Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-12-26

Massachusetts Mor,aors.

A GROWING COMMUNION OF AN1I-PoLYGAMoUs
LATTER-DAI SAINTS.
Correspondence ofthe Boston Record.
FALL RIVER, MASS. Dec. 9.-Nely many peo-
pie are unaware that the Mormon church exists
outside Of Utah. But it is fact that The saints
community is having very rapid growth in
New England, We'll other parts of the
country, and is particularly strong here i'm Mas
sachusetts. Not The salt Lake polygamous kind
however. Our Massachusetts Mormons are OPP
posed To poygamy ia any form. They exist un-
der the name OF THE EeorganiZed Church Of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints" and base
their religious beiefupon the Bible and the Book
OF Mormon. the headq aariers OF the church
is now in Lamont. Iowa, and Jos. Smith, the
eldest son of Jos. Smith, the martyr as they
style him, Is the president OF the whole church.
Out west these people are called "Josephite"
Mormons To distinguish them from the polyga-
mists. Their church has been gradually spread
ing Tor number OF years past, until il mas wor-
Slippers in every state and territory i'm this coun-
try with one exception, also in England, Scot
land, Wales, Australia, and in the South Sea
Islands Recently one of its Missionaries, Elder
L. w. Smith, baptised nearly 400 into the faith
on the island OF Tahita alone. Elder Smith was
formerly an Adventist. and at that time lived
in Philadelphia. He was quite eminent as an
expounder OF the doctrines OF the second adj
vent.
mon church in New England was organized, in
Fall River, with mem bership OF eight persons
They were John smith, John Gilbert, Sarah
Gilbert, Thomas Gilbert, VIM. Cotton, Mary A.
Smith, Edward Rogersou and Ellen Rogerson.
In the following october the Massachusetts dis
trct was organized. and the first conference
was held in Fall River I'm a business block i'm
Main street. Since then churches have been
established in this vicinity, i'm New Bedford,
port, Little Compton, X. L.; Boston, Douglas and
also quite a large number in Maine and Nova
Scotia. What was at iirst the Massachusetts
Island and Connecticut. Connecticut, how
ever is a land OF steadier religious habits than
the others, and there are very few saints there
These however hold "a meeting mite m n
New Testament sort oil way, and the apostles go
about among their homes in very apostolic
fashion. Their Mormon ministers are self-sup-
porting. Some OF them may be teutmakers
and they have to live where some progress can
be made with small expense.
In Fall River the Mormons have a chapel for
worship and announce their services in the
newspapers like other well regulated religious
bodies. In New Bedford they meet in Waites'
building, on William street; in Providence in a
building on High street; in Boston i'm CHECKER
ing hall, On Washington street; i'm Little Comp
ton, DennispOrt, Plainvile and Douglas they
have chapelS. They also have quite large
number OF believers i'm the faith i'm Attlebor-
ough and Mansfield, and also in Georgiavile
and Scituate, in Rhode Island. In the district
there are about 700 members enrolled, al
though they have Il far greater attendance. OF
these 300 are enrolled in Providence and 12s
In this city.
visited their chapel in this city on Sunday
last and found Elder Columbus Scott-who is
one OF the quorum OF ~ apostles appointed
by sacred revelation-in the pulpit preaching on
the "Signs of the Times He claimed that we
are living in the 'latter days spoken of by the
scriptures, and talked learnedly and incompre-
hensibly about the prophecies that are being
fulfilled every day. Two hundred and fifty
very respectable people We're listening with
close and admiriug attention To his words.
Their chapel is a neat one-story structure, at
the Flint village, section OF this city which
our refractory French Canadian Catholics have
done their best TO make famous. The house
will comfortably seat 300 people. Ii is very
neatly furnished with settees, and there is a
large "family organ at the foot of the rostrum,
which is raised several feet above the main
floor of the church. The chapel is heated by a
very latter-day hot air furnace. The aisles are
neatly carpeted and the windows curtained.
The people correspond in looks remarkably
we'll with their neat place of worship.
Although the church has a complicated hier-
archy of apostles, bishops, elders and the like,
and the church property belongs to the bishops,
the management Of the individual churches is
quite democratic. I'VE thoroughly Amer
lean, said Elder Scott, to me; 1--WE believe in
free government, free schools, a free press, and
free pulpit" Elder John Smith Is the 'spresi.
dent OF this district, and Elder Thomas Whit
new acts as his secretary.