The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1911-06-29
Joseph Smith Tells of
Church's Struggles in
Pioneer Days. al
TOOK FORTY YEARS
TO BUILD TEMPLE
Recalls With Pride His First
Pair Of Wooden
Breaches.
By THEODORE II. T1LLER.


Smith has a graphic life stoyy, but
he wanted to impress especially the
fact that the head of the Mormon
Church isn't different from bther peo-
pie; that he works for a living and
that there is no glamour, of curiosity
or otherwise. to be thrown about his
official position.
Perhaps Mr.. Smith remembered tina
curious ones who thronged the COM
mittee room when he appeared before
the House investigators, who are ex-
aiming into the affairs Of the alleged
Sugar trust. At any rate, the Mormon
prophet said:
. II am just an ordinary man, taking
an interest in public affairs, working
for living, but with perhaps a his
tory the telling Of which would con-
Is one thing, however, / would like
to impress upon those who seem to
know little about the Mormon Church.
One of our teachings is the belief in
work.
Church Teaches Thrift.
i don't live on the church. I work
Tor living the same as any other
man; so do the bishops Of the church.
Work and thrift are among the funda-
mental teachings Of our religion. We
believe in raising everything we can at
home. We believe in sustaining our
selves and one another.
There seems TO be a misunderstand-
Ing on the part of some as TO how the
heads Of the church are supported. !
don't attempt to live on what am paid
by the church. None Of us do, and no
man Of our religion becomes SO great
that he cannot do honest toll. This ap-
plies to men, women, and children"
How is Woman'S suffrage working
mons, who now numbers nearly a half
million, was asked.
oh, it seems to be working fine" he
answered. The women seem to like to
vote, and 1t appears TO be for the good
of the State. l would not be surprised
to See woman's suffrage extend East
ward We were the pioneers. you know,
in establishing suffrage for the opposite
veloping the beet-sugar industry and in
claiming the Territory of Utah, then
belonging to Mexico as q part of the
United states. Soon after the Mormons
settled at Salt Lake City, they planted
the Stars and Stripes on Cliff over
looking the city, and at that time 80
Mormon volunteers were engaged in the
trouble with Mexico
Tall and Patriarchal.
Prophet Smith. who is spending sew
eral days with Senator SInoot, 10 tall.
spare, patriarShal in appearance. HIs
eyes are light brown, and they have a
peculiar little twinkle in them. except
when Mr.. Smith talks of the early per-
secutions of the Normons, and then
they become of flashing seriousness. AZ
he talked, President Smith stroked a
long. white beard, square cut, rather
than pointed, halfway to the waist line.
Mr.. Smith spent several months In
Washington in the latter eighties, but
since that time his visits have been
few and short.
He is away from his church duties
now simply because the House COM
mittee wanted his testimony con-
corning Henry Havemeyer's acquisi-
| ton of interest in the so-called Nor
mon sugar companies.
The visitors don't realize that when
the Mormon pioneers-BrighamY Young
and 142 others-came to the valley of
Salt Lake in 1S4S it was nothing save
a sage-brush plain. A mountain trap
| per came to Brigham Young and said!
Possibilities Doubled.
NO white man can live here.
Everything is frozen every month in
the year. I'll give you $1,000 for the
| first ear of corn you raise
But thousands Of other Mormons.
banished from Missouri and Illinois by
persecution OF the mobs, followed Presi+
dent Young. We conquered the soil. by
irrigation, and today we can raise all
most anything. The Mormons first used
irrigation in the United states. They
were pioneers in that also.
ut may be interesting TO know that
in our pilgrimage westward in the for
ties, ! herded sheep and cattle on the
spot where the city OF Omaha now
of the Mississippi in those days. When
We settled at Salt Lake we were 1,0W
miles from civilization. and more than
1,5Oo miles from railroad. AT the age
of ten, remember. l drove team for
thousand miles across this then bar
rem country.
My father, Hyrum Smith. was killed
by a mob when I was child. He was
a martyr to his religion. The Mormons
were compelled to flee Hancock county.
ILL.,, and 1 left with my widowed mothet
and the others. Our homes were pill
LACED.
obtained possession of my fathers book
case at that time notified me that nd
would sell it to me for $50. I sent him
the money and the bookcase, taken
from us before We immigrated, one1
more became the property Of the family
In which 1t belonged"
illustrative of the spirit of thrift that
the church attempts to instill in every
believer in Mormonism, Prophet SMITH
wooden breeches, carded and woven ID
his own home from the wool takea
from sheep of which he was the shepA
herd.
Proud of First Pants.
Il was mighty proud OF that pair oi
pants, the first made for me after WI
reached the Valley of Salt Lake" said
the Mormon president.
Which indicates that the greatest lfvl
ing exponent of a much-discussed rel
ligious faith was just like other boys
and that he has grown up just like
other men.
Prophet Smith wildly described how
those who had determined to drive the
Mormons westward destroyed the 81
000, 900 temple erected by the colony ID
Illinois. No sooner had they reached
the present site of Salt Lake City, Id
said, than Brigham Young jabbed the
end of his cane in the ground at q cerI
tain spot saying:
I'VE will build our temple here, and
we will build our city out therer'
ut took US forty years to build tho
temple at Salt Lake." continued thu
president of the church, "and we hauled
the rock for its foundations TWENTY
miles over mountain roads in OK teams
II couldn't begin to tell you all the
interesting things about the Mormo1
Church. said the aged prophet-he Il
now seventy-three years old-"for the
history of the church has already gon4
into five volumes. However, 1 hope you
will see that / am just plain, ordinary
every day human being, a man, and
that you will stress the fact that WI
all believe in work. ! work still, des4
pite my age. and when return nome
viii 60 right back At It.