The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Mormon Prophet, by Lily Dougall

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Title: The Mormon Prophet

Author: Lily Dougall

Release Date: December 11, 2005 [EBook #17279]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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The Mormon Prophet

BY

LILY DOUGALL

Author of The Mermaid, The Zeitgeist, The Madonna of a Day, Beggars All,
Etc.

TORONTO

THE W.J. GAGE COMPANY (LIMITED)
1899

COPYRIGHT, 1899,
BY D. APPLETON AND COMPANY.

_All rights reserved._

PREFACE.

In studying the rise of this curious sect I have discovered that certain
misconceptions concerning it are deeply rooted in the minds of many of
the more earnest of the well-wishers to society. Some otherwise
well-informed people hold Mormonism to be synonymous with polygamy,
believe that Brigham Young was its chief prophet, and are convinced that
the miseries of oppressed women and tyrannies exercised over helpless
subjects of both sexes are the only themes that the religion of more
than two hundred thousand people can afford. When I have ventured in
conversation to deny these somewhat fabulous notions, it has been
earnestly suggested to me that to write on so false a religion in other
than a polemic spirit would tend to the undermining of civilised life.

In spite of these warnings, and although I know it to be a most
dangerous commodity, I have ventured to offer the simple truth, as far
as I have been able to discern it, consoling my advisers with the
assurance that its insidious influence will be unlikely to do harm,
because, however potent may be the direful latitude of other religious
novels, this particular book can only interest those wiser folk who are
best able to deal with it.

As, however, to many who have preconceived the case, this narrative
might, in the absence of explanation, seem purely fanciful, let me
briefly refer to th