--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Thorup, Joseph F. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 11 number: 11 published: 1908-09 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Thorup, Joseph F., "The Latter-Day Saints in Modern Athens," *Improvement Era* 11, no. 11 (September 1908): 855–859.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera11011unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera11011unse start_page: 855 end_page: 859 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1908-09) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera11011unse publication_year: 1908 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1908, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Latter-Day Saints in Modern Athens THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS IN MODERN ATHENS. BY ELDER JOSEPH F. THORUP. [The author is one of the young scribes now engaged in assisting in the translation of the Book of Mormon into tte Greek language. He left Salt Lake City, on his present mission, two years ago last February. Besides the accompanying view of Athens, and the portraits of the scribes, he sends the Era a copy of Dr. Talmage's The Story of Mormonism, a book of 116 pages just translated into Modern Greek. Readers of the Era are familiar with the original text which has already appeared in this magazine. — Editors.] This letter is concerned with only one of the several topics suggested by the Era when I was requested to write on how I am getting along. But the Era could not possibly have asked any other question that would suggest so speculative an answer. It is impossible to estimate a pursuit so nitor in adversum as the propagation of a system of belief that is so directly contrary as is that of the Latter-day Saints to present day accepted Christian notions. But religion has become a topic most unabsorbing among men of popularly conceded good sense, despite the extravagant fancies of a A Q -J0S^ T ThlT' f * feW that ^ W°rld 1S *r°Wing A Scribe in the Translation of the Book of Mormon into Greek. religious. 856 IMPR 0 VEMENT ERA . In conversation with an editor of one of the more popular papers here, he was asked regarding the church, and the attitude of the people towards her. "The more clever people," began the editor, "Do not believe in anything," put in a second editor, who had just entered the room. "The more clever people," repeated the editor, "do not believe in God." Indeed, go where you will among the more educated, and the exception where this is not the attitude, is indeed rare. Religion is a subject they dismiss with a shrug of the shoulders, with the assertion that it is "something" they "have risen above." Two thousand years ago the Greeks worshiped The Unknown God; today, they worship The Unknowable God of St. Paul. A retrogression, indeed. If the Greeks were heathens then, what shall they now be called? Atheism, is the logical fruit of false Christianity. Place, then, the cultured, or the more educated, on one side, and the ignorant, superstitious poor, (the only true adherents of the church) on the other, and you see conditions pretty fairly. A system of principles and faith such as "Mormonism" presents, will naturally therefore, have difficulty to enter a world so dominated. But the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints must be expected to run counter to popular prejudice, especially in a land where religion is not broadened by modern thought and civilization, and where the old fashioned notion of hell is still decried from the pulpit. "Mormonism" is as new in Greece as it was to the world when first announced by the Prophet Joseph Smith, and quite as Lucie Karaja, A Scribe in the Translation of the Book of Mormon into Greek. THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS IN MODERN ATHENS. 857 startling. "Angels come from heaven!" they gasp; "God with a body in fashion like man's ! Blasphemy ! you have insulted God !" So the believing cry, crossing themselves in horror. Even as I pass, Athens, Greece, as seen from the Acropolis. some will cross themselves to avert the evil eye. But still, the Greek is not fanatical. The Greek thinks of little else than of hearing something new, and in nothing does the Greek of today show his descent from the classical Greek quite so much as in his love to tell or 858 IMPROVEMENT ERA. hear some new thing. Wherefore, we have no difficulty whatever in getting the people to listen to us. Although proselytism is forbidden by the first article of the constitution, the Greek orthodox church is singularly tolerant. A spirit of freedom breathes over the land. In feelings and aspirations, the Greek is typically American. And no wonder, for the families are few that have not one of their members or some distant or near relative in America, and I have been told that half of Sparta are Greek Americans, and the other half are expecting to emigrate . At present our work is necessarily introductory. Whatever our success may be, we feel there can be no discouragement in the work of the Lord. "Mormonism" has come to this land in fulfilment of prophecy, and that there are those here who will accept the gospel, is proved by the many investigators we have. Our branch here numbered once nearly a score, but three have gone to America, and others have gone elsewhere in search of work. But we are confident that in time the branch will take root and grow. At present we may not be looked upon with much favor, but it is only a matter of time when this condition must change. Our coming to this land seems to have agitated the tranquility of the protestants here, as the following excerpt will show. I translate from the Star of the East, a weekly magazine published by the Presbyterians of this city : It is not unknown to us that there came to Athens, some time ago, missionaries of the sinister and soul-destroying delusion called "Mormonism.'' We did not say anything in the columns of the Star about them, believing that these agents would soon abandon the Greek land, which has very little use for this sect; but because they not only continue to remain and work , but have even published a tract setting forth, in the Greek language, the notorious story of the founding of "Mormonism," and enticing the people to purchase the Book of Mormon, and embrace it as the Word of God, we feel compelled to treat this subject — not to prevent the spread of "Mormonism" in Greece (for this old woman's tale is not easily believed) but the blood-letting of the purses of our fellow citizens. Among the tracts that we have had translated and printed are the Rays of Living Light, by Elder C. W. Penrose, of which some four thousand have been printed and distributed. We had five thousand Restoration of the Gospel printed, and the greater half has already been distributed. Morgan's Plan of Salvation has been THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS IN MODERN ATHENS. 859 translated, but not yet printed, as we are financially stunned. The publication of Dr. Talmage's Story of Mormonism has drained our pockets of the last penny. We printed only a limited number, three hundred in all, as we had insufficient means. But this is not all that has been done. With the permission of President Booth of this mission, we have undertaken the translation of the Book of Mormon, and for the past four months we have been working steadily at this. But it is a great undertaking, and it will require several months yet to complete the translation, at the rate we have been translating. The translation of the Book of Mormon was first talked of by President Booth. But months passed, and nothing was done, then again the matter was taken up, and after some misgivings, permitted. We could not prevail upon the translator to have his photo taken, but I enclose, the photos of his two scribes. Lucie Karaja is the daughter of our land-lady. Though still very young, she now graduates from the Arsakion, where she has been studying preparatory to teaching school. Miss Karaja is uncommonly bright for her age. Besidesher own language, which she speaks and writes almost perfectly, (and here let me say there are few who can do this) she readily reads the philosophers. No one unacquainted with the Greek classics can appreciate the years of ardent study required of the student who masters them. Miss Karaja also reads and writes French and has now learned English. Let me close my letter with a word of thanks to the Era, a magazine I shall never be without. For months the Era has been my only companion, and the amount of inspiration that I have received in the perusal of its truth-illumined pages is inestimable. Athens, Greece.