Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-04-15
MISSION FIELDS.
A Sunday In smyrna.

m a.. t.st,...
vs.. -.
uhy ~ MnI.n, ~ We nave no .nuIct
members IN TINS city l started out - see
". perchancc. some honest soul might
~ iounu IN thls large place Win ABOUT
.vv.V,v inhabitants. No one knows the
number OF people In any city Ia this
county. because there are no published
ntaustlcr. but smyrna " iafs., busy
town. possessing a Dig trade ana many
wide awake merchants. ships from all
Important ports On the Mediterranean
and the great forcncdc Damprkibh-
nclskab OF Copenhagen were noticed
with their red banner with the white
cross.
a moderately good small haven has
been provided here and although the
ships are not moorcd up close to the
wharvcH. yet cmbnrkhtion and diHcm-
barkation are affected without danger
or difficulty.
The nrst thing on the sunday morn
Ing was. Of course. a visit TO the dif.
fercnt ranctuarica. A gentleman of our
consulate CHANGED 10 meet me on tho
street and kindly volunteered TO con.
duct me 20 the Church quarter. NJ l
was heading more particularly for the
Protestant quarters. We nrat called
at the large Greek cathedral whore n
largo concourrc OF people had gathered
To worship and purify. preparatory To
partnking OF the Lords supper. This
purihcntion consisted In confcrnlnE
their sins 10 the priests and obtaining
full forgiveness Tor all past oucnr"r.
My Informant told me these pcopl.
wcrc very piour and that they claimed
exclusive rights To rnrndirc. that IN
fact. n was made for them. Well. We
suppose they VIII yet n Paradise equal
10 their worthincrr. Among the urceks
fhvrr nrv many Foot people quite sim
some day hear ana accept the truth.
Like all Catholics they baptix" little
children. but with this difference. that
they use Immersion. As the child grows
n II taught that God Requires II Ia
show great regard for the priests and
the pictures Of tho saints; that by
crossing oneself before one OF these
picture saints and by offering up
prayer the person whom the picture re-
presents win present the petition TO
Jesus and act IN the mediator Tor the
praying one. And that by confcaHlnH
10 the priests. all offcnn.a save one
may be forgiyen--thc objectionable sin
being 10 leave the Greek church.
Going To this large church We passed
right through the market places and
was amazed TO see the Sunday was
really their great day for business. Fish
mungers. fruit pcddlers. shop keepers
OF NIL kinds. and merchants, were busy.
and people coming and going TO mar
kct with their baskets IN hand. surely
the Turks have not mlanamed sunday
by calling II Pnzxnr gum. that II mar
ket day. And this business was chiefly
run by the Greeks within stones
throw Of their principal church and up
on a most important day when after
their fast. that IN abhthinins from eat
inK certain meats ana fhtr Tor stated
periods. they nrr supposed 10 10 10
confession and partnko OF me Hacra-
ment. Tho whole only shows how weak
nro tho powers or moral forces OF the
church when they cannot control theH"
matters among their own ndh"frhth.
nut IN this thcy DO not dinrr maternity
from many other ''rhrirtinn aenonnin-
ations that spend the sabbath day IN
pleasure seeking ana IN baAc ana ue-
gcneratin. sports
The large edince " richly hnished IN
carvings and paintings. The body OF
the church In supported by hish pillars
and all worshippern are expected 10
stand ON the noor or SIT down cross
legged In oriental fashion, na " nap
pens To be tho order OF me uny. lhc
ladies were IN gallery hiHh up AZ 'he
back OF tho main body OF the church
where they are MA away from Wow or
the cfendy behind heavy lattice work:
u " singular that thls Offensive tnu
barbaric custom can stu obtain among
these people who are Otherwise fant anu
ine IN dress and parade ana IN no Wise
AFRAID To show their faces, but u seems
20 us that they are rather DESTROYS OF
making n brilliant display by their
raudy dresses and powdered faces hut
Greeks ARE not only Greeks, thoy are
hnrd-shalled Greeks on religious mat
tiers. They Insist thoy are the only ones
Just right for they have had these or
dinances rnd' ceremonies All handed
over 20 them by Paul and Timothy.
and other ancient disciples. Hence there