The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-03-29

10 the orders of Priesthood
Of the Mormon Church such
as sealing, ordinations, etc. The Tab
ernacle building situated near the
Temple is intended for public gather
lngs and the meetings of the Church.
Ii has seating capacity Of $500. 1t
IS $50 feet long and $50 feet wide. The
roof Is supported by single arch at
height OF so feet from the floor. It is
said TO be work of unequal strength
and the manner of construction beyond
the comprehension and skin of ordi-
nacle contains one of the
largest organs in the world, if not the
largest. 1t is the work OF saints in
its entirety. It has fifty-seyen stops
and z,64S pipes, and is 35X33 feet in size. |
The air Tor the imitation bellows is fur
nlshed by water motor. The instru-
ment is t1fty-eight feet high. The
wood Of which this wonderful instru-
Utah Territory. The entire tab
ernacle forms one vast auditorium, and |
It's acoustic properties are quite re- |
markaDie. The fainJest whiSperor the |
dropping OF pin makes clear and |
audible sound that can be heard in
every part of the room. Not the least |
among the many attractive features of |
this city OF the Latter Day Saints is
high 1t Is in appearance like an
ordinary dwelling house. Its found
erS sought as much as possible to pre-
vent The attention of prying eyes. The
windows OF the house are blinded and
these are kept carefully closed. No Gen
tile has ever yet been permitted to
enter the doors of this establishment.
Its precincts are kept sacred to the
Church OF the Lord. And none but
those whom he would annoint with the
consecrated oil of his affections and
initiate into the mysteries of the sacred
rites OF the polygamouS corner stone of
the Mormon Church, and those only
have been permitted to walk in the
sanctified halls of this building. For
| this is the endowment house where the
celestial marriages are performed. The
| secrets OF the sealing process and all
its intricacies have been seldom Ie-
vealed. But an exposition of this dis
gushing and indicate institution has
recently been made. Although it has
been denied by the MormOns it's truth
| is solemnly asserted by the authority of
one who received all the degrees.
On certain day a comely looking fe-
male entered the endowment house
taking with her the necessary endoW-
ment clothes consisting of sort of a
combination undergarment resembling,
| somewhat, pair of plantation over
| halls attached to a waste with sleeves,
except they ale open i'll the front from
the collar down. She was first admit
| ted into small room attached to the
main building. This is called the re-
| ceptlon room. In one corner there
| stood desk where the clerk recorded
her name and at which place her recon-
menddtiOn, from the Mormon bishop
was presented. The clerk inquired
where she was born, the name of her
parents and when baptised
into the Mormon Church. These
| she was directed to take up
her bundle and walk into another room
and wait her turn to be washed. A
woman was here officiating as high
| priesteSS. There the candidate was
undressed, and directed to step into a
long bath tub about half full of water
where she was thoroughly washed and
told to show humble spirit. After
the securing process man came in
one of the twelve apostles-with long
| cows horn containing highly perfumed
oil, and large wooden spoon. He
poured a portion of the oil into the
spoon and Immediately proceeded to
anOint the head, ears, eyes, mouth and
every part of the candidates body, and
as he creased her he invoked bless
ing over every member of her
body. Her head, that she
mig tsno, gain ain oras t knowledge Of
see the glories of the kingdom she was
soon to enter; her mouth, that she
might speak in favor of the Lord; her
arms, that they might be strong in de-
/ Tense of the gospel of her people; her
bosom, that she might give suckle to
numerous progeny; other parts of her
body, that she might raise up goodly
L Ink \ 10, 49,
| OF strength for the upbulldlng OF the
kingdom of che Latter Day Saints
upon the earth, and her feet, that she
might be swift in the paths of right
eOusneSs. After this ceremony had
been completed the candidate was told
to put on her new garments, the
comely outfit before described. On the
on the left a compass. In the center
was small hole; on the knee was a
larger hole. She was assured that so
long as she kept these garments on no
harm could befall her and when
changed she must slip out one limb at
a time and Immediately slip it into an
other garment of the same kind so as
not to break the charm or lose the eff
feet it had over her. AT this point a
calico curtain was drawn aside and
the man and woman stood revealed to
each other. The man looked uncom-
Portable and not at all picturesque as
he only had his shirt and
drawers on. They were then
told that if either of them attempted
to reveal what they had seen and
heard their memories would be blight
ed, and they would be eternally damn
ed for everything that transpired there
was too holy to be spoken of outside
the endowment house. They after
wards listened to a dialogue which
was supposed to be between Eloheim
and Jehovah wherein an account of the
collection of the elements that formed
the earth is given, etc. After the
world was finished a sort of a comedy
was enacted representing the scenes in
the Garden of Eden according to
the Mormon version. After man
had been created out of a handful of
dust and one of his ribs taken out and
manufactured into woman they were
permitted to dwell in the garden of
Eden. During the farce man enters
into the imaginary garden disguised as
serpent. After beguiling the woman
he disappears and a bogus Lord enters
and takes stroll through the garden.
In the meantime the candidates have
donned aprons with fig leaves painted
on them The Lord upon discovering
this accuses them of disobedience, gives
them good scolding and orders the
man to leave the garden. They are
afterwards conducted into another
room and instructed with the sign.
grips and pass words of the ArOn-
C and MelchiZedek priesthood
After receiving the highest and grand
est grip of all. and the ritual had been
communicated, the man and woman
join hands and the electric current of
the most solemn and efficacious prayer
known to the Mormon Church is deliv-
cred and is supposed to pass through
them. The Mormons believe that the
only way to get to heaven after death
and be exalted is to go through the
sealing process. A woman cannot go
to Christ except through her husband
The several orders of Initiation passed
through are elaborate and tiresome,
but brief summary will enable the
readers to obtain glimpse of the sham
ceremonies of the Mormon Church.
WAYBACK.