MORMON MYSTERIES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3377, 18 November 1911, Page 3

MORMON MYSTERIES.

SECRET PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE "SACRED” TEMPLE.

There is consternation among the officials of the Mormon Church, for they have received indubitable proof that secret photographs have been taken of the interior of the Mormon temple at Salt Lake City, which was constructed to outrival in magnificence Solomon’s temple, and which is never entered by anyone except Latter-day Saints. Copies" of the photographs have been sent to Prophet Smith, with the notice that unless the Mormon Church buys the plates the pictures will be exposed to public view, revealing to the world all the wonderful esoteric interior of the sacred temple. The photographs number 68, and disclose a marvellous baptismal font decorated with gold and enamel, supported by 12 golden oxen, and beautiful stained-glass windows depict scenes from the Mormon Bible. The floors are inlaid with pearl and ivory. Lifesized gold and bronze statues represent the Archangel Moroni, and the Church’s early prophets. Many other views show the wealth which the Mormons lavished on their temple, the total cost exceeding one million pounds. The temple was 40 years in building. One set of pictures is specially devoted to the wonderful staircase which is said to be the most magnificent of any building in the world, and leads from the basement to the fourth and fifth floors. These together constitute the paradise-room, the most gorgeous chamber in the temple. _ The person holding the photographs is a former public-house keeper of Salt Lake City, who has come to New York to negotiate for their sale. He refused to consider an offer of £20,000. He says the negatives will not be sold except for a much higher figure..

The Mormons are threatening proceedings io- blackmail and theft, but the dealer laughs at these threats. It has been discovered that the pictures were actually taken by a German professional photographer who was recently converted to Mormonism and went to Salt Lake City from Germany. He was well in the confidence of the Church officials, hut it is not known how lie concealed what he was doing, for ho required nearly a year to secure all the pictures of the temple. The building is constantly protected by three guards, who keep watch on all Mormons, from the highest to the lowest, entering its sacred precincts. Several photographs were taken by flashlights, but nobody apparently ever heard the noise, and nobody suspected the German of smuggling a camera into the building. One picture shows the German himself in the temple. The temple must not he confused with the great Mormon tabernacle at Salt Lake City which is open to Gentile visitors. The records of Mormon plural marriages are supposed to be kept in the temple, hut although the photographer searched, with the object of securing photographs of them, he could not discover their hiding-place.