Erastus Snow Script
Welcome to the St.George Tabernacle. I
*m so glad you came. We are here between the two mesas just where Brigham Young envisioned us. We sometimes doubt that we can survive. The heat, the sand and the wind all work against us. We*ve seen 115 degrees with no relief and no where to hide from the heat.When Brigham Young made his first visit after we arrived here, I confidentially told him that the colony was about to fail. Several families had already abandoned the effort and more were discouraged. Our food supplies were getting dangerously low. I did not see how we could survive until a harvest and we did not really expect a harvest. I was pretty low. However, we did survive.
Brigham Young gave us the task of building a Tabernacle to rally the colony. His direction was to "build as speedily as possible a good, substantial, commodious well fiinuished meeting house, one large enough to comfortably seat at least 2,000 persons, and that will not only be useful, but also an ornament to your city, and a credit to your energy and enterprise". Our work has produced an heroic structure that states "we are here to stay!". It provided employment for craftsmen and others. As you look around you can see their fine workmanship. The chandeliers are lowered when it is necessary to light them. They are secured with a large stone in the attic. The beautiful trim around the ceiling was made by pouring a mixture of lime & gypsum (plaster of paris) into molds made of the same mixture but coated with beeswax for easy removal
Pres. Young visited when construction was nearly complete and noted that the people sitting in the balcony could not see the pulpit. He wanted the balcony lowered. The architect said that would destroy the beautiful spiral staircases. It was then agreed that they would go up the stairs and then come down to the balcony thus resolving the problem. Lowering the balcony was no small feat. Supports were placed under the balcony in strategic places and the pillars were then cut off to the desired height. Then with men positioned at each support the balcony was carefully lowered on to the pillars once more. The windows were purchased in the east and then shipped by boat to Los Angeles. When it was time to pick them up there was not sufficient funds to pay for them. Mr. David H. Cannon had responsibility for getting the windows. He only had $200 of the $800 needed. Nevertheless, he determined he would leave on the appointed day for Los Angeles. The night before departure he spent a very sleepless night but so also did Peter Neilson, an immigrant from Denmark. He had worked and saved for some time in the hopes of building an addition to the family home. At about 4:00 a.m. he arose, went to his hiding place, secured the $600 he had saved and with the blessing of his wife he walked the 6 miles from his home to Mr. Cannon
*s. He arrived just as they were preparing to leave. Through his generosity and dedication to the Lord the Tabernacle received its windows. We now have a beautiful place for worship and a centerpiece for our city. Aid was given to us during this time from Cedar City and other surrounding communities in the form of labor, molasses, vegetables and grain.So
— what is life like here? It*s GRAND! We have theater and choirs. My own wives, daughters and sons are among the performers. We have bands, newspapers and even the beginning of a library. Mostly, we work! — farm work, cattle work, building work, road work, work, work, work — and all in the heat and the wind.My home with my large family is also the hotel and social center of the community. Travelers often stay here and we have dances and parties here regularly. This is wonderful because we do it together. The Lord sustains us because we have learned to cooperate. My assignment is to encourage the people to stay despite the scorching heat, brackish water, alkaline soil, blowing sand, killing diseases and bursting irrigation dams. This is called the "Cotton Mission". Usually missionaries serve for a year or two but Dixie has become a lifetime mission for many. There were 309 families first called to this mission. The first cotton raised proved to be soft, silky and of good quality. We have also planted many mulberry trees and are cultivating silk worms and are providing both cotton and silk fabric. However, it is becoming unprofitable to continue these enterprises.
2003