Show FIFTIETH ANNUAL CONFERENCE CONFER-ENCE WEDNESDAY April 7tb 10 am Prayer by Elder D H Wella ELDEB LEVI W HANCOCK said I This day I am 77 yeara old this year I have been fifty years in this church 1 have been through all the experiences experi-ences and trials of tha church for that length of time I bare been alow of growth but have spent much of my time in prelecting the piopbet from i tbe raobj I ran eay Mormonism is true Joseph was true the Book of Mormon is i true and tha Doctrine and Covenants is true the Twelve are true and the genius of the work il truePRESIDENT PRESIDENT TATLOB earn There are some things of considerable impost ance which it is desired to lay before the authorities of the church at this conference We ought to do something some-thing in this jubilee year to assist the poor to relieve those who are burdened bur-dened with debt and as we design to release at least one hal of the indebtedness I in-debtedness to the Perpetual Emigration Emigra-tion fund and as i is a matter in which you are all interested it was thought proper to lay it before you The Twelve join with me heartily in this suggestion The proposition is to release onehalf of the indebtedness t 3 that company The amount of the principal due is 704000 and with interest 10 per cent amounts to 1604000 How wo propose to forgive those that are poor ant strug ling against adverse circumstances to pay the remaining amount is supposed sup-posed to be held against these who are ibleto pay The amount that we wish to clear is 802000 I A vote was called by snow of handand WES mantained ihe manner of bringing to pass thi8 release will be dictated in a circular to be issued by the Twelve Another matter There is a large amount due on tithing account We believe that it is our duty to pay one tenth of our increase or of our time every year for tithing A great many have faith fully done BO and a great many have not done so we want now to break oil the yoke from those who are worthy and tve wish there shall be a release of the poor and those who have not been able to meet it This amounts to 151790 we propose to release nebalf of this amount 75599 to the deserving poor This will be brought about under the sanction of the presidents of stakes and the presiding siding bishop of the church A vote was taken on this subject and was also unanimous We had a great carcity of water last year atd in onsequence thereof many have lost their crops and are in straightened cir umBlancesjmanybave lost their stock We propose to raise 1000 head ot good cows to be distributed to these who have lest their stock and have no cows left The church will fur niih i 300 of this number and the ttlkes will he called upon to furnish the balance of 700 for that purpose I A v ote was called and was unani moue on this mater We propose that the poor who have lost their sheep shall have 50CO sheep and the church will furnish 2000 of this number and the stakes will furnish be remaining 3000 r A vote wai ailed on this also unanimous J We wish the relief societies to distribute be wheat which they have on hand as a loan for seed toUhoao who maybe may-be > in need and tho bishops to become be-come responsible for the return of it after harvest The ladies have got 4761 bushels IA vote was called from the ladies and was unanimous Tbero is no more harm for private people to forgive ana another than for the public I those holding debts against others who are perplexed and poor will forgive them God will help you when you got into diJ culties I tell you this in the name 01 1 the Lord Jesus Christ I would like to see Z C M I scratch oil some names from their debtors list I have spoken to some of the directors and they feel like doing this Things look quite prosperous with us for this year and if we will look after and take care of each other God will take care of UP and we shall be his people and he will be our God BISHOP L W HARDY said The Lord instituted he principle of tithing In an early day here when there was not much to pay thithing on the brethren used to pay the tenth day of their time and when this was done a mans tthing amounted to48 Soon the people had so much to do that they preferred to pay the tenth of their increase crease instead of the tenth of their time la examining tte schedules for 18i9 we find that many of the biethren do not pay tithing at all and some pay only from 3 to 55 who ought to pay from 300 to 500 MAny hundreds do not pay one dollar of f tithing who with to bo regarded as good Latterday Saints but they are not good Latter day Saints as they fri in one of their principal dutiee It takes an honest man to be a servant Tnt of God I like to have the debts to the tithing depaitment forgiven but I would prefer the whole debt forgiven for-given iosh ad of onehalf While furnishing fur-nishing the poor with cows we mua see that they have feed and pasture or them also Let us one and allay > all-ay our tithing and be blessed The names of the following psrtoas wero then read as missionaries < EKJLT BRITAIN tET Charles W Stayner Salt Lake City esso West Cth Ward Sat Lake City John Donaldson ilendon Samuel Kotkellcy Smithfield William Henry bbepherd Beaver Joseph Orton St George William C Parkinson Franklin Thomas X Smith Logan David Eees Davis Marsh Valley Idaho ioboit Kewley Benson Thomas Jackson Glenwood William D Williams Ogden Edward Kay Mona J W Gardiner Pleasant Grove Thomas Griggs 15th Ward Salt Lake City Edward King 15h Ward Salt Lake City John Evans Brigham City Robert Fishburn Brigham City Thomas ilaycock 3 Ward Salt Like City Lorenzo Farr Ogden Newton Farr Ogden James Finlayson Payton Wm C ilcGregor Parownn James Lowe Beaver EUROPE C H Lundberg Logan Charles P Warnick Pleasant Grove Hans J Christiansen Logan Neils 0 Anderson Kphraim Christian Hogsruen Montpelier Idaho Simon Christensen Richfield Christnse Anders Gastava Johnson Grantville Tohn Christensen Brigham Jans Madsen Harriot Peter Ander Lofgreen Huntsvillo Jens L Jensen Elsinore 3 C Tellefsen Hyrum John Dahle Logon Lars K Larsen llyrum lThITED STATES John W Jackson OonwoO William M Palmer Gcnwoo Vilam ilyrum Jonsen Salina Abraham Bvrm R Wright 2th Ward City Jens Frederick llortensen Salina MadsAnderson Mount Pleasant jOEepn W Bur 21st Ward City B M Roberts Centrevlle Thomas Davie East Portage Fork Benjamin Isaacs Spanish David Spillsbury Toquervile Alma P Spillsbury Toqucrvilo 80UTHEEK STATES Henry C Boyle PayEon Henr George 0 Pitkin Mivie Georla T Ben Pikin Richfield William J Richfield Richfield Thurber Albert D Richfed Willard Peter A Nebeker Wiar Joseph B Eeelor5rovoi j C Walter Scott Provo William Clark Lehi Nicholss H Groesbeck Springville GEBMANT Carl C Schramm Payson John Adler Manti Ulrich Staufler Wiilard Morris D Eosenbaum Brigham FKENCH sWITZERLAND Georga L Graehl jr Brigham JTETHEELANDS S Van Dyke Ogden EAHDWICHISLAH3S Sidney Cray Provo SAN William Hyde Salt Lake City The statistical report of the Sunday I School Union for the past year vra then read and certain named persons per-sons were requested to meet at the Council House on Saturday next at 10 oclock am PBESIDENT TATLOB elated that the matinee advertised at the Theatre for this afternoon would be postponed until Friday afternoon at 2 oclock With regard to missionaries we cal the very best meu we have and those who have the spirit of their missions upon them and we want them to go as honorable men and wo want their wives And families to be well taken care of during the absence of their husbands and fathers Prayers are good but in such cases four and pork and sorepay are better Anthem Prfyer by Elder Moses Thatcher 2 pm Prayer by Elder Joseph F dmitb Tha general uuthoriiiea of the church were then presented Elder William W Taylor was elected elect-ed to fill the vacancy in the first seven presidents of the seventies causei by the death of Elder A P Rock od With this exception the officers were as presented at the last conference The vats was in each case unanimous ELDER A CABBISGTON quoted Nephi c xi p15 But the laborers labor-ers in Zion shall labor for Zion i hey labor for money they shall perish Do we realize that God poke these words that our father has decreed that bis children shall labor for Zon and that fifty years ago these words were uttered Have wo borne this in mind during this length of time Do we understand that God has said that i we who inhabit this continent will do his will he will bless arid prosper us exceedingly Are we careful to lore God with allour might mind and strength and ourneighbors as ourselves The Perpetual Emigration Emigra-tion Fund Company was organized by President B Young in 1850 and was designed to be perpetual That fund has relieved from the most adverse verse circumstances thousands and thousands of the faithful poor of the church in foreign countries I have been very much vexed by the slask ness carelessness and indifierence ol many who have been assisted by the fund and have not paid back the amounts advanced to them There I ever has been any crowding or oppressing op-pressing done to urge payment from hose who have been unable to pay tneir indebtedness In 1869 the Perpetual Emigration Fund used 60000 or 70000 in emigrating the poor > and we succeeded in bringing out from Europe nearly all of those who were in poverty and could not help themselves and it was designed the next season to assist thoe who had the nearly enough t move lemsekee But from that day to this we hare not been able to asia that dies of emigrants The question ques-tion id olten asked I Dj you not emigrate a great many thousands I who turu away from tho faith We do and how can we help it without a direct revelation in each case But we do not wish to exclude any one from tho privileges of gathering and tome will not apostatize until they core here The speaker then said h6 was in hearty accord with the ole taken this morning in relieving the deserving poor from the debt hanging over them in favor of the Perpetual Emigration Fund Ho counseled all bonded or free to keep ont of debt He showed bow easy had been the terms upon which settlement set-tlement had been made with those indebted to the fund j frequently the hal and even the whole of the in erest had been forgiven and not charged And when persons bai offered to pay the principal without with-out any interest their notes have been surrendered upon payment of the principal We have only been able to send down to Liverpool to gather the poor since the last seasons emigration the small of o12 or about 560 notwithstanding all our Torts at collecting from the debtors The speaker theu made a very earn est appeal to the debtors to make payment of tbeir indebtedness to the lund that other poor may be gathered PRESIDENT TAYLOR said in relation to Z C M I they have not had time to make any statement concerning concern-ing the release of indebtedness but they are tiling to make some releases on correct principles With regard to the Gcup it had been raid that its it-s no longer a church institution but that it is now owned by a few wealthy and that we are calling men oalng upon the people to sustain a few capitalists this is i not true but is an infamous statement The church owns 360 000 stock in that institution and there are 580 stockholders who are Latter day Saints I thick that the people ought to sustain that institu tion and then the institution ought to sustain the people In regard to the work oJ Gjd this is the work that in ancient times many of the prophets were very interested in With regard to the Perpetual Emigration Emi-gration Fund indebtednes we think hat decent honest men will pay I their obligations and that others will not We will forgive the poor and expect those who are able to met heir obligations Gd has blessed us with means and in many ways has given us gr at blessing and i is our duty to Ube those means and blessings for the good and building up of Gods kingdom One duty that we owe to he world is to preach the gospel and for this purpose we send out missionaries mission-aries and while these brethren are gone we want you to make their amiliea comfortable and happy and I call upon the presidents and bishops cal t o see that this is done Let us feel alter the welfare of our brethren and aler dwell much upon their foibles and weaknesses for we all have far too many of them ourselves While we send out to preach the gospel to the world we want to see the gospel lived at home We do not want to copy after the vices of this generation afer do not want drunkenness and whoredoms and other kindred crimr We I to exist amongst this people want to train un our youth in correct principle and for this purpose we pr and bave organized our young mens associations in which young womcna aEsciations we wish to have taught good and noble principles obedience to which people high will make our young minded and noble men end women It ia tree that this nation are finding a good deal of fault with us but the Lord is taking good care of us and not suffering much and I we are eufering feel grateful to the God Israel We will pray for and treat well all honorable honor-able men and let the devil take car of the balance We want to cultivate and honor amongst the pea toteaty pie aLd 1t oar word be our bond ald t God will protect us in our rights i As saints we do right we will only I ought to be ladies and gentlemen and treat each other with courtesy and politeness True politeness consists con-sists in trying to make all as comfortable com-fortable and happy aa you can study the comfort and good feelings of all you may come in contract with Brethren protect the women and treat them HBO gentlemen and do not be afraid that they are going to run away with some of your rights and let the sisters treat tbeir falbtrs brothers and husbands in the spirit oC kindness that the peace and blessing of God may pervade our hones I While we feel to keep the commandments command-ments of God he will sustain and bless us and he wi 1 be our protector Let us watch and train the morals of our children and see that corruption does net creep in for their destruction destruc-tion We are sending cut persons to extend the borders of Zion by making mak-ing new settlements south in Ari zone In a number of the Battlements Battle-ments in the southern country the principles of the United Order are carried out snd in those settlements ho use of tobacco tea or coffee or liquor swearing or quarreling or lascivious conduct are not known I there are elders who have been getting drunk or doing any other sin let them be cut off from the church and i any bishop or presiding officer covers up the crime or iniquity these sins they shall to responsible for I is the duty of the teachers and bishops to see that there is no iniquity in the church and i the teachers do not dot do-t the bishops must and if the bishops ail the presidents mast and i they do not attend t it then the Twelve will eeo that it is dODO But i the brethren seek to cover up iniquity the sin is theirs I call upon them t purge the people of iniquity and I clear my skirts of their blood President Taylor asked the congregation congre-gation i conference should continue another day and received a loud response re-sponse in the affirmative The matinee postponed from today will be held on Friday at 2 pm The choir sang Sing to the Lord in joyful strains Adjourned until 10 am tomorrow Prayer by Elder Brigham Young I |