5,000 MAORI MORMONS.

Evening Star, Issue 14633, 1 August 1911, Page 8

5,000 MAORI MORMONS.

| A MISSIONARY ENI’LAINS. | [Special to the Stab.] 1 AUCKLAND.’ August !. j The spread of the religion 1 amongst the Maoris will be the subject, of j a question in Parliament shortly by Mr .G. M. Thomson /Dunedin North).' which ■ proposes that the matter should be looked , into, .ml the advisability of taking the ! necessary steps to rid the c.mmlry ol misi sionaries of the Mormon faith. Seen by ; a reporter, a young Mormon missionary, Mr H. If. Grouch, whose home is in the ; vicinity of Salt Lake City, taid there were : now 5.C00 Maori converts to Mormonism - in Nt’-v Zealand, and about 1.000 white i people. He could not ■understand why the ; religion was so much objected to. because i since 1890 polygamy (which seemed lo be i the chief cause of complaint) was abolished. 1 and the penalty for a breach since- that . lime was excommunication. • “ But. cx-Rrcsideut Smiththe rcpoiter : inquired. i "Oh, yes; we admit the president has got live wive?.” said tier mis.-iotiary; “ but i he married all of iiir-m before 1850, vvhsn I the Church believed that a man might | Luke more than one wife.” i “Has Elder Smith disposed of il-ein';” ; “ No. When the manifesto was issued ; it was decided by a winniitic;'. that it j would be. only right for him to look after i bis wives, as in the. past. F don’t think I there is a Mormon living.” said Mr Crouch. ;in conclusion, “who has contracted a j plural marriage since the manifesto of i 1830, and it is sin absolute fallacy to say i wo entice girls to Salt Lake City; itidec-ri, ,-we prefer those converted to stay in then- ; own country, and so help to jiropugatc our : faith."