Mr. Durant of Salt Lake City, "That Mormon". Ben. E. Rich

Mormonism is a subject which has been handled by many authors. Some have written in its favor, with prayerful hearts, seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit as their honest convictions were recorded; while others have declared against the Mormons and the man who was the instrument, in the hands of God, of founding their faith. A few of the latter class have been honest in their attacks, believing, perhaps, that they were doing the Lord's will in opposing it; but the majority have been actuated by hatred in all they have said on the subject.

The author of this work has endeavored to present, in plain and simple words, the faith of the Latter-day Saints, with a desire to aid and interest the young men of Mormondom, who have had no missionary experience, and to fit them to make known their belief to the nations of the earth, should they be called upon for that purpose.

If this book shall benefit them, and give others a better conception of the Latter-day Saints and their religion, the object in publishing it will have been attained.

THE AUTHOR.

OGDEN, February, 1893.

MR. DURANT OF SALT LAKE.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER I.

Table of Contents

THE OLD AND THE NEW.

There are few if any cities or towns of any consequence in the vast territory known to poesy as the Sunny South, that do not speak in every street corner, in almost every building, and even through the individuals themselves, of the wondrous changes wrought by the great civil war. Those who knew that Sunny South before the sanguinary struggle, and have since looked upon it, will most readily appreciate the force of this statement; while those who have not seen it, need only be told that where villages existed then, now thriving towns arise, or bustling municipalities; elegant mansions have supplanted log huts or other indifferent abodes of men; the railway has displaced the stage coach for all time; newspapers abound where before these were almost unknown, and—greatest boon of all—the auction block, whereon human merchandise was publicly vended, exists only as a memory which itself is rapidly vanishing before the pressure of modern progress and a better civilization. In one respect at least, however, there has been little, if any, change, and that is in regard to the best feature of all among the many that are commendable in the true Southerner—the stranger or wayfarer is received with the same unaffected hospitality as of yore, and is at liberty, within reasonable limits, to avail himself of all the conveniences and enjoyments of whatever home he may find himself the guest.

Notwithstanding their hospitality, the people of the South are usually disposed to be suspicious of strangers until well acquainted with them, and they are overly watchful, jealous and even irritable when once a real or fancied cause for vigilance arises. Inheriting traditions and propensities which are inseparable from the climate and the race, they brook no interference with their peculiar views, and anything savoring of intolerance or bigotry concerning a cherished Southernism is summarily suppressed if it can be; apart from this, it matters little what the visitor believes or practices in a general way. In politics they incline largely one way, possibly for the reason that to do otherwise would, as they look upon it, threaten them with the domination of the black race, and this of all things they will not have, no matter by what means it is prevented. In religion they are protestant with heavy leaning towards the Baptist doctrines, not always free from narrowness, yett fairly tolerant—many evincing a willingness to listen, and demanding a right to believe or disbelieve, as their judgment may dictate.

Those who are unacquainted with the situation would be inclined to say at this point. What a grand field for missionary work! And so it is; but the great mistake of supposing that the South is deficient in the matter of Christian endeavor or ecclesiastical institutions, must not be made. Far from that! On the contrary, perhaps religious feeling is more generally diffused, guarded, and defended as herein expressed, than in any other section of the civilized world; but it is not of the kind from which riots and persecutions grow for no other reason than that it is opposed.

There is much else south of the imaginary dividing line of North and South that might be spoken of to interest, but which will not be referred to except incidentally in the succeeding chapters. What we have said is for the purpose of giving only so much of a description of the country and people as is necessary to make our little narrative, the incidents of which are laid there, more easily understood. As this book deals principally with actual occurrences, and people in real life, such a foundation seems to be entirely proper.

Mr. Durant of Salt Lake City, "That Mormon". Ben. E. Rich