Show DEPLORES TIE FACT THAT liQUOR LEGISLATION FAILED Member of Presidency Touches on Prohibition at Seventyninth Conference Con-ference of Latterday Saints Salt Lake CltrAt the opening session ses-sion of tho seventyninth annual conference con-ference of the Church 1 of Jesus Christ of Latterday SalutH on Sunday April 4 It Is estimated that at least 15000 persons were present while at the conference of the Desoret Sunday Sunday School Union In tho evening tho attendance was the largest In the history of the organization Overflow meetings were necessary at both the morning and afternoon sessions of the conference President Smith with his counselors counsel-ors and nil of tho apostles with tho exception of Reed Smoot and C W PcnroHC as well as nearly nil of the other hUh offlclnlH of tho church were present George Reynolds was honorably released as first assistant to the general superintendent of tho Sunday School union on account ot poor health David 0 McKay second assistant was advanced to till the vacancy va-cancy and Stephen IJ I Richards was appointed to succeed Mr McKay Joseph F Smith president of the church presided at both sessions nnn tho president of tho church with John R Winder and Anthon IL Lund his counselors wcro the hpcakcrs at the opening session At tho opening session President Smith declared that his heart was full of gratitude toward the Lord and of love for the Latterday Saints and tho Church of Jesus Christ throughout all of the world and In nil that Is worthy In life Unit can compare with the treat work that tht Lord Is doing In the midst of the children of men In 1 these latter days t Wo of the fulth have reached the point where we can forego tho pleasure pleas-ure of home profitmaking and the call of affection consecrating our time to the preaching of the gospel until it IB said to us It is enough and we receive honorable releases to go to our homes If I were asked to give up all I am possessed of for the purpose of building build-ing up Zion or the advancement ot the cause I would say Father this Is all I have and give It all without a regret This 1 want I want to live so that no matter what any man In the world may think no matter what anyone any-one else in tho world may do or say there is but oivo thing for mo to do and that Is to be true to the covenants cov-enants I have made to my Father I in heaven I want to live so that I can forgive my brother his trespasses as he wouldj forgive mine There Is no salvation but In the way God hUB mapped It out there Is no hope for everlasting life but through obedience to the laws fixed by the Father of Life Wo have outlived tho opposition against tho church of the Latterday Saints and the feeling that was so strong against our fathers and mothers moth-ers in the early days when they were but a handful poor homeless driven from their own premises and set to wandering about In the wilderness yet they did not falter facing hardships InnumerablQ that their legacy to us might be what It Is John R Winder first counsellor to President Smith despite his having passed the SStli milestone on lifes Journey delivered his speech at the conference In a voice which reached to nil points of the great tabernacle lIe declared I am glad to have the opportunity of speaking to you again and I repeat my determination to goon go-on and especially to keep my covenant cov-enant sacred and holy as I have done up to this time Anthon 11 Lund second counselor to President Joseph F Smith made a report on the missionary work all overtime over-time world and spoke of tho prohibition prohibi-tion question He said In part We have tried during the past winter win-ter to have legislation passed that would shield our city from the temptations temp-tations of intemperance We want to get the evil of liquor stopped if possible pos-sible and our people should never bo seen entering n saloon or place where liquors are sold This has been one of our teachings for years We did not succeed In getting n law passed to help us so we must be moro than ever on our guard for the protection of our families Wo also hoped to have u Sunday law passed so that amusements on Sunday evenings could be stopped so that tho Sabbath could be what the Lord intended it for a day of rest and 1 meditation Let us Influence our children chil-dren make their homes a place of entertainment en-tertainment Make home of such Interest In-terest that they will feel there is no better place for them than there When they go to evening service there Is still time for visits to friends at their homes and for social meetings Second Days Session Tho morning session of the conference confer-ence on Monday was called to order by President Joseph F Smith at 1000 oclock tho opening hymn Now Lot Us Rejoice in the Day of Salvation Salva-tion being rendered by tho choir and tho congregation followed by an Invocntlrn by First Counselor 01111 P Miller Tho morning speeches touched on church matters entirely all reference to civic affairs being carefully avoided avoid-ed Miss lutlrliula Poulton pondered tho soprano solo Ob Shining Light I Divine in a very effective manner during the Interim between speeches I The speakers at the morning session ses-sion were Apostle Orson P Whitney Whit-ney and Rider Serge f Ilallff president presi-dent of the German and Swiss tills alonary stations but recently return Vd to America and Eider George P 1 Richards Aposllu Whitneys remarks were confined to the principles of file Mormon Mor-mon belief and the relations between the religious and civil government and the fact that each member has tho voting power on all questions of policy or government Elder Serge Uallff who has just returned re-turned from a four years stay In Germany Ger-many and Switzerland spoke of the Interests of tho church In foreign lands particularly the work of healing heal-ing the sick Elder P 1 O Illclmrds selected the nonpayment of tithing ns his subject sub-ject calling attention to the laxity on the part of some members In fallIng fall-Ing to pay their tithing until the end of the year at which tlmOrthoy are usually unable to pay the entire < year leaving them In arrears to tho church Apostle Hudger Clawson also addressed ad-dressed tho meeting giving an account ac-count of the twentyone missions scattered over the world In the Interests Inter-ests of the church and stated that there are now 1823 missionaries In the Held Statistics Introduced by him showed show-ed that 1805214 meetings and gospel communications had taken place during dur-ing the year 1908 and that 1036Gf8G pieces of church literature had been sent out to Individuals At tho afternoon session Apostle Ilymm Mi Smith spoke at length on the liquor question using tho word prohibition for the first time during dur-ing the conference In connection with the recent antiliquor movement in the state legislature Apostle Smith made tho statement that at the last conference the church went on record as In favor of prohibition prohi-bition and said Ve asked the state legislature for assistance In securing this relief and also asked for a Sunday i Sun-day law and we were given a stone We also asked for absolute prohibi I I tion and I want to say hero that the lower house ot the legislature with a few dishonorable exceptions stood squarely In favor of the measure Liquor was and Is destroying your sons and daughters and Injuring the best Interests of the state The upper house was the roverse With a few honorable exceptions they would not give the people what they wanted and openly said that not onlywould they refuse to restrict tho saloons but would give them greater license than before > We held out to the very last hoping hop-ing for purity in life for every virtue vir-tue for everything that will help our ueoplo to lead a better and purer I life and as far as I have authority to speak for tho church of Christ I may say wo desire relief from the liquor combination a Sabbath day to be kept holy and wo deplore the con dltlor of affairs that permits a public servant to openly arise and publicly cast aspersions on the church and its I motives Rut do not be discouraged Wu have had to light for everything we over bad all our lives Just as the leaven Is working In other things so will it be with this and wo will live to see the day when we can put men In our legislature who will listen to tho voice of the people and will free us from the bondage of the sons or men Closing Session The seventyninth annual conference confer-ence of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints came to a close Tuesday afternoon the morning session ses-sion having been continued to the close of the program that the members mem-bers might not be required to brave the Inclement weather by returning for a further session All of the authorities were presented present-ed for consideration and sustained by unanimous vote the only change being be-ing till appointment of Tracy Y Cannon Can-non as assistant organist to succeed Walter J J roulloii Jr resigned The olllce of president of tho tabernacle I choir was also created and John H Winder appointed to fill It I The reported change t among these i the-se von president of the seventies caused by the Illness of President George Heynolds did not take place I his name being announced for the position and sustained with tho remainder re-mainder of the olllcers of the church Tho speakers of tho session were Charles W Xlbley Elders Sores IlasmiiBBpn recently returned from the Scandinavian mission Heber J 1 Grant Prancls M Lymnn John Henry Smith and Presiding Patrl arch John Smith Time attendance ut the closing session ses-sion though slightly smaller than on any other day or the conference was still well over 10000 persons and nearly twothirds of them remained I lor nearly an hour afterward renewing renew-ing old acquit ininces and making now ones A priesthood meeting was held at I 10 oclock Wednesday morning which closed the olllclal business of I the conference |