The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-11-10
3Sl, 1886 and 1888 River Street,
Ii, Ii, II and 10 Fourth Street,

day afternoon service, when all the gates
are thrown open; at other times per-
sonal application to the porter is neces-
sary, and believe fee. The tabernacle
was built many years ago, and seats COM
fortably more than ten thousand people,
a greater number than the population of
all Utah when 1T was erected 1t is oval
in shape, the great roof, which resembles
half an egg, resting on heavy pillars ten
feet square, and which stand about fif-
teen feet apart. This roof is solid ex-
cept for two small, square openings near
the centre, and must be nearly ten feet
i'll thickness. Most of the PAGES be-
tween the pillars are walled up to a
height of ten feet or so, the rest of the
distance to the edge of the roof, proba-
bly, as much more, is filed in with long
sash, set lengthwise, one above the 9TH
er. The remainder of the spaces, or 10
in number, are left open for door ways:
these open directly onto the main floor.
The natural slope of the land is just
what is needed by the slant of the floor,
so steps are not required; each entrance
is exactly at the ground level. The great
organ, the seats for the immense chorus
choir of several hundred voices, and the
place for the dignitaries, fill up the front
end of the building; a wide gallery en-
circles the rest of the house. There are
three pulpits, one for each of the three
seats occupied by the twelve apostles,
each seat elevated two or three feet above
the one in front of IL, and having pulpit
in the centre. Spreading out like a fan
behind the seats devoted to the apostles
af6sthe tiers of seats for the great choir,
and back of all is the magnificent organ,
h,,tl h,, af I,o A.
triangular space on each side, between
the choir seats and those of the twelve
apostles, are seated the high dignitaries
good many of them, too, in fact the Off
cials of the Mormon church would make
a very large congregation by themselves.
At the gallery level, on each side of the
choir ats. is wide balcony where are
located the fourth grade of grandees,
while seated on the main floor, filling the
three-cornered space on each side left by
the inward curve of the choir, are
grouped the high nobility of grade num-
Der three. Imagine all those seats, rising
tier above tier, filled by the choir and
high officials, and then the enormous
floor and great gallery packed with peo-
pie: one feels that he is looking at an
exceedingly impressive spectacle. This
was the scene that met our view on that
Sunday afternoon at the 2 o'clock SER
vic3; Ine great weekly gathering of the
saints. They swarmed in from every di-
rection, until we sat in the midst of what
was by far the largest congregation we
had ever seen. The crowds in st. Pauls
West Minister Abbey in London, large as
they are at the usual Sunday services, are
nothing compared with this: then again
in the tabernacle every one is seated,
which is not the case at the English ca
thedrals. The room can be emptied of
this great crowd in minutes; IN this re-
spect and for its wonderful acoustic
properties, it is unrivalled. There is
space between the wall and the entire
gallery which permits sounds to pass
freely through the building. We were
treated to preliminary talk by one of
the leading apostles, hymns were sung,
it was all very much like the usual Prot
estant services, and then an Elder
began his sermon. He spoke without
notes, long, rambling discourse, re
viewing pretty much the whole Bible in
passing; his topic was forgiveness to
those who injure u.s." A more hypocrit-
ical discourse it was never my lot to hear,
so forced, SO palpably insincere; no one
could listen to it unless blinGly follow
ing Mormon lead, and not feel how
forced 1T was. After we were completely |
tired of his meaDderings and began to
mediate escape, he at last ended up with |
a little Mormon doctrine which made all |
the rest of the talk appear absurd: re-
ferred to the book of Mormon, to Joseph |
Smith, and lot more of such rubbish. !
After he had spoken some time he stop |
ped abruptly and sat down, while some |
minor officer at the floor level invoked a |
blessing on the bread and water, which |
was then passed to all the congregation;
first the bread, then the water: at least
25 men were engaged in carrying it
about. AS soon as they began to pass
the bread the Elder rose and re-
sumed his discourse where he lie t off; ]