Life, 1911-03-30 · page 11 of 45
Life — March 30, 1911 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine critiques Mormon missionaries recruiting in Great Britain. The left article sarcastically defends Mormon emigration to America, claiming there are ~320 American missionaries in Britain converting people (especially women) to Mormonism. The writer questions whether these conversions are genuine or if Mormons are exploiting vulnerable populations for "degradation." The piece suggests the British government should expel Mormon missionaries rather than treat them as legitimate religious teachers. The small cartoon on the right ("Taking Himself Seriously") depicts a man with surveying equipment, likely satirizing grandiose pretension—possibly referencing someone associated with Mormon expansion or land claims. The mountain landscape photograph at top appears to illustrate the Mormon-settled frontier regions in America.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Mormon Missionaries ET us relieve some anxieties of the venerated Springfield Republican, which s: It appears that there are some 320 American missionaries now at, work in Great Britain, against. whom there is a strong local prejudice. The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of London are opposed to their oper- ions, while the British Government is con- sidering whether it cam: lawfully expel them from the country. Does the fact that these American missionaries are Mormons deprive them of the rights abroad which all other American missionaries in foreign lands en- joy? We don't believe there are anything like so many Mormon missionaries in Great Britain as “appears.” Reed Smoot says the whole Mormon immigra- tion last year did not exceed a thou- sand persons. It was reported that the Mormons got over three thousand women from England alone, but the Smoot figures look much more probable. If the proselyting is not going on on too large a scale, the British Govern- ment may not think it worth while to expel the Mormon missionaries, but if it docs chose to expel them, it will be not as religious teachers, but as misleading emigration agents. THE WANDERLUST There are no American missionaries in foreign lands that we,know of whose errand it is to. make converts, females preferred, and bring them to the United States. The Mormon missionarics are in a class by themselves aud can be dealt with separately. The objection to them savors of the objection to the traf- fickers in “white slaves.”. If any gov- ernment satisfies itself that these emis- saries are recruiting emigrants from its population for purposes of degradation, it can surely expel’ them. If the Mor- mons protest, through Smoot, as the Ke- publican suggests, they will probably be investigated by our Government before it takes any action in defense of the Mormon elders abroad. .We don't be- lieve they want to be investigated, or could stand the federal searchlight. They can't fight; they, cannot make any effectual protest. They can only hide. Their whole proposition is too rotten for anything else. They have got a political church founded on polygamy. If the polygamy has really been cut out of it in theory and practice, their church will die. If it hasn't, they are violators of law and cannot claim the law's pro- tection. A Motto for Your Wall N idleness many discouragements lurk ; The very best way to kill time is to work. TER all—J. P. Morgan. SVN TAKING HIMSELP SERIOUSLY comicbooks.com