| Elder
John Hyde Jr. arrived at Lahaina, Maui, with Elder
Thomas A. Dowell on the Fanny Major on October 5, 1856. The next
day, instead of attending the conference of elders, Hyde sailed for Honolulu,
leaving the missionaries guessing about his intentions. On October
20 he delivered a speech in Honolulu that delighted the anti-Mormons, confused
the native Saints, and angered the Utah missionaries. ¶
Mormonism and the Smallpox Epidemic of 1853 |
| About
the same time, the preeminent native convert, ¶
J. W. H. Kauwahi, renounced the church, publishing his reasons
in a pamphlet dated October 1856. Kauwahi's 1.5-page pamphlet was bound
in John Hyde's 14-page pamphlet (both in Hawaiian) published in December
of the same year. |
| In
1857 Hyde published a 335-page attack on the church, Mormonism:
Its Leaders and Designs. |
| As
a postscript, it appears that John Hyde stuck in Brigham's craw for many
years. Finally, in 1874 he crowed: |
| Horses
in the Americas |
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I
have been very much interested of late with regard to the studies and researches
of the geologists who have been investigating the geological character of
the Rocky Mountain country. Professor Marsh, of Yale College, with a class
of his students, has spent, I think, four summers in succession in the practical
study of geology in these mountain regions. What is the result of his researches?
There is one result, so far, that particularly pleases me. There are some
here who know a man by the name of John Hyde, from London, formerly [p.46]
a member of this Church, who apostatized and went back; and his great argument
against the Book of Mormon was, that it stated that the old Jaredites and,
perhaps, the Nephites, who formerly lived on this continent, had horses,
while it is well known that horses were unknown to the aboriginal inhabitants
of America when it was discovered by Columbus, and that there were no horses
here until they were imported from Europe. |
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Brigham
Young, April 18, 1874, JD 17:45–46. |
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Now, since Professor Marsh and his class began their investigations, they
have found among the fossil remains of the extinct animals of America no
less than fourteen different kinds of horses, varying in height from three
to nine feet. These discoveries made Professor Marsh's students feel almost
as though they could eat up these mountains … |
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Lecture on Mormonism. |
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The
Polynesian, October 25, 1856 |
| Hyde's
reasons for leaving the church |
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On the evening of Monday, 20th inst., we attended
a lecture at the Bethel Chapel, by Mr. Jon Hyde, whose communication appeared
in our last week's issue. The chapel was crowded. Among the congregation
we observed many of the elite of Honolulu. The subject was the lecturer's
reasons for leaving the Mormons. Our space forbids more than a very cursory
sketch; the most prominent points however were these.
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| Brigham
Young's despotic rule |
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1st. The arrogance and extravagance of their
pretensions. He read from the Deseret News several extracts, where
Brigham Young claims to have and give revelation at all times, suited to
all persons and circumstances, demands implicit obedience, affirms his total
irresponsibility to any man or set of men, pronouncing curses on disobedience,
and asks God to deal with him only as well as he deals with the people.
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| Doctrinal
disagreements among the brethren |
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2nd. The contradictions between the leading
men. He read an extract from the book of Smith's revelations, Section xxii,
1, where it says that all that the elders, on missions, say is scripture;
he showed that Orson Pratt had taught many things that Brigham contradicted,
and had called damnable doctrine; that Brigham had in places contradicted
himself; that O. Hyde, President of the Twelve Apostles, had taught a doctrine
called baby-resurrection, opposed and contradicted by all the rest, and
yet this was all scripture or else none of it was.
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| Conduct
of the Saints |
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3d. The conduct of the Mormons the best exponent
of their principles. A people constantly directed by the Holy Ghost, of
course must be expected to possess a very superior amount of holiness and
purity. The Mormons say that Utah, independent of religion, is the best
place to live in. He said he would not, in this investigation, rely on his
own statements, for he might be accused of desire to distract; nor quote
the assertions of enemies, for they might be prejudiced; nor from impartial
observers, for they might misunderstand; nor from mis-informed friends,
for they might missionary-state; nor from old dates, for the church might
have grown more perfect since then; nor extracted from adverse journals,
for they might garble; but in the language of their leading men, of the
latest dates, and printed in their own organ.
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| Cattle
rustling |
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Were they honest? He read from Brigham Young's
sermon, printed in the Deseret News, April 30, wherein he accuses
some of the American brethren of stealing cattle from the range on the "other
side of Jordan and beefing them, and bringing the meat and selling it to
the ignorant owners of the cattle, and then thanking heaven for "such
a God send!" But these, said the lecturer, might be thought to be the
notions of the very worst men. He read another extract out of the same sermon,
accusing that reported best men, then present at church, (meeting-going,
tithe-paying, prayer-saying, church-maintaining, "scripture speaking,"
saint-named, truth-loving pure men,) with robbing their "brethren in
the Lord," by turning cattle into their oats or wheat, and then on
being woke up, lieing about it. "But," said Mr. Hyde, "we
may be told that these are only the reputedly best men; they have hood-winked
the people, but cannot of course, deceive Brigham, and that these were not
placed in a position of honor, or trust." He read from a sermon of
Brigham Young, published June 25, in the Deseret News, and as the
piece is so richly expressive, we copy it verbatim:
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| Bishops
steal tithing |
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"I have proof ready to show that the Bishops
have taken in thousands of pounds of tithing which they have never reported
to the tithing office. We have documents to prove that Bishops have taken
in hundreds of bushels of wheat, and only a small portion of it has come
in to the general tithing office; they have stole it to let their friends
speculate on. If anyone is doubtful about this, will you not call on
me to produce my proof before a proper tribunal." — B. Young's
sermon delivered June 15th, 1853.
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| Grind
the poor, rob the church |
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These are the best men they can find; grinding
down the poor and then robbing the church. "If such be their best men,
God help their worst, and doubly help the poor wretches who fall under their
clutches." He alluded to the many cases of ox stealing, and the means
of replenishing the "church herd," and supplying the tithing office
with beef. As to purity, Brigham charges the community with fostering prostitutes,
idolaters and drunkards. [Deseret News, June 25:]
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| Revelations
prohibited polygamy |
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As to polygamy, by their own works in the early days of the church it
was wholly forbidden, and that too professedly by a God the Mormons claim
to be unchangeable. In are book of Smith's revelations it was expressly
prohibited (see our last number.) The Section cix stating that "as
the church had been accused of the crime of polygamy, we declare our believe
that a man shall have one wife," was appended, said the lecturer,
after the death of Joseph Smith, of which Sec. cxi treats, after Smith
had received his celebrated revelation of 1843 commanding polygamy; so
that the compilers of that section intentionally printed a wilful lie
and palmed it off as a revelation from God—and in such company, what
can we think of the other revelations?
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| Joseph
an adulterer |
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The revelation of 1843 was generally supposed
by the Saints as the foundation of polygamy, and that Joe. Smith never practised
it till after that revelation was given; but in Par. 21, Emma Smith is commanded
to receive not all those who shall be given, but "all those
who have been given to my servant Joseph"—proving that
Joseph had taken them for, and as this is the revelation commanding polygamy,
Joseph Smith had therefore, by his own admission, taken them before he was
commanded, and consequently was an adulterer.
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| Marrying
mother and daughter, half-sister, etc. |
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In the Mormon Book, page 118, (3d European edition)
it distinctly forbids polygamy—threatens those who have more than one
wife with "a sore curse, even to destruction!" now, said Mr. Hyde,
if Joseph Smith was right at the commencement of his ministry he was wrong
at the close, or else the Mormon unchangeable God had sadly changed during
thirteen years! At Salt Lake the men were not happy or holy; polygamy with
the woman was the record of her anguish, and her despair; the children were
corrupt and wicked, and J. D. Grant, the third man in the ruling triad,
defended their wickedness; called them hickory saplings, such said they
could not be bent. He named some instances of a man marrying mother and
daughter, and another taking his half sister, and gave some amusing illustrations
of the working of polygamy.
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J.
D. Grant: Jedediah M. Grant, Brigham Young's second counselor. |
| Audience
pleased |
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The audience was highly attentive and evidently
much pleased, as were we, and feel inclined to congratulate Mr. Hyde on
his happy escape, and to predict for him much success in the discharge of
his new line of duty.
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[Notice on the same page] |
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| Notice
of next lecture |
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A large number of the residents of Honolulu
and vicinity have requested me to deliver another lecture on Mormonism.
This is to announce that I will comply with the above request on Monday
evening next, at 7 o'clock, at the Bethel Chapel. Yours truly, Jon Hyde,
Jr. |
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