BY ELDER B. H. ROBERTS.
INTRODUCTION.
In the ancient City of Rome, at the time that St. Paul went there on an appeal to Caesar's judgment1 seat, about the year 62 A.D., the followers2 of Christ were denominated, "That sect3 which is everywhere spoken against." And as it was with the Christians4 then, so it is with the "Mormons" now. Everything that is wicked or damnable was once charged upon the Christians. Even the just historian Tacitus was so far deceived by the wicked misrepresentations of their enemies, as to speak of them as "a set of people who were holden in abhorrence6 for their crimes, and called by the vulgar 'Christians.'" He also says—speaking of them as a body—"They were criminals, and deserving the severest punishment." The same writer calls their religion a "pernicious superstition7." Indeed, we may say to the opponents of "Mormonism," however skilful8 they may be in the use of calumny9 or the distortion of facts, it would be difficult for them to charge upon the "Mormons" more heinous10 crimes than were charged upon primitive11 Christians. It was commonly reported of them that in the celebration of the Eucharist they were in the habit of slaying12 a male child, whose flesh they ate, and whose blood they drank in remembrance of the body and blood of the founder13 of their religion. In short, they were held to be the enemies of mankind, the disturbers of social customs, and a standing14 menace to all governments; while their religion was looked upon as the sum of villainy and absurdity15. In the same light the "Mormons" are regarded to-day. But perhaps I shall be pardoned for suggesting that it is just possible that the world is as much mistaken respecting the character and religion of the "Mormons" now, as it formerly16 was respecting the "Christians" and their religion.
No prejudice is so cruel as that growing out of religious controversy17. At any rate, we know that the most cruel wars {174} have risen through a determination to resist religious innovations, or efforts to reform religious systems. While the acts of inhuman18 cruelty, which most disgrace our race, have been perpetrated in vain endeavors to suppress what have been considered heresies19, and silence their advocates. In short, the most unrelenting hatred20, the most lasting21 prejudices have grown out of differences in religious opinions. The Messiah, doubtless, was guided as much by His knowledge of human nature as He was by inspiration when He exclaimed:
"Think not that I have come to bring peace upon earth; I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man at variance22 against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's foes23 shall be they of his own household" (Matt. x, 34-36).
It is because "Mormonism" involves a religious controversy that the prejudices against it are so deep seated, and the misrepresentation of its devotees so persistent24.
Joseph Smith, in his youth, announced a new revelation from God; and as the Christian5 world had been, and are, taught that no more revelation is to be given, that the Bible contains all that God ever did, and all that He ever will reveal to man, the proclamation that God had again spoken aroused the ire of the religious teachers of that day, and when, in spite of their efforts to stay its progress, they saw the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints increasing in numbers and influence, these pseudo religious teachers sought to overwhelm with falsehood, misrepresentation and slander26 what they could not overcome with reason and fairness. And the absurd, childish stories then invented by religious opponents of "Mormonism" they still rehashed with variations to suit ever shifting conditions, the mass constantly growing as fast as new falsehoods or distorted facts can be marshalled into service.
On this point I quote the following from the New York World of recent date. The World is one of the leading journals of America, and, in giving an epitome28 of the history and faith of the "Mormons," it said:
"In matters of dogma there was little or nothing in its creed29 to distinguish it from any other orthodox sect, but its possession of an alleged30 addition to the Bible and the austerity and severity of the code of morals inculcated drew to it immediately a large following. The same spirit of intolerance which in Massachusetts slit32 the ears of Quakers and banished33 Baptists under pain of death, blazed forth34 as fiercely as in the days of Athanasius and Arius. The pulpit rang with denunciations of the new sect, every calumny that could be invented was {175} invented and believed, and the Mormons were driven from place to place, robbed, beaten, imprisoned35 and murdered, exactly as the founders36 of every other Christian sect were persecuted37."
THE CAUSE OF MISREPRESENTATION.
There are two classes of men in Utah who are interested in defaming the character of the "Mormon" people. These are the religious and political adventurers who have drifted into the Territory. The former went there professedly to convert the "Mormons" from the error of their way; but not being successful in getting sufficient converts from the "Mormon" Church to establish congregations that could pay their salaries, they have ever been dependent upon the people of the Eastern States for their support and means with which to build churches. They soon discovered that the amount of means they could raise depended upon the strength of the feeling they could incite40 in the minds of their supporters in the Eastern States. The more licentious41 and blood-thirsty the "Mormon" community was represented to be, the greater Christian heroes were these ministers considered, and therefore the more readily were "ducats" poured into their laps to carry on this spiritual war, against the supposed man of sin situated42 in the Rocky Mountains. Granting a few honorable exceptions, these professed38 ministers of Christ have invented and retailed43 the most abominable44 falsehoods respecting the Latter-day Saints, well knowing that the prejudice existing against the "Mormon" religion would so blind the eyes and close the ears of the people that it would be next to impossible for their calumnies45 and misrepresentations to be exposed. And if now and then their base purposes were brought for a moment to the light, and some few of their falsehoods contradicted, the effect could only be momentary46, and the exploded sensational47 reports of "Mormon" atrocities48 would be supplanted49 by ten thousand others more horrible but equally baseless.
The political adventurers, alluded50 to in the above, are men who have come into the Territory principally by being appointed to the Federal offices within the gift of the President of the United States. It must be understood that a Territory in the American Government occupies much the same relationship to that government that a crown colony does to the imperial government of Great Britain; and the President appoints the Governor, Secretary, the District judges, the Marshal, Commissioners52, {176} and indirectly53 a number of other officers in the Territory. It has been the policy of the chief executives of the nation in the past to reward their supporters, or the supporters of their political friends in the respective states with appointments to these positions; and to satisfy popular clamor raised by religious opponents, men with avowed55 hatred of "Mormonism" have usually been sought to fill these Federal offices. Another fact bearing on the character of these appointees must be taken into consideration; and that is, as a general thing, men who will consent to accept an appointment to positions in the Territories are fifth or sixth rate politicians, whose political prospects56 where they are known have dwindled57 to a forlorn hope. No man who has an opportunity of succeeding in political or business life in his own state will consent to abandon his prospects and life long associations for a temporary position in a Territory where, from the very nature of things, he can never hope for a hearty58 support of the people among whom he thrusts his unwelcome presence. Why? Because he is not of them. He is not their choice for the position; he is not responsible to the community for the manner in which he discharges his official duties—a condition of affairs that is absolutely incompatible59 with the existence of harmony between the administrator60 of the laws and the community they effect, in a country where the people are educated to the idea that "Governments derive61 their just powers from the consent of the governed."
I find these two points relative to political and ecclesiastical adventurers sustained by the testimony62 of James W. Barclay, a member of the British Parliament, who visited Utah in 1883, and published the results of his observations in the January No., 1884, of the Nineteenth Century. The Century is a monthly magazine published in London. He says:
"I apprehend63 that the animosity of Mormonism is principally due to the efforts of the host of hungry office-seekers who would find lucrative64 posts in Utah were the Mormons disfranchised, and by the missionaries65 from the Eastern States who come to turn the Mormons from the error of their ways, and whose income depends on the strength of the feelings they can excite in their supporters. Utah is still a Territory, and, as such, its Governor, Lieutenant-Governor and Marshal, and other officials of the Federal Government, are nominated by the President of the United States, and are of course non-Mormons; but the municipal and other local officials are elected by the Mormons.
If the Mormons could be disfranchised in a body, 500 lucrative posts in Utah would be open to Gentile office-seekers. According to the legislature which might be adopted, the offices would be filled {177} either by the President of the United States or by the small minority of Gentiles in Utah."
MORMONS WRONGED BY A SENSATIONAL PRESS.
Unfortunately the religious and political adventurers in Utah can succeed in their designs the more readily because the agents sending out the Associate Press dispatches to the entire press of the country are in sympathy with these parties or controlled by them; so that all information going out to the country at large from that source is generally distorted to the disparagement66 of the "Mormons."
In addition to this, it will be remembered that the American Press is nothing if not sensational. This is true in a general sense, it is doubly so in relation to the "Mormon Question." Ever ready to pander67 to the prejudice of the populace, and finding the "Mormon" people the victims of popular hate and without political influence, the American Press has recklessly traduced68 the character of as noble a community as ever graced God's earth. Every sensational rumor69 derogatory to their character has been seized upon with avidity and published without reserve, while the correction of the mis-statements or the vindication70 of their character has seldom struggled through the columns of the press to the public eye. The people of America, and other countries, too, have taken everything for granted that has been said against the "Mormon" people, no matter how absurd it is, or how unreliable the source from whence it came. Very few men have had the fairness to investigate "Mormonism" for themselves, or inquire into the character of the "Mormon" people.
Respecting the misrepresentation of the "Mormon" people and the source from whence the public has drawn71 its views and fed its prejudices, I introduce the testimony of Mr. Phil. Robinson, an English journalist and correspondent of note, and a traveler of world wide experience; and who is at present the editor of the Court and Society Review, published in London. Mr. Robinson went to Utah in 1882, where he remained for three months. He visited nearly every town and village in the Territory, and saw the people at their firesides and at work in their fields, as well as in their public meetings—in fact he saw them in all the relations of life—and on the subject of their misrepresentation, he says:
"Whence have the public derived72 their opinions about it [meaning {178} Mormonism]? From anti-Mormons only. I have ransacked73 the literature of the subject, yet I really could not tell any one where to go for an impartial74 book about it later in date than Burton's "City of the Saints" published in 1862. There is not, to my knowledge, a single Gentile work before the public that is not utterly75 unreliable from its distortion of facts. How can anyone have respect for literature or the men who, without knowing anything of the lives of Mormons, stigmatize76 them as profane77, adulterous and drunken? These men write of the squalid poverty of the Mormons, of their obscene brutality78, of their unceasing treason towards the United States, of their blasphemous79 repudiation80 of the Bible, without one particle of information on the subject, except such as they gather from the books and writings of men whom they ought to know are utterly unworthy of credit, or from the verbal calumnies of apostates82; and what the evidence of apostates is worth history has long ago told us * * * I am now stating facts; and I, who have lived among the Mormons and with them, can assure my readers that every day of my residence increased my regret at the misrepresentation these people have suffered" ("Sinners and Saints," Roberts and Sons, Boston).
TESTIMONY OF NON-MORMON WITNESSES.
I here introduce the testimony of a number of non-"Mormon" witnesses to the character of the "Mormon" people and their religion.
First, I refer to the article by Mr. Barclay, M. P., published in the Nineteenth Century, January, 1884:
"Mormon home-steads have a tidier appearance than is usual in the West, and the general air of comfort and prosperity which prevails is the best evidence of the persevering84, industrious85 habits of the people...There is nothing peculiar86 in the Mormon creed to account for the great influence which Mormonism exercises among its followers.
"The success of Mormonism and its steady progress must therefore be due either to the manner in which Mormons carry into practice the religion they profess39, or to its organization. In my opinion the results are due to two influences. First, there is no religious caste or class. From the president downwards87, the office-bearers of the Church are selected by the voice of the Mormon community; they require no special qualification, and no one receives any salary or other emolument88; the missionaries dispatched to all parts of the world do not receive even traveling expenses. And, in the second place, Mormonism interests itself as much in the temporal as in the spiritual concerns of its members: Church and State are, in short, identical.
"The Mormon community is an enlarged family, bound together by privileges and duties, one principal duty being to care for the helpless and the needy90. At the same time, every individual has full freedom of action. There is no compulsion on any Mormon beyond the public opinion of his fellows, and none is possible. Apostasy91 {179} even does not appear to be attended with serious consequences to the apostate's material interests. Some of the largest merchants in Salt Lake City have apostatized from the Church, and although the population of Utah is about nine-tenths Mormon, their business seems to prosper83 as before....
"In morality, as far as shown by statistics, the Mormons greatly excel the Gentiles in their midst, and the general population of the States. In the winter of 1881, a census92 was taken of the prisoners in Utah, with the following result:—In the City prison were twenty-nine convicts, and in the County prison six convicts, all non-Mormons. In the penitentiary93, out of fifty-one prisoners only five were Mormons, two of whom were for polygamy; and of 125 prisoners in the lock-ups, eleven were Mormons, some for polygamy.
"The arrests in Salt Lake City, from the 1st of January to the 8th of December, 1881, were classified as follows:
Mormons: Non-Mormons:
Men and boys 163 Men and boys 657
Women 6 Women 194
Total 169 Total 851
"Of the population of Salt Lake City, about 75 per cent. is Mormon, and 25 per cent. non-Mormon. Of the suicides in Utah, 90 per cent., and of the homicides and infanticides 80 per cent., are committed by the 17 per cent. of non-Mormons. . . . .
"The Mormons, as a people, are tolerant, temperate94, peaceable, and industrious. Temperance is in some cases carried to the extreme of abstinence from alcohol of all kinds, tobacco, and tea. Before the Federal Government exercised so much authority as now, drinking saloons and other establishments of vice27 were prohibited; and, although a few professing95 Mormons keep drinking saloons, they are held in disgrace....
"Certain it is that, whatever the causes may be, there is among the Latter-day Saints a mutual96 feeling of helpfulness and trust, and whatever the Gentiles may say, the sentiments towards the heads of the community are respect, confidence, and I might say affection. I had the pleasure of traveling for some days in the company of a Mormon Elder, a gentleman of great ability, intelligence and courtesy, and I was much struck by the evident cordiality of his reception by his co-religionists, as well as by his genuine kindness, without any tinge97 of condescension98 towards his humbler brethren. There was on both sides an evident feeling of perfect equality combined with respect and affection. It is the same with the President. So far as I observed and could learn, President Taylor is regarded with greater respect by the Mormons than is the President of the United States by its citizens, and at the same time his office is open to all, and he is prepared to hear what the humblest Mormon has to say."
Again I turn to the testimony of Mr. Robinson:
"I have seen and spoken to and lived with Mormon men and women of every class, and never in my life, in any Christian country, {180} have I come in contact with more consistent piety99, sobriety and neighborly charity. I say this deliberately100, without a particle of odious101 sanctimony102, these folks are in their words and actions as Christian as ever I thought to see men and women . . . The Mormons are a peasant people, with many of the faults if peasant life, but with many of the best human virtues103 as well....The demeanor105 of the women in Utah, as compared with Brightan or Washington, is modesty106 itself; and the children are just such healthy, vigorous, pretty children as one sees in the country or by the sea-side in England...... Utah-born girls, the offspring of plural107 wives, have figures that would make Paris envious108; and they carry themselves with almost oriental dignity. There is nothing, so far as I have seen, in the manners of Salt Lake City to make me suspect the existence of that licentiousness109 of which so much has been written, but a great deal on the contrary to convince me of a perfectly110 exceptional reserve and self-respect. It is only a blockhead that could mistake the natural gayety of the country for any other than it is. I know, too, from medical assurance, that Utah has the practical argument of healthy nurseries to oppose to the theories of those who attack its domestic relations on physiological111 grounds. . .. A healthier and more stalwart community I have never seen; while among the women I saw many refined faces, and remarked that robust112 health seemed the rule....
"Mutual charity is one of the bonds of Mormon union. It is published officially that the bishops113 of every ward54 are to see there are no persons going hungry.' What a contrast to turn from this text of universal charity to the infinite meanness of those who can write of the whole community of Mormons as 'the villainous spawn115 of polygamy!' . . . Instead of the Mormons being as a class profane, they are as a class singularly sober in their language, and indeed in this respect resemble the Quakers.
"The payment of the tithings is as nearly voluntary as the collection of a revenue necessary for carrying on a government can possibly be allowed to be... It is not true that the Church interferes116 with the domestic relations of the people. When I remember what classes of people their men and women are chiefly drawn from, and the utter poverty in which most of them arrive, I cannot in sincerity117 do otherwise than admire and respect the system which has fused such unpromising material of so many nationalities into one homogeneous whole."—Sinners and Saints."
Bishop114 D. S. Tuttle, for years an Episcopal clergyman in Salt Lake City, an opponent of "Mormonism," but an honorable one, in a lecture on "Mormonism," delivered in New York and published in the New York Sun, says:
"In Salt Lake City alone there are 17,000 Latter-day Saints. Now, who are they? I will tell you, and I think, that after I have concluded, you will look on them more favorably than you have been accustomed to do. Springing from the centre of your own State (N.Y.) in 1830, they drifted slowly westward118 until they finally rested in the Basin of the Great Salt Lake. I know that the people of the east have obtained the most unfavorable opinion of them, and have judged them unjustly. They have many traits that are worthy81 of admiration119, {181} and they believe with fervent120 faith that their religion is a direct revelation from God. We of the east are accustomed to look upon the Mormons as either a licentious arrogant121 or rebellious122 mob, bent123 only on defying the United States Government and deriding124 the faith of the Christians. This is not so. I know them to be honest, faithful, prayerful workers, and earnest in their faith that heaven will bless the Church of Latter-day Saints. Another strong and admirable feature in the Mormon religion is the tenacious125 and efficient organization. They follow with the greatest care all the forms of the old church."
I next quote from the contribution of the Rev25. John C. Kimball of Hartford, Connecticut, U. S. A., to The Index, published in Boston, Mass., 1884. After introducing the testimony of a number of writers to the general good character of the "Mormon" people, he says:
"Still stronger is the evidence derived from official statistics as to their intelligence and virtue104. In Salt Lake City, in 1881, the published reports show that the arrests for crime were fourteen times as many among the Gentiles, in proportion to their number, as among the Mormons; and taking the Territory as a whole, the Gentile population furnished forty-six convicts in the penitentiary, where the Mormon population, number for number, furnished one! According to the United States census, Massachusetts has four times as many convicts to the same population as Utah; four and a half times as many idiots and insane, and nine times as many paupers126. Utah in school attendance, according to the same authority [the United States census for 1880], is ahead of Massachusetts; and with all that has been said about the ignorance of its people and its immense foreign immigration, its proportion of people that cannot read and write is put down as less than that of New England. And still more striking, the women there instead of being kept in ignorance and subjection, are educated in the same studies and to the same extent as the boys and men, are equally fitted to earn their own living out in the world and to maintain an independent career."
Captain Burton, of the British army, published in 1862, a book on the "Mormon" people and faith called the City of the Saints. He says:
"Mormonism is emphatically the faith of the poor. . . I cannot help thinking that morally and spiritually as well as physically127 its proteges gain by their transfer from Europe to Utah. . . . In point of more morality, the Mormon community is perhaps purer than any other of equal numbers. . . . The penalties against chastity, morality and decency128 are exceptionally severe. . . . I was much pleased with their religious tolerance31. The Mormons are certainly the least fanatical of our faiths, owning like the Hindus, that every man should walk his own way, while claiming for themselves superiority in belief and practice."
{182} Testimony of like character and of equal respectability could be adduced without limit, but we think sufficient is here set down to convince people disposed in the least degree to be fair-minded, however prejudiced they may previously129, have been, that the reckless charges of crime and immorality130 made against the Latter-day Saints in Utah by their enemies, are wickedly false, and have been invented to deceive. I ask you again to cast your eye over the statements presented to you, and consider the character of the men who make them. They are not the statements of the occasional tourist of a day, but the conclusions of men of thought and travel and education, who visited Utah for the express purpose of becoming acquainted with the strange faith, and, to the world, the still stranger people.
"POLYGAMY."
I shall be told, however, that the "Mormons" believe in and some of them practise a plurality of wives, and therefore they must be a bad people. But not so fast. Before such a conclusion is drawn it will be necessary to prove that a plurality of wives as practised by the Mormons is in and of itself evil. That principle is as much a part of the religious faith of the women as of the men, and is practised by and with the consent of all parties concerned. It is practised because the people believe that God has commanded it by revelation direct to the Church, for the accomplishment131 of His own wise purposes—the rearing of a purer and better race of people. Their faith in that revelation is considerably132 strengthened by reading in the Holy Scriptures133 how God favored and blessed with His approval that form of marriage among the worthy patriarchs of old; nay134, how even God Himself gave to David, according to His own Word (2 Sam. xii., 7, 8), a plurality of wives; thus becoming a party to the evil, if evil it was. But that which God sanctions and approbates can never be said to be evil. And that God did sanction the plural wife system of marriage and approve it is evident from the lives of nearly all the patriarchs and prophets spoken of in the Bible.
I know it is said by Christians that this was in very ancient times, when people lived under the Mosaic135 Law, and that the law of carnal commandments was superceded by the new dispensation under Christ. Very well, then, shifting the controversy to what is known as the Christian dispensation, we challenge {183} the whole world to produce a single passage from the New Testament136 directly condemning138 the plural marriage system of the old patriarchs, or a passage which, by fair interpretation139, even by implication condemns140 it. Such a passage cannot be found. And yet the writers of the New Testament did not hesitate to condemn137 in the most direct and positive manner every species of sin;—strange, is it not, that they failed to condemn plural marriage, if it was by them or their Master considered sinful? The fact becomes more strange when it is understood that they lived in a country and among a people who practised it. Furthermore, Abraham, Jacob, and the prophets were frequently the theme of conversation and discourse141 with the writers of the New Testament, and if the plural wife system practised by them was sinful, is it not singular that no condemnation142 of it should creep into the pages of the New Testament somewhere?
I apprehend that much of the prejudice existing against the marriage system of the Latter-day Saints arises from confounding it with the polygamy of the East—with the harems of Turkey, or the bigamy occasionally practiced in Christian communities; yet we hope to show, so far as may be shown in a few brief sentences, that there is not and cannot be, from the very nature of society in Utah, anything that resembles the Eastern harem, nor do the evils exist which grow out of the ordinary case of bigamy.
In the first place, women in Utah are as free to marry whom they please as they are in any part of the world. Mr. Phil. Robinson says:—
"It is a mistake to suppose there are no educated women in Utah: . . . the young ladies appear as free and independent as in other parts of the United States. . . . if the women of Utah are slaves, their bonds are loving ones and dearly prized. They are today in the free and unrestricted exercise of more political and social rights than are the women of any other part of the United States."—"Saints and Sinners."
To this add the testimony of Mr. Barclay, in the article from the Nineteenth Century, before quoted:—
"The young ladies appear as free and independent as in other parts of the United States; and, if I might hazard an opinion, the young men of Mormondom will find considerable difficulty in persuading them to be content with the share of a husband."
The women of Mormondom are as free to bestow143 or withhold144 their hands in marriage as they are in England, and {184} there has not been a day since 1862—the year in which the first law of Congress was passed against polygamy—but what it has been within the power of the wife or wives of a man to send him to the penitentiary, the United States Courts being only too glad to entertain her suit, and break up the polygamous family associations. Yet, in all these years, there have not been half-a-dozen such cases. This entire freedom of women among the "Mormons" robs their plural marriage system of every feature of resemblance to the polygamy of the East; and what is here set down proves that whatever of plural marriage exists in Utah, does so by the mutual consent of all the parties concerned.
In common bigamy the first marriage is studiously concealed146 by the party contemplating147 the second marriage. A man represents himself to a lady as a bachelor, and under false pretences148 and fraud obtains possession of her person. Soon she discovers that she has been betrayed, deceived, degraded,—the sense of shame and sorrow following producing indescribable misery149. Nor has it been less productive of evil to the first wife. Her happiness, too, has been wrecked150 by the perfidy151 of the wretch152 she called husband. She has been neglected, abandoned, made an outcast. Where she looked for loyalty153, she found treason; where she implicitly154 trusted, she has been deceived, and her misery and shame is as great as the other victim's.
Now, none of these evils grow out of the plural marriage system of the Mormons. In the first place, a plurality of wives, under certain conditions and restraints, is one of the social institutions of the Society of Utah, and has been for more than a generation. As before remarked, it is practised because the "Mormon" people believe it is commanded of God; it is therefore accepted by both man and woman as part of their religious faith, and is regarded as such by the whole population,—as well by those who do not practise it as by those who do. Consequently it breeds no scandal; it brings no reproach. The position of the plural wife is just as honorable, in every sense of the word, as that of the first wife. She is, in fact, a wife, with all the holy associations growing out of that relationship, and is honored everywhere as such. The same ceremony which unites a man to his first wife is employed to unite him to his second or third, and the same authority—the authority of God—performs it.
As with the plural wife, so with the plural wife's children; {185} they are equally honorable with the children of the first wife,—society makes no distinction between them. When a man takes a plural wife no concealment155 is made of his first marriage, nor is his first family deserted156; all is open and honest. There is no deceit, no fraud practiced, nor can there be. The sanction of the first wife, and the sanction of parents must be obtained, together with the sanction and recommendation of the Bishop who presides over the branch of the Church where the parties live, and who has to be able to state in his recommendation that the parties are members of the Church in good standing; that means that they are honest before God and man, virtuous157, faithful in discharging every religious and moral duty, and temperate withal. And unless such a recommendation can be given, the relationship cannot be contracted.
Such, in brief, is an outline of the conditions hedging about the practice of this principle of plural marriage, against which Christians can find no law, either in the Old or New Testament, which even so much as bears the complexion158 of condemnation, but very much which will bear witness of God's approval of it, even allowing His only-begotten Son, so far as His earthly parentage is concerned, to come through such a lineage, a number of his earthly progenitors159 being the offspring of plural wives, and themselves practising it. Surely our Christian friends, who look forward to reclining upon Abraham's bosom160 as one of the highest privileges to be enjoyed in heaven, ought not to criticise161 too severely162 the system of marriage which he practised.
THE MISSION OF THE MORMON ELDERS.
Much complaint is made by the people of England because the Elders from Utah, who are traveling in this country as missionaries, do not make any particular effort to explain or urge upon people the doctrine163 of plural marriage. Strangers attend our meetings, and are surprised to hear nothing said upon the subject of plurality of wives, and go away disappointed; as if our Elders on every occasion should have something to say upon that subject. I assure my readers that it is not because the Elders have any disposition164 to conceal145 the fact that the Latter-day Saints believe in the rightfulness of the doctrine under the conditions herein set down; or through any fear that the Word of God can be shown to condemn it. The fact is, the Elders from Utah are servants of God sent {186} forth with a message to the nations of the earth to the effect that God has spoken from heaven, and restored the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which, in consequence of the wickedness and violence of men a few centuries after Christ, was taken from the earth, together with the authority to administer in its ordinances165. But this Gospel is now restored, together with its ancient powers, gifts, blessings166, and authorities, and by the faithful Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ is being preached as a witness in all the world. It is the business of the Elders from Utah to make this important proclamation to the inhabitants of the earth, and call upon them to repent167 of their sins, and warn them that the hour of God's judgment is here, and His glorious coming at hand. The practice of plural marriage in Utah is a very insignificant168 matter in comparison with the importance of the great message we are here to deliver. We are not here to urge upon people the acceptance of plural marriage, but to declare the message above alluded to; though, of course, at proper times and under proper circumstances, we shrink not from the most rigid169 inquiry170 into the various principles of our faith.
CONCLUSION.
In conclusion, I wish to say that I have been reared in Utah, have grown up in a Mormon community, taught in their schools, instructed in their faith. It has been my good fortune to listen frequently to the public discourses171 of their leading Elders, and to enjoy a personal acquaintance with many of them, and never, either in public or in private have I been taught anything contrary to the strictest interpretation of the principles of morality. I know that the entire people, and especially the young, are taught and always have been to regard virtue as the pearl of great price, while adultery and fornication are considered sins next in degree of enormity to the shedding of innocent blood.
It has fallen to my lot to travel through nearly all the States of America and the greater part of England, which has given me the advantage of comparing the "Mormon" community with communities existing under other systems of religion and different social customs. I need only say that that comparison—reviled, scorned, even hated as the "Mormons" are—has {187} made me more proud of my people, and my heart swells172 with gratitude173 to the Giver of all good that it has fallen to my lot to be reared among the "Mormons."
APPENDIX.
It is frequently claimed by our enemies, and especially by apostates, that the "Mormons" teach one set of doctrines174 in England as "milk for babes,"—doctrines which are harmless and even commendable175, but that quite different doctrines are taught in Utah; and that murder, robbery, adultery, and, in fact, every crime known to man is not only winked176 at, but taught as a duty, as part of the religion of the Saints. To support these statements, garbled177 quotations178 and mutilated extracts from the utterances179 of the leading Elders of the Church are cited from the Journal of Discourses, followed up by the assertion that these discourses are only preached in Utah; when, in fact, the Journal of Discourses was a semi-monthly periodical published in Liverpool, commencing in 1854 and continued up to some two years ago, and widely circulated in England; the Church authorities having nothing to fear from a publication of their discourses, where all that they said was presented to the people.
In the summer of 1857, a company of emigrants181 passed through Utah, en route for California. They took what is known as the southern route, and while going through some of the settlements in Southern Utah, they were both impertinent and abusive. They poisoned several springs, and also the carcass of an ox which had died. Several Indians drinking the water and eating the carcass died from the effects. The result was that the Indians became enraged182, and being joined by a few white men—among them John D. Lee—who, unfortunately, were Mormons, the entire company, excepting a number of children, were cruelly and inhumanly183 murdered. This horrid184 crime has been charged upon the Mormon Church, and especially upon the leading Elders. The charge is not true. It is wickedly and maliciously185 false; was proven to be so by repeated failure of the efforts of his enemies to fasten the crime upon Brigham Young.
John D. Lee had two trials for complicity in the horrid affair. In the first trial the jury disagreed. At the second trial, one James Haslam gave the testimony which I here introduce. It is taken from the records of the court. But that the reader may understand its force, I may briefly186 explain that in 1857, upon the misrepresentations of a United States judge, the United States authorities at Washington had rashly ordered armed forces to Utah to put down a supposed {188} rebellion of the Mormon people, and in consequence of that "army" approaching Utah, there was considerable excitement throughout the Territory. This fact made the emigrants passing through Utah both arrogant and abusive to the people of the "Mormon" settlements, and a council of leading men in those settlements was held to determine upon the course to be pursued towards the emigrants, and it was decided187 to send a messenger to Brigham Young to learn his views upon it. That messenger was Haslam; but before he returned the massacre had taken place—John D. Lee having led the Indians to the attack. This is the testimony as it appears on the court records:—
"James Haslam, of Wellsville, Cache Valley, was sworn. He lived in Cedar188 City in 1857; was ordered by Haight to take a message to President Young with all speed; knew the contents of the message: left Cedar City on Monday, September. 7, 1857, between 5 and 6 p.m., and arrived at Salt Lake on Thursday at 11 a. m.; started back at 3 p.m., and reached Cedar about 11 a. m. Sunday morning, September 13th; delivered the message from President Young to Haight, who said it was too late. Witness testified that when leaving Salt Lake to return, President Young said to him, 'Go with all speed, spare no horseflesh. The emigrants must not be meddled189 with, if it takes all Iron County to prevent it. They must go free and unmolested.' Witness knew the contents of the answer. He got back with the message the Sunday after the massacre, and reported to Haight, who said, 'it is too late.'"
In opening the case of the second trial of John D. Lee, Mr. Sumner Howard, Ex-Chief Justice of Arizona, and the United States prosecuting190 Attorney said:—
"He proposed to prove that John D. Lee, without any authority from any council or officer, but in direct opposition191 to the feelings and wishes of the officers of the Mormon Church, had gone to the Mountain Meadows, where the Indians were then encamped, accompanied only by one little Indian boy, and had assumed command of the Indians, whom he had induced, by promises of great booty, to attack these emigrants; that in his attack on the emigrants he was repulsed192; that finding he could not get the emigrants out, he sent word to the various settlements of Southern Utah for men to be sent to him, representing that the men were needed for various purposes, to some saying the Indians had attacked the emigrants, and it was necessary to have men sent to draw off the Indians, to others that men were necessary to protect the emigrants, and still others that the emigrants were all killed, and that they were required to bury the dead; these men went in good faith to perform a humane193 act; that he had arranged with the Indians to bring the emigrants out from their corral, or fort, by means of a flag of truce194; that by this act of perfidy he had induced the emigrants to give up their arms and place themselves under his protection, loading the arms and the wounded with the helpless children into two wagons196, which he had ordered for the purpose; that he then started the wagons ahead, following them himself, and the women following next, the men bringing up the rear in single file; that Lee, after having traveled from three-quarters of a mile to a mile, gave the order to fire, and the slaughter197 commenced; that Lee shot one woman with his rifle, and {189} brained another woman; then drawing his pistol, shot another, and seizing a man by the collar and drawing him out of the wagon195, cut his throat; that he gathered up the property of the emigrants and took it to his own place, using and selling it for his own benefit and use. All these charges against John D. Lee, he (District Attorney Howard) proposed to prove to the jury by competent testimony beyond reasonable doubt, or beyond any doubt, and thought no appeal to the jury would be required to induce them to give a verdict in accordance with the evidence."
At the conclusion of the trial, Mr. Howard
"Repeated again that he had come for the purpose of trying John D. Lee, because the evidence led and pointed51 to him as the main instigator198 and leader, and he had given the jury unanswerable documentary evidence proving that the authorities of the Mormon Church knew nothing of the butchery until after it was committed, and that Lee, in his letter to President Young a few weeks later, had knowingly misrepresented the actual facts relative to the massacre seeking to keep him still in the dark and in ignorance.
"He had received all the assistance any United States official could ask on earth in any case. Nothing had been kept back, and he was determined199 to clear the calender of every indictment200 against any and every actual guilty participator in the massacre, but he did not intend to prosecute201 any one that had been lured202 to the meadows at the time, many of whom were only young boys, and knew nothing of the vile89 plan which Lee originated and carried out for the destruction of the emigrants."
"As stated by Mr. Howard, Lee misrepresented the facts to Brigham Young respecting the massacre, and kept him in the dark as to the part he had taken in the butchery, always saying it was the Indians who had done it, and whom he tried in vain to restrain. Nor did the facts in the case come to the knowledge of Brigham Young until 1870; and as soon as he and the Church authorities learned that Lee was implicated203 in the heartless deed, they immediately excommunicated him from the Church,—a thing they would not dare to do had they been connected with him in the crime, or in any degree responsible for it.
"Numerous efforts have been made to fasten, the responsibility of this awful crime upon the leaders of the Mormon Church. Inducements were held out to John D. Lee to implicate204 Brigham Young, but all to no purpose. After his death, however, a supposed confession205 of his is published by the enemies of the Mormon people, and on that the world is asked to believe that the Mormon Church and people are responsible for the bloody206 tragedy; the thing is too monstrous207 and absurd for credence208. And no people more emphatically condemn that crime than do the Latter-day Saints. Of it the late President John Taylor said, in an article he furnished for the press, in 1882:—
"I now come to the investigation209 of a subject that has been harped210 upon for the last seventeen years, namely, the Mountain Meadows massacre. That bloody tragedy has been the chief stock-in-trade for {190} penny-a-liners, and press and pulpit, who have gloated in turns by chorus over the sickening details. 'Do you deny it?' No. 'Do you excuse it?' No. There is no excuse for such a relentless211, diabolical212, sanguinary deed. That outrageous213 infamy214 is looked upon with as much abhorrence by our people as by any other parties in this nation or in the world, and at its first announcement its loathing215 recital216 chilled the marrow217 and sent a thrill of horror through the breasts of the listeners. It was most certainly a horrible deed, and like many other defenceless tragedies, it is one of those things that cannot be undone218. The world is full of deeds of crime and darkness, and the question often arises—Who is responsible therefore? It is usual to blame the perpetrators. It does not seem fair to accuse nations, states, and communities for deeds perpetrated by some of their citizens, unless they uphold it."
"It is by no means improbable that some future text book, for the use of generations yet unborn, will contain a question something like this: What historical American of the nineteenth century has exerted the most powerful influence upon the destinies of his countrymen? And it is by no means impossible that the answer to that interrogatory may be thus written: Joseph Smith, The Mormon Prophet."
—Josiah Quincy, 1844.
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1
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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sect
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| n.派别，宗教，学派，派系 | |
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4
Christians
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| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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abhorrence
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| n.憎恶；可憎恶的事 | |
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superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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skilful
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| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
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calumny
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| n.诽谤，污蔑，中伤 | |
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10
heinous
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| adj.可憎的，十恶不赦的 | |
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primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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12
slaying
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| 杀戮。 | |
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13
Founder
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| n.创始者，缔造者 | |
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14
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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absurdity
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| n.荒谬，愚蠢；谬论 | |
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16
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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17
controversy
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| n.争论，辩论，争吵 | |
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18
inhuman
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| adj.残忍的，不人道的，无人性的 | |
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19
heresies
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| n.异端邪说，异教( heresy的名词复数 ) | |
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20
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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21
lasting
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| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
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22
variance
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| n.矛盾，不同 | |
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23
foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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rev
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| v.发动机旋转，加快速度 | |
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slander
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| n./v.诽谤，污蔑 | |
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vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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epitome
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| n.典型，梗概 | |
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creed
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| n.信条；信念，纲领 | |
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alleged
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| a.被指控的，嫌疑的 | |
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tolerance
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| n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差 | |
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32
slit
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| n.狭长的切口；裂缝；vt.切开，撕裂 | |
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33
banished
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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34
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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founders
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| n.创始人( founder的名词复数 ) | |
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37
persecuted
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| （尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人 | |
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38
professed
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| 公开声称的，伪称的，已立誓信教的 | |
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profess
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| v.声称，冒称，以...为业，正式接受入教，表明信仰 | |
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40
incite
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| v.引起，激动，煽动 | |
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41
licentious
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| adj.放纵的，淫乱的 | |
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42
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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43
retailed
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| vt.零售（retail的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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44
abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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calumnies
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| n.诬蔑，诽谤，中伤（的话）( calumny的名词复数 ) | |
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46
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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47
sensational
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| adj.使人感动的，非常好的，轰动的，耸人听闻的 | |
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48
atrocities
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| n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪 | |
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49
supplanted
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| 把…排挤掉，取代( supplant的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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50
alluded
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| 提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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52
commissioners
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| n.专员( commissioner的名词复数 )；长官；委员；政府部门的长官 | |
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53
indirectly
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| adv.间接地，不直接了当地 | |
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54
ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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55
avowed
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| adj.公开声明的，承认的v.公开声明，承认( avow的过去式和过去分词) | |
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56
prospects
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| n.希望，前途(恒为复数) | |
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57
dwindled
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| v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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58
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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59
incompatible
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| adj.不相容的，不协调的，不相配的 | |
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60
administrator
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| n.经营管理者，行政官员 | |
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61
derive
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| v.取得；导出；引申；来自；源自；出自 | |
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62
testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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63
apprehend
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| vt.理解，领悟，逮捕，拘捕，忧虑 | |
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64
lucrative
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| adj.赚钱的，可获利的 | |
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65
missionaries
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| n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 ) | |
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66
disparagement
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| n.轻视，轻蔑 | |
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67
pander
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| v.迎合；n.拉皮条者，勾引者；帮人做坏事的人 | |
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68
traduced
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| v.诋毁( traduce的过去式和过去分词 )；诽谤；违反；背叛 | |
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69
rumor
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| n.谣言，谣传，传说 | |
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70
vindication
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| n.洗冤，证实 | |
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71
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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72
derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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73
ransacked
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| v.彻底搜查( ransack的过去式和过去分词 )；抢劫，掠夺 | |
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74
impartial
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| adj.(in,to)公正的，无偏见的 | |
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75
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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76
stigmatize
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| v.污蔑，玷污 | |
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77
profane
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| adj.亵神的，亵渎的；vt.亵渎，玷污 | |
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78
brutality
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| n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮 | |
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blasphemous
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| adj.亵渎神明的，不敬神的 | |
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80
repudiation
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| n.拒绝；否认；断绝关系；抛弃 | |
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81
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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82
apostates
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| n.放弃原来信仰的人( apostate的名词复数 )；叛教者；脱党者；反叛者 | |
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83
prosper
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| v.成功，兴隆，昌盛；使成功，使昌隆，繁荣 | |
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84
persevering
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| a.坚忍不拔的 | |
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85
industrious
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| adj.勤劳的，刻苦的，奋发的 | |
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86
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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87
downwards
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| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
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88
emolument
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| n.报酬，薪水 | |
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89
vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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needy
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| adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的 | |
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apostasy
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| n.背教，脱党 | |
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92
census
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| n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查 | |
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93
penitentiary
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| n.感化院；监狱 | |
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94
temperate
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| adj.温和的，温带的，自我克制的，不过分的 | |
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95
professing
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| 声称( profess的现在分词 )； 宣称； 公开表明； 信奉 | |
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96
mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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97
tinge
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| vt.(较淡)着色于，染色；使带有…气息；n.淡淡色彩，些微的气息 | |
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98
condescension
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| n.自以为高人一等，贬低(别人) | |
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99
piety
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| n.虔诚，虔敬 | |
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100
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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101
odious
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| adj.可憎的，讨厌的 | |
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102
sanctimony
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| n.假装神圣 | |
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103
virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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104
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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105
demeanor
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| n.行为；风度 | |
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106
modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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107
plural
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| n.复数；复数形式；adj.复数的 | |
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108
envious
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| adj.嫉妒的，羡慕的 | |
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109
licentiousness
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| n.放肆，无法无天 | |
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110
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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111
physiological
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| adj.生理学的，生理学上的 | |
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112
robust
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| adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的 | |
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113
bishops
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| （基督教某些教派管辖大教区的）主教( bishop的名词复数 )； （国际象棋的）象 | |
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114
bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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115
spawn
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| n.卵，产物，后代，结果；vt.产卵，种菌丝于，产生，造成；vi.产卵，大量生产 | |
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116
interferes
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| vi. 妨碍，冲突，干涉 | |
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117
sincerity
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| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
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118
westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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119
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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120
fervent
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| adj.热的，热烈的，热情的 | |
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121
arrogant
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| adj.傲慢的，自大的 | |
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122
rebellious
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| adj.造反的，反抗的，难控制的 | |
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123
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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124
deriding
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| v.取笑，嘲笑( deride的现在分词 ) | |
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125
tenacious
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| adj.顽强的，固执的，记忆力强的，粘的 | |
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126
paupers
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| n.穷人( pauper的名词复数 )；贫民；贫穷 | |
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127
physically
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| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
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128
decency
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| n.体面，得体，合宜，正派，庄重 | |
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129
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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130
immorality
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| n. 不道德, 无道义 | |
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131
accomplishment
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| n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能 | |
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132
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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133
scriptures
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| 经文，圣典( scripture的名词复数 )； 经典 | |
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134
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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135
mosaic
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| n./adj.镶嵌细工的，镶嵌工艺品的，嵌花式的 | |
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136
testament
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| n.遗嘱；证明 | |
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137
condemn
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| vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑 | |
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138
condemning
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| v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地 | |
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139
interpretation
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| n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理 | |
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140
condemns
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| v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的第三人称单数 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地 | |
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141
discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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142
condemnation
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| n.谴责; 定罪 | |
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143
bestow
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| v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费 | |
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144
withhold
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| v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡 | |
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145
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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146
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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147
contemplating
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| 深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想 | |
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148
pretences
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| n.假装( pretence的名词复数 )；作假；自命；自称 | |
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149
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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150
wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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151
perfidy
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| n.背信弃义，不忠贞 | |
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152
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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153
loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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154
implicitly
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| adv. 含蓄地, 暗中地, 毫不保留地 | |
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155
concealment
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| n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒 | |
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156
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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157
virtuous
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| adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的 | |
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158
complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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159
progenitors
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| n.祖先( progenitor的名词复数 )；先驱；前辈；原本 | |
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160
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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161
criticise
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| v.批评，评论；非难 | |
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162
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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163
doctrine
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| n.教义；主义；学说 | |
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164
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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165
ordinances
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| n.条例，法令( ordinance的名词复数 ) | |
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166
blessings
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| n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福 | |
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167
repent
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| v.悔悟，悔改，忏悔，后悔 | |
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168
insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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169
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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170
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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171
discourses
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| 论文( discourse的名词复数 )； 演说； 讲道； 话语 | |
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172
swells
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| 增强( swell的第三人称单数 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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173
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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174
doctrines
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| n.教条( doctrine的名词复数 )；教义；学说；（政府政策的）正式声明 | |
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175
commendable
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| adj.值得称赞的 | |
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176
winked
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| v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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177
garbled
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| adj.（指信息）混乱的，引起误解的v.对（事实）歪曲，对（文章等）断章取义，窜改( garble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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178
quotations
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| n.引用( quotation的名词复数 )；[商业]行情（报告）；（货物或股票的）市价；时价 | |
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179
utterances
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| n.发声( utterance的名词复数 )；说话方式；语调；言论 | |
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180
massacre
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| n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀 | |
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181
emigrants
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| n.（从本国移往他国的）移民( emigrant的名词复数 ) | |
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182
enraged
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| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
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183
inhumanly
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| adv.无人情味地，残忍地 | |
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184
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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185
maliciously
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| adv.有敌意地 | |
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186
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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187
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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188
cedar
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| n.雪松，香柏(木) | |
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189
meddled
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| v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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190
prosecuting
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| 检举、告发某人( prosecute的现在分词 )； 对某人提起公诉； 继续从事（某事物）； 担任控方律师 | |
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191
opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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192
repulsed
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| v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 )；驳斥；拒绝 | |
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193
humane
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| adj.人道的，富有同情心的 | |
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194
truce
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| n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束 | |
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195
wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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196
wagons
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| n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车 | |
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197
slaughter
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| n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀 | |
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198
instigator
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| n.煽动者 | |
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199
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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200
indictment
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| n.起诉；诉状 | |
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201
prosecute
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| vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官 | |
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202
lured
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| 吸引，引诱（lure的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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203
implicated
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| adj.密切关联的；牵涉其中的 | |
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204
implicate
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| vt.使牵连其中，涉嫌 | |
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205
confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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206
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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207
monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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208
credence
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| n.信用，祭器台，供桌，凭证 | |
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209
investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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210
harped
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| vi.弹竖琴（harp的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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211
relentless
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| adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的 | |
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212
diabolical
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| adj.恶魔似的，凶暴的 | |
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213
outrageous
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| adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的 | |
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214
infamy
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| n.声名狼藉，出丑，恶行 | |
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215
loathing
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| n.厌恶，憎恨v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的现在分词)；极不喜欢 | |
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216
recital
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| n.朗诵，独奏会，独唱会 | |
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217
marrow
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| n.骨髓；精华；活力 | |
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218
undone
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| a.未做完的，未完成的 | |
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