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Show OMAN'S EXPONENT. head of the great organizations of the quorums of Seventy and preach the Gospel to all the world, I thought to day, when Brother John Henry was speaking about the missionaries outside in the world, and mentioned some of the opportunities they have, how often I have said to the young people, and also to the mothers who mourn for their sons going, which they very often do, that it was the best thing in the world for them. It is far better than any college training, or any university training, and we know many of us, that the men who have gone out into the world and never have had any of that training have brought many souls to Christ, have baptized many into the church, and have had great success. The spirit of God has been poured out upon them. It does not need a college education to give us the spiritual powers, and the humblest and those who seek unto the Lord himself, and read the Scriptures and the Book of Mormon and the Book of Covenants, will have that spirit with them, or may have it, and do have it, to a great extent. And if there is a book that I think we ought to read it is the Book of Covenants, that was given by revelation to our prophet, the leader of this dispensation, in this day and age of the world; and I know it is not read as it should be, and 1 know that many of us who do read it read it carelessly. I do want to say that we have testimony upon testimony every day of our lives now, of the truth of'the Gospel, just think of the dark clouds that were hanging over us a while back. O, they were so dark that it almost seemed as dark in Salt Lake City as it did in Nauvoo when the Prophet Joseph was killed. It seemed as if such a heavy dark cloud was hanging over that city just about the time that our brethren were called to go down to Washington and testify, and there were of course a very great many prayers offered up, and no doubt a great deal of faith exercised, for certainly the Lord lifted that dark cloud and removed from-ouhearts the fears and doubts and forebodings that many of us had at that time in regard to the outcome. And every day these things are being removed, and and more of it, and light is coming.-fastintelligence and wisdom and understanding, and 1 hupe that we will all partake lief Society, although some stakes had been organized ecclesiastically. On that occasion a great many good things were said by President Young and others who were there with him, and toward the latter part of the meeting he appointed Sister Jane S. Richards, who is here with us to day. That was twenty-eigyears ago the 19th of July, and he appointed her to preside over all the orAt that time the Young ganizations. Ladies Association, or the Retrenchment Associations, were with the Relief Society, and had no central organization, nor had the Relief Society. I often asked Sister Eliza if she was really the President, and she said: ,,No, I am not, because I have not been elected". But she was elected afterwards, as you know, in 1880, and had her counselors. But that was the beginning of stake organizations, and whenever I come to a conference here and see a large number of sisters gathered together I look back to that period of time. You know we older people are always looking back and thinking of things that happened so long ago, and I am always thinking of those that were there at tJat time, and many of them that have gone on the other side. We have more of them over there; in fact we have only about ht three of the oldest veterans of the Re- lief Society living, and those are our own General President, Sister Bathsheba W. Smith, and Sister Jane S. Richards and Sister Mary Isabella Home, who is not able now to be among us and visit us, but is still living and able to talk with us, and sometimes goes out among us. These three I consider as veterans that stand in the Relief Society of those who stood in the beginning, although Sister Richards and Sister Home were not present on the great occasion, which we must call a great occasion and a grand occasion, when the Prophet Joseph Smith organized the Relief Society, on the 17 day of March, And what a wonderful work has 1842. been done since then! I do hope, that you sisters at the farther end of the hall heard what our President said to us to day, because really she stands in a way alone, being present at the first organization, and also being the only one living, man or woman, who received her endowments in the days of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and so it seems a wonderful thing to all of us who know it, and we think of it and we feel, that she has certainly been spared for some great purpose; and it is a great purpose to stand at the head of this organization, and to lead it and to plan for it. Of course you who plan for your own little wards and for your own stakes of Zion, think that is a great thing; but when you come to plan for all the organizations all over the world, and new ones being made almost all the time, why it is a wonderful thing to stand at the head of that. And then remember too, that she is the leading woman in the temple, in the greatest temple, the Salt Lake Temple, where those great manifestations were at the time it was dedicated, in that holy place. I think we cannot reverence her, or the other sisters I spoke of, too much. We are happy to reverence those, who are gone, the prophets, who are gone, and the Apostles; but we must also remember to reverence those that we have with us to day: the president, his counselors, the apostles, and those who stand at the r er of it. I hope that the Lord may bless us with wisdom and understanding, and that we may never do or say anything that shall grieve the spirit of the Lord, or those who preside over us in all the places where we are called to labor. President Smith's address will follow in our next number. R. S. REPORTS. ALPINE STAKE. I The quarterly Conference of the Alpine Stake Relief Society was held at American Fork July 21st 1905. President Rebecca Standring presiding. We were favored with the presence of our beloved President Bathsheba W. Smith, also Clarissa S. Williams of the General Board, all the Stake officers and a full attendance of officers and members of the wards. Meeting opened at 10 o'clock with the usual exercises. President Standring gave a report of Alpine Stake The Stake numbers something over 800 members in 13 wards, have conjoint meetings in 3 districts every three months, also a monthly meeting of the officers of the 4 wards of Am. Fork. The stake officers meet once a month to report visits and prepare work for the coming months, and enjoy a good spiritual meeting in love and unity. Song by three little girls "Count your blessings. " General President B. W. Smith spoke a short time. Thought it was better to count our blessings than to brood over our troubles. Spoke of storing grain and advised the sisters to have good bins. Referred to the time, when the Presidency used to counsel the brethren to lay up sufficient grain to last their families seven years, but the brethren did not take the advice, and the President put it into the hands of the sisters to store grain for a time of need. Advised the sisters to be in harmony with the Presidency and to be united together to attend to the sick and poor, and to be sure and know that is true". To get a testimony of the work and to teach it to their children. In Nauvoo they had the Prophet with them and he taught them many glorious principles. She loved to work in the Temple, had also worked in the Nauvoo Temple. The work here is carried on the same as it was in Nauvoo, and the Temple is filled every day. Prayed the Lord to bless the sisters in all their labors and may we meet together again when called to the great beyond. Sister C. S. Williams: "The spirit of praise and thanksgiving should be in our hearts continually for the blessings we receive". Was pleased with the idea of conjoint meetings of the wards and would Advised try to spread the custom. mothers to keep the girls at home as far as possible, for they have no idea of the snares and temptations they will have to meet. Gave good advice to the teachers to seek the spirit of their work. Stake Coun. A. C. Hindley said many had made sacrifices to attend this conference. They had laid aside their cares and come here to be fed by theHoly Spirit and receive blessing. This is a noble work and may we all be willing to do our part. American Fork 1st ward reported by Pres. Elisabeth Durrant. "Lehi 1st ward by Pres. Marian Ander"Mor-monis- m sen. Stake President Stephen L. Chipman spoke on the subject of harmony and order. When the Lord has any message to reveal He gives it to his appointed servants, showing that the Lord has his appointed servants, showing that the Lord has his authority on the earth. He inspired his servant Joseph to organize this society and the good these sisters are doing is immense. After singing and prayer Conference adjourned until 2 oclock. ( To be continued,') Mme. Rolland, a Belgian, attained her She is credited in Belgium with being the only living witness of the battle of Waterloo; having been seated on a wall in the neighborhood of the battlefield during a part of the engagement. Last year, when the French monument to Waterloo heroes was unveiled on the battlefield, Mme. Rolland was alloted a place of honor as the most noteworthy spectator present. 104th birthday on June 12. |