--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Dixon, Charles J. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 15 number: 10 published: 1912-08 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Charles J. Dixon, "An Intimate View of the “Mormons”," *Improvement Era* 15, no. 10 (August 1912): 890–898.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera15010unse 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: improvementera15010unse start_page: 890 end_page: 898 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1912-08) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera15010unse publication_year: 1912 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 1912, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # An Intimate View of the “Mormons” An Intimate View of the "Mormons" BY (H tRLES .1. DIXON. | The f.Jl.. win- description of a Religion Class service in the afternoon sacramenl meeting of one <>f our wards of the Latter-day Saints in Arizona, is contributed by a traveler who incidentally visited the church. He states in a letter to the editors of the Era thai he was asked to write an article on this subject for an eastern magazine, and sent this <>ih' which was returned to him without comment. He thinks perhaps it was because the account seemed too partial to the "Morni'. us," "but," he says, "1 wrote exactly as I saw and have experienced. I am a Friend of the 'square deal,' and I do not think the articles which have been appearing in some magazines have dealt fairly u ith the 'Mormons.' " — Editors. | In an article such as 1 will attempt to write, the reader should know something of the writer, so as to he able to judge the value of the statements which arc made. If the writer has a bias, either for or against, his words must he very convincing to have much weight. With any reader who wishes to do justice both to the accuser and the defendant, J therefore make this statement in regard to myself to show my lack of natural prejudice in favor of the people of whom I am going-to say a few words in defense and justification. I was horn in New England, of old Puritan stock. Not only was I born there, hut my grandfathers and grandmothers also were, for some generations hack. My father was a Congregational minister and 1 attended the Congregational church until I went to boarding school in Concord, New Hampshire. The school may he known to the reader, "Saint Paul's School." It is known as a "Church School." Most of the teachers were Priests of the Episcopal church. 1 became interested in the service of the church and was eventually confirmed and became a full fledged communicant. I am still a strong "church-man," and am a member of the Vestry in the beautiful little city of Monrovia, California. where my wife and children live and tc which "haven of the blest" 1 return as often as my duties permit. W I XII M All. VIEW OF INI'. "MORMONS" 891 I am a traveling salesman —a "drummer" — and have been ime for about twent) years. For the past eight or ten years I have been selling lv»"1s in Arizona and New Mexico, and have met and known, more or less intimately, many "Mormons." For die pasl fevt months, there have appeared in various magazines, articles mi the "Mormons," all more or less virulent and abusive-; all attacks, open or veiled, with few, if any, words of commendation, or mention even, of their many virtues. These articles touch mostly on the political aspect of the question, of which 1 know little; they deal of conditions in Utah mainly, hut they broadly include Arizona "Mormons" also, making statements which 1 know to be untrue, at least among the "Mormons" that 1 have come in contact with. One statement which has been repeated over and over again, is that the '* 'Mormons* are clannish — are of no general benefit to a community — that they will buy of none but 'Mormon' merchants — and that the merchants will buy of none but wholesalers of their own faith." I have been selling" goods to "Mormon" merchants for about ten years. I sell goods for a "Gentile" or non-"Mormon" firm, and never have I been asked by a "Mormon" merchant if the wholesale house that I represent was "Mormon" or "Gentile." I have shown my samples, sold goods where the quality and price pleased, and have always been treated with courtesy and kindness, which has not always been the case with merchants of other faiths. I will also say in this connection that as far as I know, not one dollar has ever been lost by the firm which I represent through selling goods to the "Mormons." The statement therefore that "Mormon" merchants buy from "Mormon" wholesalers exclusively, is, I personally know, untrue. I visit, every ninety days, a little town where every merchant but one is a "Mormon ;" the entire settlement surrounding this town is "Mormon," yet this one non-"Morinon" merchant does as thriving a business as his neighbors, and all by and through "Mormon" patronage. 1 have talked to many "Mormons" and non- " Mormons," and the f ormer, especially among the younger men and women, have freely expressed themselves as being glad that plural marriage is no longer one of the tenets of their religion. The non-"Mormons" have all talked freely about such matters and have told me that the law , as far as they know, is being 892 I.M PR< >VEM ENT ER \ kept, and thai no polygamous marriages are here l-'ing entered into. They say that where there is more than one wife the head of the family supports them all equally well, but that he lives with only one in the marriage relation. What is clone in Salt Lake I do not know, I only speak of the part of the country in which T travel, but the articles I have referred to have included all "Mormons" in one sweeping series of charges and denunciations. As to these people being of no use to the communities in which they live, I will say it has come to such a pass that wherever I see a well-kept home, a good barn, well-tilled land, and an exceptional field of grain, I always ask: "Does not this place belong to a 'Mormon?' " and almost always the answer is in the affirmative. The "Mormons," at least by example, are doing good ; their farms are well worked and carefully tended ; their houses and out-buildings are neat ; their fences kept in good repair. Another good feature of their communities ic that rarely is there seen a saloon in any of them, and wherever one is found it is there against their wish and is never patronized by them. The "Mormon" is a sober, temperate man, using liquor, if at all, only as a medicine, and then only very rarely. In one little community which I visit often there were seven saloons, and a few months ago some of the best people of the town, all non-"Mormons," instituted a campaign against them. I was there a few clays before the day appointed for trying the case before the tribunal of the people, and one of the leaders of the whiskey element was talking. He said, "If it was not for the 'Mormons' the town would go wet by a large majority, but every d 'Mormon' will vote for a dry town." When the result of the election was made known, the vote was found in favor of temperance. The wet and dry votes among the "Gentiles" were so evenly divided that the fourteen "Mormon" votes, which were solidly for "no saloons," decided the election which went "dry" by nine votes. A few Sundays ago I was at Thatcher, a little "Mormon** town in Arizona, and attended the "Mormon" church service for the first time. I wanted to see for myself how the services were conducted. I asked a "Mormon" if I would be permitted to attend, and he said, "Sure, and welcome." By the way, the arrangement of the services were such that they could be imitated AN INTIMATE VIEW OF rHE "MORMONS" 893 to gun.i advantage by other denominations. The Sunday School meets at ten a. m., and to this service practically all children go except the infants and very young. Young nun and maidens all attend, and the classes are conducted by the older brothers and sis ters of the pupils. There are classes for the older ones who are not net. (led as teachers, and one or two older men and women attend; but the morning services are mainly for the children and unmarried. At twelve, all retire to their homes and eat their noon meal, and at two o'clock comes the principal services of the day. At this service all attend; no woman has to stay at home to cook dinner. The fathers, the mothers, the children, the old and the young are all there. This was the service that 1 attended. The church was full to over-flowing, but I. the stranger, was given a good seat. I looked around at the congregation. There was no staring at me; if any curiosity was felt there was no evidence of it. Everyone was neatly dressed ; one could not tell from the clothes worn by the worshipers whether the wearer was poor or rich. There was no loud dressing; every man wore clean linen, well-blacked shoes, and neatly brushed clothes. The faces were. almost without exception, rosy with health and contentment. Happiness seemed to reign supreme. One thing I especially noticed. In the arms of almost every woman in the congregation was a bale-, and every nursling was fed by its mother, quietly, frankly, but with great modesty, whenever it made its wants known. The service which I attended was an especially interesting one. It was a memorial service for Brother .Maeser, evidently a well-known and lovingly remembered man and teacher. I learned, as the services went on, that he had started "The Religion Class," now a well known institution of their services. He died a few years ago, but his memory is kept green, and the work which he instituted, and to which he gave his life, still goes on. The service was opened by the reading of a psalm. The reader was an elderly man, who read with great feeling the beautiful words of David. After the reading he closed the book and reverently bowed his head for a moment, and then left the readin" desk. Another man, somewhat younger, then made a prayer ; he asked a blessing on all. It was a general prayer — non-sectarian and with equal propriety could have been made by any devout Christian brother of anyone of the various denominations of the non-"Mormons." After the prayer another took his place. 894 IMPROVEMENT KRA This time it was a woman — a beautiful, middle-aged, sweet-faced woman. She gave out a hymn, and it was sung by all standing except a few mothers who found standing, with a sturdy youngster in thei rarms, too much for them. After the singing there was a short pause, and then from the congregation, one from either side of the church, came two young men. They met at the desk and then went to the left of the platform and lifted with careful, reverent hands a white linen cloth from six silver bread plates. Then from the congregation came six boys, ranging in age from ( I should say) ten to fifteen years. Each took a plate of bread, after one of the young men had said a few words of blessing over them. Each and every boy entered into the spirit of the service. How much better, I thought, was it, that these little boys should each have their part in the service than to be compelled to sit quiet and bored on a hard seat all through a long session. The little boys then came down through the church, each bearing a plate of bread. Everyone took a piece and ate it with reverence ; the little nursing mothers took two pieces each, and after eating one gave the other to their babies. Children of four and five years old helped themselves daintily and reverently and ate their morsels with bowed heads. The communion was free. I was offered the bread as freely as the members themselves. I did not take part; I was there to observe only. After all were served, the boys returned to the platform and deposited their plates on the table or altar from whence they were taken. They then sat on a seat on the platform, and one boy, the smallest, served the other five, and was served in turn himself by the young man who said the blessing over the bread. He in turn served the other young man, who then took the plate and served him. Then the two young men lifted a linen cloth from a table on the other side of the reading desk, and there were twelve vessels — six pitchers and six cups. The second young man said a blessing over these, and then the boys took each a pitcher and a cup, and served the contents to the congregation as they had the bread. The liquid looked like water, but I supposed it was white wine. I learned, however, later that it was water. After the celebration of the communion all returned to their places. Another man then came to the desk and requested that all the teachers and workers of the religion class should take AN INTIMATE VIEW < >F THE "Ml >RM< >NS" places on the platform. They came up, almost all young men and girls, but also several boys of fourteen or fifteen years of age and several little girls. Among them were also three older personsone man and two women. One of these women said a few words about Brother Maeser, in whose memory the service to follow was to be given. She spoke of his kindness, his faithfulness and zeal ; how for years he worked for the upbuilding of the religion cla suffering all kinds of hardships going from place to place, often walking, and going without even the necessities of life in his selfdenying duties. She told several stories to show how kind and good he was, and said that everyone who knew him loved him and sorrowed at his death. She then asked for volunteer experiences in regard to him. and there were several — one from a little girl of about fifteen years. She spoke with sweet tremulous voice, but her spirit was strong and sustained her. She told of a few words her loved teacher had spoken to her and with gratitude of the help the class had been to her. The elderly woman then called on Miss L to open the regular program. The young lady came from her seat; she was neatly dressed; her face glowed with modest sweetness; her voice was low but clear ; her whole air and appearance could be described as sweet. She was not exactly pretty, but she was almost beautiful, and the beauty was of soul and spirit. Her cheekglowed with health and perhaps a little timidity, but she was convinced that what she was to do was her duty and her privilege, and she went through it modestly but proudly. She commenced as follows : "The Religion Class is for .children, the little children and grown children, all children, and I want you all today, young and old, to forgel your years and be all children alike. Jesus of Nazareth loved everyone, espe cially the children, and I would like some child, young or old. to tell nic what he said to his disciples when they were rebuking the children for crowding around him." Several arr.se, and she picked out the youngest, a little girl, and asked her to tell. The child hung her head for a moment, and then taking courage, said: "Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven." Then the young lady resuming, went on. "I am goin^ to make you a little talk today, and 1 want you to guess the subject of it as I go along. On my father's ranch there were many cows, and one day a cow which had a calf died, and the little animal grew up as best he 896 IM PROVEM ENT KRA could without his mother's care. We children fed him milk and did what we could for him, but when he was a year old and able to take care of himself, his appearance was not like the other yearlings, and I want some child to tell me what his appearance was and what we would call him." No one answered for a few minutes, and then a young man said, "He was not well nourished, he was a scrub." "That's it," said the young lady, "he did not have a fair chance, and was a scrub. My subject today is 'The Scrub,' and my advice is, don't be a scrub, but if you are one, don't stay one. I once knew two boys; they went to school with me. One was tall, fine-looking and bright; the other was almost the reverse. The first had a nickname; it was 'Pretty Boy,' and he deserved it, he was always neat and well dressed. The other also had a name; it was 'Scrub,' and at first he deserved that, too. He had no mother and came to school without the loving care that the other enjoyed. But as time went on, emulation and observation caused a change, and he was at last as neat and nice as anyone, and instead of being at the foot of the class he was well up toward the head. 'Pretty Boy,' the first year was at the head of all his classes, but as the years went on, the 'Scrub' passed him, and when the last year of school came, it was not 'Pretty Boy,' who took the prizes and honors, it was the 'Scrub' — a scrub no longer, but the pride of the school. In after life I have watched these boys grow up; one is prosperous, the happy father of several lovely children, and the husband of a sweet and happy wife. He has always done the best he could, and everyone loves and respects him. Of 'Pretty Boy,' I will only say, his wife takes in washing, and his children are hungry-looking and often thinly clad in winter. These two boys have changed places, and the 'Pretty Boy' is now the 'Scrub.' Now, children, young and old, if you are scrubs, don't stay' scrubs; there is no need of it, it all rests with yourselves. "I want to tell you, children, one and all, about my dear mother, now gone to her reward in heaven. If I am not a scrub today I have her to thank mainly for it; she was always kind and generous, always charitable in thought and deed to all. One day my father and brothers brought some new potatoes to the house and asked mother and me to wash and arrange them in ten pound baskets. These were to be sent to a nearby mining town and were expected to bring a fancy price, as they were the first of the season. There were about three bushels, and we washed and wiped them. I started to put the little ones in the bottom of the baskets, and then the larger ones on the top. Mother watched me as I arranged a basket, and then she said, 'No, dear, not that way, that is not quite honest; we won't try to take advantage of anyone.' So she put them in just as they came, as many small ones as large ones, and I remember how I blushed and felt ashamed of my first action and my almost unconscious desire to over-reach. That was only one of the ways that my dear, loving mother helped me and prevented my growing up to be a scrjub." AN INTIMATE VIEW OF THE "MORMONS" 997 She ended, bowed, smiled, and returned to her seat, and I hope, Miss L , you will be as happy in this life as you seem to deserve to be. Then a young man in the early twenties gave US a talk. He said : "I am going farther than Miss L and toll yon not only nol to be a scrub, but to be kings and queens. I can't talk long, so I will only talk about the kings, and I want every child to be a king, a king among men. My father was one, and I want to tell you how I firsl became aware of that fact. We had a neighbor on the south, when 1 was a lad, and many mutual acts of kindness made us feel that we and his family were neighbors indeed. Finally, one day, his cattle got among some young grain of ours. His boy drove them out as soon as they were observed, and he came over and expressed his sorrow and offered to pay for the damage. 'No,' said father, 'It was an accident, but I think as we both have cattle now, and growing crops, we ought to build a fence between the two farms. Let us buy posts and wire in partnership and put up a line fence together, and so save us the trouble of looking after each other's cattle.' This was agreed to, and the wire and posts came and were placed on the ground. Father and the neighbor happened at this time both to be called from home, and a man who was working for us, and our neighbor's oldest son, were left to put up the fence. When father came back, he inspected the fence, and was pleased with the work. The next day our hired man came rushing in and said that neighbor S had torn the fence down. He said it was two feet over on his land, and is putting it up again two feet over on our land. 'How do you know,' said father, 'that he is not right?' 'Why,' said the man, 'his son and I carefully measured it, and I gave him the benefit" of four inches so as to be sure and take nothing that did not belong to us.' 'That was right,' said father, 'and he has treated us badly, to act as he is doing.' He started toward that part of the farm, but after going a few steps, turned and came back, and said, 'I was going to be hasty and unneighborly. Let him put it up, and in a few days he may think better of his action and redress the wrong himself. He has always been a kind neighbor, in sickness and health, and his only fault is in being a little hasty.' So the days wore on: I think our neighbor was surprised that no notice was apparently taken of his action. So one day he came in and said to father, 'Well, I moved the fence over two feet.' 'Yes,' said father, I suppose you measured the ground and found that my man and your son had made a mistake.' 'Yes,' said our neighbor, 'they had the fence two feet over on my land.' 'Let us go and measure it now," said father. 'All right,' said Mr. S . So they went and found, to 1 1 1 *- deep mortification of one of them at least, that the fence was now almost two feet and a half over on our land. Our neighbor apologized 898 IMPROVEMENT ERA most humbly, and said that he and his hoy would (he next day put it over again six inches south of the original place. 'No,' said father, 'we will do it together. Wc arc neighbors and friends, and I want lo apologize for feeling hurt and angry at your moving the fence before without consulting me. I controlled my feelings, happily, but I had them, and I want to say that I am sorry.' Mr. S was not an emotional or talkative man, but tears came in his eyes, and he grasped fathers' hand, and said, 'You certainly arc a good neighbor and a king among men.' Now boys, you can all be kings among men, and 1 want you all to commence today." Several others spoke. I cannot give the meeting full justice, but it lasted over two hours, and when it was finished I could not believe that it was more than an hour, the time had passed so quickly, and I had been so much interested. When I go to other churches, see the sparcely scattered congregations, composed almost entirely of women, with some few bored, tired children listening to an uninteresting, impersonal service, I shall think of that interesting, impressive service, and the bright faces of young as well as old. If they were bad people, such a service as I saw that Sunday afternoon must all have been acting, and I know it was not — it was too earnest and simple to be anything but real. When I read articles about the wickedness of these people, I cannot but think that they are written by prejudiced individuals who have, I hope, not had as good an opportunity as I have had to judge them fairly. TklNADAf, COL.