The Huterian Brethren

Photo David D. Hofer THE COLONY HOUSES

The Huterian Brethern By E. Pingree Tanner

A very interesting class of people, the Huterian Brethren, came from South Dakota during the summer of 1918 and settled in South Alberta, Canada, near the "Mormon" settlements. Ow- ing to their refusal to carry arms, or take any part in military service, they left the United States for Canada, where the en- forcement of the laws of conscription was less stringent. The founder of this community was Jacob Huter, a Tyrolese, who was martyred at Innsbruck, February 24, 1536. His followers remained in Germany for a time, then crossed over the border into Russia, where they found more religious toleration; remaining there until 1874 when the government en- acted laws with regard to military service which conflicted with their religious ideas, they were forced to seek another place of refuge, which was, in this instance, America. They settled in colonies, composed of from twenty to thirty families on a large tract of land. Their dwellings are called community houses, in size about 30x90 feet, plainly built, and constructed, so as to contain about six families. There is the dining room, where all take the meals on either side of a table which runs the length of the building. The men, women, and children are each seated at different tables. The women, in order to break the monotony of daily routine, take turn about at sewing, cooking, and washing. Everything is done by common consent. When officers are

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to be elected or a business deal is pending, all participate in the discussion. Avote is taken and the decision of the majority is carried out. Each colony has a preacher who presides; besides delivering the sermon each evening when regular devotional service is held, he handles the check book and looks after the general busi- ness of the colony. They also have their carpenters, blacksmiths, tanners, shoe- makers, and broom and basket makers. The brooms and baskets are manufactured from the broom corn grown on the farm. All the clothes worn by both men and women are home made, and on the whole their mode of living tends to independence. A farm boss oversees the farming operations; one person has charge of the cattle, another the sheep and swine, and so on. A neatly built school house is to be seen at each colony, where the children attend school and colony members attend church service. All the property belongs to the church. "It is not mine, but ours!" He who joins the colony contributes all his property to the church, and if he later decides to leave, he takes nothing with him. The Huterian Brethren are a clean-living, God fearing peo- ple, firm in their convictions, and devoted to their religion. They are generally regarded as a branch of the Mennonites, so- called from Menno Simons, who, during the first half of the 16th century, exerted such a remarkable influence in Europe for morality and liberty of conscience. Wagrath, Canada

Books

The Brigham Young University has issued a theological bulletin to commemorate the sacred Vision of the Prophet Joseph Smith. It is a very creditable publication of 32 pages, it being the issue of the Brig- ham Young University Quarterly, volume 16, number 4, May, 1920. The booklet is printed on first-class paper, richly illustrated with portraits of Joseph Smith, the Sacred Grove, the Smith farm, scenes on the Boy- prophet's way to school, recent photographs of scenes which the Boy- prophet knew, the Hill Cumorah, the three witnesses, and other pictures pertaining to the subject. It contains Joseph Smith's first prayer with a short sketch of the author, Elder Geo. Manwaring; also testi- monies from the faculty and the college students; together with an out- line of an art pageant entitled "The Return of Truth Triumphant , writ- of Correlated ten and arranged by Prof. Elbert H. Eastmond, director Arts. It has been written with the end in view that it may be produced in the ward chapels as commemorating the one-hundredth anniversary of the Vision. We congratulate the school and the authors who havework had the really attractive to do with the issuance of the brochure upon which they have accomplished.