d of light to
enter from a huge square window above, and the open space is railed off
like a steamer's cabin. At the right, under the stairway, is the "Temple
Register Room," containing a record of visitors. On the left is the
"Library," with a curious collection of whale-oil chandeliers. On the
left of the wall, parallel with the front, is the "Gentlemen's
Entrance:" on the right is the "Ladies' Entrance." Between these doors
are the inscriptions: "Laus Deo," "Crux mihianchora," "Magna veritas, et
prevalebit." The auditorium occupies all the rest of the first story,
but one could wish that the wall which divided it from the vestibule
need not have spoiled one of the beautiful windows at either end, thus
leaving an ungainly half window in the auditorium. A row of wooden
pillars on either side gives the effect of galleries as the room is
entered, but a closer view shows that the space between the rows is
arched toward the centre of the ceiling. One of the pillars contains a
windlass, which in former times controlled the heavy canvas curtains
from above. The larger curtain fell into grooves between the high-back
pews in such a manner as to separate the men from the women: the smaller
curtains, at right angles to the other, divided both the men and the
women into separate classrooms. Thus the audience was quartered or
halved at pleasure, and the whole audience was enabled to face either
westward or eastward by simply changing the movable benches from one
side of the pews to the other. Clusters of richly-carved pulpits, rising
by threes, in three tiers, fill up either end of the room. The eastern
cluster is devoted to the Aaronic Priesthood, which also includes the
Levitical Priesthood, and administered the temporal affairs of the
Church. Each of the three pulpits in the upper tier has upon the front
the letters "B.P.A.," meaning Bishop Presiding over Aaronic Priesthood;
the middle tier has the letters "P.A.P.," Presiding Aaronic Priest; the
lower tier has the letters "P.A.T.," Presiding Aaronic Teacher; a
smaller pulpit below is labelled "P.A.D.," Presiding Aaronic Doorkeeper.
The pulpits against the western end are built up against an outer
window, with alternate panes of red and white glass in the arched
transom. These pulpits were occupied 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
Counsellors; the