It is said that in the summer of 1884 a wealthy Mormon, while on a visit to Boston, employed a young lady to look up his genealogy. Having learned the names of about two hundred of his ancestors, he had the rite of baptism performed for them all. And it is related that an old man, long a convert to Mormonism, residing in the southern part of Utah, went thirty miles distant to a place where the Saints were in conference for the purpose of saving nearly one hundred of his ancestors from everlasting destruction by being baptized for them. He made the journey in an ox-cart with his two sons. The baptism, of course, was immersion in a river; and the old man was dipped as many times as he could stand the operation, each dip representing an entrance into the Mormon paradise for some one of the otherwise lost hundred of his forefathers; and then his sons in turn were baptized, until the object of their visit was fully accomplished. 8. Another doctrine is that _a priesthood duly authorized by God is absolutely essential to salvation_. Without this no sacrament or rite is acceptable to God or of value to men. It is only through their preaching that sinners can repent and believe; and the remission of sins follows baptism only when priestly hands administer it; and this authority comes by no fancied apostolical succession, but from Joseph Smith as the sole source. Before him for a thousand years there was no authority, and to-day all is illegitimate outside the Mormon Church. There are two classes of priesthood: _The Melchizedek_ and _the Aaronic_. The Melchizedek priesthood is the higher branch, having special reference to spiritual affairs, while the Aaronic priesthood has most to do with the temporal interests of the Church. Both of these branches are obtained through Joseph Smith, who received his ordination in a supernatural manner. According to Mormon authority, an angelic messenger, calling himself John the Baptist, met him in the woods of New York, May 15th, 1829, and ordained him to the Aaronic priesthood; and soon after, it is claimed, he received his ordination to the Melchizedek priesthood at the hands of the apostles Peter, James, and John. The Aaronic priesthood includes (beginning with the lowest) the offices of deacon, teacher, priest, and bishop. The Melchizedek priesthood includes the offices of elder, high-priest, patriarch, seventy, and apostle. A worse despotism than is exercised over the people by this priesthood cannot be found on earth. Claiming to have the keys of heaven and hell, and to have its authority directly from the Lord, it wields absolute power, not only in spiritual but in all temporal affairs.