The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-07-25
Service in the Mormon Tabernacle.


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Service 10 the Tabernacle is held on |
Sundays at two clock in the afternoon.
The Saints assemble not only from the
city, but from all the country round, |
and many vehicles Of all sorts are left
standing in the neighborhood. The
centre of the church fills rapidly with ,
women, while men predominant in the
side rows Of seats. There are seats for
thirteen thousand persons in the amphi-f
theatre and gallery, and many more
crowd in at some of the great confer
ences, A broad gallery closes around
at the front, where the choir sit in two
wings, facing each other, the men on |
one side and the women opposite. The
space between is filled by three long
crimson-cushioned pulpit desks, in each
OF which twenty speakers or so can sit
at once, each rank overlooking the
heads of the one beneath. Tue highest
was designed for the president aud his
two counsellors the second one for
the twelve apostles, and the lowest for
the bishops, but believe the order is
not very rigidly observed.
The acoustic properties of the house
are almost perfect. A former def
cheney of light has been overcome by
the use of electricity aud tie chilling
baroness of the huge whitewashed vault
is relieved by hangiugs of evergreen
and flowers made of tissue-paper, the
effect of which is very good indeed. boz
Every Sunday the sacrament is ad-
ministered, the table loaded with bask
cts Of bread and tankards of water oc-
cupying dais at the foot of the pull
pits Gradually number of bishops
take their places behind this table, and
watch the congregation gather, people
coming in through the dozen or more
side doors as though the Tabernacle
was a huge sponge absorbing the popu-
lation of the Territory. Miogling with
the rest come many strangers, bring
ing the latest tailoring and millinery,
and these strangers are always con-
Quoted to seats down in front, where
they can be addressed effectively in
body. AT one door stands huge eask
of cold water, with several tin cups
handy, and nearly all stop to drink as
they come in. Later you will see tin
pals holding quart or more, and havs,
ing handles on both sides, circulating
through the audience, and refiiled from
time to time by small Ganymedes run
ming about in chip hats and well-starch
ed pinafores. Precisely at two o'clock
the great organ sends forth its melo-,
dious summons, and the noise of busy
voices--t hum of the veritable honey
bees of the DESERT n their home hive---is
bushed. A hymn is announced (by
some brother in business coat whom
you will meet in trade tomorrow, per-
haps), and sung by the choir, for
though the tune may be one of the old
familiar ones, the audience does not
join in the singing. ................... sysa
The music of the Tabernacle has a
great reputation in the West, and it
would hardly be fair TO decryit because
it does not come up to a New York
performance. 1t is oonspicuously good
for the material at hand and the local
ity. The organ handsome instru
ment, nearly as large as the great
organ in the Boston Music hail. is not
so readily discounted, however, and is
played with much skill, to the constant
delight of the people.
After the singing comes long pray
er by some layman-priest, and hymn,
during the singing Of which eight
bishops break the slices of bread into
morsels. Then, while the bread is
being passed through the audience to
the communicants--eyerybody, old and
young partaking-President Taylor or
some other dignitary reads a chapter
from the Bible, usually from Revela-
ton, and makes extempore remarks
upon it. Sometimes the Hon. George
Q. Cannon, the most eminent of the
Mormon leaders occupies the pull
pit. lt' - '.''1' ..i'' ''''' II II b b
It's three o'clock before the bread
and water have been partaken Of by
all, and fully four by the time the
preacher has ceased, the bishop pro-
nouuced the benediction, and the con
gregation is dismissed As the people
scatter about the great dusty yard,
picking their way among the blocks of
stone awaiting their place in the Tenn
pie, one sees how largely foreigners
they are, the predominant nationalities
being British aud Scandinavian. Their
peasantry, too, is Enthusiastically stamp
ed upon their faces, though they have
exchanged their foreign characteristics
for rusticity of the American type.
Among the most prominent of the Nor
mon apostles are Orson Pratt, the most
distinguished scholar and writer in the
sect, and Joseph F. Smith, nephew of
the original Prophet and founder Of
Mormonism.--Ernest IegersoN, IN
Harper's Magazine for august, Z . Z; Z.