To the Editor—Sir:—As the prophet was expatiating on the character of John and Jesus, I had a peculiarly fair view of his person; and, to my astonishment, I beheld a man destitute of all those qualifications so essential to the life and interest of the man of memory keen, the razor; for if men generally, did not need shaving more than the Mormon prophet, barber’s shops would be of little use; indeed, if he shaves at all, I think it must be for fashion’s sake, for I would judge him to be a beardless hero of about thirty-seven or eight years.

The way he explained the difference between the Holy Ghost, in the form of the dove, and the sign of the dove, was curious indeed, and after critically noticing all the nice distinctions between the two, he closed that part of his subject by calling on all the fearned [learned] men present, of every sect and denomination, or of no denomination at all, to come forward, and, by their Greek and Hebrew, refute what he had stated; and when they had done it, he pledged himself to prove them all false, before the whole world, by their own witnesses. There were several learned men present, but no one accepted the offer, and it was presumed they dare not do it, for fear they should expose themselves.

There is the greatest spirit of liberality among this “deluded” people, I have ever met with. They will let any man who professes to be a minister of the gospel, preach in their houses, or, on their , and I have never known them flinch from investigation, but always appear open and frank in faith and practice.

The way the prophet uses his lungs, when he addresses a great multitude in the open air, (and he seldom speaks to less than several thousands on such occasions) would be a caution to almost any man; when he gets engaged, he roars—so that all who will may hear, & all who will not, must not stand very near.

In all his appearance, both in public and in private, so far as I have observed, he is purely sui generis, he is governed by the governing spirit, and not by any fixed rules, or scholastic dogmas; and thousands hung on his lips in breathless silence, while he explained the Alpha and Omega, and all the interstices of the Prodigal Son; and although he occupied near three hours in his multifarious observations, his standing auditors seemed at the close as though he had just named his text, or as though they wished it were so, and seemed as much delighted as surprised at the wonderful expose of the poor returning penitent of the parable, in which he brought forth a particular key which unlocked the whole mystery. But I must not enter into a detail of such lengthy proceedings to the exclusion of passing events.

Saturday week, Peter Sozzle was brought up, on complaint, before the Mayor, (for you must recollect that “Jo” is Mayor, as well as prophet) for breach of ordinance. Peter feigned himself rather blue, and the Mayor orderd him to the lockup until sober. I’m sober as your honor, said Peter. Then I will imprison you two days for contempt of Court, was his honor’s reply. On Monday it appeard that Peter had been in the habit of making too free with the “gud cratur,” and had abused his better half, whom he had found only about one moon ago, and who thought them poor saints “who would act so.” Fined ten dollars, and bound over to keep the peace 6 months.

But you must not take Peter for a specimen of . The city ordinances prohibit drunkenness in every form, both by fine and imprisonment, and no man is allowed to sell less than one gallon of whiskey, at any one time, under a severe penalty. Whiskey is used principally for making vinegar, in the West, but the ordinance is rather hard against the tippler, in the “ of the Saints,” for the Mormon drunkards, while drunk, are obliged to keep hid behind the barrel, or risk being found before their betters, with or without precept, when sober.

Before arriving at this place, and since too, from abroad, I have often heard it reported that the prophet gets drunk; but if I may be permitted to judge of “Joe’s” exterior, I would as soon suspect the angel Gabriel for a tippler, as his honor, and if he were as guilty as the Gothamites, and other ites, report him to be, I think somebody might have found it out before now, for he stated in Court, two days since that he had been arrayed before the Courts of his , sixty-five times, and no evil had yet been found against him.