South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-05-05
Seeing America
First
BY Fred Kelly.

From Diary-In Salt Lake City:
After hearing an explanation Of the
origin of the Mormon church, it is
comparatively easy to understand why
the MormOns hit on a sailed desert for
the site of their city.
1t seems that nearly a hundred years
ago, when Joseph Smith was a young
ster living near Palmyra, \. Y, an
angel-one Moroni by handicapped
around one night and let Joseph in on
a secret. Buried in a hillside. near
by, the angel confided TO young JO-
seph, were a set of gold plates on
which was written the history and re-
ligiOus beliefs of the earliest inhab-
itants Of the American continent.
With the plates were two small stones,
by which the record written on them
could be translated.
In due course Joseph went to the
hillside and found the plates, just
like the angel had said. The matter
written on them was in some strange
language. but by means of the two
stones that were buried with the
plates, the work of translating was.
of course, easy enough.
Smith would have taken the plates
and proudly exhibited them as curios
among the neighbOrS, but. as the an
gel told him, that would not have
done at all. He alone was the boy to
set the gold plates, and to have
shown them around would naturally
have spoiled everything.
So Joseph started out when the
time was ripe and told of what had
happened-abOut the angel the gold
plates that he mustn't show to any
body. the two stones, and all His
story. because of its attractive plaus-
ability and logic, naturally excited
much attention and he soon had a
band of followers.
Now when a lot of people are
brought together by a story like Jo-
seph Smiths, and set out to cross a
continent in quest of religious free
DOM they are apt TO have plenty Of
zeal. but only a scant sense of humOr.
We may recall in this connection the
case OF the Puritans who came across
the water TO escape religious persecu-
ton and merrily placed in stocks or
ducking stools all who did not agree
with their views. Having it in mind
then. that the Norman who got to-
gether after hearing Joseph Smith
story of the gold plates, were not like
the ordinary run of people. we can
e
picked a desolate spot in the midst
OF a desert for the establishment of
their city. In fact we can almost
picture them looking at the bleak
stretch of sand and the big. burly for
bidding mountains, and exclaiming one
to another:
Now. isn't this just perfectly
lovely"
The average person might not have
liked IL, but the average person would
not have left the fertile hills and val
leys of New York state and set out
TO follow Joseph Smith there in the
first place. Therein lies the answer.
on the train a night or two ago
heard a man snoring. His snOre
started in q low pitch and then.
gathering speed and momentum, it
worked up 10 a sort Of + fiat. at
which point IL seemed as if some
thing must give way or else the top
OF the mans head would have TO come
of. Then just when everybody was
tense To note il the snore could go
any higher. il burst like a skyrocket.
thus: G-r-r-rt-zssst-t he start
ed at the low, methodical pace all
over again. That fresh start always
seems providential What I wish TO
know is this. If the snore didn't give
way just at that point, what would
happen?