Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-07-10
CALIFORNIA AND THE HOLY LAND.

l
The state of California 10 won der.
fully attractive In the way of climate,
natural resources, magnificent seen.
cry, and many other features that
could be named. The San francisco
Chronicle now proceeds to claim as a
| point in Its favor Its similarity to the
land OF Palestine. Utah has been
commonly agreed TO have strong re-.
semblanco to the Holy Land 10 hav.
Ing Its fresh and salt soa con.
uected by the river Jordan,
nesr which staDds the Stnte's CHIEF
city with its magnificent Temple
devoted to the most sacred uses
which TO- even synagoguss or places
OF general worship are applied to; its
mountainous character and it's desert
border; and Its occupancy and build
ins up by peculiar religious people
such as the Hebrews were in the an
Gent world. But our California cotem.
porary draws the following graphic
picture of the parallel between the
Golden State anu Palestine, some of
it being fanciful, and much OF IT real:
The Christian Endeavorer will not fail
to note strong physical likenesses in
California 10 the Holy Land. The con-
tour OF the country is tho same, as are
many OF its trees. products, animals,
birds, ancient dwellings and native Gus
toms. Here the shepherds watch their
ilocks at night under the mild De-
cember skies and in the very latitude of
Judea. The mustard, the cactus, the
cedar and the date abide. Tho patient
bur.o, Identical with the ass of Pales-
tine, bears burdens, and New World
Reoeccas go to the well with water ewers
poised upon their heads. In tho adobe
of the Mexican aud Indian is again the
mud-walled khan OF Nazareth Here.
too, tho husbandman waters tho ground
with his foot" as he guides the tricklipg
stream hither and yon through the little
irrigation burrows which he traces, boot
wise, in his garden. The vulture, the
eagle and the lark, the crane and pelican
---ail Bible birds-the bear, tho fallow
deer, the coyote, first cousin to the
iackali the coney and the fox are with
us as in the country beyond tho Jordan.
We have our deserts, our GASES and our
dead seas; and the very seasons Of the
Holy Land green in winter, when springs
come out of rocks and brooks abound,
and dry and brown in summer, when
the rain ceases and the rivers sink into
the sand.
Yet what Ia IL that appeals to a
Christian mind to make any
other land on earth bear q becoming
similarity to the Holy Lane? Is 1t
animals, fruits and grains; or trees,
deserts, sea coaste, ancient dwellings
and native cuetomt? Or is It the
dominating religious Characters tic:
the Temples to the Most High; the
presence and ministry of divinely
commissioned Apostles OF the Lord,
from whose lips flow words OF in.
spiration given by direct rsvela-
tion from the Almighty; the gifts and
the miracles that mark the ministra-
ton OF those who ofiioiate in the
namo OF Jehovah; the voice OF
Prophets and the psalms OF Saints in
the midst OF people who know no
jarring scots and creeds Ms part of the
the body religious, but who have one
Lord, one faith, one baptism, ms did
ancient Israel in the days whom they
were acceptable to the Most Highland
before there came upon them the
spirit OF division and apostssy which
led to their rejection? II 1t be the
products of the land, or its
climate, or even its topography,
a..A