Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-02-11
The LATTER DAY SAINTS.
THE PEOPLE WHO DWELL AROUND
THE AMERICAN DEAD SEA.
A Sect Who Have Made the Wilderness to
Blossom Like the Rose-The Manage
ment Of Church and state--Teaehinxs Of
the Elders-The Temple.

Since the memorable oath o. June, ls47
when Brigham Young brought his peopl,
out of the narrow canon, which had giyer
them passage through the Rocky noun
tains. and footsore and weary as the Israel
ties of old, the leaders of the emi
grant column saw smiling beneath theii
dazzled eyes the huge basin of the valley
its green slopes falling gently to the clear
Salt Lake in the center, this chosen people
of the nineteeth century have not ceased
to grow and multiply. They have built
cities and towns; they have covered every
fertile valley with their farmhouses; they
have irrigated the desert, brought water
springs out of the dry ground and made
the wilderness 20 blossom as the rose
They have enlarged their boundaries,
sending emissaries into the adjacent terri
tories, until o-day the Latter Day Saints
are found in large numbers among the
most thrifty inhabitants of Idaho, Wyom-
ing, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Ari-
zona, and southern California.
EVIDENCES OF RELIGIOUS FANAT'CIsM.
From the forty ninth parallel to the
Mexican line stretch smiling cor fields,
fruit-laden orchards, and quiet bones, a
chain of stakes" Tor settlements) for 700
miles. The entire region bears witness to
the religious fanaticism of the inhabit-
ants. Mountains, rivers and towns have
been given Biblical names. The traveller
crosses the Jordan" so-called because ii
connects the Ctah river with Great Salt
lake, as its namesake does the Dead sea
with that of Galilee Railway trains stop
at "Jaub" and "Nephi Abileni,r Desert" !"
Tahi 1ha TrAiapl 10 ha;
Mormon neighbors as "Lamanites," whilst
the chief city, Salt Lake, the Mecca of all
faithful souls, is ordinarily referred to
amongst the saints as Zion"
The entire management of church and
state is in the hands of a presidency, con-
sisting of three persons, or president and
two counselors. The subordinate duties
are in charge of apostles, elders and the
council Of seventy, as well as some other
minor priestly organizations Through
the hands of these "prelates" pass the
tithes which form the great general fund,
from which are drawn subsidies to aid in
building churches and school houses. to
pay the salaries of missionaries, and all
other moneys which may be needed for
the establishment and maintenance Of
the new doctrines The pretensions of
the church are great: it claims to be the
only true church of God on earth: it hopes
10 convert all the nations, and, in the
near future, TO set up temporal king
1om. The teachings of the bishops and
,lders are, however, confined to the same
doctrines that are taught by Christian
sects. They acknowledge the Old and
New testaments as the word of God, in SO
TAR as they have not been superseded by
later revelations. The only doctrine
which demands censure is that of polyg-
amy, which was not promulgated until
years after the angel pre-
sented Joseph Smith with the book of
Mormon.
THE GREAT MORMON TEMPLH.
Two years hence-lSS1-it is hoped that
the great Mormon temple at Salt Lake,
whose glittering white walls rise eighty
'eet above the ground, and are not yet
ready for the roof, may be completed.
The walls have, above the foundation, a
thickness of nine feet, solid hewn granite
Pillars, stairways, floors
and ceilings are chiefly of matched stone.
The building resembles fort more than
! religious temple, and, in fact, is not in
ended to be a house of worship SO much
Is a temple in which mysterious rites,
uch as are now performed in the En-
iowment house, shall be celebrated. On
he outside of the walls are symbolic
arriving, on three tiers of circular bosses.
The topmnst row bears blazing suns; the
econd, eight phases of the moon; the
owest, maps of various parts of the
world. The suns, moons and stars are
already cut, but the maps have not yet
,een carved
The temple has been built from church |
things, and Up to lis present state has |
ost about 100000 Another million |
lollars will complete it, as the conditions |
# labor, transportation, etc, are much !
more reasonable now than In former |
ears. On the day of its dedication it is
believed by the saints that Jesus
Jhrist will appear bodily to His people, |
nd that their enemies will then be van |
Iuished and the millennium begin.-Utah |
>or Cincinnati Commercial Gazette.