Evening star., 1936-08-02

mon Church to remove $4,000
of its members from the pub
u lie relief rolls and assume their
support has turned the eyes of the
world upon the great solidarity and
perseverance of the Mormon people.
Here the women are wondering just
what their share in the great plan
is to be. For, from the time that
Brigham Young uttered those fa-
nous words, This is the place" as
he stood with his band of the faith
full at the mouth of Emigration Can
yon and looked into a fertile valley
nestled in the barren Rockies, Nor
mon women have had complete charge
Of the relief work of their sect.
This was brought to the attention
of the country during the World
War, when the Government purchased
100000 bushels of wheat from the
church at the time of the wheat
shortage. No war prof1teering was in
volved. The women of the church had
accumulated that grain over period
of AZ years for Brigham Young had
instructed them to gather and store
1t against a day of famine.
Salt Lake City, the mecca of Nor
mondom, intrigues the interest of
travellers from all corners of the world
Daily hundreds visit famous Temple
Square, where the unique temple is
located, and the museum and taber-
nacle, where free organ recitals are
given every noon. They listen avidly
to verbose guide explaining the Won
ders of the Mormon religion and its
revelations.
However, the curious traveller is
far more interested in the people
themselves. He wants to know how
they live, and if the women are still
subjected to the ancient bondage.
For although it is 40 years since the
Mormon people have abandoned the
pologamy tenants of their faith, the
stranger is looking for something
strange in the manner and life of a
people whose history and religious Wor-
ship is so different from that of other
settlers of this country.
This attitude of the casual visitor
is illustrated by story told me by
smiling young clerk in Salt Lake
City department store, where I was
making some purchases. She said
fustered middle-aged woman had just
come over to her, fingered merchandise
for moment, and suddenly whispered,
Il beg your pardon, Miss, I am a
stranger in town, can you point out a
Mormon to me-
The saleslady went on, "I told her
was, and was the poor soul flabber-
gasted! She said, oh yes, are you
really! Why I thought - and
then rushed away"
Mormon women attribute the tour
lists curiosity about themselves to
ignorance and are always ready to
give correct information. They know
that while Utah is 80 per cent Nor
mon, that in Salt Lake City only a
little more than half of the popu-
lation belong to the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-Day Saints, more
commonly called L. D. S., or Mormon.
And there are no outward dis
tinguishing marks between members
Of the L. D. S. and the other citizens
OF their city. However, several old
timers have asked me if I did not
notice that the women's compilations
here are clearer and more natural
than in other cities I have visited.
They explain that the Words of
Wisdom" allows no cigarettes to dangle
from piouS Women's lips and pro-
hlbitS the drinking of tea, coffee and
spirits. Be that as it may, Utah
women do look young, chic and alert.
After visiting the Zion Cooper
ative Store and seeing the undergar-
wears all her life so that she need
never be unprepared should Gabriel
blow his horn, I wonder how the
women manage to look so delightful
in evening clothes.
NO MATTER where you 60 in Salt
Lake City there is one subject
Mormon women themselves bring up,
for they want to straighten out the
american foreigner" on plural mar
siages.
Il know what you are thinking
about" women have exclaimed when
I asked them some question relating
to their life, "It's polygamy, and we
have not allowed it since we entered
the Union. When we did no more
than l per cent of our men practiced
it." They sometimes will admit that
in isolated rural areas, where peo-
pie are desperately poor, men marry
more than one woman for economic
expediency. But they emphasize that
the church is fighting against polyga-