RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Mormons
troopa in various ways, and by cutting off their base of supplies effectually crippled them, compelling them to retire into winter quarters. The year 1857 witnessed the most frightful act of violence in the history of the Mormons — the massacre of 150 non-Mormon emigrants at Mountain Meadows by a band of Mormons and Indians under the lead of Bishop John D. Lee. Not until twenty years later could Lee be seized for his crime, tried, condemned, and executed. Early in 1858 Young procured from President Buchanan a free pardon for all the Mormon leaders, and peace was declared. The last of the federal troops were withdrawn in 1860. It is certain, however, that Young never intended real submission to the federal government. The more or less open Mormon defiance continued until in 1890 the church reluctantly " traded polygamy for Statehood."
The fight of the United States government against polygamy in the territories began with the Morrill bill of 1860 (enacted 1862). The 14. Sup- measure was ineffective because the pression of conviction of a polygamist could not Polygamy; be had from Mormon juries. The Statehood. Cullom bill of 1869 (which failed of passage in the Senate) was opposed by Delegate Hooper of Utah on the ground that the Mormons' doctrine of marriage, being an essential part of their religious faith, was entitled to full protection under the constitution. Presidents, one after another, recommended to Congress a more vigorous procedure against the Mormons. In a message in 1880 President Hayes declared: " Polygamy can only be suppressed by taking away the political power of the sect which encourages and sustains it." Recommendations of Garfield and of Arthur in 1881 led to the enactment in 1882 of the " Edmunds Law," improved 1887 (" Edmunds- Tucker Law "), which provided that no polygamist might vote in any territory or hold office under the United States. The attitude of the Mormon church toward the law is manifest from An Epistle of the First Presidency to the officers and members of the church, Oct. 6, 1885:
" The war is openly and [undisguisedly made upon our religion. To induce men to repudiate that, to violate its precepts, and break its solemn covenants, every inducement ia given. . . We did not reveal celestial marriage. We can not withdraw or renounce it. God revealed it, and he has promised to maintain it and to bless those who obey it."
Prosecutions under the Edmunds Law began in 1884; convictions for polygamy or unlawful cohabitation (mostly the latter) numbered 3 in 1884, 39 in 1885, 112 in 1886, 214 in 1887, and 100 in 1888. Among the provisions of the act of 1887 was one that dissolved the corporation of the Mormon church. In 1890 the United States supreme court affirmed a decision of a lower court confiscating the property of the Mormon church, and declaring that church to be an organized rebellion. In the same year Congress passed an act disposing of the church lands for the benefit of the school fund. After the admission of Utah as a state Congress restored the property. Perceiving the futility of further resistance President Woodruff, Sept. 25, 1890, issued a proclamation (not a revelation I) in which he declared that his " advice to the Latter-
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Day Saints is to refrain from contracting any marriage forbidden by the law of the land." It was no recession from the principle of polygamy, only a necessary concession to the force of public law. By the concession in the matter of polygamy the chief obstacle to statehood for Utah was removed. Its admission finally took place in Jan., 1906. The political difficulties of the Mormons have led the church so far to modify its political creed as to declare that the Saints " form not a rival power as against the Union, but an apostolic ministry to it, and their political gospel is state rights and self-government." Brigham Young died leaving an estate of $2,- 000,000 to be divided among his seventeen wives — he had had twenty-five wives all
15. Late told — and fifty-six children. After his History; death the twelve apostles with John Present Taylor at their head exercised the Status. chief authority until Taylor's election
to the presidency in 1880 with George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith as counselors. In like manner after Taylor's death in 1887 the twelve again ruled until the election of Wilford Woodruff to the presidency in 1889. Upon his death in 1898 Lorenzo Snow was made president. All of these were acknowledged polygamists. As successor to Snow (d. 1901) Joseph F. Smith, son of the martyr patriarch, Hyrum Smith, was chosen president. Though these were all able men, no one of his successors has been comparable to Brigham Young. Although rough and uncultured, he possessed enormous physical and mental energy and all the qualifications of a great popular leader. To him even more than to Joseph Smith Mormondom owes its coherence and persistence. He received revelations when he needed them — and many of the most offensive doctrines of Mormonism were promulgated by him — yet he was far more an organizer than a prophet. The " Utah " Mormons numbered in 1909 about 350,000 members (baptized believers) in the United States. Considerably more than onehalf of these are found in Utah, though there is probably not a state or territory in the Union without some of them, while in all the states and territories bordering on Utah, especially in Idaho and Arizona, they have gained a firm foothold and make themselves felt politically. There are at least 15,000 Mormons in Europe (chiefly in Great Britain, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, Holland, and Belgium). A considerable number is in Canada and a few are to be found in each of a score of other countries in various quarters of the globe. Their propaganda, which suffered a check by the promulgation of the doctrine of polygamy in 1852, has been vigorous and fairly successful since Woodruff's manifesto advising the Saints to contract no marriage forbidden by law.
The first principle of Mormonism is belief in a present and progressive revelation. According to
their official statement, their religion
16. Doc- " consists of doctrines, commandtrinal ments, ordinances, and rites revealed
System, from God to the present age." The conception of revelation is apocalyptic. From time to time noteworthy changes have taken place in their doctrine, and others can come
Mormons