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one side of the pews to the other. The pulpits are in clusters of threes, in three tiers, at either end of the room, and are very richly carved. The eastern cluster was devoted to the "Avonic Priesthood," including the "Levitical Priesthood," and used in the administration of the temporal affairs of the church. Each of the three pulpits in the upper tier has three letters on the front, "B. P. A.," meaning "Bishop Presiding over Avonic Priesthood." The middle tier has the letters "P. A. P.," "Presiding Avonic Priesthood." The lower tier has the letters "P. A. T.," " Presiding Avonic Teacher." The smaller pulpit below is labelled "P. A. D.," Presiding Avonic Doorkeeper.

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The pulpits at the west end are built up against an outer window, having red and white glass in the arched transom. These were used by the spiritual leaders, or the "Melchisedec Priesthood," Joe Smith's seat being in the highest tier. This tier of pulpits is marked "M. P. C.," "Melchisedec President of Councillors ;" .M. P. H.,” "Melchisedec Presiding High-Priest." The lower tier is "M. H. P.," "Melchisedec High-Priest." Curtains were arranged so as to divide the priesthood, as well as congregation, and they could at will shut themselves in for consultation, but could not hide themselves from their superiors in ecclesiastical rank.

Remnants of these movable curtains are still hanging. A small desk before and below the Melchisedec pulpit has three letters on it, "M. P. E.," "Melchisedec Presiding Elder."

The letters are made of red curtain calico, and the desk, as well as all the pulpits above, are now covered with calico; but in their days of splendor rich velvet draperies enhanced the beauty of the carved wood, and the lettering on the pulpits was in gold.

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The gilt mouldings have all been carried off by relichunters, but there are still several mottoes on the walls which remain intact, such as "No cross, no crown," "The Lord reigneth, let the people rejoice," "Great is our Lord and of great power. "" "Holiness to the Lord" is

written over the ten Melchisedec pulpits.

The auditorium will hold six hundred people. Under Rigdon's, Pratt's, and Cowdrey's exhortations, as well as Smith's, relays of people occupied it in a single service. Smith was in the habit of saying from his high pulpit, "The truth is good enough without dressing up; but Brother Rigdon will now proceed to dress it up. The high pews in the corners were for "the best singers in Israel."

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A story is told how a crazy woman would get into one of them and blow a horn when "the Saints" displeased her. In the upper story is a second auditorium, very similar to the one described, only smaller and lower, which was used as a school for the prophets. Here Latin and Greek were taught under the tutorship of Rigdon and his assistant professor of languages. The desks are no longer there, but the places they occupied are shown by marks on the floor.

One of the pillars in this room bears a remarkable inscription to this effect, "The Salt Lake Mormons.'

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When Joseph Smith was killed on June 27, 1844, Brigham Young assumed the leadership of the church, telling the people, in the winter of 1846, that "all the God they wanted was him," and "all the Bible they Iwanted was his heart." He led or drove about two thousand people to Utah in 1847, starting for Upper California and landing at Salt Lake, where, in 1852, he presented polygamic revelation to the people. The true church remained disorganized until 1860, when

Joseph Smith took the leadership or presidency of the church at Amboy, Ill.

"We (thirty thousand) have no affiliation with the Mormons whatever. They are to us an obsolete people, working all manner of abomination before God and man. We are no part or parcel of them in any sense whatever. Let this be distinctly understood. We are not Mormons. Truth is truth wherever it is found."

In the vestibule of the temple there is a photograph of Joseph Smith, Jr., and over it is written, "Joseph Smith, Jr., M. P. C., President of the Reorganized Church of I. C. and L. D. S." The garret of the temple was used formerly as a series of school-rooms for the young Mormons. There are mysterious closets, or, as Mr. F. G. Mather (in Lippincott's Magazine for August, 1880) calls them, cubby-holes," in several parts of the building. In one of them was kept the body of "Joseph the son of Jacob," a roll of papyrus in his hand announcing this fact to the Saints.

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When the temple at Kirtland was dedicated there was a great assemblage there, the Mormons spending the day in fasting and prayer. The members of the priesthood washed their bodies with pure water, and perfumed themselves with eau-de-cologne. They also washed each other's feet, and anointed each other with holy oil, pronouncing a benediction in the name of the Lord. In the evening they met to receive the long-expected endowment, when they first broke their fast by what they called the "Lord's Supper," in which they ate a light wheaten bread, and freely partook of wine, the prophet telling them it would not hurt them. A spirit of prophecy ensued in which they blessed their friends and cursed their enemies. An eye-witness of this strange scene says of it: "If I should be so unfortunate as to go to the re

gions of despair, I never expect to hear language more awful or more becoming the infernal pit."

In 1835 Smith issued a command at Kirtland, that his three or four hundred elders "should seek learning, study the best books, and get a knowledge of kingdoms, countries, and languages ;" and a Jew by the name of Seixas was hired to teach languages.

The Temple has been used within a few years as an Odd Fellows' lodge. At the present time it is owned by Joseph Smith, Jr., and a Mr. Fortescue, who derived their title from a Mr. Huntley, a purchaser under a mortgage sale against the Prophet. This Joseph Smith, Jr., is a son of the Prophet; he was born at Kirtland in 1832, and was twelve years of age when his father was shot at Nauvoo. He has been a farmer, school-teacher, or director and justice of the peace. He has been the editor of The Latter Day Saints' Herald at Plano, Ill.

When Smith, the Prophet, and Rigdon fled in the night from Kirtland, the Mormons were divided into Rigdonites, Strangites, and various sects, and scattered to several localities; but a few families remained, of whom some aged members are still living who are full of reminiscences of their remarkable experiences in early life in connection with the beginning of Mormonism.

The Methodists at Kirtland now use what was the Theological Seminary of the Mormons for their church, and the residences of Rigdon and Smith are well preserved and are close to the quaint edifice described, for which the Prophet said he had a special revelation as to plan and architecture.*

*Several Mormons now resident in Utah who remember the dedication of the Temple at Kirtland, declare that angels were seen in the auditorium, and that a babe two months old cried out: "Glory Hallelujah!"'

CHAPTER V.

Interview with D. P. Hurlburt at Gibonburg, Ohio, and with E. D. Howe, at Painesville, Ohio, in 1880.

In the year 1878 Mrs. McKinstry gave a gentleman residing in Utah, who is gathering material for an elaborate history of Mormonism, permission to question Dr. Hurlburt concerning the Spaulding manuscript. He made no response, although there was abundant evidence that he received the request. It is also known that he received other requests of the same character, which he has never acknowledged.

In 1834 Mrs. Davison heard that Hurlburt sold the manuscript to the Mormons for a sum of money, which he used in purchasing the farm near Gibsonburg, Ohio (about twelve miles from Fremont), where he now resides, and that the Mormons burned the manuscript at Conneaut. A second report was to the effect that Hurlburt sold it with the sworn agreement that it should not be given to the world until after his death. There are circumstances which support both theories; but the author's opinion, after a careful study of the matter, is, that Hurlburt made a copy of the original manuscript, which he sold to E. D. Howe, of Painesville, to use in writing the book "Mormonism Unveiled," and sold the original to the Mormons, who destroyed it. The life of Hurlburt since his return from his errand of duplicity to Munson shows conclusively that he wishes to hide himself from the world, and that he is burdened with a secret which he does not intend shall come to light through any act or revelation of his own.

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