The Signs of the Times, vol. 12

November 18, 1886

“At the Seat of Mormondom” The Signs of the Times, 12, 44.

E. J. Waggoner

Having time on our way East to spend two days at Salt Lake City, we improved the opportunity, and made the most of our time in viewing the city and learning the peculiarities of its peculiar people. We are not of the class who can generalize with the air of authority about a place after two days’ stay in it, and shall therefore confine ourselves to what we saw and heard, especially the latter, for as an old Mormon official said, “It isn’t what ye see, but what ye hear, that’s going to benefit ye.” SITI November 18, 1886, page 694.1

As one of the days of our stay was Sunday, we attended the general service at the tabernacle. Here we may remark that only one service a week is held in the tabernacle,-at 2 P.M. Sunday afternoons. The city is divided into twenty-one wards, each presided over by a bishop and in each of which there is a meeting-house. On Sunday mornings there is a Sunday-school and perhaps a short service in each of these ward meeting-houses, and another short service at 6 o’clock each Sunday evening. Once a week, as before stated, there is a general meeting in the tabernacle. SITI November 18, 1886, page 694.2

Of this tabernacle, as well as of the other noted places in the city, but little need be said, simply because they are noted. The structure is exceedingly plain both within and without. If is oval in shape, being 200 feet long, 150 feet wide, and 70 feet high. The dome rests on low but massive brick columns, which, with the intervening windows, form the wall of the building. Besides these are columns, the roof has no support. The building has the appearance of this huge dish-cover resting upon blocks. But although it is ungainly, its acoustic properties are wonderful. The dropping of a pin at one extremity can be heard at the other extremity as distinctly as though it were a nail dropped close by. And there is no echo. When the building is filled to its utmost capacity,-13,000,-a person in any part of it can hear the speaker without difficulty, provided the remainder of the people keep still; we doubt if they ever do. The organ in the tabernacle is said to be the second largest in the world, and the music and singing were really fine. The singing was done by a large choir of trained singers, and the congregation did not join. SITI November 18, 1886, page 694.3

The services themselves struck us as being exceedingly formal. Everything was done in a sort of matter-of-course way, much as a railroad employe performs his routine labor. There was nothing in any of the services that would tend to impress one with a sense of sacredness,-at least so it seemed to us; and we noticed that but few of the congregation acted as though they had come to worship. There was a great lack of interest on the part of the people. Women and girls played with the babies, to which there were many more present than we ever before saw in any assembly, and there was a constant moving about. We are sorry to be obliged to say that this spirit of inattention is not confined to the Mormons; but we never before saw a congregation that was not quiet a part of the time. SITI November 18, 1886, page 694.4

For this lack of interest on the part of the people, we think we can see ample reason. Mormonism is, on a small scale, is a State religion. Church membership is a necessary qualification for public office. Church officers are ex officio government officers, because the church is the government. Under such circumstances, church services must soon become a matter of form, just as the routine duties of a State official are performed mechanically. And when the services are performed mechanically the people will listen mechanically, when they listen at all. Mormonism is a perfect model (except, of course, as to belief) of what the whole country will be when the National Reformers shall have accomplished their design. In time past, when the fear of the United States Government did not stand before the eyes of the Mormons, and the guns of the United States fort did not command the town, a non-Mormon did not have any rights in Salt Lake City, and it was at the risk of this life that one ventured there, especially if he dropped a word against Mormonism; and when the proposed religious amendment to the Constitution is adopted, no one who does not profess the State religion will have any rights in the United States, and one who ventures to talk, and especially to act, contrary to the established religion, will do so at his own peril. Church officers will then be Government officers as well, and the gospel will, so far as “the church” is concerned, be dead. Then Revelation 18:2 will meet its complete fulfillment: “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” No National Reformer has any right to cast a stone at the Mormons. SITI November 18, 1886, page 694.5

On the day that we were at the tabernacle, there was a short address by a “converted Jew,” and a sermon by Bishop Whitney. The Jew applied all the prophecies to literal Israel, predicting a return of all the Jews to Jerusalem, there to rule over their enemies, with Christ as their king. One peculiar thing in the services was that the sacrament was administered while the other services were going on. After the Jew’s address, one of the elders asked a blessing on the bread, which was then carried around through the congregation by several men, while the bishop began his discourse. After the bishop had spoken about twenty minutes, he stopped very abruptly, and sat down. Then the same elder as before asked a blessing on the water, that being used instead of the fruit of vine. The men then began to pass the water, and the bishop resumed his discourse. SITI November 18, 1886, page 694.6

The sermon was a history of Mormonism and a representation of its doctrines. Probably this subject was taken because there were many strangers present. It interested us only because it was a summary of Mormonism, by the best authority, and because it contains some egregious errors of which we had never heard before. Otherwise it was somewhat tedious; if we had been as familiar with the subject as a greater part of his auditors doubtless were, we should probably have been about as much bored as they seemed to be. SITI November 18, 1886, page 694.7

Following are some of the points of the discourse: Referring to the Jew’s address, he said that as the Jews were building up Jerusalem, so the Mormons were building up Zion. Isaiah 2:2-5 was applied to the Mormons. “Because we believe in the literal fulfillment of this prophecy, and look for the literal return of Christ to reign over us,” said the speaker, “we are stigmatized as traitors.” He did not deny that they are in opposition to the Government; the only ground on which they could deny that they are essentially traitors to this Government, is that they do not acknowledge its authority in any particular. Joseph Smith is declared to be the “stick of Ephraim” (Ezekiel 37:16), and later the Book of Mormon was declared to be the “stick of Judah.” He said that the Mormons do not deny the divinity of the Bible; they hold it as equal to the Book of Mormon. But as the Mormons are all Ephraimites, and the Book of Mormon is the “stick of the Ephraim,” while the Bible is the “stick of Judah,” the inferences seem to be that even though they joined the two sticks together, the Ephraimites would regard their own stick with the greater favor. SITI November 18, 1886, page 694.8

The speaker said that when the plates of the Book of Mormon were given to Smith by the angel he (Smith) was able to interpret and translate them because he had the Urim and the Thummim. Then followed a long account of the Nephites (the aborigines of this country) and their wars with the Lamanites. This country is considered to be the land of promise to Joseph, and the Rocky Mountains are “the everlasting hills.” Genesis 49:26. Jacob’s blessing was not fulfilled to Joseph in Palestine, since that tribe was not a very powerful in that land; hence it must be fulfilled here. The Nephites came to this country ages ago. When Christ ascended from the disciples upon the Mount of Olives he was wafted across the ocean to this country, where he chose twelve apostles. These were the “other sheep not of this fold” (John 10:16), and to them he spoke the many things which the disciples could not bear. John 16:12. The “lost tribes” of Israel are now somewhere in the frozen North, whence they will someday be led to “Zion” (Salt Lake City) by a prophet who will smite the icebergs so that they will melt before them. In bringing these lost tribes to “Zion” a miracle will be wrought, “beside which the passage of the Red Sea will pale into insignificance.” The prophet who is to conduct these tribes is John, who remains “superior to death” until the Lord shall come to reign over “Zion.” In the meantime he is probably up North among the “lost tribes.” Their claim is that John the Baptist came to anoint Joe Smith to the Aaronic priesthood, and that Peter, James, and John came to bestow upon him the apostleship, and to anoint him to the Melchizedek priesthood. Thus it will be seen that they have every office that the Jews ever had, and many that they never had, and all in a greater abundance; for they have many “high places.” SITI November 18, 1886, page 694.9

But time would fail us to recount all the absurdities that were dealt out with all seriousness. The next morning, while viewing the tabernacle, and the Assembly Hall, the old Mormon who thought we could be benefited only by what we might hear, gave us many additional ideas. In obedience, no doubt, to the command to “be instant in a season, out of season,” he preached us a sermon nearly an hour in length, interrupted only by an occasional question for us. The main thing of interest to us in this discourse was that part which related to polygamy. Many very specious arguments were adduced in its favor, but they all seemed to be summed up in the one statement that is “according to nature.” We mentally agreed that it might be compatible with a depraved human nature, but utterly inconsistent with the divine nature of which true saints must be partakers. But the most fanatical Mormon will hardly assert that polygamy is in accordance with the nature of women. To be sure the women talk in favor of it, and many no doubt think that it is of divine appointment; but we are inclined to think that most of them are at heart like the one whom we met, who thought it all right for a man to have more than one wife, but upon been pressed, admitted that she wouldn’t like to have her husband do so. SITI November 18, 1886, page 694.10

Before we heard the particulars of Mormonism from the mouths of its advocates, we thought that Spiritualism was the only form of religion which has not some truth in it, but we shall have to make another exception for Mormonism. It is true that they professedly accept the Bible, as do the Spiritualists, and they have “baptism for the remission of sins,” and profess to believe some other Bible doctrines; but everything is so distorted as to bear scarcely any semblance to Bible truth. Like Spiritualism, it is a gigantic delusion, wholly of the devil. It is admirably calculated to catch those who are ignorant of the Bible, and are in a condition to be imposed upon by the hierarchy, and also those who are sensually inclined. It will eventually culminate in Spiritualism pure and simple. Those with whom we talked seem to be really sincere, and we believe they were. The one who discoursed to our benefit had been a Mormon for over thirty years, as a “high priest,” and has shown his faith in polygamy by taking four wives. He is doubtless as sincere in his belief as the Hindoo is in his. The originators of Mormonism were beyond question intentional deceivers, but in process of time no doubt came to believe their own lies. SITI November 18, 1886, page 694.11

The Mormons exhibit every evidence of temporal prosperity, and, like the ancient Pharisees, they accept this as evidence of the favor of God. If numbers or temporal prosperity, however, are evidence of the favor of God, the Catholic Church would have to be accepted as the true church. But there is just one standard of truth, and that is the Bible, and the Bible alone. Tried by this standard, Mormonism is seen to be a fatal delusion. Yet we doubt not but that there are many deceived ones even among Mormons, to whom God will yet grant repentance, “to the acknowledging of the truth.” SITI November 18, 1886, page 695.1

As we passed by the magnificent structures built for “worship,” for business, or as residences for members of the hierarchy, and saw the evidences of the sagacity of the founders of that city, and then thought of the murderous “Danites,” the Mountain Meadow massacre, and the “blood atonement” which is a thing of the past only because of the fear of the hated United States laws, one text continually forced itself upon our mind. It was this:- SITI November 18, 1886, page 695.2

“Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil! Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul. For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it. Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity!” Habakkuk 2:9-12. W. SITI November 18, 1886, page 695.3