Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-09-25
LIGHT FOR THE CHURCH
TO GUIDE THE STRANGER

Light has always been more or less
Of a mystery and since the birth Of
humanity it has been held o symbol
a visible sign of that spiritual and
omnipoteut power which has been
worshippcd since the primitive.
ALWAYS light has had wonderful
religious influence. One OF tho very
earliest religions conferred about the
worship or FIRE. Baal was the god
Of SUM- the Chaldcaus prayed 20 tho
stars. the children of Israel We're led
out Of Egypt boy a pillar Of fire; the
Romans built the Temple OF the sun.
the Wise Men of the East followed
the guiding star 10 the Light Of the
World. and the AztcCs and lnCas
made human sacrifices 10 their fiery
god Of the sun.
Light has magnetic power OF at
traction, II has q special power to
awaken and invoke the good In man.
and the church has not been slow TO
take advantage Of this fact
Recently the greatest care has been
taken in the planning for the ilmm-
ination Of large churches. II has
been demonstrated that sharp points
Of light shining directly into the eyes
OF the congregation are responsible
for most of the sleepiness OF those
present even more so than the prosi-
ness Of the speaker Sharp points or
light are very fatguing to the eyes
and outraged nature insists on the lids
being closed TO prevent actual injury
10 the sensitive nerves, and with the
eyes closed 81 is but a short step 10
dreamland. Modern churches are be-
Ing scientifically illuminated both by
direct and indirect lighting The
new low Candle-power tungsten lamps
with ground glass globes are now used
most extensively for direct illumina-
ton both because Of the quality OF
light which Is very near 10 actual
sunshine, and because the new metal
hlament lamps give nearly three times
as much light.
In the "eyo comfort" system Of in
direct Hight the higher power tungsten
lamps are used so concealed that the
RAYS OF light are thrown upon the
walls and ceiling 10 be diffused and
reflected about the room In this
system the lamps are an hidden and
not a single sharp point Of light can
be found 90 tire the eyes.
There are many churchmen and
ClergNmcn who are following the eN-
ample Of the business places IN re-
gard 90 electric signs and exterior
lighting Many OF the largest churches
are attractiveN Illuminated both in
side and out with handsome illuminat-
ed crosses topping the lofty steeplcs.
the tower well lighted and the en-
frances handsomely decorated with
electric lights. Some OF them have
even gone So far aces 90 provide large
electric signs for the front Of the
church inviting people 10 come in and
hear the Word of God. The First
Baptist church. Jamaica Plains Bos-
ton, has a large electric sign over the
entrance with the word Welcome IN
letters of light The Second Baptist
church Of Philadelphia has large
street sign two stories high setting out
the name OF the church Boz large inum-
mated letters Tho Brooklyn rabcr-
naclo church has "a unique flasher
electric sign utilizing the cross for the
letter .'T." when the word "Taher-
nacle" on the top Of the cross ls out
making tho letter CT" When the
words are on the cross stands out in
bold relief
on one of the streets ~ Denver,
Colo. there is the large Illuminated
sign OF the Broadway theater, and "a
Nttle way above 20 is still larger sign
bearing the name of the Trinity
Methodlst church. thus the church
outrcuches the call Of the thester.
Large and beautiful crosses ~ light
stand out each night from the towers
of hundreds Of churches and high
over every church in the land should
be- cross of golden light against the
nipht sltN aud above every church door
should be- the cheering Illuminated
sign OF welcome.