Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-02-25
Pacific Cereal Association
S,n Francisco

dancers, and all enjoy entertainments
| OF this kind.
A drive through the streets OF Salt
Lake City VIII reveal evidences OF pub
lie spirit and private enterprise which
would be creditable to capital city
many times Its size There Is no state
house as yet but the city and county
building which answers the purpose OF
one Is among the finest In America.
The vast Temple, Of white stone. is
unique In design among the religious
edliices Of the world Since It's dedica-
tlon no Gentle" has ever crossed its
portals. The Imagination may pic
ture It's rich curtains and It's sym
bollcal decorations, but It's mysteries
are destined to remain a sealed book
to the general public,
The Tabernacle, 1t is claimed, viii
comfortably seat $4,000 people. It's
organ is believed to be the largest
and best In the word. Its UNI
paid choir numbers from three hundred
to six hundred. The vast auditorium
can be cleared almost simultaneously.
since the sides are simply great rows
Of doors, all ready to open. The
acoustic properties OF the vast chamber
are wonderful. From one end you can
hear n pin drop at the other end. A
whisper can be heard without effort
throughout the length OF the building.
IL Is an error to suppose that the
Tabernacle was erected simply rs 4
temporary structure, to serve until the
Temple should be completed. The two
buildings are wholly distinct in nur-
pose The Temple was never designed
for great assembly hall.
Strange to say, the Tabernacle was
built without the use OF iron nails or
bolts, for these could not be obtained.
The great uusses which support the
roof without columns are Joined to-
gether with wooden pins. The stones
OF the Temple might almost have been
set no without mortar, 80 perfectly
were they cut. Each had it's number
marked upon It. The mortar was very
sparngy used in putting the stones to-
gether' and one often hears II limited
that the vast structure may some day
be taken down and removed, to be set
up again In some place which revea-
tlon may direct Both buildings, 1t Is
held, were planned by direct inspira-
ton, and no earthly architect can
claim credit for their conception,
Perhaps nowhere in the world is there
greater sincerity In religious belief
than Is seen In Utah, All concede to
the Saints sincerity and devotion to
not do to stop here The Saints are
people Of education and refinement
fully up to the average IN the country
at large. They are people who read and
think and discuss.
Whatever is peculiar IN the social
fabric OF Utah must be explained by
their peculiar religious belief, which
dominates all their acts, and by their
history, which finds no parallel In the
annals OF modern times. For parallel,
indeed, one must 90 back to the days
of Moses and the lsraelites. The Saints
arrived In Utah In 1877, when It was
yet Mexican territory. They accom-
pllshed their perious march over the
unknown plains, far beyond tho pos
sible aid Of man, and surrounded by
almost every conceivable peril, under
the direction Of leader as absolute In
authority as was Moses OF old. With
out such leadership as absolute as
that Of an army, they would probably
have persisted. With II they trans
formed a desert into garden, Strange
TO say, the land TO which they came
seemed a very model OF ancient Pales-
tine, with It's Jordan river and its Dead
sea, So strangely did they seem to
live over again the patrlarchal age OF
scripture, that they fell into the life Of
the old dispensatlon, which FOUND Tor
every woman a home and protector
and laid upon every man a burden OF
duty to his family and TO his fellows.
They adopted the patriarchal polyg-
amy. but not the patriarohal slavery.
From that curse they were always
free.
Utah Is now on one OF the worlds
great highways, and basks In the full
light OF the twentieth century. SHE
seems to have passed through three
thousand years OF history IN less than
six decades,
The influence OF her strange past VIII
llnger long over her people They ac-
cept OF the new without revillng the
old. Thrift ana plenty, generous living,
culture, and sentiment go hand I'm hand
with ceaseless industry I'm the bee
Hive" state. In land like ours, where
the widest religious liberation Is sup
posed 70 obtain, both legally and so
cially, the end OF polygamy should
mark the cessation of bitter hostility
20 the religion OF the Saints; and this
barrier removed. we may all take pride
in the marvellous state which industry
and faith have reared about the Great
Salt lake Of the far west