OCR Text |
Show AND MORMON DIGNITARIES. 175 any spirituality. His history, as I gathered from the re marks of both himself and the President, is as follows : He was educated for the ministry in Germany, and filled a pul pit in a Lutheran church in that country for a few years, when he emigrated to the United States. He found in this country no sect exactly corresponding with the Church to which he belonged at home, and selecting the one that ap proached nearest to it, he united himself with the Protest ant Episcopal Church. Not long afterward he was given a parish somewhere in New York, and ministered unto his people for a few years, feeling, however, all this time, that he was not doing all he could for the Master. To be taught his proper and his whole duty he made a subject of special prayer, and sought in every possible way to ascer tain what it was. Finally he had a vision ( visions are very common with Mormons), and in it an angel came to him, and he inquired of the angel what he should do, when he was told " Go thy way." Rather vague instruction for one in ignorance of his duty, and he pressed the angel for an explanation. Then the light came. The angel said, " Go to my servant, Brigham Young, in Great Salt Lake City, and he will teach thee the way." His line of duty was then clear to him ; he gave up his church ; corres ponded with the Prophet ; afterward removed to Utah, and is now an honest Mormon. The following day I had an interview with the Prophet, and mentioned that I heard him preach the day before, when he inquired if I heard the sermon preceding his, and appeared to be very proud of this new accession to his clergy. He said the man had been a student " all his life, and had never done a day's manual labor before he arrived in Utah ; " but when he came here we put him to work as we do everybody." It grieved me to see a pious and educated man led into this ridiculous delusion. The fact of this man being educated was not a source of congratulation to Brigham, but his complete infatuation and submission were the great things. An idea of the Presi- |