Part 7 (1/2)
The minds of the people are in a condition of slavery. Independent thought there is none, and consequently free speech cannot exist. This is clearly proved, when we call to mind one of the brightest spectacles in the history of Utah. It was in 1869, when Henry Lawrence and his a.s.sociates boldly stood up in the ”School of the Prophets” and raised their voices in favor of free speech and free thought. A n.o.ble act of heroism that was--a stand for a righteous principle--a deed which should gain for them immortal fame, when we consider the real manhood it required for them to face such a powerful and tyrannical hierarchy. A n.o.ble fight it was on their part, but a losing fight; for they were at once expelled from the Church, branded with the stigma of apostates, their business was ruined, and they and their families were completely ostracized. That act of expulsion by the Mormon leaders is a clear proof of the fact that they are the bitter opponents of mental freedom. Who ever knew of any proposition being debated in their conferences, or any nomination voted down by the people? Who ever knew of any matter of interest being left to the people to act upon freely and unrestrainedly? _The leaders do the thinking._ They arrange all things. _The people must acquiesce and think as they do._ IS THAT LIBERTY?
Milton says:
”This is true liberty, when free-born men, Having to advise the public, may speak free.”
But free thought and free speech are not the prerogatives of the Mormons.
They are MENTAL SLAVES.
CHAPTER IX.
THE SOCIAL PUZZLE (_continued_).
Moral Bondage of the Mormons--Implicit obedience to the priesthood enjoined--_Crimes committed_ at their command--Murders--The Mountain Meadows Ma.s.sacre--Lee's confession--A Mormon carpenter's confession--Theft--Falsehood--Perjury--Why was polygamy promulgated?--Why is polygamy practised?
Deplorable as the condition of the Mormon is, as already depicted in the preceding chapter, that is not the worst that is to be said of their social condition. They are not only in personal and mental slavery; far worse than this, they are in MORAL BONDAGE. Sad to relate, their souls, their consciences, are enslaved, and consequently their condition is far worse than that of the negroes of the South before the Civil War. The central thought running through all the discourses of the leaders is obedience to the priesthood, and the consequences of refusing to obey counsel. It matters not how absurd the doctrine may be, or how much it outrages common-sense, if it is the declaration of the inspired priesthood, it must be obeyed; and most of the people are so steeped in superst.i.tion and ignorance that they obey without question all orders from their chiefs, and even kiss the hand that rivets the chains that bind them.
The tyranny of the priesthood was well ill.u.s.trated when one of the apostles on one occasion, while speaking in one of the ward meeting-houses about the solemn duty of obeying the priesthood, happened to look through the window and see a load of wood pa.s.sing by. ”Now I want you,” said he, ”to obey the priesthood so implicitly and have so much confidence in everything they tell you that if Brigham Young or any of the Twelve Apostles should tell you that load of wood is a load of hay, you would all say, 'Amen, that's a load of hay.'” Even though their very eyes should belie the statement of their leaders, yet they must accept it as true, because, forsooth, it came from inspired lips; and although they might be commanded to do that which their own consciences disapproved, yet they must do it, because it is a command given under inspiration, and their consciences are lulled to sleep by the Jesuit doctrine, ”The end justifies the means.” Surely, that is not religious liberty.
On account of this moral bondage, the worst crimes have been committed against both G.o.d and man, which have been laid at the door of the Mormon people, when in reality they were only the tools of the Mormon priesthood and the victims of an enslaving fanaticism. They themselves would not have committed them if they were allowed to do what their own consciences dictated; but at the command of the mouthpiece of the Almighty Himself they dared not disobey.
I. Thus, they have been guilty of MURDERS and a.s.sa.s.sINATIONS for no other reason than that the hierarchy uttered their mandates that they should be accomplished.
Take, as an example, the _Mountain Meadows Ma.s.sacre_, which is, perhaps, the darkest page in the history of Mormonism in Utah. It was a horrible butchery of one hundred and twenty innocent men and women who were emigrants on their way from Arkansas to California; and the dastardly deed cannot by any means be justified. For a long time the ma.s.sacre was a deep mystery, and the Mormons a.s.serted that it was done by Indians; but the mystery has been unravelled, and it is now known that that cruel deed lies at the door of the Mormon Church, the murderers being Mormons with some hired Indians, all led by John D. Lee, who was convicted of his crime and executed on the ground where the murder occurred March 25th, 1877, almost twenty years after the commission of the crime.
There were, no doubt, aggravations at the time leading the Mormons to the commission of the crime which we should remember. Ordinarily the Mormons were glad to see the arrival of Gentile emigrants _en route_ for the far West, as it gave occasion for trade and barter; but at this time _Federal troops were advancing toward Utah_, and consequently a spirit of intense hatred toward the Americans and toward our Government was kindled in the hearts of the Mormons, and especially of their leaders. Their persecutions in Missouri and Illinois came up before their minds to increase their hostility against the Gentiles. Just then it was that there came within their borders this train of American emigrants. They regarded them naturally as enemies, and their very presence at that time was a powerful incentive to their extermination.
Moreover, these emigrants were from _Arkansas_, where only a short time before Orley P. Pratt, one of the first Mormon apostles, had gained his crown of martyrdom; and his murderer was not even arrested. Now the opportunity of avenging the death of one of their leading Saints was put within their reach, and this fact was another powerful inducement to commit the crime. But after all is said that can be said in extenuation of that terrible deed, it stands forth as _a most foul, shocking_, and _unjustifiable butchery_.
Brigham Young, as Governor of Utah, was in honor bound to protect those emigrants on their way across his Territory, and yet he was the author of their destruction. On the fourth day after the emigrants left Cedar City, in Southern Utah, about sixty Mormons, painted and disguised as Indians, it is said, left that place in pursuit of them. They were under the command of Bishop John D. Lee, and had all the equipments of a military force except artillery. Lee invited the Piute Indians to accompany him, and he directed the combined forces of the Mormons and Indians throughout the entire siege. At Mountain Meadows the victims were overtaken. They were taken completely by surprise, but they at once corralled their wagons and prepared for defence. For four days they fought heroically. During the third day's battle it became a necessity with the emigrants to get water.
It was in clear view, but it was covered by the rifles of the Mormons.
Hoping that the latter might have pity on children, they dressed two little girls in white and sent them with a bucket in the direction of the spring. _The Mormons shot them down._ The morning of the fourth day Lee told the men under his command that his orders were to ”kill the entire company except the children.” In order to do this, he used finesse and stratagem. He sent a flag of truce to them, offering to protect them from the Indians if they would lay down their arms. Putting confidence in his promise, they marched up to the spring where Lee stood, and placed themselves under his care. The line of march was then taken up, and after the distance of half a mile had been traversed Lee gave the command to halt; then immediately the command to shoot them down. All the men and women were slain, stripped of their clothing, and left without burial.
In 1859 General Carlton raised a cairn of stones over the bleached skeletons of the victims. Upon one of the stones he caused to be written: ”Here lie the bones of one hundred and twenty men, women, and children from Arkansas, murdered on the tenth day of September, 1857.” Upon a cross-beam he caused to be painted: ”Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord, and I will repay it.” Brigham Young ordered this monument to be destroyed, and said the inscription should have read: ”Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord, and I _have_ repaid it.”
Lee was at length tried and executed for his part in that terrible butchery, but he was only the instrument of the Mormon leaders. He was in moral bondage, bound to carry out the wishes of his leader, however willing or unwilling he may have been to do so. He would never have ordered that ma.s.sacre if he had not received an express command, nor would his troops have done the dastardly deed. _But they were in bondage._
This may be clearly proved from the dying confessions of Lee, which were published after his execution. On the night previous to the ma.s.sacre the Mormons held a council meeting. In describing that conference, Lee says: ”I know that our total force was fifty-four whites and over three hundred Indians. As soon as those persons gathered around the camp, I demanded of Major Higbee what orders he had brought.... Major Higbee reported as follows: 'It is the orders of the President that _all the emigrants must be put out of the way_.' He then went on and said that none but friends were permitted to leave the Territory, and that as these were our sworn enemies, they must be killed. The men then in council knelt down in a prayer circle and prayed, invoking the Spirit of G.o.d to direct them how to act in the matter. After prayer Major Higbee said, 'Here are the orders,'
and handed me a paper from Haight. The substance of the orders were that the emigrants should be _decoyed_ from their stronghold and all exterminated, so that no one should be left to tell the tale, and then the authorities could say it was done by the Indians.... I then left the council and went away by myself, and bowed myself in prayer before G.o.d, and asked Him to overrule the decision of that council. At the earnest solicitation of Brother Hopkins, I returned with him to the council. When I got back, the council again prayed for aid. After prayer Major Higbee said, 'I have the evidence of G.o.d's approval of our mission. It is G.o.d's will that we carry out our instructions to the letter.' The meeting was then addressed by some one in authority. He spoke in about this language: 'Brethren, we have been sent here to perform a duty. It is a duty that we owe to G.o.d, and to our Church and people. The orders of those in authority are that all the emigrants _must_ die. Our leaders speak with inspired tongues, and their orders come from the G.o.d of heaven. We have no right to question what they have commanded us to do; it is our duty to obey.' I, therefore, taking all things into consideration, and believing as I then did that my superiors were _inspired_ men, who could not go wrong in any matter relating to the Church or the duty of its members, concluded to be obedient to the wishes of those in authority; I took up my cross, and prepared to do my duty.”
From that confession it is clear that Lee revolted at the idea of the ma.s.sacre, his conscience did not approve of it, and in committing it he acted as a slave, as a martyr, regarding it as a _cross_.
So doubtless it was with others under his command. It is related that a missionary teacher asked a carpenter to make some repairs to her school-house. The Work was done at noon-time, when the children were away from the school; and one day the man said, ”I believe you are a Christian, and I want to ask if you think I can be forgiven for helping in the Mountain Meadows Ma.s.sacre. I want to tell you; it is on my mind all the time; but if you betray me my life will be of no account.” The teacher said she would not betray his confidence, and she believed, whatever his sins might be, they would be forgiven if he repented of them. The carpenter then told her how a lovely, golden-haired little girl was sent to a spring for water that dreadful day, and that he was one of those commanded to shoot her down; that her look of entreaty was forever before his eyes; and then the strong man wept at the remembrance, while making his confession, of a barbarity that he dared not refuse to accomplish. Was not that man in moral slavery?
Now, as that ma.s.sacre was executed on account of the moral bondage of the Mormons to the priesthood, so also was the dastardly murder of Dr. J. K.
Robinson in Salt Lake City in October, 1866, the murder of the Aiken party of six persons, the Potter and Parish murders, and the five hundred or more other a.s.sa.s.sinations which stain the history of the Mormon Church.
II. But not only has murder resulted from this bondage. THEFT is indulged in, not because their consciences approve it, but because they are taught by the priesthood that the plundering of all those opposed to them, whenever an opportunity occurs, is a duty, because whatever is taken from the unG.o.dly Gentiles is that much put into the treasury of the Lord.
III. FALSEHOOD, too, is indulged in, whenever it will conduce to the benefit of the Church and s.h.i.+eld her members from harm. A Mormon apostle, in an address at Nephi, Utah, cautioned the children, when asked how many wives their fathers had, to reply that they didn't know. ”I'd rather have you tell a lie,” he said, ”to defend your friends and parents, than tell the truth, that will bring trouble upon them.” The Mormons evidently do not pattern after the Apostle Paul.