Chips From “The Block”

CHIPS FROM "THE BLOCK." BY ELDER HENRY W.
NAISBITT,
MISSIONARY
WITH THE "BUREAU OF INFORMATION AND CHURCH LITERATURE." One pleasant-faced and elderly lady, on her return east from the Los Angeles Presbyterian convention, held last fall, was en- gaged in conversation with the writer when the following colloquy took place, "Mormonism" being the topic: "Do you approve of Dr. Thompson's resolution?" "Oh, dear no!" she answered placidly and smilingly. "Bless your life, I would not hurt you on any consideration." "What, then, would your suggestion be?" "Oh, I would only like to convert you." "To what, Madam?" was our prompt reply; and there was silence in heaven for the space of half an hour. A rather demonstrative lady, who assumed to be the leader of a little party, was quite inquisitive as to the uses of the Temple and its annex. "So people come here to be married, and buried, too, I sup- pose?" "Oh, no, Madam," we laughingly responded, "persons who are made ready for the latter process in this country are usually taken to the place of burial, they do not come." The reply was probably abrupt to a lady, but the trio smiled, particularly as the proffered coin was refused. One visitor, who claimed to be a minister, was indulging in hypercritical remarks anent "Mormon" faith and practice, and us- ing the term salvation, as it were in a flippant sort of way, when the guide, placing a hand upon the shoulder of the visitor, said: "My friend, what does the term salvation mean?"

CHIPS FROM "THE BLOCK." 415 Like Pilate, when he asked, what is truth? and waited for an answer, so waited the unastonished guide. A surprised and highly gratified visitor was saying, in response to a guide: "The grandest argument, in my opinion, that you can present to the prejudiced and the uninformed, is this very block on which we stand.
'It speaks for itself, and it speaks volumes.' " The great question of education is always uppermost in the minds of the Latter-day Saints; and it comes uppermost when pointing out to the visitor the Brigham Young Memorial Hall, as a part of the Church University. It surprises the tourist to find the "Mormons" so strenuously advocating the cause of education, and proving their sincerity by building schools, colleges, universi- ties, etc.; also by a general (if missionary) appreciation of the educational value of travel. In this connection, and as a basis, the Prophet Joseph declared, in a grand aphorism, which ought to be everywhere conspicuous in letters of gold: "No man can be saved in ignorance" — a remark so profound and so far in advance of so-called sectarian dogma and philosophy that the latter can never overtake or comprehend it. Had this been found in so- called sacred writ, it would have been the theme of multitudinous discourse, and would have been held as superior to all ancient and other philosophy, sacred or profane, unless we except the dicta of the Man of Nazareth. Yet this is but the corollary to that other wonderful saying of the great modern seer: "The glory of God is intelligence." Divine thinkers, and true thinkers, look astounded when this is presented as coming from a source everywhere spoken against, and cherished as holy writ by a people almost universally misunderstood. Speaking of the Tabernacle the other day, it was remarked that if so pronounced an acoustic success had originated in New York, over thirty years ago, it would long ago have been dupli- cated in every convention city of the Union, but that having orig- inated in
unexpected quarters, and from an unrecognized leader,

416 IMPROVEMENT ERA. the truth of the old adage was, as usual, solemnly said that "no- good thing can come out of Nazareth." Speaking of the privacy of the Temple, a genial and worthy minister of the Mother church, quietly said: "To be sure, to be sure, we have it in all our churches: the confessional seclusion into which no outsider is presumed to enter. Quite right; quite right!" Speaking on this subject, it was remarked that this apparent exclusiveness was more seeming than real, for the house was truly open to all the world on the same conditions; and for these there were two grand and authoritative precedents. First, God Al- mighty had decreed that there should be but one way of salvation! Second, that the best and greatest nation of the earth had decreed that but one way of naturalization was possible for the alien. With these long-established, and official precedents for the one wayr temple critics must abide. A grouD of thirty or more was noticed passing the west end of the Temple. Its grandeur was being dilated upon, and won- der was being expressed as to whether the inner was equal to the outer grandeur. Then the possibilities of admission were discussed, and the terms were in controversy, when the guide ob- ligingly said: "Ladies and gentlemen, suppose this building was in your city, and it was officially said that no habitual user of intoxicants could enter there. How many would that exclude? Sup- pose it were said that no user of tobacco in any form could enter, how many would be excluded? Suppose it were further said that no one guilty of any immorality or sexual irregularity would be ad- mitted? that none could find free entrance save he were a good citizen, a good husband, a good father, and a good man gener- ally?" "There would be but few eligibles in our city," said an eastern gentleman. "And still fewer on the coast," said a western lady, as the crowd thoughtfully dispersed.