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Show t i J t Cash Outlay Of $6,000 And 30 Years Labor Used In Construction One Of Most Beautiful Of Utah's Buildings By LoPreal Wight Any citizen of Brigham City looking for something to brag about need go no further than the Box Elder stake tabernacle. As you come upon it from the south, it impresses you with its dignified beauty even before you are able to point out the features that distinguishing make it so attractive. Resting upon foundations of stone, built against a back drop of mountain peaks, its spires soaring sheer upward, it stands out confidently, with intent faith, somewhat like the Great Stone Face, giving character to our community. The best time of the day to see the tabernacle is in the late afternoon, especially when the setting sun casts long shadows around the old walls. Surrounded by a civic pattern of lawn and trees, there is a sense that it has come Into a measure of ripeness, like old and precious buildings, cherished for enduring purposes in which one takes great pride, . Unlike so many ancient build-ingno ivy clutters up the bare walls. No! Not even a legend to add glamour to the story of its life. But it has history! All the important religious events in our community have been centered there. From a mere grain of mustard seed back in the early 1860s, the tabernacle was begun; built by men of simple faith who worked in simple ways, in comparison to the methods now used by the builder. With infinite pains and labor native lumber was delivered to the site; men and teams going into the mountains for logs and stone. The foundations of rock were especially built broad and deep and wide. As stone was placed upon stone, stability and order arose, man's simple faith and labor now made manifest by a work of beauty. - For fifteen years, off and on, the building was added to: the the roof, finally the walls, benches and the pulpit. It was an enthusiastic congregation that met in worship that first day when its doors were flung open to the towns population. Wrapped in awe and wonder they filed down the aisles, and took a seat, facing the pulpit Giat had been placed in - the east end of the building, and listened to a powerful sermon delivered with the same qualities of ferver and devotion that i i ii if 'J i i i y Box Elder Stake Tabernacle ful building. It was originally built for a total cash outlay; . . . which stands with eminence near the center of town. of $6,000, much less than the 1,000 pipe organ recently in- Begun in 1876, it was completed in 1881, then damaged by stalled in it cost. Tours of the building are conducted by fire and rebuilt in 1892. A noted architect recently comNorth and South Stake high priests. tour declared it Utahs most beauti pleting a state-wid- e used in the building the structure in which they now worshipped. . was In 1890 the tabernacle renovated and the gallaries were added, at an approximate expense of $5,000. This Increased the seating capacity to 1,200. It was estimated that the new additions gave them a building had been of ERESICR I BTtlON'S & THE CO. with $25,000. "It will stand a hundred everyone said who had examined the construction. "It will weather the years; survive all changes. We have built years, RAY Jfo DRUGGIST Co4tcfy7o6uxcrSoa7auuaiH. well. Then came the fire of Dresses Sweaters Shirts Shawls Blankets Blue Jeans For Boys And Girls ALSO Crochet - Art Needlework, Fine Linens, Cotton, Embroidery Materials ART and GIFT SHOP 4 ,i MRS. MABEL NIELSEN 96 South Main Phone 26 1896. It was on a Sunday in February. Winter 1:30 in the afternoon. snow was piled up along the walks and Brigham citizens were hurrying into church, stamping their feet at the threshold. The sacrament service wa sbeing prepared by a group of young boys. There was. a low murmur of voices came in and took their places. John Baird and Lars Mortensen went into the basement. A moment later they came back up the stairs, smoke curling after them through the open door. "Fire! Fire! they called, and stood up in the congregation (Continued on Following Page) Phone 4 58 So. Main : " -- |