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78 HASKINS & SELLS August o A Visit to the Mormons By JOHN R. WILDMAN THE Mormons are a much misunder-stood people. To the outsider they are a people of mystery. They will tell you themselves the things outsiders say about them; how they have horns and cloven hoofs. A visit to Salt Lake City, which is the center of Mormonism in the world, dispels all such nonsensical ideas. One is impressed first with the beauties of the city; its fine broad streets; the marvelous cleanliness, accentuated by the water running through the street gutters; the system of drinking fountains which provides cold sparkling water brought from the nearby mountains for the refreshment of the pedestrian. Verily the late President Young, who laid out the city with streets one hundred and thirty-two feet wide and ten acres to the block, must have been a far-seeing man. Attending a service in the Tabernacle is not unlike attending the church of the Methodists or the Baptists or any other denomination. They sing and pray and preach precisely as do the others, except that they seem to know more about the Bible and to be able to quote more Scripture. There is a certain earnestness about their service which is very impressive. The Tabernacle seats about twelve thousand persons and is noted for its pipe organ, perhaps not now the largest in the world, but second to none in the quality of its tones. Certain of the latter, known as the human voice tones, are so natural as to deceive the most discerning ear. The full choir numbers four hundred voices. The word "Mormon" is a nickname for this religious sect. The correct name is Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints. The sect originated with one Joseph Smith to whom God and His Son are said to have appeared at Camorah, New York, in the year 1820. Growing out of this "Joseph the Prophet" started with his followers on a pilgrimage which ended at the valley adjacent to the Great Salt Lake in what is now the state of Utah. Joseph Smith was killed en route in Illinois by a mob because of his religious belief. He was succeeded by Brigham Young who led the party from Illinois to its final destination. President Young was a man of great vision. The mountains with their untold millions of mineral deposits were denied to the members of the party by him. Their livelihood lay in agriculture and to this he urged them to direct their attention. President Young was friendly to the Indians and is reported to have counselled his brethren to "Shoot them with biscuits." Thus, it is explained, were the Mormons free from molestation by the Indians. The Temple, occupying a prominent place on Temple Block in the center of Salt Lake City, is a tribute to the patience and perseverance of the Mormons. It is built of native granite and required forty years to complete. Much of the stone in the structure was hauled by ox-teams from the mountains at a distance of twenty-five or thirty miles. The Temple is open only to members of the church. In it are performed marriages and baptismal cere-
Object Description
Title |
Visit to the Mormons |
Author |
Wildman, John Raymond, 1878-1938 |
Subject |
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- History Mormons |
Geographic Location |
Salt Lake City (Utah) |
Citation |
Haskins & Sells Bulletin, Vol. 03, no. 08 (1920 August 15), p. 78-80 |
Date-Issued | 1920 |
Source | Originally published by: Haskins & Sells |
Type | Text |
Collection | Deloitte Digital Collection |
Digital Publisher | University of Mississippi Libraries. Accounting Collection |
Date-Digitally Created | 2009 |
Identifier | HS Bulletin 3-p78 |