The Carolina Spartan

From the South Carolinian, Dec. 19.

LECTURE OF MR. JOHN HYDE.

A large audience assembled at the Baptist Church, last evening, full of curiosity to hear the lecture upon "Brigham Young and Salt Lake City," by the ex-Mormon Elder, Mr. John Hyde, Jr.

After a few prefatory remarks, appealing to his audience as supporters of religion and republican government, to look upon the Mormon faith as one of the severest and most contemptible forms of government on the face of the earth, he continued the history of his experience.

Nine years ago, he said, in a happy and comfortable home in London, the Mormon faith first reached me. But Mormonism in Europe and Mormonism in America are two different systems. All its abhorrent peculiarities were vehemently denied. They seemed a singular people, and were represented as being singularly pure and blessed. I listened to their statements. Their earnest zeal and self-devotion excited my curiosity and enlisted my sympathies. Their novel dogmas and sophistry bewildered my reason, and confounded my objections. I was a boy of fifteen. I judged it with a boy's judgment—embraced it with a boy's ardor. Three months after my baptism, I was ordained a priest, and began preaching the system as I believed it, in various portions of England and France. In 1853, I sailed from Liverpool for America, with four hundred emigrants, our destination being the Salt Lake Valley. From New Orleans we ascended the Mississippi to Keokuk, where we united with the rest of the Mormon emigrants, 2,500 in number. Over the broad plains of Nebraska we slowly wended our way—the sun our pillar of fire by day, and we following his course to the west. One golden evening in October, weary and foot-sore, we climbed a rugged mountain—torrents dwindled into silver threads, and looked like white snakes twisting among the deepening foliage. Around us the snow-clad hills—above us the crimson clouds—before us the Salt Lake Valley—the city of promise—the land of Life! I remember how I wept and shouted, how wives hung upon their husbands, how fathers blessed their children, how gray heads were bowed in prayer. With one voice, we shouted Hosanna! while the hills echoed it up to Heaven, and the mountain breeze wafted it down toward our brethren, our city, our home. But alas, for our error! Alas for our infatuation!

After giving a graphic description of the city, the lecturer now described the doctrine of Mormonism, in which he said that their faith tried to define, limit and describe the means and manner of all existence, which it pretends to draw from a garbled use of the Scriptures. There are many gods, they say; one is omnipotent president over infinity. He is the result of an accidental accumulation of atoms of intelligent matter that have eternally existed (?). Under this great head came the inferior gods, who preside over each separate astral system that circles with their solar system around the throne of the great I Am. Still inferior to these are the gods of the various solar systems: such they believe is the God whom the Jews call Jehovah, whose dominion is limited to the narrow boundaries of our planets. And below these deities, they think that each world has its particular god. Of this world they say that Adam is the god, and that Jesus Christ is the son. Still inferior to this god, each dispensation has its god also. Joseph Smith is the god of this dispensation, and Brigham Young of this part of it. The attributes of deity, say they, are infinite wisdom and absolute power. Implicit confidence in and passive obedience to this authority is the only duty of and salvation for mankind. The faithful Moslems reverenced Mohammed as God's vicegerent—faithful Mormons do more; they revere Brigham Young as God himself.

The lecturer now described the appearance of Brigham Young when he first saw him. He seemed a large, powerful man, about fifty years of age; his light brown hair hung loosely and long about his head; a broad, round brow, quick and commanding gray eyes, firm mouth and chin. His voice is clear and sonorous, his style of speech quick and decided, singularly affecting the hearer. No description can convey an adequate conception of his terrible power of vituperative eloquence. I remember when Judge Snow, one of the most able men among the Mormons, was subjected to the ordeal of Brigham's curse, the end of which was banishment to Australia, where he is now a Mormon Missionary.

The mysteries of Mormon initiation are a mere childish farce. The neophyte is summoned into the Endowment House, there the males are separated from the females, and sent to different sets of rooms. He is laid in a bath, washed and blessed all over in detail, and then pronounced clean from the blood of this generation. A new name is whispered in his ear, and he is told that his salvation depends upon his recollecting it. He is then ushered into another room, anointed and scented with oil, and again blessed from head to foot. He is then clothed in a white linen garment, with symbolic marks upon each breast and the right knee. Over this is placed a white linen robe, crossing the shoulder and reaching the floor, and is tied around the waist with a small masonic apron—a linen cap and shoes complete the equipment. During this investiture, some elders are heard in an adjoining room performing the first chapter of Genesis—that is, creating the world. One personating God, issues his orders, and the others, Jesus Christ and Michael, pretend to execute them. The six days are the
four different rooms we are made to make certain covenants. In the first we swear with fearful penalties to observe chastity of body and mind. In the second we swear unlimited obedience to Mormon priesthood, and antagonism to all other sects. In the third we swear inviolable secrecy, fearfully necessary to guard the oath administered in the fourth. In this latter, around an altar, we are sworn, and threatened with most terrible penalties, to cherish eternal enmity against the United States Government, to destroy and overturn it, to baffle its designs and frustrate its intentions, to renounce all allegiance and refuse all submission, to teach our hate to our children, and on our death-bed leave it to their as legacy.

The lecturer now addressed a few remarks to those who might, however unlikely it may appear, have become prejudiced in behalf of Mormonism. He concluded by saying that he warred not with persons. If Mormonism be true, Brigham's being a bad man will not make it false. If it be false, though he lived as an angel it would not make it true. I renounced Brigham Young, but Mormonism. I do not oppose him, for he will soon pass away, and leave only a dishonorable memory and blackened name.