The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-07-17


Mrs. T. J. Collins wife of the for
| mer pastor of the First Baptist church,
| of West Scranton, who has been en-
| gagged in missionary work with her
| husband in Utah during the past four
| years, spoke at the Welsh Baptist
| church last evening on THE Mysteries
| of MormOnism."
In introducing the subject Mrs, Cot
| lins stated that after leaving this
| city, the family was located in the
| city of Zion, where they labored in
| Christian work. 1T is a great valley
| up in the mountains, nearly a mile
| above the sea level" she concluded.
THE surrounding mountain ranges
are full of gold, silver, copper, lead
| and other precious minerals and some
Of the highest peaks are covered with
snow all the year round.
Into this great valley the MOrmons
entered over fifty years ago. II was
| then covered with sand and sage
| brush but through their tremendous
| sacrifices and energies it soon began
to blossom as the rose, and a great
| city sprang up as if by magic Mount
Nebo, one of the highest mountain
| peaks, is over 1000 feet above the
| sea level. At the base of this noun
tain is the sea of Gaillce or Utah Lake,
and from it the Jordan river, like IA
silver ribbon, stretches down to a
beautiful valley to the Dead Sea or
| Great Salt Lake.
a GREAT LAKE.
This lake is about seventy miles
| long by fOrty-five miles wide, and has
! two islands in the midst Of its waters,
| to one of which the grave robber of
| newspaper fame was banished. Bath
| ing in the waters of this lake is de-
| lightful and exhilarating. All that is
| necessary in order to know how to
swim is to sit down and paddle with
| your hands and your feet will take
| care of themselves. One cannot sink,
as the salt exercises it's saving power
| and keeps the swimmer from going to
| the bottom.
The discovery of gold and other
precious metals in the surrounding
hills has caused an influx of Gentiles,
and the waters of this holy land are
being polluted by them.
THE population of Utah is esti-
mated at about 200,000 one fourth OF
whom are 'Gentiles, and they comprise
a majority of the citizens of Salt Lake
| City. The latter city is laid in the
form of a chess-b board and was in
| tended to cover about nine thousand
| acres. AT present, however, it only
| occupies about one-third that amount
| The streets are one hundred and thir-
| ty-seven feet wide, and the blocks
| forty rods square. On both sides Of
| the streets are rows of beautiful trees
| and at their roots flow streams of
| fresh sparkling water.
| The court house rs similar to the
| one in Scranton, but the temple is the
| great attraction and stands where
Brigham Young struck his cane and
said it should stand, when he first
entered the valley. The temple was
| built of white granite, taken from the
mountains in Utah, at a cost of be-
| tween $3G00,00 and $4,000,000 \
statue of the Angel Maroni stands on
the east end, blowing his trumpet.
This building, it is claimed, is a
| reproduction of the Temple at Jerusa-
| lem, and as no Gentiles were allowed
| in that one, the same rule applies at
Salt Lake City. There are under
ground compartments. and in the tenn
pie proper, it is claimed. there is a
miniature garden of Eden. Into this
heavenly place the faithful saints go
to be MARI ID, and there is also a
baptismal fount, where the saints are
| baptised.
SURROUNDED BY A WALL.
THE block in which the temple
| stands is surrounded by q great wall,
and within this enclosure is the as
sembly hall and the great tabernacle.
| The lawns and grounds surrounding
the buildings are well kept and beau
titled with grass, flowers, fountains.
etc.
Tho tabernacle is a large circular
building, with a huge oval wooden
dome, and will seat from 10000 to Il, =
600 people. The great pipe organ in
this building cost over $1,000 600 and is
the second largest in the United States.
About the MOrmons themselves, the
speaker said in regard to their theo-
logical views, they are polytheists.
They claim that there are many gods,
having human forms, and are graded.
Adam of Genesis is the highest in spir-
'N'''' '''iih' Nllll1 ! III lSlt Nlbudllltlltu,
Joseph Smith and Brigham Young also
partake of divine nature.
"A very sad but true state exists,
that the sexual relations penetrate
every portion of their creed, and the
saints on leaving this world are del
fed, and their glory will be in propor-
tlOn to the number of wives and chill
dren they have. Thus they urge the
necessity and justification of polyg-
amy. If man is not able to support
many wives, he may induce as many
nice, pretty, sweet girls as he can to
be sealed to him, or to marry him for
! eternity.
They believe that the Bible is the
Word of God, so far as it is correctly
translated, This gives them a wonder
full scope for depression The Book of
Mormon is absolutely correct. accord .
ing TO their belief as God himself
translated it from the plates the angel
showed to the prophet Joseph Smith.
On reading it, one would naturally
think it would have been well if God
had studied little grammar ana rhet-
oric before undertaking the Job
1T is an awful conGlomeration OF
stuff written in very poor imitation