TABLE OF CONTENTS.
| INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. | |
| [PART I.] | |
| HISTORY OF MORMONISM. | |
| [CHAPTER I.] | |
| Alleged Origin of Mormonism—Joseph Smith’s Early Life—Finding the Peek-stone—Visited by an Angel—Received theGolden Plates—Was Smith a Swindler or an Enthusiast?—“Book of Mormon” Published, and Mormon Church Established—Smith’sFirst Alleged Miracle—Rigdon Joins the Mormons—Mormonism Compared to Mohammedanism | [25] |
| [CHAPTER II.] | |
| HISTORY OF MORMONISM (continued). | |
| The First Hegira from Palmyra to Kirtland—The First Temple—Rapid Growth of the Mormon Church—Brigham Youngand other Missionaries Sent to Foreign Lands—The Name “Latter-day Saints” Adopted—Smith and Rigdon Compelled to Flee fromKirtland—The Second Hegira—The “Danites” Organized—Rapid Increase of the Mormons in Missouri—Jealousyof the Missourians—Mormons Driven across the Missouri River by a Mob—Their Property Confiscated—Their Leaders Imprisoned | [38] |
| [CHAPTER III.] | |
| HISTORY OF MORMONISM (continued). | |
| The Third Hegira—Sufferings of the Mormons during theirJourney intoIllinois—An Account of the Murder of Mormons—Influence of this Persecution on the Minds of Mormons at the Present Time—Nauvoo—ItsLocation—Its Growth—The Second Mormon Temple Begun—Other Public Buildings—Laziness Whittled out of Nauvoo—Internal Dissensions Amongthe Mormons—Political Troubles—Smith Nominated for President of the United States—Warrants Issued against the Mormon Leaders—ConstableDriven out of Nauvoo—Civil War Threatened—Smith Asked to Submit to Trial—Murder of Joseph Smith and his Brother—Rigdon Excommunicated, andBrigham Young Made Leader—Consecration of the “Pride of the Valley” | [45] |
| [CHAPTER IV.] | |
| HISTORY OF MORMONISM (concluded). | |
| The Fourth Hegira—Young’s Shrewd Plan of a Western Kingdom—Nauvoo’s Sad End—Journey of the Mormons to CouncilBluffs—Young’s Forethought—The Trip of the Pioneers Across the Wilderness—The Halt at Salt Lake Valley—Young Leads the RemainingMormons from Council Bluffs to Salt Lake—Their Entertainment during their March—Folly of the Illinoisans in Driving them out into the Wilderness—ProbableResult of Tolerance of the Mormons—Character of the Mormons—Life Begun Anew in Salt Lake Valley—Salt Lake City Established—Mills and WorkshopsEstablished and the Great Temple Begun—Increase of the Mormon Population—Value of their Property in Utah—Public Schools—A Final Brief Glanceat their History—How the Mormon Puzzle will not be Solved | [54] |
| [PART II.] | |
| THE POLITICAL PUZZLE. | |
| [CHAPTER V.] | |
| Mormonism a Theocracy—Manœuvring for Office the Cause of the Expulsion of the Mormons from Missouri and Nauvoo—The“State of Deseret” Formed—Lands Illegally Obtained—Brigham’sMovable House—Government Officials Compelled to Flee—Federal Troops Sent—The Oath of Disloyalty—The Endowment Rites—The AmericanFlag at Half-mast—The Control of the Nation their Aim—The Political Puzzle Stated—Its Causes—Necessity of Government Action | [67] |
| [CHAPTER VI.] | |
| THE POLITICAL PUZZLE (continued). | |
| The Possible Remedies—The Military Remedy—The Government Responsible for the Situation in Utah—The Disfranchisementof Polygamists—Federal Trustees for the Mormon Church Corporation—Confiscation of Unlawful Funds—False Statements About Mormons—Lettersfrom the Two Bancrofts—The Dissolution of the Emigrating Fund Company—The Federal Commission Remedy—The Woodburn Bill, or Idaho Statute | [77] |
| [CHAPTER VII.] | |
| THE POLITICAL PUZZLE (concluded). | |
| Objections to Proposed Remedies—Gladstone on “Coercion”—A New Plan Advocated—TheAbolition of Female Suffrage—A National Colonization Scheme—Natural Resources of Utah—Superiority of the Colonization Plan overOthers—The Establishment of National Free Schools—Ignorance the Keystone of Mormon Despotism—Public Schools in Utah used for MormonPurposes—Proposed Federal Superintendent of Schools in Utah—Territorial Schools Too Few—Necessity of Government Action—PrejudiceDisarmed by this Plan—The Political Puzzle Solved | [91] |
| [PART III.] | |
| THE SOCIAL PUZZLE. | |
| [CHAPTER VIII.] | |
| Polygamy only one of the Mormon Social Evils—Their Social System a System of Bondage—Contrary to Natural Law—Contraryto the Spirit of the Age—Personal Bondage of theMormons—Missionaries Must Go on Duty—Dictation of the Priesthood with Regard to Boarders and Rents—ImmigrantsUnder their Control—All Members Subject to Church Orders—Power of the Church over Daily Business—Mormon MiningContractors—Mental Bondage of the Mormons—Converts Illiterate—The Mormon Church the Opponent of Free Education—NoIndependent Thought—Excommunication of Henry Lawrence and Others | [107] |
| [CHAPTER IX.] | |
| THE SOCIAL PUZZLE (continued). | |
| Moral Bondage of the Mormons—Implicit Obedience to the Priesthood Enjoined—Crimes Committed at theirCommand—Murders—The Mountain Meadows Massacre—Lee’s Confession—A Mormon Carpenter’sConfession—Theft—Falsehood—Perjury—Why was Polygamy Promulgated?—Why is Polygamy Practised? | [118] |
| [CHAPTER X.] | |
| THE SOCIAL PUZZLE (continued). | |
| Reasons why Mormon Slavery is Maintained—Hope of Earthly Gain—Complete Organization of the Mormon Church—Prospect of Promotion inOffice as a Bribe—Fear of Earthly Loss—System of Espionage—Apostasy Formerly Punished by Death—Mode of Inflicting the Punishment—SocialOstracism—Religious Conviction the Mainstay of the Mormon Social System | [131] |
| [CHAPTER XI.] | |
| THE SOCIAL PUZZLE (concluded). | |
| The Solution of the Social Puzzle—Mormon Slavery and Negro Slavery Compared—The Duty of the Government to Break up MormonSlavery—The Remedy the Same as for the Political Evils of Mormonism—Brigham Young Opposed to Immigration of Gentiles—A Growing Spirit ofRestlessness—Necessity of Surrounding the Youth with an Atmosphere of Freedom—Personal Bondage of the Mormons Overcome by GentileColonization—Social Ostracism no Longer Dreaded—Mental Bondage Overcome by National Schools and Colonization—Moral Bondage Overcomeby the Same Means—This Policy not to be Confounded with the Let-Alone Policy—AnApparent Policy of Toleration—The Alarmist’s Cry and its Answer—The Mormon Standpoint not to be Overlooked—The Cry of Unconstitutionality—TheProposed Polygamy Amendment to the Constitution—The Cry of Religious Persecution—Imprisonment Preferred to Sacrifice of Principle—Law Impotent to Breakup Polygamy—Supposed Captivity of Mormon Women a Mistake—Mass-Meeting of Mormon Women to Plead for Polygamy—Senator Hoar on the Solution of theSocial Puzzle—How the Law Should be Enforced and its Probable Effect—Superiority of the Colonization Plan over any Other Plan—Its Effectiveness Provedby the Oneida Community—The Social Puzzle Solved—The Duty of the Nation, the Citizen, and the Church | [138] |
| [PART IV.] | |
| THE RELIGIOUS PUZZLE. | |
| [CHAPTER XII.] | |
| The Religious Aspects of Mormonism Paramount—General Ignorance Concerning the Mormon Religious System—Sourcesof Their Doctrines—Revelation, not Reason, the Primary Source—All Religions Founded on Revelation—Sacred Books—TheMormon Bible—The “Book of Mormon”—Migrations of Jews to America—Visit of Jesus to America—“Book of Doctrineand Covenants”—The “Living Oracles” | [161] |
| [CHAPTER XIII.] | |
| THE RELIGIOUS PUZZLE (continued). | |
| Mormon Doctrines—Their Idea of God—Plurality of Gods—Mormon Sunday-School Hymn Concerning Smith—ThePre-existence of Souls—The Doctrine of Polygamy—Practised on the Plea of Self-Sacrifice and Ambition—Necessity of Preaching their Gospel toAll—Preaching to the Dead—Baptismal Regeneration —Baptism for the Dead—Mormon Priesthood Necessary to Salvation—Melchizedek andAaronic Priesthood—Mormon Endowments—Blood Atonement—Doctrine of “The Fulnessof Times” | [168] |
| [CHAPTER XIV.] | |
| THE RELIGIOUS PUZZLE (continued). | |
| Professor Coyner’s Analysis of Mormonism—Rev. Dr. McNiece’s Analysis—Reasons for the Growth and Tenacity of Mormonism—TheChristian Element its Chief Source of Strength—No Mormon Converts from Heathenism—Protestantism the Source of its Recruits—Bible Doctrines in theMormon “Catechism for Children”—The Mormon Articles of Faith—The Mormon Heresy Compared to Gnosticism in the Early Christian Church—AClue to the Solution of the Religious Puzzle | [181] |
| [CHAPTER XV.] | |
| THE RELIGIOUS PUZZLE (concluded). | |
| The Character of Efforts Hitherto put Forth to Solve the Puzzle—What has been Accomplished—The Plan Somewhere Defective—Mormonismto be Reformed, not Destroyed—Why Mormons will not Listen to Christian Missionaries—Moody and Sankey’s Meetings in Salt Lake City—The DeseretEvening News on Bishop Tuttle’s Sermon—Mormonism a Perversion of Christianity—The Educational and Colonization Scheme best Fitted to Reformit—Proved by Comparing Roman Catholicism in the United States with Roman Catholicism in Mexico or Brazil—The Probable Effect of a Larger Intelligence—TheProbable Effect of the Introduction of Gentile Colonies—The Religious Puzzle Solved—The Duty of the Hour | [188] |
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
“Search for the truth is the noblest occupation of man.”—Madame de Staël.
“Never suppose yourself to understand the ignorance of another so long as you are ignorant of his understanding.”—Coleridge.