Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-11-27
Salt Lake City.

Salt Lake City is situated at the
base of the Wasatch Mountains. 1t
has now population of perhaps
1000. 1t is over 1000 feet above the
sea level. Its public buildings, bust
ness blocks and private residences give
every indication of wealth and prosper
! ity. The finest residences are on the
mountain bench, which doubtless was
once the shore of a great inland sea.
| whose waters, ages ago, receded until
| they finally settled in the basin of the
Great Salt Lake. One of the great
business enterprises is Zion Co-opera-
tive Mercantile Institution" which is
popularity known as the Coop
Wherever one sees a building with the
mystic initials, ~. G. M. L." he may
know that it is a branch of the great
Coop" Its headquarters are great
building, and it does business of from
sc, OOO,O 900 to $S,000,000 annually. 1t
has branches in at least four towns in
the Territory.
The temple square is very attractive
to the tourist. Here are the Assembly
Hall, the tabernacle and the temple.
The temple is the centre of everything.
Streets are laid out with reference to
it, and they are east or west, north or
south, according to their relation to
this great central building. 1t is worth
much to any religious body to be the
first to occupy these great Western
fields, where cities so soon spring into
existence. There is here lesson for
our churches. The hall cost $150,000,
and it will seat about 1900 persons.
The tabernacle has been often describ
ed; it is oblong, and its acoustics are
perfect. 1t is literally true that in it
one can hear a pin when it falls. The
roof is, with possibly one exception, the
largest self-supporting roof in the
world. Its seating capacity is general
ly said to be $4,000, but this is certainly
an over statement. The capacity of
all public buildings is almost invaria
bly, exaggerated. 5000 is a large
figure to name for the tabernacle: per
haps it can hold 5000 and seat $500,
and this is liberal figure. The temple
is, with the exception of st. Patrick s
Cathedral, New York. the costliest and
grandest ecclesiastical structure in our
country. 1t was begun in 1858, and
completed in 1898: its cost is put down
at from five to six million dollars. 1t
is 200 feet long, 100 wide and 100 high
with a tower to each corner 220 feet
high. The figure which represents the
angel Maroni-the guardian angel Of
Mormonism-is of gigantic size. 1t rep
resents Maroni as herald bringing to
the earth the gospel of the lat
ter day dispensation. The temple is
built wholly of snow white granite
from the Cottonwood canon; it is said
that it can be seen for fifty miles up
and down the valley. Gentiles a.: not
permitted to enter it; but it is under
stood that the first floor is used for
baptisms, and the other floors for celes
tial marriages, and the various rites
which belong only to the initiated.
These rites, and the parts of the
building where they are observed, are
open only to those who have passed
through all the preceding rites. Near
the square is the Bee Hive. once the
home of Brigham Young. Near also is
| the tithing house, and not far distant
is the Gardo House. or the Amelia
Palace" the former home of Brigham
Young's favorite wife.
1t is still very powerful. 1t has
wealth, faith and zeal. The zeal of
many of it's people is worthy the
noblest mission. The writer talked
with representatives of various types
of Mormonism; some of them are men
and women who were truly converte d
in England and elsewhere before they
adopted the vagaries of Mormonism.
| They are very devout, loyal and zeal
Gus. They stand ready to go, at their
own charges, to any part of the earth
to preach the doctrines of Mormonism,
to preach, as the told me, 1.-The Gospel
in its fullness." A man who was just
getting we'll started in life, recently
mortgaged his farm to get money to
go on a mission to the ends of the
earth. Their zeal rebukes our cold
ness. How about polygamy? This is
their statement: what God reveals,
we accept. We ask no questions; we
raise no objections. The revelation
may be distasteful, but we obey. He
has revealed his will regarding poly
gamons marriages, and we accept the
doctrine