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Show I SAINTS SUSTAIN GHURGHOFFiCIALS HEBER J. GRANT APPROVED AS SEVENTH PRESIDENT AT THE . ANNUAL CONFERENCE. Thousands of Loyal Churchmen Take Part in Impressive Ceremonial and Listen to Inspiring Addresses by Leaders. Salt Lake City. At the opening session ses-sion if the eighty-ninth general conference con-ference of the Church o Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, on Sunday, June 1, at least 0,000 members of the church were present, it being found necessary to hold overflow meetings. Elder Heber J. Grant was unanimously unani-mously sustained as prophet, seer and revelator, president and trustee-intrust of the church to succeed the late Joseph P. Smith. High tribute 1o the lives"and exemplary exem-plary conduct of former presidents of the church characterized addresses of the day at all meetings. The eulogies were delivered by speakers in their turn as it came by order of priesthood and official position and by membership member-ship seniority in quorum organization. President Heber J. Grant led the speakers in the Tabernacle and he was followed during the morning and afternoon aft-ernoon by President Anthon H. Lund, and Charles W. Penrose of the first presidency and Elder Rudger Clawsoit, PRESIDENT HEBER J. GRANT. George A. Smith and Orion F. Whitney Whit-ney of the council of twelve apostles. Apostles Iteed Smoot and George F. Uichards were not present, the former being in Washington and the latter in England, serving as president of the European mission. General officers sustained were as follows : President Heber J. Grant. Counselors to the president Anthon II. Lund and Charles W. Penrose. Apostles Rudger Clawson, acting president ; Iteed Smoot", George Albert Smith, George F. Richards, Orson F. Whitney, David O. McKay, Anthony W. Ivins, Joseph Fielding Smith, James E. Talmage, Stephen L. Richards, Richard Rich-ard R. Lyman, Melvin J. Ballard. Presiding patriarch Hyrum G. Smith. First seven presidents of seventies Seymour B. Young, Brigham H.t Robert's, Rob-ert's, J. Golden Kimball, Union S. Wells, Joseph W. McMurrin, Charles H. Hart, Levi Edgar Young. Presiding bishopric Charles W. Nibley, David A. Smith, first counsellor. counsel-lor. John Wells, second counsellor. Health conditions prevailing in April, when the conference should have boon held, caused postponement of the annual an-nual gathering to the throe-day period beginning Juno 1. Notwithstanding this deferment the throng was as great as it could have been had the sessions been held on the regular dates, which ordinarily include April G and the nearest near-est Sabbath day. Expressing deepest humility, President Presi-dent Holier J. Grant, in his opening and inaugural address, gave his solemn sol-emn promise to members of the church that he would devote the host that was in bin), to tho duties which confront him as head of the religious body. Ho said that ho would ask no other man in the church to do more than ho wa willing to ilo himself in giving of moans in proportion to that which ho has. in observing the word of wisdom, in paying tithos and ol't'orinirs and in being' ready ami willing to come early and go late in church work, and always al-ways in humility. l'rosidcnt Grant asked his audience to read attentively section 121 of the Doctrine and Covenants and to abide by the touching and admonition there- In contained. "God helni; my helper, the pi-ios'.iiuuil that I hold," i lie speaker speak-er said, "and ilic position that I occupy oc-cupy shall bo administered and exorcised exor-cised strictly in accordance, with the words of that revelation." President Anthon H. Lund of the first presidency spoke of the sublime faith the pioneers had in their leader. Brigham Young. This was a fitting time, he said, in which to give attention atten-tion to the great work accomplished by this head of the early church, because be-cause of the fact that June 1 was the USth anniversary of his birth in Vermont. Ver-mont. At the afternoon session. President Charles W. Penrose, Elder Roger Claw-son Claw-son and Apostle Orson Whitney were the speakers. . The Second Day's Sessions. The second day's sessions of the eighty-ninth annual conference of the Church of Jusus Christ of Latter-day Saints, held June 2 in the tabernacle, were devoted not only to glowing tributes trib-utes to President Joseph F. Smith, as on the first day, but also to consideration considera-tion of marriage and the sanctity of the home, as well as post-war conditions condi-tions and problems incident to reconstruction recon-struction over the world. References to the influenza epidemic was made and the church statistics were read by President Heber J. Grant. This report dealt with the military situation, showing that more than 20,000 church members were in the service of the United States and its allies at the close of 191S. The rest of the report included statistics on the priesthood, tithes, temples, sacrament meetings and finances. In commenting on the last paragraph of the report, President Grant read an extract from the speech given by J. M. Fulton, an official of the Union Pacific railroad, at the Golden Spike celebration at Ogden recently, which be attended. The speech of Mr. Fulton paid glowing tribute to the pioneers pio-neers for making Utah what it is today. to-day. President Grant said he regretted the speeches on that occasion were not published, especially that of Mr. Hood, chief engineer. During the year 1918 there were 14,701 baptisms and 15,903 children were blessed. There were 5752 deaths, which, is the largest number on record for any year. Of this number 1054 dieel of influenza and S62 died of pneumonia. pneu-monia. Over 20,000 members of the church were in the military service of the United States and its allies at the close of the year 191S. Of this number 383 died in the service. There litis been a better attendance of the priesthood at the ward weekly meetings but there are still 9078 persons per-sons who hold the priesthood whom the bishops report are willing to labor but have not been assigned to any duties in the stake or ward. There has been a considerable increase in-crease in the amount of tithes paid for the year 1918. The tithing has been well handled by the bishops. Very-little Very-little loss has been incurred, except through the failure to find a market for the large potato crop of the year 1917. There were 175,525 baptisms for the dead performed in the temples, and there were 78,001 endowments for the living and the dead. The? Hawaiian temple is now practically practi-cally completed at a cost of about $200,000. The Cardston temple is near-ing near-ing completion and will cost, when finished, fin-ished, about $000,000. There has been expended for assisting assist-ing the worthy poor $270,244.30. For missionary work and building of meeting houses in the missions, mission mis-sion houses and return fare of elders, $345,701.51. For the maintenance and operation of the church school system, including the erection of new school buildings, $695,501.70. For the erection of meeting houses (this does not Include donations for the same purpose by members of the respective re-spective wards) $2S8,7GG.7G. , For the maintenance of stakes and wards in all their various departments, $520,002.91. Among the speakers at. the second day's session were David O. McKay, Anthony W. Ivins. Melvin J. Ballard, Joseph Fielding Smith. Gorman E. Ellsworth, Ells-worth, Winslow F. Smith. George W. MeCune, Waller P. Monson, John L. Ilerrick, John M. Knight and Heber C. Iverson. Seven thousand, five hundred members mem-bers of that organization, it was shown by report read at the conference of tho Pesoret Sunday School Union, held in the Tabernacle on June 1. were or are in the military and naval service during the European war. Taking into account the 7500 young men who had entered the military and naval services of the country as a loss in memborMiip. the net gain in membership mem-bership in the union was shown to have been 471.8. Granite slake reported the largest Sunday school membership of all the stakes in the church, the total number in that ecclesiastical subdivision being 5437. |