily engaged in distributing their literature in the neighbourhood. Their tracts contain naught but the simple doctrine of Jesus Christ as taught by the original Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, organised in 1830. That is. they preach Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Layiiig-on of Hands, as did the original church. But they claim that these are the hrst principles, and, therefore, that there are other principles to be taught afterwards. The Reorganised Church of Jesus Christ claim that any departure from the funda- mental principles of the doctrine of Christ, as set forth in Heb. vi. 1, A con- stitute a departure from the faith, since the unfoldment of these principles will not and can not, reveal anything in- harmonious with their essential and intrinsic elements. Hence, there can be no first principles of the Gospel of Christ in the sense that other principles are to be added which are in, and of them- selves independent and fundamental. The Utah Mormons use these funda- mental principles as "first" principles, and after that, those who accept their teaching are introduced to a second instal- ment of fundamentals, and then the first" become ineffectual, in that they become obsolete. In their pamphlet, entitled Character of the Latter Day Saints,' they claim that they have been misrepresented so much that many a fair-minded, honest person has been led to regard them as a corrupt people, unfit to be classed as Christians. Again," they say, it is strange that in this enlightened age a religious community should be so evil spoken of, and that, too, without a just cause. While many an boiest individual may have been led to believe them to be a wicked people, they reanse that this has been the result of the mis- representation of men who have wilruliy defamed their character. lhose who have originated the evil reports con- cerning the Saints (Utah Mormons R.J.) have been in most instances persons who did not have the honour to sign their names to what they published; and those of this class who have attached their names to their writings have been proven to be wholly unreliable in their utter- aiiees." We have met the people who make these statements, and have asked them to meet us on a public platform, that they may prove to the people that our I,utteranoes are not reliable. They have refused to meet us, however. What, then, is their method of proving the unreliability of those who denounce them as a wicked people ? It seems the answer must be patent to all who have read their little leaflet, i.e., that their assertions must be accepted as evidence, no matter what evidence others may have to the contrary. But let us see who the responsible parties are that have misrepresented (?) those would-be innocent people. And we shall also see that it is not so strange as those people would have it appear, that in this enlightened age a religious com- munity should be so evil spoken of, and that, too, not' without a just cause." The first witness that we shall intro- duce in this investigation is Mr. Brigham Young, the founder, of Utah "Mormonism" and first President of the Utah Despotocracy. He says: I have many a time in this stand dared the world to produce as mean devils as we can; we can beat them at anything. We have the greatest and smoothest liars in the world, the cunningeSitand most adroit thieves, and any other shade of characters that you can mention. We can pick out in Israel right here who can beat I the world at gambling; who can handle the cards; can cut and shuffle them with the smartest rogue on God's footstool. I can produce elders here who can shave their smartest shavers, and take their money from them. We can beat the world at any game." Did Brigham Young know what he was talking about? We would rather think so, when we consider that his position was sueh that made him the controller and master of affairs" in Utah. (See Journal of Discourses, vol. i., p. 48). But this is not all. Brigham does not stop with the mere declaration that there exist within the Mormon system of Utah such "mean devils," "smooth liars," "adroit thieves," and "gambles," &c. But he proceeds to give the region why they have so many good (?) things there. Let us hear him We can beat them because we have men here living in the light of the Lord; that have the holy priesthood and hold the keys of the Kingdom of God" (Journal of Discourses, vol. iv., p. '77). I may say right here that this Journal of Discourses was a periodical published by the Utah Mormon Church. Now, who is it that misrepresents? Now, who is it that misrepresents? Does not the testimony of their own "Prophet'" show that they are not what they would have the people believe them to be? We think so. But let us compare one testimony given by these people on page 2 of their pamphlet with facte known to exist in Utah. Paris (near Lake County) has a popu- lation of about 1,500, all Mormons, and there is not a saloon or gambling house, or any other place where intoxicating liquor is sold, and this is_, I am told, the case in all the towns in Idaho where these people have exclusive "control.— Governor Stevenson, of Idaho." The evident purpose of this statement or testimony is to impress the people with the idea that wherever the Mormon people hold exclusive control, there is no intoxicating liquor for sale. But the facts in the case are that the Zion Co- operative Mercantile Institute over the door of which the words Holiness td the

Pontygwaith Pottage.

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--The Utah Mormons.