It was a practical, common-sense religion—founded upon the Bible, of course—but eliminating anything that the ordinary man of the day could not easily grasp.
Sin is an evil—he taught that. The consequences of sin, his oratorical powers set forth. This also was taking and helped men to determine to do better.
But when it came to the personality of Satan, the inspiration of the Old Testament, or the Second Coming of Christ, or numerous revelations and prophecies—all these subjects were hazy and too impractical to be discussed by the masses. Therefore Dr. Hansom dismissed them with a smile of inconsequence and assured the slumbering spirituality of his flock that there were more important things than the mysteries.
In this way Dr. Hansom avoided a great deal of real thinking and made many friends.
His large congregation of two thousand, including men, women and children, were all "Hansomized." What Dr. Hansom said went.
On the other hand, he was a mouthpiece for the sentiments of the general public.
His mind was like the disc of a phonograph, upon which public sentiment made an impress to be reproduced later from his pulpit at the inspiration of his desire to please.
Also he could be very stern and frankly abusive at times. But this, too, was part of the impression upon the disc, for the public enjoy strong censure and fearlessness.
They never realized this fine gift of Dr. Hansom's. Erroneously they thought he was original.
"I hear, Venna, you are puzzled about the Mormons?" he asked, sitting down opposite to her, and leaning slightly forward, placing both hands emphatically on the arms of his chair.