The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1883-07-10
SALT LAKE CITY.
Tobias Mitchell Among the Saints
What He Has to Say About
MOrmoniSm. ss.~
Springfield Herald.

from Tobias Mitchell, Esq, is pub
lished by the courtesy of bis sister,
Miss Stella. to whom it was written.
It is dated a, Salt Lake. June 18th !:
Tonight I visited the Salt Lake
Theater TO see Lawrence Barrett in
"Yorick's Love-" / went more to see
and study Mormon audience than
anything else /; and l had an album
dant opportunity to carry out my pur-
pose. Mr.. Barrett gave me a private
box. and, with friend. | took IN the
play and the people. What subject
for study this people is! Thousands
of miles away from all civilization.
isolated and alone, they have sought
to build up for themselves a creed
and country. Their belief is antago-
nistic with that Of all other countries.
Their religion has nothing to sustain
it. Polygamy or plural marriages is
The foundation of it all and how
strange it is that enlightened people
as many Of the Mormons are should
give their allegiance to faith that is
so frail in structure They have sell
ected for their homes one of the gar
den spots of tie world. They have
built for their CAPITAL and metropolis,
q CITY equal in grandeur and arcni-
teciural beauty TO that of almost any
c;ty in the world. Their temple of
worship now is only second in size to
that of any other, and at present they
are engaged upon another that will
be larger and finer than that Of any
other in the world.
Let me say word about this new
temple. Its construction or its build
ing was commenced about ten years
ago. and since then labor has never
ceased, and yet it is not half finished.
1t probably requires as many more
wears to complete it. The fashion or
style of it is alter Solomon's temple.
The masonry is of stone, and every
block of it is carefully dressed and
numbered before it reaches the struct-
ure, so that it fits in its place exactly
when the machinery raises it to tie
top of the wall. No stroke of the
hammer is ever heard in the build
ing as it raises itself silently and grand.
" upward. Around ali these temples
(there are three there is an immense
stone wall, over which it would be
difficult to climb even with ladders.
No one can 60 inside without card
of admission, and inside of one OF
them no Gentle is ever permitted te
enter. You will understand by the
word Gentle that all believers in the
Mormon faith are included. The
Mormons, as a rule, hate the Gentiles
and vice versa. l expect to visit the
temples, save the secret one, before
leave, if it is possible.
The Mormons, as you probably
understand, have what they call 8
seer or prophet, who is at the head o.
the church and who claims to have
revelations made to him from the
spirit land. Brigham Young was
the last and he was succeeded by
John Taylor, who is at present at the
bead of the church. When he re
ceives a revelation he imparts it t.
the church and the fact oft is hi
receives no more revelation or mes.
sage from the other world than yol
or l do. Still the Mormon seems tt
or do think that their revelations de
come from above, and no power or
earth could make them believe other
wise. They are as devout as any
church people On earth. and that ii
one of the things / can't see through
ANY one with ordinary reasoning pow
ers can take their doctrines and car
easily unravel them. Mormonisn
simply goes to show how credulous
and simple thousands of the people
in the world are. They are willing
to take the tallacies and foolishnes'
administered by others, and as Ions
as they have peace and plenty bt
satisfied with them.
At the, theatre to night were many
hundreds Of them. Some had tw(
and three wives with them, and OPP
posite my box was John Taylor anC
several of his wives. They conduct
ed thmselves with great decorum
Their religion embraces nothing al
taronistic II theatricals. Salt Lake
has two of the finest theatres in tn,
United States, and the finest stars o
the country play engagements here.
The Salt Lake theater was bull
built for Brigham Young and th'
Mormons, and for long time it wa
used almost exclusively for theil
amusements. 1t is something aftel
the style of the Grand opera in St
Louis, except that it was much mor'
costly. The Walker opera house wa
h,,;lt o,lv connie of voars since