1869 12 13 Brooklyn Eagle The Mormons in Williamsburgh

Noting the arrival of Mormon missionaries from Salt Lake City, a Brooklyn Eagle reporter visited the Mormon congregation in Williamsburg and found a congregation that expected to see Brigham Young Jr. or another of the General Authorities, but who had to be satisfied with two missionaries, Elder Sheeth and Elder Burton ??

Elder Sheeth addressed the congregation, denouncing the press for its "scurrilous misrepresentations and misstatements" of the LDS Church.

After the service, Elder Sheeth complained about the misstatements in a recent newspaper article about the Mormons in New York. While newspaper reports said there were 300 Mormon families in the city, the correct number is barely 200 individuals in New York, Brooklyn and Williamsburgh combined.

Elder Sheeth also noted that claims that the Mormons in the city practiced polygamy here were unfounded. In fact, he said, polygamy wasn't permitted outside of Utah, because Brigham Young didn't consent to "a plurality of wives in the case of any one residing outside of Utah!"

The missionary also disputed the published claim that Mormons planned to build a "magnificent church in this city next year," saying that it was without the slightest basis.

Of most concern to the Elders was the "widely spread" claim that the Mormon people had assembled a 15,000 man army in Utah to defend the territory against the U.S. Government. Elder Burton claimed that the latest muster of the militia in Utah in October showed just 3,000 men under arms.