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Show $250,000 IS PLEDGED BY CHURCH FOR WAR BONDS 12,000 Hands Are Raised Spontaneously Spontane-ously When Question Is Put to Vote of Conference by President Smith. Salt Lake. Oct. S. Authorization to Invest $250,000 In the second Issue Is-sue of tho Liberty loan unanimous! ' was given President Joseph V. Smith, trusteo-In-trust of tho Mormon church, shortly beforo the closo of Its eighty-eighth semiannual conference confer-ence yesterday afternoon. Tho authorization au-thorization was by vote and tho eagerness eager-ness with which 12,000 hands signaled sig-naled their approval from auditorium and balcony and from aisles nnd doorways bespoke tho fervor of tho patriotic zeal of tho Mormon people. The call of President Smith to tho mammoth congregation for tho expression ex-pression of freo will In voting for tho subscription to tho Liberty loan was impressive In that tho tabernaclo appeared to becomq surcharged with onfhuslasm for tho fitting decision at the close of tho conference. And upon leaving tho tabernaclo many a silver-headed patriarch declared that his heart not only was nearer to God, but that It harbored a great love for country. Action Carefully Weighed. ' In presenting tho question for a vote, it was pointed out by President Smith that the general authorities of tho church had weighed carefully the matter of church subscription to tho Liberty bond Issue and that recommendation recom-mendation bad been mado to have tho Mormon people In conference assembled assem-bled make final decision by vote. He explained that it was not a matter of donating money, but of investing It In the most secure manner possible. possi-ble. "Not a dollar has been diverted out of the regular channels of the church without consent," said President Presi-dent Smith. "Consequently, I felt that It should be submitted to the general conference. "Will this general conference consent con-sent to tho use of a cortaln amount j of funds of tho church in tho pur-.chaso pur-.chaso of Liberty bonds?" President Anthon II. Lund, first counsellor of the first presidency, entered en-tered a motion that tho trusteo-in-trust be authorized to subscribo a certain amount of money, not to exceed ex-ceed $2G0,000 of tho funds of the Mormon church, to tho Liberty loan. He said that It was not a donation but an Investment purchase of bonds, thereby helping the United States government. He said lie felt tho Mormon people should do everything In their power to help and sustain the go eminent of tho United Stnto3 nnd especially during tho present crisis. Vole Is I'nnnlinoiis. The motion by President Lund was seconded by President Charles W. Penrose, second counsellor of the first presidency, who repeated the motion. Ho said that tho investment, which could not possibly bo better secured, aimed to defend tho principles princi-ples of constttutioufll liberty nnd tho spreading of Its truths to all nations. na-tions. President Smith put tho motion mo-tion to a vote and It carried unanimously. Bringing Utah s subscription to dato up to nearly $2,500,000, the pledge of tno Mormon church resulted result-ed In material advancement toward tho goal of $10,000,000, which Is tho state's official quota In tho second Issuo of tho Liberty loan. Clarence Dambergcr, chairman of tho stato ' Liberty loan committee, said that th? subscription of tho Mormon church lends utmost encouragement for the securing of tho remaining $7,600,-000 $7,600,-000 of tho quota and enabling tho state to equal Its record of tho first Liberty loan of being ono of tho first states to complete Its quota. . Liberty Bonds Esmused. ! diaries W. Nlbley, presiding blsh-' op of the Mormon church, urged i thoso In attendance at the conference I to Invest sonio of their profits from, exceptionally large harvest and good prices In Liberty bonds. He mado this recommendation at tho closo of a warning to oxerclso tho greatest of care In avoiding gllb-tongued men who would sell them oil nnd natural gas holdings and other stock In properties pro-perties of which they may. havo no knowledge. His warning In general I was to oxerclso tho greatest judgment In letting go of money that its full blessings may not bo lost. The sustaining of authorities bv voto formed tho last official act of tho conference. Tho names of each or the authorities wero road and presented pre-sented for voto by President Heber J. Grant of tho council of twelve, and In no Instanco was thoro a dissenting vote. |