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Show FORTY-SECOND ANNUAL CONFERENCE. CONFER-ENCE. I 1 It.ST DAY. Saturday April '', LsTJ. '! he fbriy-.-eeond annual conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of hitter-day hitter-day Saints convened in the NewTubcr-naele, NewTubcr-naele, as per adjournment, at hi o'clock a m. yesterday morning. Tin-re were on the Maud piv.-id'-nts lieorge A. Smith and Daniel 11. Wells, of the tirt presidency ; cld'-rs Orson I'ratt, John Taylor, Willbrd Woodruil", C. C. Kich, horei.zo Snow, Kra.it u-Stmw, u-Stmw, Franklin D. Uiehard-t, Joseph I'. Smith and Albert ('arriugtuii, ul the twelve apostles ; with a number of other leading elders and bishops. I Conference was called lo order by .president lieorge A. Smith, and the choir sang, "An angel from on hudi," prayer by eider Kraslus Snow; Choir sanif "See all creation joins to prai-e Ac." 1'IIKSIDENT (jEOItiiK A. SMITH said that owing to a species of persecution and bigutry, alike disgraceful to their country and the age it) which they lived, (heir first president was not permitted to be present. While he regretted this great deprivation, he rejoiced in the many glorious principles which I hey enjoyed. It was a pity that men who were public benelaetors should be misunderstood, but fliieh had been the case to a greater or le.-s extent in all ages. The speaker referred to the Savior Sa-vior of the world, who in his age had suffered contumely and shame, being called a pestilent fellow and pursued by persecution during his whole life, and linally ignominiously crucilied. He al.se referred to Joseph Smith, who was the instrument in the hands of Cod in organizing this church, which was the signal lor the inauguration of persecution per-secution that finally resulted in his massacre, lie then gave general instructions in-structions lo the congregation on their duties in attending the conference; to give their attention to the (cachings and business which might be presented pre-sented for their consideration ; to lay their business aside during the hours of meeting, that their spirits might be active and prepared to receive instruction and attend to matters pertaining per-taining to the welfare of the kingdom of Cod. lie spoke of the progress which had been made in the building ol' a Tomplc at St. George, and the very material advancement which had been made on the foundation of the i Temple in this city during the past : year. The co-operative institutions, ! organized for the purpose of carrying i on mercantile and manufacturing business busi-ness throughout the Territory, had been most successful during the past year, lie spoke of the great amount of good accomplished by the Kemalc Relief societies, and in conclusion exhorted ex-horted the people to iitithfulucss in the work of the last days, which he testilicd that he knew by revelation was the work of the Most High God. Ki.oeu Wii.koud Woodruff then addressed the conlerenee, referring at somo length to the great blessings which were enjoyed by the people of the Latter-day-Saints. lie earnestly exhorted them to faithfulness iu their religion, and to purity in their lives, that they might enjoy the spirit of Jesus which would lead and guide them into all truth. In conclusion, he addressed some pertinent remarks to the mothers moth-ers in Israel, upon Lho training of their children, that I hey might be brought up in the nurture and admonition of the hord. Kldku C. C. Uh-ei was thankful for the opportunity of again meeting with the Sainlsinconlercnee. Ue discoursed upon the principles of salvation as revealed re-vealed to (he Latter-day-Saints; he reasoned that present salvation was eternal salvation, that the duty of (he Saints was to pave themselves to-day and they would be always saved. Those who were guilty of wrong doing were not living their religion, re-ligion, because that religion taught them to do right in all things. In conclusion con-clusion he testilicd to the truth of the work in which they were engaged, and in which he had rejoiced for over forly-t forly-t wo years, and which he still gloried in. l'tiEs. Ceo. A. Smith requested the congregation present to invite their friends iu the city to come to confer-once, confer-once, that there was plenty of room in the Tabernacle. The choir sang the anthem "Sing, ye Jehovah's praises. " Adjourned till 2 o'clock in the afternoon. after-noon. Benediction by president 1. II. Wells. '2 p.m. Singing by the choir; prayer by elder el-der John Van Cott; choir sang "llo-sanna "llo-sanna to the great Messiah. ' ' Bishop A: 0. Shoot addressed the congregation. lie referred to the mission of the Redeemer of mankind, and (ho manner in which lie had been received by men to whom lie brought saving principles and blessings innumerable. innumer-able. The spirit of persecution mani fested itself from the day that the infant in-fant Jesus lay in his mother's arms, when proclamation was made to slay all the children in Bethlehem under two years of age, that the infant Savior might be destroyed among the number. So it had been in every dispensation; (he gospel of the Son of Cod had always al-ways been despised and derided, and Mormonism, so called, possesses the same spirit and is met by the same power of persecution which has always manifested itself against the gospel. The Savior himself had been subjected to indignities, had been calumniated as a wine bibber, as a friend of publicans publi-cans and sinners, and guilty of treason. The tribulations through which eternal life is reached must be passed through by the people of God in every dispensation; dispen-sation; but the Latter-day Saints have the consolation of knowing that they live in the dispensation of the fulness of times, in which truth shall spread over the whole earth and not be overcome over-come by the powers of darkness again. Mormonism then had a mission, a complicated one, for it had to revolutionize revolu-tionize all things on the earth preparatory prepara-tory to the second coming of the Messiah; Mes-siah; it had to build up Zion, purify polities, and teach truth to the world of mankind, for the gospel embraces all truth of every kind. In conclusion he bore testimony that he knew of a surety that Mormonism was the work of God. Ki.itEit Jotix Xicuoio.v next spoke. It had been mat'.er tor rerieettoa to him why there should exist amonc men and women such bitterness aeainst the Latter-day bairns, for the Saints, 1 as a rule, attended to their own busi-i I cess quietly aud peaeeab'y. It was j clear to him that this opposition was i I caused by the influence which satan exercbed among mankind, for his ! power over the earth was at stake, his j time was limited, and he worked cner- helically to cause the destruction of: the gospel and ail who believed in it, j that his reign might bo continued, i There were no common interests in- volved, no ordinary principles at stake. 1 but the work of the last days comprised the salvation of the living and the dead. 1 This was why the adversary of soul-ex- ' erted ail his power to destroy the work of Cod, yet the Saint s carried with them the consciousness that the Lord was with tbeai and would ever sustain them while they were faithful to the gospel He had revealed. The speaker resti ! tk-d to the truth of the work with which he was identified, and to the -freedom 1 enjoyed by those who had embraced the gospel. Iii.DEB.JouN W. Yot.v; felt it a pleasure as well a duty to bear testimony that the gospel is the power of Cod unto salvation. He knew that Joseph ' Smith was a true prophet; that, the work he had Commenced was that spo ken ul by the prophets of old; aud that it was now guided and directed by men "1 Cd. He urged the cnngivalivn te live in aeeordanee with tin- laws of life and ever bo faiihf'd to the priin-iple-of truth. Kl.i'Lit Ciiau.'.ks V. Hknuuse followed. fol-lowed. He was here in Ctah lieeause he knew ''Mormonism'' to be the work of the Lord. They had not come here tor political pnrpoL-, it or to acquire wealth, but lo learn the will ot Heaven, and lo ih i it. I le dwr It upon t he pi iu eip'.e of irustii.L' in t . ..1, Imkliiie ihai all who had put linii- liu.-l iti tlud diii not do si) in vain; and if ibey were per.-eciitcd aisd became martyrs for the truth's ,-ak., they did in-t place much store by lh ir poor, eanhly tab-Tua e!e c jit. pared with tin: excellence of the principlt-M ul truth and it.s peipetuatinii. They lived for truth, they died for truth; and if their cue mies appeared to gain the victory it was but leiiiporary, ibr the principle lived, and they who lell martyrs foi principles of truth gained crowns ol eternal glory. The peuple of the Lat-tcr-d:ty-Saiiii.s wmild tru-t in Cod; they had done it in the past and had never been deceived, they held to the truth which had been revealed to them, for it they iived, ami if need be for it they could die; but if they forsook any principle of truth they would nol be worthy to meet in the eternal world with the great and good who have pa.-.-ed away from earth, having been laitlil'ul to the tiutii under all circumstances, circum-stances, tie urged the people to live for principle above everything, and also bore hi; testimony to the power of the gospel and the blessings it be stows upon those who are faithful (o ils principles. Choir sang the anthem "Great is the Lord;" prayer by cider John Taylor. Tay-lor. Adjourned till 10 a.m. of Sunday. 7th. |