160 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONT ELY. 



and upon those who show them any favor. When I was in Salt Lake 

 City, the Governor of Utah Territory was very severely assailed for 

 his alleged partiality toward the Mormons, and a grim hope was at 

 the same time expressed that Mr. Brigham Young might shortly take 

 the place merited by him " at the only fireside, which we know of, large 

 enough to accommodate him and the whole of his family." That 

 such expressions are publicly used in speaking of a man whom the 

 great bulk of the community regard as an inspired prophet, is a suffi- 

 cient proof that no terrorism is now exercised against dissenters from 

 the dominant church of Utah. To a stranger like myself, desirous of 

 understanding as far as possible the tenets of their faith, a frank and 

 friendly reception was accorded by such of the Mormon leaders as I 

 had an opportunity of visiting. Every explanation asked for was at 

 once afforded, but I do not feel justified in mentioning names, or in 

 repeating any private conversation, although it was probably not in- 

 tended to be confidential. A passing stranger can only see the exter- 

 nal surface of society, and in this respect there is nothing very 

 remarkable in Salt Lake City. The parlor of a flourishing Mormon 

 householder does not differ much in appearance from that of an 

 Englishman who happens to have a numerous family, with a large 

 proportion of sisters or daughters. A new and somewhat startling 

 sensation is, however, experienced during the ceremony of introduc- 

 tion on first hearing the words, " Now, sir, let me introduce you to 

 another of my wives." The strangeness of these words mainly con- 

 sists in the very fact that they are uttered, not by a dark-skinned bar- 

 barian, but by a gentleman answering to the description of the English 

 soldiers given by "Le Conscrit de 1813 " " blancs, bien rases, comme 

 de bons bourgeois " and in a room with all the familiar surround- 

 ings of civilized domestic life. The public worship of the Church of . 

 Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as the Mormons invariably designate 

 their own sect, is conducted with great simplicity, very much as it is 

 in an English dissenting chapel, and the preponderance of ladies is by 

 no means greater than that to which we are accustomed in places of 

 worship generally. The only marked peculiarity is the administra- 

 tion of the Lord's Supper in water instead of wine, and of this sacra- 

 ment it appears to be customary for all the faithful present to par- 

 take, old and young alike. The hymns are sung by a mixed choir of 

 young men and women, and addresses, are delivered by eminent Mor- 

 mon elders. When I was present, the speakers were Mr. Daniel H. 

 Wells, Mayor of Salt Lake City, and Mr. Cannon, brother of the 

 delegate from Utah Territory to Congress. All religious argument 

 was based upon the authority of the Bible, to which the Mormon 

 revelations claim to be additional, but in no sense contrary. Vari- 

 ous Mormon doctrines were touched upon, and special allusions were 

 made to the persecutions undergone by the Saints in past times, and 

 to those which appeared to menace them in the future. Although not 



