MORMONS IN THE MANAWATU.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 84, 29 May 1911, Page 5

MORMONS IN THE MANAWATU.

AY HAT THEY TEACH

A MAORI DEFENDER

Mormonism continues to--make steady headway throughout New Zealand in consonance with the great missionary efforts being put foith by the Church of the Latter Day baints. In the Manawatu district the elders are very active, and in reply to some criticisms of them, llewi Maaka, of ilangiatu, a well-known Manawatu chief, has taken up the cudgels in their defence. He writes as follows to the Palmerston ‘Times”: — “It is not part of the Mormon creed to induce emigration to Salt Lake City. At no time in the history of the Maori Mission have the elders by word or act tried to induce people to leave New Zealand, but on the contrary, they have done what they could to discourage them from leaving. It is true a few Maoris have emigrated to Salt Lake City, but the church, while it instructs in temporal affairs, uses no force, and people exercise their own agency. Each elder upon leaving 101 his held of labour rcco.v s a small leaflet, entitled ‘Notes to be Referred to Daily by Missionaries,’ and in one it says: • ‘Urge the people to stay and maintain the work abroad in the earth by their works and their means. TWO BRANDS OF CHRISTIANS.

•'the Maoris are a dimin'stung people through ignorance of the laws of hygiene (or oraroa). If the Mormons teach anything it is how to live long , n earth, and as 80 per cent, of our people observe ‘The Word of Wisdom/ it cannot bo said that the coming of the Mormons among us is the cause of this diminishing. Observe the difference in the results obtained by the popular brand of Christianity and the Mormon variety, and then be honest in rendering a verdict in with the findings. How much more Christian this would be than for ever shouting ‘polygamy,’ ‘harems/ ‘de/itvyaig yiiii.r girls/ as facts, when it is only hearsay emanating from enemies cl t't church, and intended for the purpose of prejudicing the people. WHAT MORMONS TEACH. “ ‘Our religions teaches us i\v precept and example to obey the laws of the land, to lead moral lives, to be honest, abstain from liquor, tobaco, tea, coffee, to love one another ; in fact, to observe all the Commandmants’ of God as taught by the Saviour. If those are lived up to there would be no room for complaint. It only when these laws are ignored that the. e is cause for regret.’ ”