II

THE FRUITS OF MORMONISM

"If ye are not equal in earthly things, ye cannot be equal in obtaining heavenly things; for if ye will that I give unto you a place in the celestial world, you must prepare yourselves by doing the things which I have commanded you and required of you."-Doctrine and Covenants.

CHAPTER IX

MORMONISM THE EXPONENT OF EQUALITY AND FRATERNITY

IN any permanent and complete scheme for the rescue of mankind from the miseries and shortcomings of current social conditions, there must be a strong and permanent organization on a basis distinctly religious in character. The failure to recognize this fact has been the primary source of weakness in virtually all proposed systems of betterment hitherto promulgated. Indeed, it is the greatest element of weakness in Socialism, and other radical movements of the present day, that while righteously protesting against the unjust and abominable system, now in vogue, they attempt to found a vital sense of the inherent and "inalienable rights" of mankind—"life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"-upon a virtual ignoring of the religious instinct, which is nearly the strongest instinct and propension in human

nature.

When we consider the fact that the persistence of real morality depends upon a vital and well-presented religious influence, which shall embody the element of a "superrational sanction for conduct," if we may use a term familiar among certain sociological thinkers, the validity of the appeal for consideration of an organization_capable of embodying these desirable qualities is selfevident. The earnestness of conviction and consecration of purpose evidently manifested among adherents of the most futile sects among us are good, so far as they go, but experience has shown that they are sterile of vital and permanent influence, unless coupled with an organism capable of carrying out good intentions and promulgating and conserving excellent principles. This is the reason that Christian influence, with all that has been claimed for it in past centuries, has never been able to neutralize any of the evils of human society, and that these have been mollified solely by the growth of intelligence. But even intelligence is not sufficient to reorganize society, and create prosperity and happiness, where have always been poverty and misery. The crying need is for a practical coordination of all in

dividual wills into a concerted effort for achieving the ends of common good.

When we consider the fact that Christianity, as stated by Christ himself, evidently contemplates the regeneration of society and the establishment of "justice, mercy and truth," quite as much and as certainly as the achievement of "salvation" in the world to come, we begin to realize that, as the Saviour said, religious teachers are to be known "by their fruits." The Roman Church has always emphasized the blessings to be earned in the next world by suffering in this. If we admit that this is the real aim of Christianity, as it is with Buddhism, whose influence has probably been very great on the development of historic theologies, through the imported tendencies embodied in Manicheanism, and other old-time "heresies," we must admit that the Catholic Church has the only organization on earth capable of saving mankind from the "world, the flesh and the devil." The organization of its priesthood and of the numerous orders of "religious," is an admirable system for "overcoming the world" by "scourging the flesh for the spirit's good." Indeed, in this aspect, and in the states of mind that sympathize with this theory of the aim and functions of religion, it makes an appeal to the imagination in the same fashion as the heathen Buddhism, when glorified by the poet's skill.

The trouble, however, with Catholicism, or, indeed, any system holding self-immolation as its supreme ideal, and advocating the suppression of the "carnal self" as the highest duty of religion, is that its message to the world at large, including, as it does, very many people who lack enthusiasm in these directions, must necessarily be a compromise, very ineffective in achieving an order of righteousness that shall be able to do away with the shortcomings and evils of society. Such a system must take the world about as it is, and be satisfied with the "allegiance" of those classes of people who may not be brought to attempt the achievement of its highest ideals of human duty. The result was that the Catholic Church divided its membership into two classes, clergy and laity—which is to say those devoted to the interests of religion and those continuing to live the life of humanity in the world. Thus, even the persons who are devoted to the religious life are divided into two classes, the “ ligious," who belong to the "orders" and whose occupation consists in fulfilling the higher obligations of the faith, and the "secular," whose duty it is to administer to the needs of those in the world life. The greatest trouble is that the religious life has been too greatly separated from the life of the world, with the result that much "worldliness," such as vanity, cruelty,

re

selfishness, etc., has been tolerated as inevitable, which should have been made clearly and definitely inconsistent with Christian profession of any degree.

The "reformers" of medieval Europe, in the professed behalf of an improved order of righteousness, produced the systems included under the general term Protestantism. Undoubtedly, the aim in most cases was to bring righteousness down to the basis of every-day life, producing a statement of the Gospel suited to the needs of people in the world, and thus "saving" mankind more evidently and effectively than could be possible with a system holding an ideal of "overcoming" that was not possible, or not acceptable, to all. In spite, however, of the stern ideals of "domestic asceticism," the puritanism and separatism, introduced by some of the foremost of the "reformers" these leaders committed the inexcusable blunder of promulgating the noxious doctrine of "salvation by faith"-which to say, assent, which, although a mere corollary of scholastic theology, has always been a futile compromise with antinomian tendencies, and has done immense harm in rendering practical and social righteousness inoperative. Protestantism, quite as surely as Catholicism, contrives to make a very real and very unfortunate compromise between the demands of the Gospel and the natural " disabilities " of the human soul in the state of worldly existence.

In the case of the Catholic Church a splendidly conceived organization is devoted solely to the end of "overcoming" the world, rather than subjecting it to the good of God's people: in the case of Protestantism, organization is largely ignored, and practical righteousness largely neutralized by theories of the most indefensible variety.

In the meantime, at the end of eighteen centuries of Christian domination, we have social and moral "problems" that should never have emerged in a world, dominated, in any sense, by intelligence, and our traditional sects have no answers and no solutions. Indeed, the majority of people who are attempting to grapple with these conditions are outside of all sects, often outside of religion in any conscious or professing sense. It is evident, therefore, that there is room for some system of religion that shall follow Catholicism in an effective organization, and shall follow Protestantism in emphasizing the need of salvation for the individual living in the natural conditions of life; which, in short, shall gauge the efficiency of religious influence by its ability to save mankind in the flesh, socially, as well as individually.

One might be excused for believing that some such ideal existed in the mind of the founder of Mormonism. One might also claim