THE MORMONS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144086, 3 May 1913, Page 7

THE MORMONS.

THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE MAORIS. CHRISTCHURCH, May 1. What has been the influence of the Mormons on the Maoris? This was the question asked by a reporter of Bishop Averill, in whose diocese the Mormons have been particularly active, erecting recently an agricultural college there. ,His Lordship said that'their influence in his diocese was limited to two places, chiefly, Te Hauke and Nuhaka. It was quite certain that they had got a hold in these two places, but in other parts of the diocese they had no hold whatever. The reason for their becoming .popular in the two places named was because Mormon elders had stayed at the pahs, and the Maoris regarded this as the greatest honour possible to be;stow on them. Further, if one lot of Maoris had a misunderstanding with another lot of Maoris belonging to the church, they would go and join the Mormon Church out of pique. His Lordship did not think the Maoris .understood the tenets of the Mormon faith. “I don’t think they realise a bit what Mormonism is,” he said, “that Mormonism is an imposture and based on fraud.” His Lordship did not think the Mormons would do much harm, but it was one of the matters that he had under consideration, and he took every opportunity of warning the Maoris of the danger of Mormonism aiid of what it meant to them.