Ah, Mormons, those strange children of Christianity and Masonry. For all their conservative politics today, they sure started out as a wacko cult.They were the Moonies of the late 1800's and early 1900's, and only in the last 50 yearshas anyone begun to take them seriously. Persecuted and harassed, the early Mormons fled the East in 1847 and ended up here in this briny valley of the Wasatch mountains.Our first page commemorates a little-known piece of Mormon history, which sits on a quietside street near downtown Salt Lake. The Lone Cedar Tree Shrine This small shrine once held a small portion of a cedar tree which was the only tree in between the canyons and downtown. As the bronze plaque records, "songs were sung, and prayers of gratitude offered"for the shade that this small cedar provided. Now this wouldn't be half as wierd if these eventshadn't occurred: A - The tree was cut down "in a moment of thoughtlessness" B - The shrine was erected with the smallpiece of trunk inside the cupola C - someone else stole the remaining piece of tree D - a new tree was planted with a newcommemmorative plaque Thus setting the scene for the entire cycle to begin again. Here are some more pictures: The old plaque The new plaque

New pages are added every week, so check back often!
sphinx@moonstone.com