MORMONISM IN WALES.
rilHE rapid growth of Mormonism in Wales seems to be entirely 1 escaping the attention of those who ought to have done all that was possible to prevent it. Ministers of all persuasions seem to be agreed in considering the subject scarcely worth a thought. A Wesleyan, living at Cardiff, told us the other day that there were very few Mormons left in the Principality. If there are not, it is owing to the regular stream of emigration kept up from Wales to Utah. A few days after this very remark was made, about eighty men and women—the latter nearly all young, good- looking, robust girls—left Cardiff station en route for the Salt Lake. They had been gathered from the surrounding country, and many were very respectable in appearance. One young man had been assistant to a surgeon of Cardiff. We remember many such embarkations from the ports of South Wales, and yet, in the very heart of this district, the notion is general that Mormonism is dying out. The truth is, that it is subtly and surely extending. The Mormon agents are ever watchful and active, while the Established Church and Dissent make the fatal mistake of treating them as members of a decaying sect, and as impostors unworthy of regard. No course could suit the Mormons better, except actual persecution. They have modified some of their principles of late years, so as to divert the attention of unbelievers. Very few now profess to perform miracles, because they found it difficult to produce marvels enough to satisfy their votaries. This was their weakest point, and they gave it up. Joseph Smith—than whom a more abandoned debauchee and astonishing liar and hypocrite has never appeared, -even among his own followers—held and practised certain doctrines, such as that of the expediency of systematic seduction, which his disciples have since been compelled to disavow in public, however closely they may adhere to them in secret. The result is that the creed makes way among the lower classes in the Principality. In Liverpool, where there are many Welsh, there are also many Mormons. Let it be remembered that the sect is little more than thirty years old, and it will at once be seen that it has assumed formidable proportions. Statistics and census returns do not give the full measure of its progress, for the simple reason that as fast .as converts are made they are sent off to Utah. A perpetual emi- gration fund is in existence for this purpose, and as the people are taught that Christ Himself will certainly come to establish His kingdom in Utah or Missouri, they go out with an unchangeable belief that happiness here and high rewards hereafter await them. The Book of Mormon has been translated into the Welsh language, and finds ready—almost eager—acceptance among the a.)oor ignorant people of the hills. The women, young and old, adopt Mormonism greedily. The case has been mentioned of 11 women of 60, who left her home in Wales to be married in Utah, leaving behind her a husband of 70. The favourite toast in Utah, "More Women," seems to guarantee that even this wretched 'creature would be -welcomed by the horde of profligates who let loose the reins of their passions, and practise habitual infamy in the name of the Almighty.
The spread of this sect in the Principality recalls to recollection those miserable huts which make their appearance in a single saight an smite of the Welsh commons. The people are under the delusion that any dwelling which can be erected in a night cannot afterwards be removed, and the fact that the owner of the land does not in some cases care to interfere favours the notion. The progress of the Mormons is something analogous to this. . They work in the dark, and no one seems to think the result of their labours worth interfering with. Nearly all their great gather- ings are held at night, and it rarely happens that even the local police hear of them till they are over. Their baptisms are always conducted by the light of the moon, or by torchlight when the night is dark. Upon a spot on the banks of the river Ebbw, between Crumlin and Newbridge, many a wild gathering of this kind has taken place, the men and women dressing and undressing by the banks, as we once saw a party of Mormons doing in Derbyshire. Up in the hills, where the success of the preachers is greater than in the towns, the meetings are held so secretly that it is almost impos- sible for a stranger to gain admittance. It is at these private gatherings that the temptations are held out which induce young women to forsake their homes and kindred for a life which they would revolt at here. It is at these also that miracles are occa- sionally performed. We heard of several of these miracles, but could not succeed in seeing one, although there is a man in Mon- mouthshire who declares that he is ready to move one of the largest mountains in the county, called Twin Barlwm, down miles away to the moors ; and that he not merely could, but would do it, only that he does not like to injure Lord Tredegar, whose property it partly is. The reluctance of this man to remove his neighbour's landmark is much appreciated in the district. An actual miracle was performed by another elder a little time ago. A certain man who had a hump upon his back was introduced to a Mormon meet- ing. The elders present announced that they had taken pity on their brother's deformity, and as a reward of his fidelity to the faith they had made up their minds to remove the hump. Even when achieved by a miracle, such an operation must necessarily cause a mess, and they consequently took the man behind a curtain to save the feelings of the congregation. Their prayers were long and boisterous, and the audience soon began to see the effect of them. For the curtain scarcely reached down to the heels of the party, and the people in front distinctly saw a stream run down the legs of the hunchback. But if the operation was a miracle, the hump itself was no less marvellous, for the stream that ran down was not of blood, but of sawdust, and a hump of sawdust is not usual even in these "last days." Presently the man came forth, straight and smiling, and a solemn thanksgiving was held for his deliver- ance.
On another occasion—this occurred in Cardiff —a husband urged his wife, who was not a Mormon, to go to a meeting, and pro mised her that she should see there "the angels of the Lord." She went, and during the service the lights were turned out, and she saw figures in white moving about. Close by her feet she dis- cerned strange small figures moving slowly, and rustling as they moved. She was probably expected to faint here, but she seized one of the figures at her feet instead, and put it in her pocket. When she got home she found that it consisted of a few frogs in a white paper bag. The .elders declared that these were miracles, and their dupes believed them. There is nothing that a Welsh enthusiast will not believe. Their devotion to their creed, what- ever that creed may be, is wonderful. It is shown in a blind, unhesitating, unwavering acceptance of whatever they are taught. It is rarely indeed that they change their religion. They are obstinate in all things—it is part of their national cha- racter; but in religious opinions they are simply immoveable. If you reason with them they look upon you as an appointed agent of the tempter of souls. A lady in Newport had an excellent ser- vant who became a Mormon. She was a good girl, and her mis- tress took a deal of trouble to convince her of her folly, and to explain to her what life in Utah actually is. These efforts seemed but to confirm the girl in her intention, and her mother professed her joy at her daughter's firmness, and hoped "that she would become one of the wives of Brigham Young, as she was a pretty. girl." These were the mother's own words. These characteristics of the Welsh—boundless credulity and an unalterable fidelity to their religion—render Wales a chosen land for men of the Wycher- ley class, and preaching is as common an occupation as that of shoemaking. Promises which an English workman would laugh at as the dreams of a madman are received implicitly by the poor Welsh collier or haulier as sober realities. They are like plastic clay in the hands of Mormon agents. 'The very origin of the new
revelation exactly suits them. The miracle of the golden plates, com- mitted to the charge of a poor ignorant man like one of themselves, is a story possessing unspeakable fascination for them. They never tire of hearing about it, and they hope that they in their turn may one day be selected as the instruments of communicating fresh messages from Heaven to man. The true story of Smith's imposture they look upon as the invention of the devil. They would brave any danger, and endure any torture for the sake of
their religion. Nor is it inconsistent, perhaps, with human nature, that the more debasing the superstition to which an untrained mind links itself, the more ardent is its attachment to it, and the more firmly does it take hold of it. It is only in the towns that a stranger can hope to get inside a Mormon meeting-house, and it was not without some trouble that, even in Newport, we could ascertain where the sect assembled. At last a small public house was pointed out, and there two or three Sunday evenings ago we went to hear the proceedings. The room was apparently used for an Odd Fellows' lodge, and there were not above forty persons present—for the exportation to Utah a few days before had thinned the ranks. They were all of the working class, some very respectably dressed, and the women generally clean and well looking. Two or three women had children in arms, and there were other children of five or six years of age among the congregation. There were also a few young men in the room, lank and gaunt, and having a self-satisfied smirk on their countenances, as if they were looking forward to the bliss of having a dozen wives. The elders were wcrn haggard men, who looked as though they actually had the wives, and did not find it a bliss at all, but quite the contrary. There were two or three very old men there, and some boys who are not yet eligible for Utah. The whole group had gathered round a little dark grubby man, who was preaching to them with much earnestness and volubility.
He was insisting upon the divine inspiration of the Book of Mormon. Rude, unpolished, and unlettered as he was, he impressed us as being a thoroughly earnest man. His argument was that fresh revelation from God was necessary to convert the present age. The Scriptures are not sufficient for this purpose, for they fail even to convince. Scholars and divines are always wrangling about the meaning of this and the other passage, and many of the laws laid down in the Bible were intended for a people and a state of society now passed away. Moreover, God has constantly held direct communication with his servants. An instance, the speaker said, might be found in St. Mark (he should have said St. Matthew) where the Saviour addresses Peter in the words, "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in Heaven." It was a similar revelation that God made to his servant Joseph Smith. The speaker dwelt upon this point at some length, but his line of argument had evi- dently been disturbed by the entry of strangers. He talked at the strangers—there were three of them—a good deal, and the young women also carefully surveyed them, perhaps mentally calculating the possibility of their making proposals to them by and by as true Mormons. And it must be owned that if the Mormon men in Wales are all of the type who were present at that meeting, the women have some excuse for being in such haste to get to Utah.
The first elder (whose name was Webb) sat down, and another rose to succeed him---a mean, yellow, dirty man, who spoke a north-country dialect with a Yankee twang, and looked the incar- nation of a vulgar hypocrite. There was nothing whatever in his manner indicative of sincerity of purpose. He spoke in a bullying tone, using great vehemence and very Mormon-like language. He began by remarking, "the people's minds is a good deal more enlightened now than it were." There was much igno- rance and superstition in high places, which prevented the new gospel finding its way to the people. Men refused to believe the message of the Prophet Joseph Smith, but he would remind them that every- inspired messenger had been received with doubt, in- cluding the Saviour Himself. Smith's followers were reviled, but "I tell you," shrieked the harsh grating voice, "that gods and angels look down upon you with approval, and that you are accept- able to them." Working himself into a paroxysm of wrath, his emaciated sensual face on fire with anger, he denounced all revilers of "God's chosm people," future and to come, and particularly warned the strangers present that they would suffer dreadful punishments if they came there to mock. Some of the women, however, having perhaps already marked the elder stranger for their own, looked at him in a spirit of gentleness, and were evi- dently inclined to deal more mercifully with him than was the saint. This yellow dirty man then pulled what looked like a win- dow rag from his pocket and rubbed his oily face with it, and re- sumed his speech in a lower key. Joseph Smith was merely, he said, like an errand-boy who had received a message from God to deliver to mankind. "I myself," he added, "have received the gift of the Holy Spirit, and there is many here as knows it." Then he waxed:wrath again at the strangers (who had been listen- ing throughout with the utmost gravity and patience) and said that others before them had mocked the Lord's anointed and suffered for it. This last objurgation lasted several minutes, and made the elder hotter and greasier than ever, insomuch that the window-rag was fished out again and applied to his forehead. Finding that his denunciations did not disconcert the strangers, the elder suddenly brought his exhortation to a close, and said, in a low, quick voice, "there will be a meeting afterwards for our own people only." A hymn was sung,—it was a strange unmeant doggrel,—a prayer was offered, and the people, evidently puzzled, rose to depart. But the yellow man, probably not having exhausted his store of ribaldry and blasphemy, called out to them to stay, desir- ing that strangers only should leave. As it was evidently useless to stay, the strangers did leave, and were presently followed by three women, who had possibly been told off by the elders to try what they could do with the unbelievers.
The strangers got into conversation with these women. All were young, and two of them were going to Utah with the next batch of emigrants. They particularly wished to know what the strangers thought of the meeting, and unanimously agreed with them in thinking that the yellow, dirty man, made a mistake in abusing persons who happened to drop in at the service, since an might drive away those who would become converts. Being asked whether they expected to be married in Utah, they said "Yes with alacrity. In reply to a further question, one acknowledged that she should not like to be apportioned a twelfth part of a hus- band's love and attention : "I hope to keep my husband to myself, as you hope to keep your wife, I suppose." "Yes, but your religion allows a man to have several wives." "That is only what is said of us. Don't you believe it. Only some of the elders have more wives than one." This girl further said that her age was 20, that she had been brought up to Mormonism from a child, and that she would not change her religion for all the world. Her father was a Mormon, she said, and sometimes preached. She was good-look- ing, and so sincere that the tears started to her eyes when she spoke of her religion. She was exactly the kind of person the Mormons seek to entrap—they invariably work their ministrations upon the best looking young women they can find.
It may seem extraordinary to some that a creed such as that of Mormonism should make the progress it does, but after attending this meeting we were little surprised at the circumstance. The first speaker dwelt much upon the happiness his belief afforded him, and in the vague melancholy search after happiness which all men make this peculiar form of religion steps in and professes to lead the way. It undertakes to realize our hopes, not hereafter only, but on this earth, where hitherto we have been taught to.
expect disappointment. Christ is shortly coming to His kingdom, and looks down upon the labours of his "Latter-day Saints" with peculiar favour. Their reward is sure. Then, so far as material circumstances are concerned, their desires will be provided for.
To men they offer a piece of land, with the prospect of independ- ence—that great ambition of the working classes, which it is.
nearlyimpossible for them to gratify in this country. Here they must drudge and toil on, with little hope of bettering their condi- tion; there they may be landed proprietors at once, working for their own profit, their children (which are here an encumbrance) a help and a blessing to them, and the encouraging thought in their minds that while thus enjoying the fruits of their labour they are performing a religious duty, and helping to set up the last kingdom of God upon the earth. Women are taught to believe that in that favoured land beyond the Rocky Mountains, they may marry and have children without
the fear of their being brought to want or shame ; while the- sensual find a Mohammedan Paradise prepared for them, and
their favourite vices encouraged as a religious obligation. The man who has the largest number of children is the most honoured in Utah, for he does most to strengthen the kingdom. Mothers gladly give up their daughters for what they deem a sacred cause. Their imaginations are enraptured by the stories of peace and content- ment and happiness to be enjoyed by the Great Salt Lake. No wonder that the ignorant believe, and believe gladly, in repre- sentations which cheer their hearts and promise an alleviation of their hardships—no wonder that when Church and Dissent are alike passive, the poison is widely distributed and absorbed, and that thousands fall victims to that mirage which lures them to fresh scenes in the vain hope of finding a happier lot—the hollow chimera which haa wrecked so many, and against which the high and eternal truths of Christianity alone can and ought to prevail.
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