Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-01-10
A CALIFORNIA LADY.


Pursuant TO request, the foiloWlnE
communication, which originally APP
peared in the Provo Enquirer. Is repro
duced in the News"
Pasadena. Cal. Dec. II. 1S91,-Editor
Provo Misunderstanding spent SIX
months among the Mormons In the
Garden city OF Utah, II is very great
ipleasure to me to write few lines on
ihow l found them In their church anu
lin their homes. My home being In the
sEnst. knew very little of how they
ilived, or OF their religion; and you may
Judge for yourself, from what some OF
the Eastern missionaries write aitef
spending n summer with you OF Wnat
the Eastern people in general thlnk
OF tho Morinons as they are known
there.
II is not an uncommon thing in the
East to hear false statements OF now
the Mormon women are treated, oil
their not daring to sa, their souls are
BILE punishment, and n0lny other things
that / might mention IL time and space
would permit
1t seems strange that we Eastern
people will believe such ridiculous
ideas in this enlightened nge,, But we
do They say, why so and so have
just come from Utah, have been there
trying to convert the Mormons. and
have returned disguised with them
The reason, / suppose. is because they
did not find any one to follow In their
religious ways. They return with the
impression TINT they must become pop
ular In their church, or in some cases
to raise money for Some purpose
hardly know what excuse to make for
my Eastern friends, who stoop to such
little, mean, I'M Christlanlke false
hoods. Instead OF being honest and
upright. and telling things as they saw
them, there are instances whore they
have given lectures, charging admis-
sion to the same, In which the Nor
mons are grossly misrepresented. OF
course, everyone goes TO hear about
those awful Morrnons:" and thus the
world gets it's Information.
A very dear friend of mine fell In
love with a Mormon, married him, and
went to the Garden city to i've. Her
friends Mt home thought IL was terrible
for such II beautiful girl to marry a
Mormon. and go away on there and
live among them. But, like the rest OF
her family, she was very independent,
and cared we for what was said. Az
ter II year or 90 j planned to spend the
summer with her, and determine for
myself, what kind OF people my friend
had fallen In with, So on the first OF
July last, / LEFT my dear home and
friends en- route for Utah. In bidding
me goodbye. every one would say,
Don't fall In love with those awful
81 am almost afraid I could not live
the righteous and unselfish life that
the faith Of the Latter-day Saints re-
quires."
Everything seemed just little
strange to me at first, In your bcautl-
full little city, surrounded by the grand
old mountains; and | never viii forget
my feelings as / rode up the avenue
from the depot. The thought came to
me, Here l am out here among the
much since childhood" My first Sun
day there, l attended services In the
tabernacle. OF course, / kept my eyes
and ears open expecting to see or hear
something very strange. My expecta-
tons were. however not realized; for i
found their ways to differ but little
from those of other people. found
their Church organized after the pat
tern of Christ's Church. and MS |
understand it. any one who Is n good
person and believes In the teachings
or the Bible and Book OF Mormon has
the privilege. or may be asked to speak
IN public services: not like our Eastern
ministers who spend, say at leust four
years. In theological college preparing
for the ministry. The sermons OF the
latter are eloquent and pleasing; but
some way they do not leave the impress
sion M lasting on my heart as did the
simple sermons of the Elders whom
listened to in Utah. Having attended
services twite nearly every Sunday
during my stay there. having been
regular attendant of the Young Ladies'
Mutual Improvement association, and
also having attended the Semi Annual
Conference at Salt Lake City, | believe
myself able to judge. and found moth
ing but what was noble good and cle-
waiting in all their work; excepting
perhaps, II sermon delivered by one OF
the Apostles upon the subject OF polyg-
amy. He began by saying that 1t was
Just as much a violation OF the laws OF
the Church as It was In violation of the
laws of the nation to practice polygamy
at present; but that no one could regu-
late hts beliefs. He delivered an able
sermon upon the belief IN polygamy
Although I could not accept his view.
admired his honesty in speaking what
he thought
The home life and amusemcnts of the
1atter-day Saints are OF MS high an
order as you would find In any Christ
ian family. They have regular morn
ing and evening family prayers, and
could not see that they differed from
the prayers of other Christians II has
been stated by one of my eastern sis
tiers through the papers that the Nor
mons do not use the Bible. That /
know Is not true, for the Bible IL read
among the Lntter-day Saints as much,
OF more than II is by some who profess
20 much. She also referred to dancing
Burtits tlal were gwen the mission
aries upon their departure for their
fields of labor. What society is there
now that does not believe the simple
amusement of dancing? Only the
weak and narrow minded. To be
sure, dancing, like other amusements
can be made detriment to society.
the well selected dancing parties are
Ear ahead OF the SNAP and catch 'em"
and needle eye" parties that some so
cities still cling TO.
There are good and bad people In all
denominations and all society. II we
look Tor good we can find A.. MY SYM
patty win always he with shc Latter
day Saints. May God bless them, and
especially my many dear friends of
Salt Lake city and Provo.
From one who gives honor to ,vhoi-
honor Is due, and who believes in
live and let live" l.,