MORE MORMON.

NZ Truth, Issue 118, 21 September 1907, Page 8

MORE MORMON.

THE BATTLE WITH BARKUS BECOMES BETTER AND BETTER. 7 He is Challenged io Produce the Copy of the , Work He Quotes. "]

Since the publication m "Truth" of the Mountain Medow Massacre and the subsequent execution of. Mormon Bishop}, John D. Lee, there has (been a bitter controversy m the columns of Brisbane "Truth" -between two individuals 'named Nash and Barkus. The latter, it seems, has slipped from the fold, and has been letting a little light m on the pecularities of a still more peculiar sect. Nash stands for everything TVTormon, and thc correspondence is accordingly extremely interesting. In New Zealand the Latter Day Saints have had a fairly good innings . and have .cajoled many a New Zealandel* away, to Salt Lake City.

The following is Nash's rejoinders to Barlcus's last onslaught, which was published m tbese columns :—

Sir,— ln your issue of 'July 28, Mr Barkus accuses me of frying to "pull the wool over thc. eyes of your readers with my 'cooked up' quotations. "^ I would like you to know that ithe quotations I gave are from the same "Original . edition" that Mr Barkus claims to have m his possession, but does not dare to present to the public to be read, but lamely argues that I ought to get a copy and have it read. Isn't that consistency— to ' call upon a defendant to prove the defence, when he has not made the attack good? Mr Barkus can prove the Latter Day Saints to be liars and hypocrites by simply producing his copy of the "Original .edition," but hie is like all the others of his church, who have attacked tbe . "Brighamite" (as he calls it) faith. They simply slide out and meekly whine, ','You ought to produce your proof." They do not dare produce their copy and never will.

As to my giving the case away m regard to the Doctrine of Blood Atonement, really I did not know I was the first to teach it. here m Brisbane. It is a doctrine as old as the church, and has been taught all along the line, notwithstanding Mr Barkus's statement to the contrary. If Mr Barkus will go back in' his memory a few years, he- will remember Elder Wm. Armstrong teaching it m -

A -PRIESTHOOD MEETING m September, 1896. He will also remember Elders A. P. Hamilton, Daniel Livingstone, and F. E. Barker teaching the same doctrine. I am afraid Mr Barkus has forgotten that minutes of ' all priesthood meetings have boon kept, and are now on record to refresh the memory when things are .' forgotten. 'I am afraid Mr Barkus's memory has been so convenient that he doesn't know what the ciders did teach, except what the president of the Australian mission said, and just then it is so bright he can remember the exact words.

If Mr Barkus will take, pains to get thc Toronto (Canada) "Star," of February 25, 1905, he will find there a statement of .our belief m the blood atonement, written by Jas. F. jun- Mr Barkus asks for proof from the standard works of our church, proving the doctrine of blood atonement, or the belief that there are sins that man may commit for which the atoning blood of Christ does not avail. Were I to use his argument. I should say that Mr Barkus should procure a copy of each, and then prove that they do not teach as I say, but I never make such statements of* doctrine that I cannot prove, so wilFgratify Mr Barkus m emoting from our works, which consist of the Bible, Book of Mormon Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price.

IN THE BIBLE, please read, Gen. 9, 12-13 ; Luke 11, 50 ; Hebrews 9. 22 ; Hebrews 10, 2G-29 ; 1 John 3, 15 ; 1 John 5, 16 ; read both chapters of 1 John.

Now m the Book of Mormon read 11. Nephi 9, 35 : Alma 1. 13-14 : Alma 42, 19— in Mr Barkus's Book of Mormons, the passages will be : 11. Nephi 6, 12 ; Alma 1, 3 ; Alma 19, 12, Now m the Doctrines and Covenants read Sec. 87, 7, and Sec. 10, so: In the Re-organised Churcli- Book you will find it, Supplement to Doctrine and Covenants, page 32, and sec. 98, 10, - ' ■ . There are many more passages, but this will suffice to prove that I can prove what I say, Mr Barkus, and as to the literature we have here m Brisbane, I will cite to you a pamphlet called "Blood Atonement 'as ■taucht by the Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of- the Latter Day Saints," by Charles W. Pinrose, printed m 1884. Mr Barkus', if you will ransack your brain again, you will remember the^ elders having had

while searching for the axe usually kept then? was nearly • washed out by the sudden inrush cf the sea. As (he darkness passed away a rock was found to have /teen thrust into the broken skylight, 'and the prisoners saw to their intense relief that they were securely aground.

It was about seven o'clock m the morning. The captain got down into the cabin and found the quarter stove m. Through a crack he caught sight, of a man on the beach. The man approached and thrust m his hand. The captr'i seized it. The man's terror may he imagined. He thought he had been clutched' by some monster of the sea-

The. alarm was given. The place was Portbelick. The people m the. neighborhood were son n collected and cut their way into ths ship's side and the four survivors were liberated trom THEIR FLOATING SEPULCHRE after an entombment of three t days and nights. "Truth is strange, stranger than fiction," and thc -escape of the Nervina's crew m, their fifteen inches of compressed air, and that . of the Sally's men during their 23 days astride the keel of the capssizsd brig,.-' reads stranKe 4 - "'■ -•*■"■■■■■ ■— - •

that" pamphlet Here m Brisbane (tur- ! ing your connection with the church.; No, Mr Barkus, I didn't give it away. It was taught long' before I was a member of this church. We may have been "rattled"— we are subject to suoli spells,, according to Mr Barkus— but we WENT OUT TO HEAR those discourses m question, whicti Mr Barkus claims to be m possession of, but he wasn't the man .to produce his evidence, m fact, dare not,, for it would, prove him wrong to say the least. ' I « did i/81l 3iim >I gained enough' from your remarks,. Mr Editor, to satisfy my mind that he was the man who put m those articles, save one of the two on the "Mountain Meadow Massacre," while he tried m every way to get me to say you had given his name, but I told him straight you had told me no man's name, hut I was satisfied m my own mind that he was the fellow, and I am more convinced now than ever. He may have said it was a "lie all oyer mv face" after I was gone out of hearing, but he knew, better than say it to my face. That is all I have to say on that. Let him imagine he said it if it will: do him any good.

I am not at all certain that Mr Barkus has any of the discourses he quotes so volubly, or else he would HAVE BEEN MORE CHARY

of quoting Brigham Young on those "mean, slick elders." If you read the rest of his sermon, you will find he is referring to those who have accepted the gospel and -then have turned away. Here is one of his quotations on that : '.'lf you want to sec ,the principle of devilism to perfection, hunt among those who have once enjoyed the faith ot the Holy Gospel, and then forsaken their religion. We have the best and the worst." Rather dangerous.; .ground to tread on isn't it ?

As to the other quotations are you any more worthy of helief than you were before. Mr Barkus. when you garbled and misciuoted the discourses of Brigham Young ? Have you any better proof now that you are correct, or do you. after you have made the assault ancl failed, still want me to prove that we arc a Christian people? Why, Mr Barkus, did, you not put m the reports of the Justices of the Supreme Court of Utah ? The statement they made that the records were all burned, and the people m a state OF OPEN REBELLION ? Why didn't you put, that m? Then why "didn't you have the fairness to' ■ give the report of the investigation 1 that followed ? Or didn't it suit your purposes, or' is it a "cooked up mess" again? I- ask you to read the History of Utah by the historian Hubert Howe Bancroft, and see what he says ahout it. How that the records were intact and all peace and quietness m Utah, and that when the newly-appointed Governor of Utah arrived everything was accounted for and turned over to him by the retiring Governor, Brigham. Young. You pretend to be a Christian, Mr Barkus. Now, 1 ask you, m all can 7 "dor, are you acting up to your profession ih doing as you are doing ? If we are spell as you pretend, why don't you come out fearlessly with, proof, and not merely hint ahd garble. Jesus Christ your leader (?) never practised deception, nor did he make statements he was afraid to show to his enemies. I Will ask you to read

THIS BIT OF 'CENSUS for the year 1880, on crime m Utah. You will find it m Bancroft's History of the United States, page 394 :

, Ratio of population m State, Mormon 83 per cent., non-Mormon 17 per cent. Mer.N'n-M No. Cases of Manslaughter etc. .„ _ _ ... w 41 317 t,v Cases Rape ...... . 1 5 „. Cases Prostitution ... ... 0 95 „ Cases keeping brothels 0 27 „ Cases Nuisance, Obscene Language .__ ... _t A7 „ Cases Forging;, Counterfeiting -.__. _.__■ 0 : 8 •„ Cases Drunkenness ._»■ ... 109 594 v, Cases Gambling. 40 52 \, Cases Robbery and Burglary ... .... „.. w '4 02 How does this look m favor of being lawless, hostile people ? This is not a "cooked-up mess," but it is the United States census, and recorded m the works of a non-Mor-, mon. I Now, then, for the report of the { Utah State' Prison for 1906. "Total I criminals confined, 205 ; 10 profess to be Mormons, or 4| per cent. Less than 7 per cent, are of Mormon parentage, with a population assumed to he 60 per cent, of Mormons." What do you -^ink of that, Mr Barkus? Some more "cooked-up mush," I suppose. : Now, ahout the letter, I suppose, Mr Barkus, you thought that would he a knock-out blow. But I have known about that letter for a long time, and happen to.be well .^

ACQUAINTED WITH THE PERSON. Now, I want to ask you a few questions. Why did you not put all m the quotation ' that you published some years, ago ? Why are you not willing to meet that certain person and answer to the same charge of doing with those letters the same as you have done with all the quotations you lviV£ given—changed and misquoted, aud changed the meaning? You know you have avoided meeting this person on every occasion, and that you,, cannot show the same statements from those letters that, you have given- to the public. .Now, Ml" Barkus. are you a teacher of truth ? lf you are, show -"-our proSf to the world m its entirety, and not m garbled, misquoted" "mpsses." Now, readers of the "Truth," to offset the report of the Justice and. Associate- Justice of the .Court ol

Utah, which was found to he false hy investigation, let me offer to you the statement of Mr Jacob Forney, Indian agent for Utah, from about 1865 to 1870, as recorded m 'Bancroft's History of Utah, pages 390---392 :-

"It is not true that the Mormons are not good citizens, law-» abiding and patriotic. Even w*hen hunted down and robbed and but- ! chered by the enemies of their faith, they had not retaliated.,: On this score they. 'ARE NATURALLY SORE* When deprived of those sacred rights given to them ih common with all American citizens, when disfranchised, their homes "broken up, their families scattered, their husbands and fathers seized, fined, , and imprisoned, they have not defended themselves by violence, but have left their cause to God ahd their country."'

Mr Forney was a Gentile, so also is Mr Bancroft, so this can scarcely be said to be "cooked up." The Brooklyn "Eagle,"- of August 27,---1897, has this :— ' *j ■ "Had the Mormons been a low, corrupt, or shiftless people, they never would or could have done what they did m Utah. When they ' controlled their own city of Salt Lake, it contained no saloons, gambling houses, or places of ill-repute, and when the town ■ had grown to a goodly city, order was kept by stwo constables. If by their fruits we may know them, the Mormons deserve our confidence and praise."

- Caleb W. West, Governor of. Utah, and a strong, anti-Mormon,- reports m 1888 :- "I shall not' arraign the Mormon people as wanting m comparison ..with othefr people m religious devotion, virtue, honesty, sobriety, industry, and the graces and;qualities that •ADORN, BEAUTIFY,; AND BLESS LIFE." D, S. Tattle, Bishop of the Epis^copalian Church, says :—

"I know the people of the East have judged the Mormons unjustly. .They have man> traits, worthy of admirations I know them to be honest, faithful, prayerful workers;'' ' . Mrs Olive N. ilobinson, the noted writer and traveller, says :-*- --" "I never met a people so free from sensualism and immorality of every kind as the Mormons are. .Their habits of life are a thous,and per cent, superior to those who denounce them so bitterly." There are thousands of testimonials as to the character of the Lat-. ter Day Saints, but these will suffice for those who are mpt prejudiced against us, and will not, as Mr Barkus has done, take everything said against them as true, and all that is m their 'favor as rubbish or "cooked-up stuff." .Now, Mr Bar--kus said that I ought to procure a copy of the original edition of Jour-: nai of Discourses, and read- it m public to my people. ! have this proposition to make to him. I, or one of the elders, will read from, his copy all the - •

SERMONS HE HAS QUOTED . m their entirety/ He. dare not even do that ; let us read from his own book, the things he says are there, but are not. Now, • readers of "Truth," who has been '.'pullin-*---wool," I should like to know? ... I have offered Mr Barkus every opportunity to prove his. statements, and have challenged him to read m full, the sermons, but be crawls and dodges the issue, and when out of reach says I ought to N produce my proof. ' I have produced my proofs and challenge Mr Barkus to show it is . not there from his * own- copy of the "Journal of Discourses."— t Tours, etc.,. 'JOHN F.-NA'SETy 'j Gibb'oh-s'tree't, 'Jiiiv 31, 1907.: