The Mormons: A Discourse Delivered Before the Historical Society of Pennsylvania

A weary traveler on the upper Mississippi finds himself drawn to an unexpected oasis of brick and marble set against the river’s bend. The town gleams in the morning sun—spires of white and gold rise above neat gardens, while fields of orderly farms stretch beyond the horizon. Yet when he steps ashore, the streets are silent, workshops idle, and the once‑busy homes stand open, their hearths cold and vacant.

Through this haunting tableau the speaker begins a thoughtful portrait of a community that has built impressive temples and amassed a disciplined militia, yet seems to have vanished from the everyday bustle. He uses the stark contrast between the settlement’s grand architecture and its eerie stillness to examine the origins, beliefs, and social structures of the group that founded it. Listeners are invited to follow his observations as he pieces together the early story of a people whose aspirations and challenges were as striking as the silent town itself.