CHAPTER XII.
The religious aspects of Mormonism paramount—General ignorance concerning the Mormon religious system—Sources of their Doctrines—Revelation, not reason, the primary source—All religions founded on revelation—Sacred books—The Mormon Bible—The “Book of Mormon”—Migrations of Jews to America—Visit of Jesus to America—“Book of Doctrine and Covenants”—The “Living Oracles.”
The majority of persons are more interested, it seems, in the political and social aspects of the Mormon question than in the purely religious; and this is only natural, because events of a political nature are usually more stirring than any other, and multitudes of people can grow indignant over violations of the law of the land, who at the same time have no deep-seated abhorrence of sin per se. The war against polygamy is undoubtedly of great interest to the average citizen; and the Christian himself cannot help sympathizing with the vigorous work of enforcing the law against polygamy, even though he may not always be in sympathy with the spirit of those who make the political phase paramount to every other.
The religious aspects of the question must ever have the pre-eminence in the Christian’s mind, because the eternal destinies of thousands of souls are involved in this great heresy, and because Mormonism will continue to have strength and vitality as a religious system, even though it be stripped of its objectionable political and social features. The rank and file of the people are devoted to their creed. They sincerely believe themselves to be the real conservators of the faith once delivered to the Saints. They are fortified by a system of theology as plausible to the darkened understanding as it is pleasing to the natural heart. They are living under a covenant of works, upon which they have staked their all, and they have a hope of abundant rewards in the future. Their conception of the divine law is narrow and inadequate, because their notions respecting God are cramped and carnal. Gross error has become thoroughly rooted in the minds of the people.
As we have already seen in treating of the political and social aspects of Mormonism, its real power lies in its doctrines. It is the Mormon’s constant boast that nothing can shake the sure foundations of his faith. He has a sincere conviction that his doctrines are invulnerable; but, although the strength of Mormonism does lie in its doctrines, perhaps not one hundredth of the people of our land know anything about their religious tenets, save the doctrine of polygamy.
Let us, therefore, endeavor to get some idea of Mormonism as a religious system—a system of doctrines and precepts; and in doing so let us consider, in the first place,
I. The Sources of their Doctrines.
Mormonism rests not upon human reason as its first great source, but upon divine revelation. It is not a system of philosophy, therefore, but a system of religion; for Professor Köstlin says: “Without revelation there can be no religion; and it is a fact which should not be overlooked that even those who, on account of their idea of God, absolutely reject the idea of a direct, divine revelation, recognizing nothing but Nature in her material existence and mechanical working, cannot help applying to Nature expressions and conceptions which tend to raise her above the dumb necessity, and constitute her a higher being, capable of moral relations; nor can they for a longer period escape a feeling of thirst after revelations of the secret depths of that being, which they then strive to attain by ways more or less mystical and magical.” (Schaff-Herzog’s “Encyclopædia of Religious Knowledge,” Vol. III., page 2021.) And in accordance with that statement, the editor of the Independent, in an editorial note published April 8th, 1886, says: “The history of this world shows that in respect to the subject of religion, the supernatural is to human thought and feeling really the natural. We search that history in vain for a religious system that has stamped itself upon the faith and practice of men, operating upon them as a controlling power of comfort and hope, and organizing itself into their personal and social life by forms, usages, and modes of worship, and at the same time professedly based on the discoveries and authority of unaided human reason. Philosophies in abundance have been the products of such reason, but religious systems never. All the idolatries of antiquity claimed to be supernatural, and the same is true of all the forms of modern heathenism. Such is the assumed character of Mohammedanism and Mormonism.... The world never has had, and, judging by the past, never will have a religious system without this element. It does not want, and will not accept, a religion that claims for itself no higher basis than that of mere reason.”