The Mormon Menace
The strange sect called the Mormons or Latter Day Saints originated about 130 years ago in America. The founder was a man named Joseph Smith, born at the beginning of the 19th Century. He made extravagant claims to direct revelations from heaven and asserted that he had a visitation from John the Baptist. The book of Mormon which he was supposed to have found buried in a hillside after divine direction, is placed on an equality with the Bible. The Mormons believe that God is merely an exalted man, that he cannot be in two places at the one time and that all who do not receive the ordinances of the Latter Day Saints are damned. This sect is utterly opposed to every branch of the Christian Church and to all ministers of the Gospel in the Christian Church. And it is now coming to light in these recent times that this dangerous and heretical organisation from Utah, U.S.A., is flooding this country right to the very North of Scotland with their so-called missionaries who are also called Mormon elders. They work in pairs in going from door to door endeavouring to seduce people into their sect; and some of them are known to have introduced themselves as ministers and asking to be allowed to come into the houses. These Mormon missionaries are usually young men. In places they get in contact with children on playing fields in towns and offer to teach them certain games. They thus hope to get in touch with the homes and the parents of such children. What a day has come upon poor Scotland, the land of Knox, the Covenants and a line of mighty preachers of the Gospel of Christ — a land of many witnesses for the Christian faith — when such an evil sect as the Mormons are setting up churches and buying property for the propagation of their poisonous views religiously. We have been charged publicly with religious intolerance in opposing the granting of public buildings belonging to Scottish ratepayers to the Mormon sect for the carrying on of their anti-Christian religious activities. John in his Second Epistle, verse 10, writes to “the elect lady and her children” thus: “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is a partaker of his evil deeds.” So our people should keep Mormon missionaries from entering their houses and witness against them in every Scriptural and lawful manner. This does need to involve pressing for civil sanctions against them as foreigners in our land. They have civil liberty while here; but let us protest against their evil doctrines and warn our fellow-men to beware of these “seducing spirits.”
What Most People Do Not Know
In a lunch-hour talk in October, at St. George’s West Church, Edinburgh, Mr T. Walker, manager of Heart of Midlothian Football Club, and elder of the above church said among other things: “What is the chief end of man? Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” He then said most people knew right from wrong so that the act of glorifying God was simply doing that which was right always. Mr Walker is steeped in the superficial, modern and unscriptural view of man so common in the teaching of his own denomination to-day. The unconverted, and spiritually ignorant man does not know right from wrong but in a very limited sense. “The ox knoweth his owner and the ass his master’s crib: My people doth not know; Israel doth not consider” (Isaiah, Chap. 1). The most of people, to-day at any rate, are so ignorant that they call evil good, good evil, bitter sweet and sweet bitter. Sin has so ruined man morally and spiritually that he knows not in any degree whatsoever how to glorify God. The “born again” Christian alone among men is just learning here a little and there a little as to how to glorify God. Man since the Fall is an enemy of God and of all righteousness; but Mr Walker’s religion casts a covering upon man’s depravity and inability to glorify God. What a mighty work by the Holy Spirit is required in the souls of the people of Scotland to rid poor sinners of that false peace which comes with ignorance of the Word of God.
Church of Scotland Leaders and R.C. Archbishop
Before his departure for the Vatican Council at Rome, Rev. Gordon Gray, Roman Catholic Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, met representatives of Roman, Episcopal and Presbyterian Churches. A reception was organised for him by a group of Roman Catholic business men in Edinburgh at the beginning of October. A report stated that Professor Tindall, Convener of the Church of Scotland Inter-Church Relations Committee, and his Vice-Convener, Rev. Roderick Smith, talked with the Archbishop. Church of Scotland representatives at this reception were reported as saying that the Vatican Council would make a definite impression on church unity and that it would help to create better understanding. These expressions of opinion reveal an utter lack of understanding of the determination of the Roman Church to hold to all their dogmas however false and blasphemous some of these are; and to bring “heretics” back into the Roman fold including Church of Scotland “heretics.” The Vatican Council are certainly not thinking of Church unity, but the unreserved submission of others to the false claims of the Pope. How blind men are who do not wish to see the truth when settled upon a certain line of conduct contrary to the Word of God and the precious Protestant faith! The Rev. E. W. Brady, Episcopal representative from All Saints Rectory, Brougham Street, Edinburgh, made the statement that he was confident that the Vatican Council’s intention to revise the teachings of the R.C. Church in modern language was a definite step towards unity. Rev. Mr Brady avers, as above without any authority whatsoever that the Council has the intention to revise the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. Does Mr Brady not know, as we do, that the Vatican made it clear before the Council met that none of their dogmas would be altered or given up and that other Churches were to understand that? We must more than ever examine what men say in the religious world in the light of published and known facts.
The Gaelic National Mod and Strong Drink
The Gaelic National Mod was held in Oban this year from 1st to 5th October. The following item of news connected with the week of the Mod in Oban was published in black heavy type in the daily paper “The Press and Journal” for 5th October, 1962: viz., “One leading hotel proprietor in Oban estimated yesterday that by the end of the week he will have sold at a minimum well over 600 bottles of whisky to Mod visitors and competitors.” There was some criticism of drinking during the Mod by the man who was elected Bard this year. We remember that when this Mod was held in Inverness the same kind of observation was made as to the extent of drinking in the town during the week the Mod was in session. We will leave readers to assess the situation when a Mod is in session in the light of these observations.