The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-12-27
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
As Carried on in the Grand
Salt Lake Temple.
CITADEL OF THE RELIGION
Only Once Has Gentle Eye
BeheId Its Interior.

Herald as follows: When Congress shall
send committe TO Utah to investigate
the conditions that prevail in Mormon
dom its members will find one door they
cannot enter, one mystery they cannot
tathom. AS they approach the Mormon
capital they will behold a great gray
| structure with six towers overshadowing
the green city on the foothills, and seem
ing in its majestic simplicity and grand
eur to rival the mountains which lie be-
hind it,
Only the elect may know the secrets
that are held in this Mormon temple. On
! ly one who can bring with him a GER
tificate that he has faithfully served the
Mormon church in his youth and man
hood that he has obeyed the voice of the
| priesthood-and, what is more important,
has paid tenth of his earnings to the
church-rnay enter its portals and learn
its mysteries.
Those who have been within its walls
will whisper of visions they have seen
and wonders they have learned, and will
speak in awe of the heavenly things it
brings near to the earth. But for the
unfaithful who may visit Salt Lake City
there is only glimpse. of great granite
walls, of an all seeing eye in gold carved
above high door, and of lawns and
flowers within a forbidding mud wall
which encloses its grounds.
Here are practically the most sacred
rites of the Mormon Church Here the
mortal beings may be baptised in the
name of their ancestors long dead, and
so give those incestors an opportunity
to enter into the higher glory which is
TO be obtained only through the efforts
Of the followers of Joseph Smith. Here
wives are sealed to husbands, not alone
for this earth, but for the whole count
less years Of eternity. Here the young
Mormon learns the secrets of his faith
the doctrines for which the world is not
yet prepared and which are not to be
stated to the unbeliever. Here. also, is
the meeting place of the priesthood of the
church, the sacred hall where the lead
ers are supposed to gain their revelations
direct from God and transmit them to
tthe teachers of the people.
Only on one occasion, and then only to
few chosen ones outside the church.
has the building ever been open for in
spection. Today it is sealed to all ex-
cept those who can show their faithful
ness; but far few hours in April. 1891
the day before the edifice was dedica ted
by He heads Of the church, a few score
OF the Gentiles of Salt Lake City were
given permission to pass through and be-
hold osme of the wonders of the build
ing. They were told they could take no
note books or sketch books, and that
they must not linger too long or take
too full notice of what they saw, but
nothing except the furnishings that are
kept only for the eyes of the faithful
was kept from them.
1t was my fortune to have obtained
one of the cards that passed the visitors
through the barred gate of the temple
grounds. through the massive door at the
southeast corner and finally through
room after room and up the great tower,
from which one can look forty miles to
the west or south. almost to the far
shores of the two lakes which have hade
the Mormors believe that they are in the
new Zion.
We were taken by our guides over the
course through which the Mormon young
men and young women passwhentheyare
about to receive the endowment robes,
which they are always to wear and
which in their after years mark them as
apart from the other people of the world.
We found that in entering the building
they are first taken TO a large room,
perhaps fifty feet square, whose walls
of white are relieved only by the minut-
est lines of gold.
This in its simplicity is supposed 10
typify the conditions from which God
built the Understanding nothing but
space from which to gather the elements
of which he fashioned worlds and suns
The novitiate here learns of the belief of
his Church in the spirit world as a re-
atty. of Gods plan to pass all spirits
through "tabernacles of flesh" to pre-
pare them for greater works in peopling
other worlds in His universe and of His
buildings of the earth for the glorifca-
ton of His faithful servant Adam.
Here also they learn that the supreme
command of God was given in the Gar
den of Eden. when Adam and Eve were
told to be fruitful and multiply and re-
plenish the earth" Motherhood they
are informed, is the great function of
womanhood, and the glory Of man and
woman, they are informed, largely de-
Ponds upon their diligence in furnish
Ing tabernacles of aesh to the spirits who
are waiting on the other side Of the veil
for an opportunity 10 take part in the
great scheme Of salvation.
From this room the noviiate passes into
another. where simplicity gives way to
ornate decoration. The walls are COW
cred with landscapes, peaceful waters
IN NH ab
and the lamb are lying down together.
The walls are painted in imitation Of the
sky. and birds can he seen flying above.
The ceiling is a representation of the
heavens. with sun. moon and stars all
shining togther.
Here the young Mormon learns Of the
conditions OF the world before sin and
strife entered He is told of the n1ys-
teries of Adams descent from the
heavens with one Of his wives. OF his
transgression and the necessity for sin
that the world might be peopled. all OF
the duties of the living IN carrying out
all Of the commandments Of God in an
cieut and modern DAYS.
Leaving the room. the novice leaves the
realism of the earth and begins 20 enter
upon the mysteries Of the Mormon heav-
en- He passes into room painted like
the one he has left. bat with an idea en-
tirely different. The peaceful scene has
given way 10 one OF chaos. The gentle
waterfall has given way 70 a torrent that
dashes madly over rocks. The trees OF
the forest are bent and swept by 2 ire
mendous storm. Clouds are sweeping
over the sky. The lion Is raging against
the weaker animals the hawk &c ,,,,-s,,