Mormonism: Its Leaders and Designs/Chapter 5

by John Hyde, Jr.

Chapter V.

Education.

• Working men
• School systems
• Braggadocio
• School teachers
• Three months' term, and nine months' vacation
• Evening schools
• Dancing schools
• O. Pratt and Brigham Young
• H. C. Kimball
• Pratt's mathematical class
• Grammar schools
• Cultivated female society
• Home education
• Female lions
• Literary institutions
• Novel reading
• Deseret alphabet
• Newspapers
• Book of Mormon
• Doctrines and covenants
• New translation of Bible
• Book of Abraham
• Key to Apocalypse
• Prophecy of Enoch
• Gospel of Adam
• Lex ora, v. lex scripta
• Controversial works.

The moral and mental health of a community can safely be predicated from their system of education. The physical system is relaxed or invigorated according to the nature of the food we eat, and so, also, the mental system relies on its aliments for present power and future hope. On the education of the boys of to-day depends the nature of the men of to-morrow. Thinking men discover principles of nature, working men apply them to the purposes of art. Brigham Young keeps the people of Salt Lake, as before remarked, constantly at work. He aims at making them working men and women, and has succeeded. In the attention bestowed on physical education, the mental and moral training is neglected. It is true that outside of Utah they boast, and in Utah they talk, of the school systems. Orson Pratt, in a sermon delivered at Salt Lake Tabernacle, February 10, 1856, very aptly remarked on this subject:

"Have we had a high school here? Not in this Valley. But, says one, we have had a parent school, and that is what we consider a high school. Yes, we have had a great many things in name, but mere name is not what is wanted. We have had a university in name, but as yet we have had no such university.

"Have we colleges! I believe none, even in name. Have we had academies! I believe not. If we have, they have been very inferior to those in the eastern States. Go to the schools in the New England States and see the order that is kept in them, see the improvement of the youth who are taught in them, and then come back to our common schools and you will see that the common schools of the East will far surpass any that we have yet had in our Territory."—Deseret News, May 14, 1856.

The "authorities" at Salt Lake send out reports of university boards, literary and scientific institutes, etc.; dub men with names of offices, and send regents, professors, lecturers, etc., out into the world; but, as Pratt himself is forced to acknowledge, they are only names.

Their system of education is eminently practical, but, unfortunately, any thing but eminently beneficial. They have. in Salt Lake City, nineteen school-houses, one in each ward. It is only during the three winter months, however, that a boys' school is ever attempted to be kept. During the other nine months, at three or four of their school-houses, they have endeavored to employ a female teacher, who has great difficulty in obtaining a class of little children, some being too poor to afford to send their children; some being too idle to get them ready; some being too careless whether they go or not, and the generality regarding it as only one mode of getting their children out of the way! No respect is felt for a school-teacher; he can only obtain a small salary; experiences the greatest difficulty in procuring it after it becomes due; is forced to take as "pay," the poorest and commonest articles, at the most exorbitant prices, often obliged to take "trade" he does not need at all, and rely on bartering with it for some other commodity that he may require, or perhaps trade off again, and even after all this "trucking and trading" can never obtain more than one half or two thirds his due. This is so well known in Utah that it has become a common expression when a man can get no other employment, "O you had better turn school-teacher!" or when a debt is extremely bad, and its recovery almost hopeless, "O it is just like a school debt." From these reasons, men who could at all teach, never attempt it, unless compelled by poverty, and, as generally, if they be sufficiently intelligent to teach, they are sufficiently intelligent to obtain some other livelihood, consequently Mormon school-teachers are usually very ignorant themselves.

The boys' schools continuing only for three months, with an interval of nine months, they return to their schools in the winter nearly as ignorant as when they left the preceding spring. All the work of education has to be nearly recommenced under a different tutor, each one having his own peculiar style of instruction, and very peculiar those styles are too; confidence has to be established, obedience exacted, and attention enforced, and the struggle between the large scholars and their teachers frequently ends in the triumph of the former and in the grieved feelings of the disgusted and insulted teacher, who often resigns before his term of three months has expired, and reproaches himself with the folly of attempting to "teach a school."

In most instances these men would be the most efficient; men of some sense and of some sensibility, who are neither boxers nor wrestlers, and who value their own dignity too highly to fight with their pupils, and prove their superiority vi et armis. I could mention names of wards in which such exhibitions have occurred. Mr. Pugh, who for many years was the principal of a large academy in Shropshire, England, heard, believed, and embraced Mormonism; emigrated to Salt Lake with his family in 1853; and was persuaded to accept the teachership of the fourteenth ward school, the best and largest in the city. The trustees promised him a salary of $50 per month, where provisions are dearer than in California! When his three months' term had expired, he wasted as much time in trying to collect the sums due from the parents of each scholar, and in 1856 had not been able to obtain more than two thirds of the amount.

The same winter, the trustees of the thirteenth ward, the wealthiest in Utah, refused to pay over $30 per month to their teacher, and Brigham eventually discharged a clerk from his office, Mr. Corey, in order to compel him to teach the school, because Corey was qualified, and Brigham wanted to send his children there! In the winter of 1852–'53, a Mr. E. B. Kelsey endeavored to establish a superior kind of a school. Among other pupils were the children of the Presidents. One of Brigham's sons was very unruly, and refused obedience. Kindness being inadequate, Mr. Kelsey tried the ferule, intending to compel the submission he could not induce. The boy left the school and complained. Instead of sustaining the tutor in his authority, J. M. Grant, on a Sabbath forenoon, before several thousand persons, laid down this singular doctrine: "Some children are bass-wood and may be bent, but these are hickory saplings, and they can't be bent or whipped into submission." Protected by the, "authorities" in their insubordination, the result was inevitable. Mr. Kelsey threw up his school and wisely turned farmer. In the winter of 1854–'55, W. Eddington, a school-teacher from Portsmouth, England, attempted to establish a similar institution. He was nearly reduced to starvation, as, having no assistance, he had to be at the school-house. If he attended the school, he had no time to collect his fees; if he neglected school, they refused to pay; if he sent an agent, they either ignored the debt or plead a hundred excuses. From instructing the young he turned to be a small peddler in every thing, on the principle of universal barter. The consequences are unmistakable. Those who could teach, will not. Those who attempt to teach, can not! The young, therefore, do the best they know how, and that is always the very worst possible.

There is yet another drawback on schools. The Mormons love dancing. Almost every third man is a fiddler, and every one must learn to dance. This is old, too, for Smith used to delight some beer-shop loafers at Nauvoo with scraping on catgut. A fiddling Prophet! School-houses occupied by the classes during the day, are turned into dancing academies in the evening. There are many who can afford only to pay one tutor. Their children ought to learn to read, but they must learn to dance. The children themselves urge this view very strenuously. The dancing-master must be paid in advance, and either the day-school is neglected, or else the teacher is defrauded of his remuneration. In the winter of 1854–'55, there were dancing-schools in almost every one of the nineteen school-houses, and necessarily so much more attention to dancing involved so much less attention to study. Just so much less education, and just so much more injury.

Many abortive attempts have been made to institute an evening adult school. Every such endeavor has been discontinued after a few evenings, with the gloomy announcement that receipts did not pay for fuel and candles. The instigators of the effort have been forced to turn to other occupations in order to maintain themselves from hunger and destitution. Many a sigh and groan have been breathed over the spade-handle and ax-helve by blister-handed men; who, had their talents been employed and encouraged, would have benefited the Mormon community. Many of the people express satisfaction in seeing these "better-dressed fellers" obliged to "nigger it" as well as themselves; and some of them will come and slap such on the shoulder; laugh at their awkwardness, while they say encouragingly, "Wall, bruther, ye're gwine through the mill now, for sarten—ye're a cummin down from yer high horse to be one on us; yer'll soon be perfec' now!" This is by no means a rare occurrence.

But what is the conduct of the "authorities" in this respect. They ought not to be accounted responsible for the many foolish things said or done, especially considering the many foolish things of their own they have to answer for. Brigham is a very ignorant man. By his position as Prophet and President, he considers himself the only proper person to commence any work, originate any principle, and turn on the "gas" for the listening multitude. For another to assume this privilege, is to usurp his prerogative, and that is to illumine his ire, and to awaken his power of prophetic rebuke. One Sunday afternoon, in the Bowery of Salt Lake, before 3000 persons, during the summer of 1855, O. Pratt was addressing the people on the necessity of studying from books. Said he,

"Suppose that you and I were deprived of all books, and that we had faith to get revelation, and no disposition to understand that which has been sought out, understood, and recorded in books, what would be our condition! It would require an indefinite period in which to make any great progress in the knowledge that is even now extant."

Brigham arose, his dignity hurt, his temper ruffled; and he administered to Pratt, the presumptuous offender, the most outrageous tongue-lashing I ever conceived of. He said,

"The professor has told you that there are many books in the world, and I tell you there are many people in the world; he says there is something in all these books; I say each one of these persons has a name; he says it would do you good to learn that something, and I say it would do you just as much good to learn these somebodies' names. Were I to live to the age of Methusaleh, and every hour of my life learn something new out of some one of these books, and remember every particle I had acquired, five minutes' revelation would teach me more truth and more right than all this pack of nonsense that I should have packed into my unlucky brains."

Orson Pratt hung his head, while the very faithful exulted in this defeat of Brigham's favorite antagonist. This celebrated speech was much talked of by the people. It was thought best not to publish it, however, and as it had irritated the public mind, and weakened rather than increased Brigham's influence, he, on the following Sunday morning, paid Professor Pratt a high compliment, and called on him to deliver "a lecture on astronomy," instead of preach a sermon; which accordingly O. Pratt did. Some extolled Brigham's magnanimity; others slyly laughed at his astuteness; and a very few made a memorandum in their journals of the event, and asked, What next?

Brigham is the model and standard of every thing. It is thought that as the keys of the kingdom give all knowledge, to require any knowledge but that which comes through the holder of these keys is apostacy. His fiat revokes all science and destroys all demonstration. Now, Brigham not being an educated man, to commence to educate the people would be compelled to ask advice. To ask advice is to exhibit inferiority; to betray inferiority would be to destroy confidence in himself, as far as that inferiority extended. To betray inferiority, is also to elevate some other to a higher position than he would occupy, to the extent of that other's acknowledged superiority. To sacrifice, for a moment, the people's unbounded confidence, is to peril it on other points. Teach the people to doubt his unlimited authority, is to teach them to compare; to excite remark; weaken his influence and destroy Mormonism. Hence Brigham can not be active in education measures. He can only talk to the shallow extent of his own superficiality. He talks about it, but it almost stops there.

Heber C. Kimball, the second man in the Mormon triad, not only does not possess, but openly ridicules education. It is a remarkable fact that all educated men apostatize from the Mormon Church; and this is, therefore, a remarkable argument against education. To retain slaves, they must keep them ignorant. The mode of reasoning adopted by these men is peculiar, and ridiculously sophistical. Mormonism, say they, is the plan of salvation instituted by God. Fidelity to it is, therefore, the greatest blessing; infidelity to it, the greatest curse. Any thing which increases faith in, or induces obedience to it is a good; any thing which inclines to doubt is an evil. Now, Gentilish education only leads its possessors to dispute the wisdom of the authorities, to criticise their sayings and scruple at their deeds. This weakens their own faith and that of other persons; consequently, they conclude, Gentile education is a positive evil. Kimball elaborated this idea once in his very remarkable style. Said he:

"Here are some edicated men, jest under my nose. They come here and they think they know more than I do, and then they git the big-head, and it swells and swells till it gits like the old woman's squash; you go to touch it and it goes ker-smash, and when you go to look for the man, why, he ain't thar. They're jest like so many pots in a furnace—yer know I've been a potter, in my time—almighty thin and almighty big, and when they're sot up, the heat makes 'em smoke a little, and then they collapse and tumble in, and they ain't no whar."

These coarse but forcible comparisons form the staple of Heber C. Kimball's ordinary discourses.

In the fall of 1855, O. Pratt volunteered to instruct a class in the higher branches of arithmetic, algebra, and mathematics; proposing to charge only enough to pay for lights. He advertised and received one or two applications. He then offered, by advertisement, to provide the candles, fuel, and room; and to teach the class gratis, if he could obtain twenty scholars, of any age or either sex. Not content with this, as he was desirous to induce the young to such studies, he agreed to suit his evenings to the convenience of the largest number of the scholars; only stipulating their regular attendance if they promised to come. One of the last questions I put to Orson Pratt, before leaving Salt Lake City was, "How many applications did you receive " To this he replied, "Only three or four !" The class was never organized. I have heard some of the "very faithful" predict the final apostacy of this learned and talented, though grievously mistaken gentleman, in consequence, they say, of his education. "It will lift bim up, till he topples over."

Several have essayed to establish grammar schools. Strange have been the remarks they caused; bringing both sexes together, they have occasioned many a suspicious husband to be jealous of his wife. The attendance has dwindled down to one or two, the most disgusting jokes perpetrated in them, and their entire utility questioned. One man, who stands high in authority, argued in this wise:

"The Sperit is a gwine to lead and to guide us into all truth, yer know. Now, if grammar is truth, why, the Sperit will jest lead us into it a kinder nateral like: and if it ain't truth, it's no use, and I ain't a gwine to bother my brains and pay my money about it."

Even the editor of their paper, the "Deseret News," denies all originality of thought. Denying it, of course, he is never guilty of it in his newspaper.

A great incentive, perhaps the greatest incentive to education, is a cultivated class of females. The natural proclivity of one sex for the other maintains a constant action, and induces by rivalry, great efforts at personal improvement. Men always assimilate with the society kept, as certainly as those who walk constantly together adopt each other's gait and carriage. Intellectual female society, the great polisher of manners, sharpener of wit, purifier of sentiment, and refiner of expression is, at Salt Lake, entirely unknown. Not only is it unknown, but despised, and called "Gentilish affectation." To be esteemed by the people, all must be esteemed by the authorities. To obtain their approval, they must feign entire inferiority, by simulating entire reverence for them. This might not be difficult if their minds were cultivated or their habits even decent. Conversation the most filthy, obscene anecdotes, jests, and allusions form much capital in the stock of Brigham and Heber. Indeed I have often heard it said praisingly of Brigham, that he can "tell the dirtiest story in the dirtiest way." To stand well with them, all must sink to the level of their social habits; not to stand well with them is not to stand well in the estimation of the people, and that is to be suspected and annoyed.

So complete is this mental sycophancy, that however trivial or serious be the subject a party may be considering, if any one has heard Brigham or Heber express an opinion on the topic, all discussion is discontinued. I once listened in one of "the schools for the prophets" to some remarks from W. C. Dunbar, a more than ordinarily intelligent Mormon. He proved his position, I thought satisfactorily; an American Elder however told him, that "Brigham taught the contrary doctrine." Said this mental Colossus, "If he said so, he must be right, and I withdraw my argument!"

One very striking illustration of this mental abnegation occurred in the late Dr. Richards's office in 1854. Mr. Thomas Bullock, Mr. Leo Hawkins and some others were talking to Kimball about the resurrection. The Mormons believe in a literal physical resurrection, and were desirous to learn "Whether, when the body came forth from the grave, it would leave a visible hole in the ground?" "No," said Kimball, "not at all, the atoms will be reunited, and they won't leave no hole." He proceeded to explain his reasons for this opinion, and presently Brigham came in, when this important question was referred to him for his prophetic decision.

"Why, yes, certainly it will," was his verdict. "Christ is the pattern, you know; and he had to have the stone rolled away from the sepulchre, and that left the hole visible, for did not the soldiers see it?"

"Brother Brigham," immediately cried Kimball, "that is just my opinion!"

Orson Hyde, the President of the Twelve Apostles, has endeavored to set a better example to the Saints. Himself and daughters assumed a more cultivated style, but it is the common significant remark, "The Elder was always a little Gentilish in his feelings."

The greatest of all education is "home education." Home education depends upon the mother. Where the woman is degraded, there is no home education.

"To teach girls to sow, and weave, and work in the garden, and cook, and be smart in the dairy, and neat about the house, is the best education," says Brigham; "stuff their heads with reading and they go to novels and romances, and such like trash, and neglect their duties, and they won't be obedient to their husbands and fathers. Teach them to work—teach them to work."

This is good practical philosophy, but it is only half the truth. There is but one step from neglect of, to contempt of education. It is so at Salt Lake. Women who are taught to believe that the "husband's power is absolute," and that all "their sins committed in obedience to their husband's commands, are borne by their husbands," care nothing for self-education, and as little for the instruction of their daughters. The few persons who go there, who are a little superior, are mocked. They are the "speckled sheep;" the hearts which still cling to "Gentile customs and notions of things." "They look back to the flesh-pots of Egypt." "The leaven of the gospel has only partially worked in them." Their apostacy is predicted, and any influence they might obtain, crushed out. Oases in a desert, a thousand hands heap sand upon them. Hence the women who endeavor to make a reputation for mind are the most rabidly fanatical. Miss Eliza R. Snow, the Mormon poetess, a very talented woman, but outrageously bigoted, and one or two kindred souls, are the nuclei for all the female intellect at Salt Lake. Let any recant from their creed, or oppose it, she and her band of second Amazons crush the intrepid one down. In the society of such women the Mormon youth stand abashed and terrified, like small children who, it is said, "ought to be seen but not heard."

Another element has been lately introduced into Utah society. Mormonism is too well known in America to attract any but the most ignorant to its standard. Mormonism in England, atrociously misrepresented, has attracted some rather better informed people. Among these are the printers of Utah, all Englishmen; these tried to organize a "Typographical Association," for the purpose of obtaining a library, hearing lectures, and procuring scientific apparatus, etc. They succeeded in getting up some balls, which was far more in unison with Mormon prejudices; drawing up a constitution, etc., etc., all in due form. They got their society very admirably on to paper, but could get it no further. A. Carrington advertised a lecture for their behalf, and could not obtain a sufficient number of persons to make an audience. Another institution arose, called "The Deseret Universal Scientific." Officers were elected, constitution framed, prospects and projects blazed forth in double capitals in their journal, but, like a choke-damp, made much noise, emitted much "gas," but settled down in smoke. Elder E. Snow, one of the Twelve Apostles, then organized another institution in 1855, and called it by a name that was new-coined for it by Phelps, the Mormon devil, "The Polysophical Society." Its birth quickened other mushroom children of this humid soil. The "Seventies' Variety Club" was organized among a class of Elders; dragged out its length over two meetings, and expired. The "Deseret Universal Scientific" was resuscitated, but only to die again. Brigham grew envious of these little pistolets, and resolved to assume his position, and lead in this as in all other things, and fired off his big gun. He founded an institution! Its officers were the chief dignitaries. Its object "universal truth." Its name "The Theological Institution." But Brigham found that his Elders could only preach "sermons" after the approved Mormon style. The people had enough of that on Sunday, and failed to attend the meetings, and so the "Theological" went out. The death of this was followed by the decease of all the rest. Some young men, however, tried again to bring an institution into life, and a "Deseret Literary and Musical Society" was commenced. I attended the organization meetings, and the great fear we all felt was, that perhaps Brigham and the authorities might patronize the institution, so it was agreed not to ask "counsel" on the subject, but let it stand or fall by its own merits. It was dreaded that Brigham might nurse this to death; and, without asking his consent, they commenced their meetings. It flourished pleasantly; but I observed that Brigham began to pet it last summer, and I presume it has followed the path of its defunct predecessors.

There are very few books in Utah. Very few persons are rich enough to carry libraries over the plains. There is a public library, however, for which Congress appropriated $20,000. It is tolerably well selected, but is necessarily small, and but very little used by the people. Sympathizing in Brigham's views as to the futility of acquiring knowledge out of books, of course they do not allow their practice to disprove their faith. He often tells the people, "When you come here, you have got to unlearn all you have ever learned, and begin to learn all again. The Gentiles put light for darkness, and darkness for light, and we've got to turn you right round." Consequently, many would rather not attempt to obtain any book-information, believing it better not to be informed at all than to be incorrectly informed.

While those works that could instruct or improve them are neglected, works of fiction are very ravenously sought for and devoured. The most trashy feuilleton is carefully preserved and constantly lent around. Over their lascivious and ridiculous pages the Mormon women pore and prose with extravagant zest, till Brigham's wholesale condemnation is deserved, "their reading only fills their head with trash and nonsense." While, however, this is their real practice, in their WORKS they endeavor to impress a contrary lesson. In Smith's Revelations there is an express command, "Get learning, even by study;" but almost side and side with this law, there is the command, "Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and cleave unto her, and none else!" How much respect the Mormons pay to the commands of their deity, is very apparent.

But still the Mormons have done something. One notable enterprise must be remembered. Brigham does not know how to spell, finds it very difficult indeed to spell, yet in his broad spirit of philanthropy, has endeavored to correct English orthography. With some very original emendations, he has adopted Pitman's system of phonographic spelling, as the basis of the "Deseret alphabet." Lines that would frighten Hogarth, and that would puzzle even Pitman's pliant hand to form, were adopted. This is nearly all the pretentious named "Board of Regents of the Deseret University" have accomplished since their organization; and this, like the other literary efforts of the Mormons, although blazoned forth, fonts of the new type made, and schools instituted to teach it, has resumed its proper level. It began in a flash and ended in smoke; "went up a rocket and came down a stick."

As to their own literature, they publish a weekly paper at Salt Lake, which is almost wholly filled with the autobiography of Smith, and sermons of the "First Presidency." It neither gives honest reports of speeches, nor correct statements of facts. Much talk has been made about getting up a separate paper, devoted to scientific and literary purposes; but its friends are afraid the Church might become so fond of it, as to hug it to death, as it has their literary institutions. They publish a weekly sheet at San Francisco, California. Its editor, workmen, and even devil, are all "on mission;" get nothing but food and raiment; but are "therewith content." Their sincerity can not be doubted, whatever be said of their intellect. The "Mormon" dribbles out its weekly quantum of saintly notice and opinion at New York. A "Luminary" hardly lit its own path into obscurity at St. Louis, Mo. At Liverpool they publish a "Millennial Star." By compelling the believing to take several copies, they say they have a circulation of over 16,000. At Paris they published "L'Etoile du Deseret," but the star has set. "Zion's Panier" floated at Hamburg: a month's wind blew it into shreds. They still publish periodicals in the Welsh and Danish languages.

Of their standard works, the Book of Mormon, although most mentioned, is not the principal. The Doctrines and Covenants, containing some of the Revelations that Smith pretended to obtain, is viewed as the "law of God to this generation." Its contents are very miscellaneous, comprising the organization of the Church; revelations as to priesthood, and cattle medicine; chewing tobacco, and sending out missionaries; "endowments from on high," and "building taverns;" "supplying all the wants of my servant Joseph;" and anathematizing apostates, etc., etc. Besides these, Smith attempted a new translation of the Old and New Testaments. This translation, however, is kept very secret, the people "not being able to bear it now." Some singular extracts from it have reached their presses, but the impression they created was not favorable. More than Jew ever read, or Christian ever conceived, and far more than Hebrew or Greek MS. ever contained, is to be seen in Smith's new translation of the Bible. While at Nauvoo Smith obtained four Egyptian mummies. In the bosom of one of them, a MS. was pretended to be found. Smith gave out that he made a "translation," and the result was, "A Book of Abraham." He announced it ("Times and Seasons," vol. iii., p. 704), "A Translation of some Ancient Records that have fallen into our hands from the catacombs of Egypt, purporting to be the writings of Abraham, while he was in Egypt, called the Book of Abraham, written by his own hand on papyrus." This was received with especial unction by the devout. Although evidently the work of the same hand as the Book of Mormon, Smith had somewhat improved himself in the use of words. It contains several singular engravings, a chart of astronomy, and is altogether quite unique. The Apocalypse of St. John occupied the attention of Smith, and he composed "A Key to the Book of Revelations." The Bible-student would be startled at some of its views. As Smith had to labor to sustain his reputation as a prophet, accordingly, in December, 1830, he issued a Revelation, pretending to contain a "prophecy of Enoch," "A revelation of the gospel to Adam after he was driven out of the Garden of Eden." These, which are of course morceaux choisies to the Church, have been collected and bound together into a little work called the "Pearl of Great Price."

But, happily for the Church, they are not at all limited to their leges scriptæ. O. Hyde, at Iowa, taught that "these books were only our school-books, and as boys put away their elementary books, so Saints should learn to put away and live above these." This is very convenient doctrine, as too close a scrutiny in their book of Smith's Revelations, proves him a very singular prophet; showing that Missouri was Zion; then Nauvoo was Zion; then Mormon salvation depended on building "Smith's Tavern," and as it was not built, all the Mormons must be damned, according to Smith! And now Missouri is not Zion, and Nauvoo is not Zion, although they were both to be "eternal habitations for my Saints, saith the Lord," but Salt Lake is Zion, about which the "Book" says nothing. The great criteria and guide to the Church, however, is, constant and oral revelation.

"The words of our Prophet Brigham are as much more important to us than those of the Saviour and Apostles in the New Testament, as their words were to the people at that time more than those of Noah in the Old Testament."

This is the doctrine constantly urged, and believed; hence, Brigham's sermons are all revelations, and, consequently, standard works for the Church. It is rather amusing to notice how frequently those revelations of Brigham contradict themselves and all reason.

Of their standard controversial works, P. P. Pratt's "Voice. of Warning" is the most popular. O. Pratt's works are the most able. A great spite is felt toward O. Pratt at Salt Lake, in consequence of his refusing to blindly submit to the mere ipse dixit of Young. He published the "Seer" at Washington; and although it was the production of an inspired Apostle, Brigham not only publicly ridiculed it and its author, but also wrote to the "Saints in England and elsewhere," that it contained "many falsehoods, and much incorrect doctrine; but that they might exercise their faith and discernment, he would not point out its errors." This letter was published in the "Millennial Star" at Liverpool by Brigham's direction. Orson Pratt's influence was great in England; he was a little contumacious at home, and it was thought "wisdom to somewhat break him down." O. Pratt is the only really able man they have among them," but his head is always among the stars," his love and hobby being the study of astronomy.

The late Parley P. Pratt, something of a poet, something of a preacher, very much of a panderer, and a bad man, has written a singular work, "The Key to Theology," about which much expectation was excited, and much disappointment felt. Andrew Jackson Davis has contributed no little to its matter and style. The Mormons have other and less important works; an ephemeral effort of J. Taylor, "The Government of God," and several pamphlets.

The literature of the Mormons is like their preaching. What is lacked in ability, is made up in earnestness. The singular success their Elders have met in proselyting, abundantly proves that sincere enthusiasm is a very formidable weapon. It is a pity such earnestness and sincerity were not exercised in a better cause.