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Show 92 WESTERN WILDS. man of his mental make- up ever believed Mormonism ; the more rea-sonable supposition is that he, like many other leaders of this people, holds all religions in equal indifference, but finds his account in this one, and is willing the Church should run along as comfortably as may be, while he accumulates wealth and takes physical comfort. The husband of but one wife, he has never held ecclesiastical position in the Church, but has been remarkably useful during many years service at Washington. In 1872, Brigham concluded that a polyga-mous people ought to be represented by a polygamist, and accordingly sent George Q. Cannon, the four- wived apostle, to Washington. Con-gress, which expelled Bowen for having two wives, admitted Cannon with four, and Hooper returned to his store and bank. As all things spiritual are in doubt, any man is excusable for believing any relig-ion ; but we can barely excuse one who, in mere indifference, pro-fesses belief in the worst imposture of the age. My best interview was with George A. Smith, full cousin to the original Joe, and then an apostle, but a little later chosen in full conference to the place of Heber C. Kim-ball, deceased, as First Coun-cilor to Brigham Young. This man was long known among Gentiles as the most gorgeous liar in the Rocky Mountains. He had four sermons, usually selecting the one most fitting to the occa-sion ; and recited the history of the Church with such an ingenious mixture of fact and fiction, that his dazed hearers accepted the whole as gospel. In his narrative, Mormonism had a roll of martyrs longer than that of the primitive church, and an array of miracles which quite put the Mosaic record in the background. Of sanguine temperament, easily believing every thing that made for the glory of Mormonism, and throwing off with equal ease whatever might have suggested doubt to an earnest thinker, fully persuaded of the Mormon doctrine, that it was right to deceive for the good of the Church, and with a brilliant imagination, that made him believe any GEORGE A. SMITH. |
