Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-12-19

The following ex.rac. Is taken from com
munication in the Traveller from the pen of
w. III. Nye l. gives a clear glimpse of things
in Mormondom
Ar,rr ,ypz, journey through Idaho and
down across the northern line Of Utah, we
came into Cache Valley, and stopped at the lit
tie town Of Logan, eighty miles north of Salt
Lake City. 1t IS enc Of their most furnishing
settlements in this valley, containing a popula-
ton of some 5000. The only church building
that vas erected when We were there would
accommodate some three hundred persona. It
was very plain. resembling cur backwoods
school houses Of the o!den time, only il was
somewhat larger. The seats were movable
so that the floor could be cleared to afford
room to dance occL cLsionally, for during the
two weeks of my stay they had two balls, one
to accommodate the bishop and elders, the
other for the younger people. Lodging in q
house near by, noticed That the bishop and
elders kept up their music and dancing until a
very late hour. Judging from the noisy dem
onstrations made, they were quite as much at
home during these hours as on the Sabbath,
when / listened to their discourses.
My first attendance CT { church Of these
Later ID ~ SAINTS aiii serve TO illustrate tn
sty Of the religion in vogue here. The SER
vice commenced by the administration Of the
Lords Supper, which always precedes their
religious service Oh the Sabbath. After this
it was conducted in the usual form, namely,
singing, accompanied by the meodeon a ser
mon by the bishop, prominently devoted to the
past his tory of the Mormon church ana its
sufsrngs by persecution, and berating the
Gentiles and the Christianity Of the states.
The discourse wound up by an appeal TO the
brethren some thing the following:
We want FIVE teams and twenty men to
dig new ditch by which the water from the
mountains may be turned 80 as to irrigate cer-
tain lands which have hitherto been OF no value
Tor the need of that article. We expect to
see the brethren Oh hand at the time appoint
ed
The following is the substance of another
notice On the same OCCASION
I" Ii that man who took brother BIS coat
from mis- wagon in his absence will return the
same within given lime, no questions Will be
asked
After this the postmaster arose and read O
| list of letters remaining in the post office for
the past week. Their early history and suffer
ings form ever recurring topics for Sunday
discoures, Interminged with hard sayings
against the Gentiles. Christ as a Saviour and
| Redeemer is lamentably lost sight Of How
ever, it should not be understood that the BIZ
bic is entirely set aside, that its great themes
are entirely out of sight.
Occasionally you may look for something o.
higher order of preaching when bishop OF
perhaps Brigham himself comes down from
Salt Lake City, where all the civilization anc
refinement of Utah is presumed to center. On
hearing his preaching for the moment, you a.
most forget that you not in an evapgelica
church in the states until you are brought to i'll
recollection by some duty enjoined upon men
il their married relations, where IS lariEer 1
/ "A
One would be APT 20 suppose by the preach
er's use of the plural in MS ailusion TO wive'
that all tn. men of these settlements had twt
or more wives. But the fact is, not more tha.
one half of the married men belonging to Nor
mondom have more than one wife, and the un
married daughters of Mormon families detss;
the system, az well they may.