--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Halls, William collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 8 number: 12 published: 1905-10 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'William Halls, "“The Menace of ‘Mormonism’”," *Improvement Era* 8, no. 12 (October 1905): 928–931.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0812unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera0812unse start_page: 928 end_page: 931 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1905-10) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0812unse publication_year: 1905 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1905, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # “The Menace of ‘Mormonism’” THE MENACE OF 'MORMON ISM. BY WILLIAM HALLS. In the North American Review for September, Senator Cullom, of Illinois, has an article under the above heading. As the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints, commonly called the "Mormon" Church, has been organized seventy-five years, there has been time enough to become acquainted with its characteristics. If the enough for its fruit to appear; if its tree is evil, it has lived long influence over its members is bad, tending to make boys bad men, and girls bad women, some evil means must be used to produce these results. The children of this Church, like other children, are influenced by their education, and in their lives will reflect the spirit of the institutions in which their characters were formed. It may be well to discuss some of the means used in the development of character in the Church. First, the home, the typical "Mormon" home, in which every morning and evening the members are called to bow in the family circle, where humble, fervent, prayers of praise and gratitude are offered, an inspiring hymn is sung, and a chapter in the scriptures read; here the children are impressed with a reverence for sacred things; and imbued with faith in the goodness and justice of God, which will be a constant incentive to correct living. Next to the home the Primary Association, organized to bring the children from four to fourteen years old together, once a week, to be taught by the most intelligent, spiritual-minded, and devoted mothers, those principles necessary to supplement the home in the development of character. The nature of these instructions can be seen by referring to the Children's Friend, the organ of the "THE MENACE OF 'MORMONISM.'" . 929 associations, issued by the General Board, giving an outline of lessons for the assistance of the officers and teachers. It is incon- ceivable that these devoted mothers would teach these innocent children the arts of vice, that they might grow up wicked men and women sow the seeds of evil broadcast in the land, a to "menace good society." I do not suppose Senator Cullom, to biased as he is, would believe so. Perhaps the widest in scope, and most general in application, of all the auxiliary associations of the Church, is the Sunday School. It is open to all members of the Church, and non-mem- bers who wish to attend, from the parent and theological classes, through all the grades to the infant or kindergarten. There is a Sunday School in every ward in the stakes of Zion, at home, and in the missions in the states, and in the foreign missions, wherever there are a few members— all these under the general supervision of the "Deseret Sunday School Union," by which, as far as pos- sible, the work is unified. No effort is spared to perfect this sys- tem of Sunday School work. The nature of the instructions given is indicated in the Juvenile Instructor and the outlines, issued by the General Board for the aid of the officers and teachers and pupils of the various departments. All this work is purely a labor of love, many of the brightest and busiest men and women in the Church give a portion of their time and best effort to this causer not to subvert good morals, but to promote good citizenship in its widest application. The Young Men's and Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Associations are potent factors in the development of the young members, religiously, morally and socially. The young men's work isshown in the Improvement Era, and Manual; the young ladies' in the Young Woman's Journal and Guide, issued by the General Boards of these associations respectively. Passing other associations unmentioned, we come to the Church schools, Brigham Young University, Provo; Latter-day Saints University, Salt Lake City; Brigham Young College, Logan; and the stake academies in all the principal stakes of Zion. The Church uses a large portion of its funds to help maintain these schools. These schools are open to and attended by "Mormons" and non- "Mormons;" they may be visited by those who wish to see 930 IMPROVEMENT ERA. how they are conducted, their curriculums are published, and open to the public. An impartial investigation of the trend of the Church schools will convince every fair minded person that it is to develop the spiritual, moral, intellectual, and physical faculties of the students, that they may become good members of the Church and good citizens of the state. Some of our young people, having taken a preparatory course at home, have gone east to receive more perfect training in special lines; ask the professors of the schools where they have attended, if these "Mormon" students have given them extra care; have demoralized their classes, and been a menace to society; ask how they rate in scholarship, temperance, mora! rectitude, and general deportment! If we consider this system called "Mormonism" somewhat in detail, its doctriues are identical with the cardinal principles of Christianity, as found in the New Testament; its discipline is founded on the democratic principle of common consent; its mem- bers are absolutely free; its subordinate associations are perfectly organized, operate actively and harmoniously to round ouc a noble, perfect manhood and womanhood. Note the achievements of its members in economics, in Utah and other states and territories of the Union, also in Canada and old Mexico. Wherever they have colonized, peace and prosperity attend them, as a rule; where they have control, they have no saloon, gambling, prostitution, paupers nor illegitimates. If these are the fruits of "Mormonism," which none can truthfully deny, what if it should spread and become universal, would it be a calamity? Where does the "Menace of 'Mormonism'" come in? Senator Cullom, in his article, propounds the question, "Is 'Mormonism' a menace?" Answering, he says: "apparently this is still an open question;" he states that he has been fighting the evils of "Mormonism" for half a century; he claims the honor of preparing the first anti-"Mormon" bill ever presented to a legisla- ture; he fought them in the house of representatives in Illinois; he fought them in the lower house of Congress; he fought them, and is still fighting them, in the upper house of Congress; he is happy that he helped drive them out of Illinois, and "sent them bag and baggage after the star of empire;" he is thankful that at his re- — "THE MENACE OF 'MORMONISM.'" 931 quest President Arthur sent a judg* to Utah to commence the raid on the "Mormons." And yet he is free to admit that "apparently this is still an open question!"— It really does seem something to be proud of, to stand half a century on doubtful ground, fighting a "Menace" that after all may not exist! The time may come when the mists of prejudice, which now obscure his vision, may rise; the scales may fall from his eyes, and the sufferings of men, women and children, react on his consciousness as a worm that will not die, and a fire that will not quench. Mancos, Colorado. THOROUGHNESS. "When I have my shoes shined by an American bootblack," says Dr. David G. Wylie, of the Scotch Presbyterian church, New York City, "I never have to lose much of my precious time. His motto is 'Speed' and the spirit of his motto is in his work. He takes a few hasty rubs across the tips, whisks off a little dust on the side, applies his polish with a few masterly nourishes and all is done —except taking the coin.'' The crowd of boys who heard this shouted their approval as most American boys would. "But," continued the kind-hearted minister, "when I give the job to one of those little sons of Italy to whom the word 'shine' forms a large part of their English vocabulary, then I always settle down for a delay. One of these little fellows will forget all about time and will only think of the job before him. He first cleans the leather with water, then puts on a coat of blackening and rubs it off, puts on another coat and rubs that off, too; then he puts on the polish. He is never satisfied with his work till every bit of the shoe has a luster that it does one good to look at. He, too, has a motto. Who can guess what it is, in one word? Yes, you are right, my boy — it is 'thoroughness' — and it has an advan- tage over speed." American Boy.