BISHOP NEVILL AT SALT LAKE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1029, 19 August 1871, Page 2

BISHOP NEVILL AT SALT LAKE.

(Neio Zealand Church News )

The morning after our arrival in The Mormon capital I sought out and found the residence of the Rev. G. Foote, solely because 1 had read in the pages of the Colonial Church Chronicle notices of the mission which he, in conjunction Avith tho Rev. Mr Haskyns, had been carrying on for some three years in the heart of the Mormon heresy. Received with a genial welcome, I had not been long in tho house before Bishop Tuttle, the apostolical chief shepherd of the enormous territories of Idaho, Montana, and Utah, came in, and at once extended to me the right hand of fellowship. He had only arrived the night before, having just concluded a tour of KiOO miles through a part of his too vast diocese. Salt Lake is now the centre of his mission, and it is hero in a cottage abode this extraordinary man has his family and home. But little time can be spent with them, as the greater part of every year is taken up [ with travelling, and that in stage waggons of the mountains, into which let no one ! whose bones are brittle enter. But the presence of Bishop Tuttle in Salt Lake City was not mainly to seek a few days' repose, but, as he shortly informed me, to lay the foundation-stone of the first Christian Temple of Utah ; in other words, the work of the beforenamed missionaiy had been so blessed that they were at length enabled to commence the erection of a church, and this new era was to be inaugurated the next day. Bishop Tuttle, in a few words of kind politeness, said it would give him much additional pleasure if I, as representing the "dear old mother Church,'' would take some part in the service on the occasion, and so add strength to the bond of our full communion. Of course, I was very ready, and also gladly consented, at the further invitation of the Bishop, to preach to the little flock of "Gentiles"' on the ensuing Sunday.

After luncheon, to which Mrs X. and myself were invited, we had an interesting conversation upon Christian Missions, a subject upcai which I feel bound to confess that the Americans seem to be more in earliest than we are ; perhaps, however, the peculiarities of the situation rendered this more evident, and would explain tho difference.

On the morrow we repaired at the appointed time to the house of the Governor of the Territory, which had been kindly placed by him at the disposal of the clerical party, it being exactly opposite the site of tho proposed church, one of the broad tree-bordered streets separating it therefrom.

By the operation <>f somewhat remaikable coincidences, no less than six clergy were present, exclusive of the Bishop, the largest number which had been ever assembled together in that part of the country, Surplices and stoles were f oiuul for all ; and as we went in proces.si.on across the street, not the slightest rudeness was experienced from the crowd of onlookers, but, on the contrary, excellent order was observed throughout. The service was simple in character. There were prayers (specially composed), psalms (recited), portions of Holy Scripture, and hymns. The Bishop preached a written sermon with great energy and feeling. Alluding in this to my presence, he spoke of the Mother Church as the •'pillar of the old, strung truth. ''

Two incidents at the close are worthy of remark, While the collection was being nuu\e, a man well known as being a Mormon, cried out from the body of the people, " Put down my name for £5 dollars 1" and thinking that perhaps he might not Imvo been taken in earnest, this man afterwards came up to MrFoote and assured him that his order for that amount would be honoured at any time. The other incident addresses itself f ' "

young A separate gatb-; -^ | from the children o f tho scho(^ close of this, a boy went up in my hcarinto the collector, and asked what was the total amount. " Nine dollars, forty cents, was the answer. "I'll i tM ke it ten dollars," said the h<.\, aud added the sixty cents. ii a lr 4 oxnui is :i large sum h.x a ochuolhoy, but he gave it with ready hand. The church will lie built of stone is cruciform in design, and calculated to hold 500 people. The number of those who have already allied themselves with

the Mission is about 250, and is rapidly increasing. Perhaps, however, the most promising part of the work is to be found in the schools, children to the number of 100 being gathered together on a weekday, and thib in spite of the efforts of the Mormon leaders to prevent their followers from sending their children thither. The altered circumstances of the place have to a great extent destroyed the influence of these men, and rendered open persecution no longer possible. Chief among these modifying influences must be reckoned the influx of "Gentiles," owing to the completion of the railway and the discovery of valuable mines of gold and silver in the neighbourhood ; the means of escape also are easy now. The Mormons are themselves preaching toleration with an earnestness begotten of the fear of their own safety, now that there is a prospect of Utah being erected into a State, and so coming under the operation of American law. Then, as the Mission serves as a rallying; point, repentant Mormons no longer need standalone. I met also with interesting examples of the disintegrating process at work in private families. Mothers, who despaired of bettering their own position, would instil into the minds of theirchildren a hatred of the system, and a determination never themselvesto belong to the Mormon body. I might go on enumerating causes which act adversely to the increase of Mormon axvthority, but will content myself with adding that one great difficulty with them, at least so far as the Salt Lake Valley is concerned, will shortly arise from the exhaustion of the supply of donative land. They will no longer have a large tract to hold before the eves of the wavering convert, as a teroj>oral illustration of the 'rewards of "tho faithful." It is greatly to the credit of the devoted missionaries of the American Church that their work was commenced before these changes totik place. I could scarcely realise the fftet, as I preached irt perfect security to the congaegation in the " Independence Hall, " that the earlier gatherings of Christians there had been more like those of old time, by stealth, and in fear and trembling. Up to quite 'recently this mission of our sister Church was the only one conducted among the Mormons, and even now but a. single denomination — the Methodist — has entered the field. Here, as at so many other places in the Far West, our sisterClrurch is foxmd in the fore-front. S. T. Nevill.