1870-01-14-New York Herald-Mormonism

The New York Herald, 14 Jan 1870, p. 8, c. 7

Mormonism

Mormon Question in Congress and a Probable Fight Over It—The Saint Marshalling Their Forces—Elder Burton to the Rescue—What the Saints Propose to Do and What They Are Doing in This City.

…

SECONDARY LIGHTS OF THE FAITH.

Of the Mormon missionaries who arrived here from Salt Lake City, Henry McEwan and Samuel D. Sirrino still remain to edify and instruct the saints. A general feeling of discouragement is felt by the missionaries at the poor success which they meet with in making converts. Much of this they attribute to the newspaper correspondence and reports. They are particularly bitter against the Sun, which they claim has grossly misrepresenting them in many respects. They say that it is not their fault if, through poverty, they are compelled to meet in the third story of a building with a liquor and oyster saloon below.

THE MORMON MEETINGS.

The baskets of oyster shells they regard as a very good substitute for railings to prevent people from going off the steps sideways on a dark and stormy night. But few strangers attend their meetings, and they are drawn thither by a curiosity excited by the newspaper reports, to see how the Mormons look, act, and worship, without having to take a journey to Utah for that purpose. The elders have not yet been able to present a well authenticated case of conversion on the part of these visitors. It is stated that on account of the extreme poverty of many saints here a collection must be taken up every Sunday to defray expenses and support the poor. It seems rather curious to talk about the poverty of the Mormons, when their leaders are rolling in wealth and luxury in Utah, through the means drawn from these poor saints in the shape of tithing. As, however, every one will be governed by his own notions in this respect, it will be useless to comment upon the subject further. The elders also deny that they are about to make any extra efforts to propagate their doctrines by building places of worship.

WHAT THE "LIGHTS" EXPECT TO DO.

They expect to accomplish more in a quiet, unobtrusive way, through conversations and standard Mormon works, than by preaching in public. In this there is wisdom; for the sermons of many of them are quite unintelligible. They ramble from one subject to another, never explaining any one thing so that a person of even ordinary comprehension can understand it. They never attempt to reason without falling short of the point which they wish to make, and logical deductions are things entirely unknown to them. The attention of many many have been excited by their preaching to investigate their claims, but no conversions ever followed as the results of their so-called sermons.