Mormon Stronghold in
Southwestern Iowa
Views of Labor Day Parade in Omaha
MORMONISM am! polygamy art'
not synonymous, as must pur
son believe. There le today
a large ami aii.iri'iitly perma
nent organization of Mormons,
tunnioniy known as Iittor Day Saints,
with almost r.O.UOO eommuiileants. who not
only disbelieve In plurality of wives, but
actually oppose and denounce the practice.
This sect resembles the Utah organization
In many respects. They claim to bo the
only true Mormons and the only faithful
disciples of Joseph Smith. With head
quarters at Lamonl, a small town of
about L',000 Inhabitants, located In the
choicest part of Decatur enmity. Iowa, and
under the leadership of Joseph Smith, Jr .
who is a son of Joseph Smith, the "seer,
these people semi out elders ami mission
aries to every state ami territory in the
union ami to nearly every nation of t lie
earth, Including the Islands of the seas
Under the direction of their president they
founded this colony or settlement in 1SS1
when a committee, cc.nststlng of David
Dancer and Elijah llatita. came fr mi I'lauo
111., then their headquarters, to the prairies
of southern Iowa, where a company was
formed, which purchased all the land l
could secure. This same land was after
ward sold to their brethren who followed
within a few years, Forty-seven families
either elder, priest or tiacher. .Mormons
are aggressive nun they want moinbers.
They are all well stocked with a knowledge
of their church and Its doctrines and every
possible means Is usid to convert to their
faith those who happen to live among or
near them.
Nome Mormon luntltiitlun.
l.amoul has a Mormon college, a large
tabernacle, an extensive publishing hous".
where the Saints" Herald, a weekly paper,
and many other periodicals and books niv
published, It has three public school build-
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JOSEPH SMITH. Jit., PRESIDENT OF THE
REFORMED CHURCH OF JESUS CIIHIST
OF LATTER DAY SAINTS.
came nt once. Lament was founded and
named from a familiar character in t lie
Hook of Mormon. Mormons then came,
within a short time by the carload and
i'vcn by the tralnlnad from every pari of
the United States and at present there are
several thousands of them living in De
catur and surrounding counties.
1 .11 11 1 ii Suered Town.
I.amonl is a wonderful and oven a sacred
town In the eyes of the average Mormon.
They speak of It as "Zlon." In this little
(;tit-of-the-way village lives Joseph Smith.
Jr., president of the Reorganized Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, as
they believe, one favored of God, whose
father blessed and transmitted to him all
the powers of prophesy, healing, of receiv
ing revelations and performing miracles,
.which the elder Smith claimed to possess.
Bishop K. L. Kelley also resides here and
Is next In order of the great and powerful
men chosen of God to lead his people In
these latter days. He Is first counselor to
the president. Then comes Alexander
Smith, patriarch, son of Joseph Smith, sr..
ihshop l. kellev of the mormon
church at lamoni.
ings, a "Saint's Home" and no saloons, al
i hough Intoxicating drinks often llnd their
way through the borders of Zlon.
All aged saints who have not the means
or ability to support themselves may gc. to
the home, where they are clothed and fed.
If they desire, they are allowed to do light
work In the various departments. David
Dancer, who died somo years ago, was the
originator of the Idea of building a homo
for the aged poor and gave liberally toward
Its establishment. Ills plan was to make It
as nearly ns possible a sclf-supp.wtlng in
stitution. .sinry of Joe Smith.
Many persons have heard the story of a
young man barn In Vermont in ISO.", who,
when but I I years of age, became Intensely
Interested In his soul's welfare and failed
to find comfort In any of the churches of
his day, having Joined several ot them. It
Is said that this young man was one night
out In the woods praying for guidance In
the matter, when an nngel from tind ap
peared to him and in a wonderful and
powerful voice Informed him that he had
found fnvor In tho sight of Ood, and that he
was chosen to give to the world again the
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KORAH A COMANCHE INDIAN WHO
IS A MORMON ELDER.
and nlso counselor to the president These
three nro known ns tho first presidency,
fo these men nil true members of the
church sincerely bollovo that Ood, through
Ills angels, appears and roveals His will
and pleasure concerning Ills chosen people.
There Is also a quorum of twelvo who or
dan elders, baptize and claim to have the
glf't of administering tho blessings of tho
Holy Ghost. The seven quorums of seventy
aro tho elders and missionaries who preach
tho "truth" to tho world. There Is also a
quorum of high priests nnd many other
minor ofllcors. Tho organization Is pat
terned nfter the early church. Nearly
eery man who belongs to this chcurch Is
MATCHKOHA. A SOUTH SKA ISLAND
MORMON ELDER.
only true religion of tho latter dnys, which
had been taken from It many years before.
Ho was told where there wcro buried near
l'almyra, N. Y., n set of golden plates, whlon
he must dig up nnd with them ho would llnd
tho ''Urltn nnd Thummlm," two transparent
stones set as a pair of spectacles and by
tho aid of them only would he bo enabled to
translato tho messago from God. This Is
said to liavo transpired in 1819 and It was
not until April C, mo, at Manchester, N. Y.,
that this man chosen of God was enabled to
found the Mormon church.
The Hook of Mormon purports to bo a
sacred history of tho aborigines of tho
American continent and the Mormons be
lieve thnt Christ preached to these mound
builders during Ills forty days' absenco
from tho Old World, nnd that after His as
cension these people fought with tho In
dians, who were a wicked and cursed race,
until 3SI A. D., when a decisive battle was
fought on the hill of Cumarah, In western
New York, In which the Christians were de
feated and anuihllattd. A man by the
name of Mormon Is said to have written a
history of this people ami was directed of
God to bury It until lie should see fit to
bring It forth. This history they bollovo Is
the Hook of Moimnn.
Smith found followers ami In 1 S:l I settled
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In K irtland, O , where a templo was erected
In 1S.1S they pushed west to Mlwsourl, but
were driven out in 1SI19 and went back to
Nauvoo. III., wlieie another temple was
built. January 27, 1811, Joseph Smith an I
his brother, Hiram, were killed by a m b
at the Jail where they were conllned In
Carthage, III. The Mormons thru had dif
ferences and troubles among themselves In
that community. Ilrigham Young, with
about lO.Oim followers, went to Salt Iake
City In IS 17. There were no less than
eighteen men amhitioiiM to succeed the deal
leader and as many divisions were i kuh
each with Its president, everyone (lain, n ?
to be chosen of God by revolution to kim
ceed Smith. Tho Josephltes, rs th"V urc
sometimes called, and which Is lb I.amonl
branch, was not permanently orgnm.'d in,
til Juno, 1 8r2. when they held their I t
conference at Zarahemala, Wis. Th- Ir an
nual conference Is now held In April of
every yenr. La i spring they mot at Inde-
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