Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-13
THE SITUATION IN UTAH.
The Mormon Hosts Gathering in Armed
Secret OOu ellis.
From the W. York World.

From the -Neeo York World.
SALT LAKE, UTAH, Dec. S.-Not one
! person who is not acquainted with the
/ characteristics Of the Mormons and who
! does not know the hatred that exists be-
/ tween the various sects here can form
any opinion of the great excitement and
the peril OF the Gentiles. 1t would aston
ISL no one were the NauvOo legion to open
an indiscriminate warfare upon the Cen
tiles. AT every Mormon meeting place in
the city secret councils are being
held and the issue raised by
the arrest Of Collin by Federal Off
GERS discussed. Mob meetings are FREE
quently held, and fights are common.
Armed Mormons are pouring into the
city, and threaten to visit vengeance upon
the enemies of the church. The most
dastardly work of the leaders is done
through the Mormon papers, which per-
sist in calling upon the faithful to aveHge
the blood of McMurrin. They heap the
vllest calumnlatiOns upon the Gentiles.
Nothing is lett undOne to foster the hatred,
and their success In this line is so great
that three Gentiles stopping at
Mormon boarding house were last
night ordered to quit the place.
so irate that the husband OF an invalid
boarder sat up all night with his revolver
in his hand, the parting words of the land
lord at night having been: with the
help OF the Almighty we can whip you
again, as we did once before" Contrary
to expectation the services at the Mormon
church yesterday were not intensely
blOodthirsty. The immense Tabernacle
is now closed for the season, and services
were held yesterday in the winter Taber-
nacle. Both these buildings, as well as
new and magnificent temple now in pro-
cess OF construction, are situated in
what is known as Temple Block, a
large square about the size OF
three blocks, and surrounded by high
wall of stone. The Tabernacle seats 49,
600 persons and can be emptied in six
minutes. The winter Temple seats about
5000 persons. and was filled before the
services had begun. The choir yesterday
consisted of thirteen bassOs, fourteen ten
ora, eleven sopranos and eight contraltos
The services commenced by ten men, 'the
bishoprics," breaking bread, putting it
! into dishes resem bling silver-plated Gala
baskets, and, after an invocation, passing
/ 1t around among the elect, each Of whom
took small piece. The same perform
ance was afterwards gone through with
| the water, which was in seven cups, cut
OF which each of the saints took draught.
! A middle-aged man named Woodruff, who
| had been President of their twelve Apos-
| ties, was the first speaker, and he desired
to bear testimony of the Gospel of Christ
and the kingdom of God:
"The history of the world for the last
I six thousand years, since it was first
| peopled by Father Adam, proclaims one
truth standing out bold and strong before
heaven and earth, and that is that there is
a God in Israel, a God in heaven, the
| creator of all flesh, and that that God has
4 OiVpn g 10
mandments, and that the promises Of that
God have been fulfilled in every age of the
world without any change whatever.
Now, has any man who has
advocated the Gospel of Jesus
been popular? Can you point your
finger at the date or place? II you
can, have never found it. The human
family is far more ready to choose the
evil than the good. The life Of the Saviour
was a series of prosecutions from bis birth
until his death. II he cast out devils it
was attributed to Beelzebub. See the
trials that he went through, and while
GENTLE age was ready to say, & found no
evil in Him. still the Jews said, Cruelty
Him. and the cry went up until His life
was taken on to the cross" The speaker
then referred to the second coming of
Christ, and said a great many Of the
apostles of the Church OF Latter-Day
Saints had sealed their faith with their
blood. "JOseph Smith was a prophet of
God, as great as God ever raised up to
men, and while the priests of the earth are
crying Down with the MormOns,' l ask,
what is the matter with your And they
answer: You teach things contrary to
our belief That was the cry during the
time of Joseph Smith, and it continued
until he laid down his life for his faith.
This nation is bordering on frightful evils.
We are abused by the sects Of the day,
and our people are shot down in cold
blood, but want to say to this nation that
the sects Of the day have somebody else TO
oppose besides what is generally termed
'Mormonism.' The day is at hand when
the Lord will inspire his apostles, and
miracles VIII again be worked. The day
is at hand, and l say, let them do what
they want, but let us keep the command
ments of God.'
The next speaker was Joseph Smith, one
OF the numerous nephews of the original
Joseph. He said but little, opening with
the remark: 1--WE are called murderers,
immoral, ignorant, superstitious dupes
under the bonds of a superstitious priest
hood. Utah is in advance of many of the
States which have thousand advantages
where we have one" As regards mmor-
atty, the speaker denied the charge,
stating that there was no equal number of
people on the face OF the earth to-
day who would present such pure
and simple morality. He charged
that there were more chill
dren murdered throughout the United
States than were born to Latter-Dav
Saints. Speaking of polygamy, Mr.. Smith
did not wish to compare the evils and de-
baucheries, the vices of those who ac-
cused the Mormons for marrying more
wives than one with the question of
polygamy, and hoped God would forgive
him for making the comparison; it was
virtuOus and noble and the other horrible
and debasing.
The city this evening shows no signs Of
violence more unusual than those which
have prevailed for several days.