1902 10 12 Brooklyn Eagle Mormons Use Drama
Mormons to Use the Drama as an Instrument of Conversion
People who have fancied that Mormonism was dead, because in the East so little is heard of it, have had a rude awakening. Much attention has been attracted to the Mormons through the recent murder of Mrs. Pulitzer, supposedly, by Young, a Mormon and a grandson of Brigham Young, the great prophet of the church. New Yorkers have had it brought home to them that so far from being dead Mormonism was not even sleeping. As a matter of fact, the Mormon Church was never more active than at the present moment.
Mormonism is making a great superlative effort to keep alive. It is trying to gain a hold upon the minds of men by every modern means that smart and intelligent men can devise.
It is not very long since it was freely stated that the work of reformation had been taken up among the Latter Day Saints, and the progress of the Mormon Church was no longer thought of by its members. But whoever made such statement was as greatly misled as were the few earnest thinking men who in 1869 constituted themselves members of the Mormon Church, inaugurating what to them was regarded as a grand schism. For from that day to this the zeal of the Mormon Church has never lessened nor have its members ceased to plead its cause.
Ever since Joseph Smith began selling his Gold Bible from door to door to get money to start the Mormon Church a band of zealous workers has been at work spreading the Mormon faith. Their zeal has known no abating. The overshadowing influence of Joseph Smith and the strong personality of Brigham Young have never been lost sight of. It matters not what the personal desire may be. Nothing can stand between a disciple and his duty to the church.
Every week the year round a band of Mormon leaves Salt Lake City bound for different parts of the world on a proselyting tour. They work quietly but well in the big cities as well as in the smaller country towns.
Lots are drawn to see who shall set out upon this bi-yearly crusade. The members go in parties, larger or smaller, according to the distance. But no one may return until his two years’ service has expired. And during that time he must bring into the Mormon fold as large a number of converts as his zeal can accomplish. Money sufficient to take him to his place of work is given the missionary when he starts out. That is all. After that he must look out for himself.
Mormon missionaries may be met with in the old world as well as in the new. It recently fell to the lot of a newly married Mormon to go to London, England, and begin proselyting there. His life of wedded happiness was cut off in two days. But no sacrifice is too great for him who is identified with the Latter Day Saints. All the way across the ocean on the steamer he and the rest of his chosen band told of their zeal for their faith, and fervently exhorted those present to come into communion with their increasing numbers. With what lingering love he looked back upon the young wife from whom he had been parted, and whom, perhaps, he might never see again, he might not speak. The teachings of his church forbid it.
The stage is the newest instrument by which the faithful have to spread the doctrines of the Mormon Church. The Mormon people have always believed in the drama as a great means for educating the masses; especially do they regard the classic drama as an educational factor. Brigham Young himself once said: “If I were placed on a cannibal island and given the task of civilizing the people of this island, I should straightway build a theater for the purpose.”
With the object of spreading the doctrines of Mormonism, Professor Orestes U. Bean has recently written a spectacular dram, called “Corianton.” In it some of the most beautiful of the Mormon women are about to tour the world in the interests of their faith. The play is given in four parts. It is founded on an incident taken from the Book of Mormon. According to this Book of Mormon, a white Christ was to bring in a reign of peace and the story of “Corianton” has a strong historical background.
Professor Bean, the author, is a young man who is fanatically devoted to the Mormon Church. When speaking about the play he recently stated that the object ever before him when writing this drama was to point the way to a new era in Mormonism, to make a literary conquest of the wise and influential. With the exception of Joseph Haworth, who has the title role, there are but few non-Mormons in the cast.
The chorus and beautiful ballet is made up of Mormon girls selected from various prominent families and chaperoned by a worthy matron well known in Mormon society. All these desire to serve the cause of their church. The cast includes over 200 members. The scenic effects and costumes are elaborate, and the play, especially in the dialogues, is well received.
The Mormons wish it to be understood that they base their faith on the revelation given to Joseph Smith through his Gold Bible, which is the Book of Mormon. They believe God has a body like the body of a man; and visitors to the Mormon Tabernacle, at Utah City, will be told that the Gentiles, in worshiping a bodyless God, are worshipping nothing.
The tabernacle is built of adobe, or sundried brick. It has a large whitem, shingled roof, and is of oval form. It is 250 feet long and 150 broad, and is capable of holding 13,000 or 14,000 persons. There is a splendid organ, said to be the largest in the United States, in the Mormon Tabernacle. Except for this, the inside of the tabernacle is plain. On the western side is the platform for the preacher and apostles, facing which the seats rise on broad steps one above the another, the females keeping to the right of the preacher, the males on the left.
Brigham Young himself supplied all the plans of the tabernacle and gave them over to the working architects. “It was all revealed to Brigham Young,” said a tabernacle worshipper, “both internally and externally, even to its minutest details. Not a stone could be altered. It would be sacrilege.”
