The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-10-02
IN THE MORMON TABERNACLE.

VphoHS IOoHl Zoo 1eet long by loU feet wld
with single, selfsustainging arch roo
% feet high, supported around the side
by 10 sandstone columns. 1t is capabl,
of seating 5000 persons, but having NJ
heating apparatus, is used only in sum
mer. In one end is the organ, SECOND
IN size only to the Boston organ. 1t i
an instrument ofrare sweetness and power
built by a Salt Lake saint. The larg,
choir, of perhaps sixty voices, is PLACED
immediately around the orgon, and il
front are tiers of seats with chairs ano
desks in the center for the superior officer
OF the congregation, from the President
down. In front of all is long table, OF
which are placed the bread and water Of
the Communion service, which is admin.
lstered every Sunday, water taking the
place of wine.
On the morning of our attendance, a
children's gathering was held, preparatory
to the Observance of the great Mormon
anniversaries, July "a, commemorative
the Landing of the Pilgrims on the
sand-bound shores of Salt Lake, twenty
eight years ago. Some 5000 children, OF
more, were present, belonging to the vari-
Gus ward Sunday-schools, for the purpose
OF rehearsing their songs and declama.
tons. The delivery of the latter indica-
ted the influence of the theater rather
than of the school, the articulation being
generally far from perfect, and the pro.
nunciation faulty. The children Kept
excellent time and tune The music and
poetry were up to the machine average
of Sunday-schOol verse and song. The
latter-day element, of course, was promi-
nent, as in the following:
Bless Brigham Young, we children pray,
Thy chosen Twelve, in what they say;
my elders, priests and teachers, too,
Their lators bless in all they do.
We are the children of the saints
VI these, the after days,
When God again has caused to shine
Truths bright effuIgent rays.
Ills kingdom he is building up,
10 bear unbounded sway,
mat Zion may appear in all its glory.
CHORUS.
Hurrah : hurrah! well help the work along.
lis expected the children will perform noble
In rolling on the Kingdom in its glory.
How bright have been parental hopes
About what shall do
In rolling on Jehovah's work,
md helping put il through.
We'll stem the tide of wiekedness
hat deluges the world,
Ahat Zion may appear in all its glory.
ChOrus-Hurrah, etc.
We're heirs unto the priesthood.
For in it We were born;
by naught but vilest actions
Can we he of it shorn.
We're of the fold of Jesus,
His precious lambs are we,
And if we are pure-heartei,
His face soon shall see.
Another hymn, entitled ''The Standard
OF Zion, was an adaptation of the ''Star
Spangled Banner"
During the singing our eyes ranged
over the notices painted on the panels in
front OF the gallery. One of these read.
and 1t found striking exemplification in
the scenes before us-"Utah's best crop
children" Other notices are: "Our own
mountain home" "United we stand. divi-
ded we fall" "Heirs of the priesthood"
brigham our leader and friend" s.The
kingdom is ours" 1--WE thank thee. O
God, for a prophet" "Our martyred
prophet" After the service some of our
party had briefinterview with Brigham
Young, who is said to show signs Of adj
vanclng age and debility, as might be ex-
pected of one seventy-four years old.
SERVICE IN THE TABERNACLE.
In the afternoon the regular public SER
vice was held in the tabernacle. In Nor
mondom no one breaches, except as he is
moved by the Holy Ghost. He is un-
doubleday the ablest living exponent of
the theology and morals of the saints. He
Is OF medium stature, sturdily and some
what heavily built, with a large head,
broad face, ruddy complexion, long white
beard; on the whole, a fair American rep
resentative of the old time patriarch He
stands speaking, with side-long inclina-
tioh OF the head and an upward cast of
the eye, as though taking aim at a squir-
rel with shotgun. His voice is strong
manner ponderous, language plain and
homely, style fOrcible rather than elegant
direct rather than correct. His adde's
was preceded by singing and a PRAYER
from another brother, who PRAYED for the
strangers present, that they might be led
10 see things as they are, and to report
ac,cord.Ing-ly, with a highly expressive
syllaplhcatlon and penultimate accentua-
ton of the last word.
Brother Orson took for his text Matt
XIX, 80; and after a preliminary state
ment that he had no knowledge of what
ne was about to say, but that he should
speak as he was directed to speak. an
nounced his theme to be MARRIAGE He
then proceeded to unfold the Mormon
theory of this institution. 1t would be
neither practicable nor profitable to give
anything like complete synopsis of this
singular discourse. Suffice it to saw, it
was an elaborate exposition and defence
OF spiritual marriage and polygamy. Since
APOSTOLIC age there has been no true
religion in the world, until on April 6,
io5o, the church was organized anew by
special revelation, with its apostles. rev.
eiators, and prophets, just as the Chris
tIir Chmrch was organized at the begin
hIng- There can be no valid marriage
unless celebrated by one specially author
lzed by God; All marriages before the
ulvlne revelationlto Joseph SMITH are
InVaiid- True marriage is for eternity.
Iho5e not properly married can only be
angels, l. C., mInIstering servants hereaf
Ter those truly, j. e., ECONOMICALLY.
married snail inherit thrones and be rulers
o .a ceiGstlai kingdoms. Polygamy enlarges
these kingdoms, and so gives man ahigher
position IN Heaven. Polygamy, more
over, makes provision for the souls ofthe
departed VINO are as yet imprisoned in
Paradise. The men and women of To dav
can become baptized and married for the
dead, and so secure their release from
Paradise, and their establishment a. GODS
or rulers of celestial kingdoms.
And 50 on for quantity and for quality
z strange medley, by turns forcible and
feeble, shrewd and silly, biblical and bias
,phemous, amusing perhaps, but disgust
ing beyond doubt. And this. felt, il
horinonIsnl-fa naticism P,,trIfIed into n
fraud; religion reduced to the propagation
of the race; solitary Bible texts exaggcr-
ated and perverted into A revelation of
absurdities; and denominations. salvation
by marriage; Christianity. the corner
stone OF which Is the sexual relation. q,
MOhammedan heaven, seen tbrougb a
New Testament perspective with an ola
Testament background.