Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-03-18
KIRKLAND MORMONS.
Description of the Temple
/, !. After Half a Century, -
FOLLOWERS OF JOSEPH SMITH.
An Outline of Their Faith and
and How it Differs from the
Revelations of Brig
ham Young.

After several attempts TO settle IN
various parts Of the State Of New
York, the FIRST real colony of the Nor
mons drifted into Kirkland. They
were guided thither by Sidney Rigdon,
who was the most wonderful preacher
of their early days. The arrival
of several hundred Mormons in
this little village was an event
of no mean Importance, even in
the DAYS when immigration was
so rapidly seeking the favored
spot of the West-the northern part OF
Ohio. And yet, in those days of rapid
development, the building of such a
temple as that of the Mormons was
the cause of wonder. Even at this
day building of such size would be
a severe tax upon villages that are
tenfold the size of Kirkland. But the
Mormons who built it gave cheer
fully each one his tenth to the labor,
material or money, for the four years
from 1882 to 1886, the entire cost
being estimated at $4,000.
No matter from which direction the
visitor may come, he is reminded oi
one of the earlier meeting-houses oi
New England on larger scale. 1t is
said that Smith had revelation,
which give him the exact measure
ments and proportions. The size upon
the ground is so feet by so, and the
eastern gable runs up into a square
tower surmounted by domed belfry
to the height of IL feet. Two lofty
stories above low basement are COW
cred by shingled roof pierced by
dormer windows. Large Gothic win
dows OF the Henry Ill shape are filled
with by 9glass and afford relief TO the
solid walls of stone and stucco that
have SO well survived the ravages of
quite half century, though the iron
rust streaking the exterior, the moss
grown shingles, the wasps' nest I'M
der the caves, and the two immense
chimneys, already tottering to their
fall, gave evidence of the approach
ing ruin. At least this was the case
until a very few years ago, when the
building was partially renovated and
put into much more habitable
shape. During the years of its semi
ruinous condition it was often visited
as a matter of curiosity, and a small
entrance fee was charged by which
ever of the villagers was lucky
enough to be custodian for that par
ticular year.
Directly under the pediment is the
inscription, in golden letters upon a
block of white marble: "House of the
Lord. Built by the Church of Christ,
1884" The original inscription had
the words "of the Latter Day Saints u
in place OF the words "of Christ" A
small plot is rallied off by a light
fence, passing through which We stand
upon the broad stone steps that lead
to the solid green doors, paneled in
old-fashioned shapes and opening in
to yestibule which extends across
the entire front. At either end of
the vestibule is a semi-circular stair
way, and the floor above is cut away
from the wall far enough 70 allow
the light to enter from above, thus
giving the effect Of the cabin of a
steamer. The temple register.room
is at the right, under the stairway.
Here is very interesting record OF
visitors to the place. To the left is
the library, with q curious collection
Of whale-oil chandeliers, reminders Of
the days before the discovery of kero-
sene. On the blank wall, parallel
with the front, is the Ladies' En-
trance" at the right and the ''Geptle-
mems Entrance" at the left. The
following inscriptions decorate the
wall between the doors: "Laus Dec" /"
"Crux Mihi Anchora," "Magna
Verita ct Prevalent"
As we enter the main auditoriu n we
notice that it does not extend to the
two stories as is usual with New Eng
land meeting houses. On the con-
trary, the ceiling is high, and so only
one story has been used. This allows
the story above to be used for other
purposes to be described hereafter.
And yet, as one enters the room, the
columns of carved wood give the
effect of a gallery. The columns,
however. are simply contrivances to
give effect to the arch in the centre oi
the ceiling. The columns were also
of considerable use for the working ol
windlasses, etc. At the time when
/ arge curtains were let down to sep
arate the men from the women, and
again to separate the larger from the
smaller of each sex, not only
could the audience be halved and
quartered in this way, but even the
pews were supplied with benches that
could be moved from one side to the
other, 80 that the whole audience
might face directly about at very short
notice. The object of this was that
they might change their mode of wor-
ship and turn from one cluster of pull
pits at one end of the room to another
cluster of pulpits at the other end.
The clusters of pulpits rise in each in
stance three tiers, with three in a
tier Therefore, the room is we'll
supplied with pulpits, there being
nine in each end.
at the eastern end of the room the
cluster of pulpits is devoted to the
Aaronic priesthood, which also in
cluded the Levitical priesthood, and
administered the temporal affairs of
the church.. Each Of the three pull
pits in the upper tier has upon the
front the letters. "B. P. A., meaning
Bishop Presiding over Aaronic Priest
hood. The middle tier has the let
ters "P. A. P.," Presiding .Aaronic
Priest. The lower tier has "P. A.
IT," Presiding Aaronic Teacher. A
smaller pulpit below is labeled "P.
A. d." Presiding Aaronic Door
keeper. The pulpits against the
western end are built up against
an outer window, with alter
nate panes of red and white
glass in the arch transom. These pull
pits were occupied by the spiritual
leaders.0r the Melchisedec priesthood, ,
Joe Smiths seat being in the highest
tier This tier of pulpits is marked
I'M. p. c." Melchisedec President of