Mormons in New York City

A visit by Pres. Heber J. Grant and the conference held and the Brooklyn chapel in March 1930 drew a reaction from a poet for the Brooklyn Eagle, who wrote a poem lampooning the speech given by Elder Marvin J. Ballard during the conference. John Alden, whose poetry about current events (called occasional poetry) frequently appeared in the Eagle, drew on Ballard’s remarks about the benefits of the word of wisdom as inspiration for his witty take.

President Grand and Elder Ballard were in New York as part of a periodic tour of the Eastern States Mission, which included speaking at both Sunday morning and evening services in Manhattan, as well as at services in the afternoon at the LDS chapel in Brooklyn. Newspaper coverage added that they would hold a conference for 25 missionaries in the Brooklyn Chapel on that Monday.

Both President Grant’s remarks and those of Elder Ballard focused on the Word of Wisdom, suggesting that tobacco, alcohol, tea, and coffee should not be used. Elder Ballard also claimed that the divorce rate among church members was 1/5th that of the United States as a whole. According to a report in the Eagle, Ballard said:

“Marriage is the foundation of church and state, and when the institution loses stability, the nation stumbles and church declines. The low rate of divorce among Mormons is due to the fact that Mormon marriage is contracted not for this world alone, but for the hereafter, and is as a consequence more sacred.”

The report said that Ballard also lauded the “Mormon system of community economics” (probably the nascent welfare program).

Alden, in a preface to his poem, quotes Elder Ballard as saying:

“If any people could save the price of tobacco, tea, coffee and liquors they would derive an economic benefit alone that would make them leaders. And they would derive other benefits. Average life in our Church is six years longer than outside it.”

Following this, Alden added the following poem:

On coffee and tea and tobacco,
.   The Latter Day Saints are at war;
Opinions they form on the old Book of Mormon
.   Aggressive and irritant are.

Of course they soft-pedal beet sugar¹,
.   Which goes with the coffee and tea;
But thinkers may seize on the adequate reason—
.   What Smoot might explain it to be.

They’re stricter than all the Wahabis²
.   Or Mecca in fixing their creed;
They frown on the habits of even our Babbitts³,
.   And never a protest they heed.

Like Moslems, with pre-Volstead⁴ firmness
.   All drinks alcoholic they shun;
They line up their forces against all divorces,
.   Except the divorces they’ve won.

Let’s own they’re more saintly than we are.
.   They shame common everyday chaps;
No doubt ever jostles their dozen apostles,
.   But we are more human, perhaps.

¹ Reference to the Church program to grow Sugar Beets in order to produce Sugar.
² A reference to a fundamentalist Muslim sect, who strictly prohibited alcohol and other Muslim beliefs.
³ Reference to Sinclair Lewis’ 1922 novel, Babbitt, which critiqued middle class conformity in the U.S. The controversy over the novel led, in part, to Lewis receiving the Nobel Prize for Literature later in 1930.
⁴ The 1919 Volstead Act implemented the 18th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, prohibiting alcoholic beverages. Prohibition was in force when this poem was written, and wasn’t repealed until 1933.

One of the most fascinating stories of the church in New York City is the 1839 meetings held by Elder John P. Greene to seek charitable relief for the saints who had been expelled from Missouri. Greene had been called to preside over the Eastern States Mission, and while travelling to New York from the refugee camp in Quincy, Illinois he held meetings along the way seeking money for the relief of the refugees. The meetings gave an account of the persecution and suffering of the church in Missouri, and sought donations for their relief. Notices of the meetings, held at National Hall (268-270 Canal Street, then the meeting place of the New York branch. The building collapsed in 1868), appeared in multiple New York City newspapers, and reports on the meeting appeared in newspapers during the following days.

The New York Herald (then the largest circulation newspaper in the world) reported:

The sufferings and miseries endured by this sect, as set forthin the narrative of Mr. Green, were truly heartrending, and drew tears from the eyes of a great number of those present; for dreadful as has been the details communicated through the newspapers, they did not include a tithe of the outrages which have been inflicted upon this unfortunate people, on account of their particular religious tenets. The meeting was a highly respectable one, and one third were well dressed ladies.

In general, newspaper accounts were very positive and praised the generosity of New Yorkers. The Herald concluded its report saying:

The object of the meeting was to afford these poor women and children speedy relief, and resolutions were passed for that purpose, and a committee appointed to receive subscriptions and forward the money to Quincy. Several powerful speeches were made, and a handsome collection taken up. The proceedings were unanimous; and although they went not to denounce unheard the governor of Missouri, they pledged the city of New York to sustain the citizens of every part of the United States from those dreadful persecutions that proceed from religious bigotry and intolerance, and the oppressions of every kind of priestcraft.

Following these meetings, Greene remained as Eastern States Mission President, serving until 1843, when he returned to Nauvoo.