Religion: Stake of Zion

On a platform in a bare Manhattan hall last Sunday sat the divinely inspired Prophet, Seer and Revelator of 750,000 saints on earth—Heber Jedediah Grant, 78, stubble-bearded President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. With him sat his trusty First Counselor, pudding-jowled Joshua Reuben Clark Jr., one-time U. S. Ambassador to Mexico; his potent Presiding Bishop, rangy Sylvester Q. Cannon; his Eastern representative, Don Byron Colton, longtime U. S. Representativefrom Utah.

To the assembled congregation of New York City Mormons a local businessman named Fred G. Taylor repeatedly said: “All in favor of sustaining the appointment, signify in the usual manner.” Repeatedly the members of the congregation signified by raising their hands that they approved of all their Church’s officers from the Prophet, Seer & Revelator down to the Presiding Elder of Oceanside, L. I. When it was all over Mr. Taylor remarked “the vote seems to have been unanimous,” and New York had its first “Stake of Zion.”

Based on a reference in the Book of Isaiah (54:2) to a stake strengthening a tent, the Mormon Stake of Zion was established by Prophet-Founder Joseph Smith as the counterpart of a Gentile diocese. Half of the Church’s 110 Stakes are in Utah, the largest ones being in Salt Lake City which has 56,000 Mormons. Idaho and California have Stakes. San Francisco got its first one last fortnight. But until last week no state east of Colorado had enough Mormons for a Stake, not even New York where Joseph Smith first saw visions, received from on high his plates of gold and formed in Fayette his first group of followers. Before it gained its present 2,000 followers, New York Mormonism was guided by one of the many missions which operate throughout the world. Henceforth the faithful saints of Metropolitan New York will worship under President Fred Taylor and the bishops of four wards (parishes)—Manhattan, Queens, East Orange (N. J.) and Brooklyn.

Of most interest to New York Mormons last week was the presence of their Prophet, Seer & Revelator, who resembles the late “Uncle Joe” Cannon, and talks in the homely, crackling manner of a country storekeeper. President Grant told his listeners how, 52 years ago when he first held Mormon office, the Church had but 1,300 followers outside Utah (at present it has 100,000). He spoke of his troubles as a missionary in England, where he could not get a word in the newspapers to refute the abuse heaped on his faith. “Today,” said he, “we are treated splendidly.”

To newshawks PresidentGrant reminisced about begging bread and jam from one of Brigham Young’s wives; about the pioneer Mormon himself who “was a great man. . . . He loved little children and I was one of the little children he loved.”