| Show opening OF conference 1 i sixty sixth semi semiannual annual session of saints 1 EXERCISES AT tabernacle and instruction from rg the leaders baders X of the people president woodruff president lorenzo Ii orenzo snow slid and others speak reports from rom london and mexico nearly B i 11 hullon illion baptisms gilt lako LA 0 o city utah october 5 the sixty sixth semiannual semi annual conter confer of the church of jesus christ of 1 tetter n ce day saints mot met in the taber u ater tincle le yest yesterday erda morning tile alio set ser i s were commenced at 10 alth ill the members of the F first irs t preal beld wilford woodruff george Q anon and joseph P F smith and varl van WM gus other officers of 0 the church on oil the iho land and a large attendance of 0 the saints and affia in the body ot of the building president cannon called the conference to order and after the singing of heinn fyrnn by the choir and congregation prayer was iwas offered by president lo 10 renzo penzo snow PRESIDENT WOODRUFF then president woodruff delivered the opening address as follows I 1 feel thankful my bi bt ethrell ethren and sisters that hint I 1 have tile alie privilege civil ge tills llila morning oi or attending linding tt this S aili aerni annual conference con trence of the church of jesus christ nt latter day saints with tile the riders elders of and the saints of the living god uv my first attending any con conference ferenc e of this church was in isil 1831 and front from that day fill the present from time little to time ilni as circumstances have permitted I 1 have enjoyed tills blessing and willie the kroph acts iti and nd apostles and elders and saints ot of god cod a gibat rainy pliny of them and a num lr her af of them who have lave assembled in these lari days are today upon the other side or of the vail all still other men as apostles and prophets and elders and members bembe rs of the church stand in the flesh following in their footsteps i I 1 feel thankful to have the privilege of meeting with the apostles ana na the various quorums of the church of 0 jesus christ of latter day S saints to day and while we are arc together r during this conference I 1 hope and trust thai that we e may all of us its have our hearts lifted up in prayer and thanksgiving to cod mid and ask his blessing that we may be I 1 by his holy spirit in what whatever ever we ve tit called to teach to the saints and the wibora we have to perform as the people 1 of god we have great reason to rejoice treat peat reason to be thankful to our cre I 1 ator tor to god our heavenly father tor for hi mercies and blessings over us today I 1 the hand of the lord may very cleat ly y it he seen been I 1 think by all men who enjoy the lie spirit of god in fit the past history of the latter day saints ills his hand has bee been over us since bince our organization in ISM until tile the present unto limu we have I 1 pa pained e of course through many trials D ana and tr tribulations dib ions but the lords mercy Is over us and we e are planted here in the mountains of israel the zion of god and placed here with responsibilities I 1 I 1 ties resting upon us to be carried out in our day and time tl ne I 1 am pleased to meet with the apostles and trust as far as we have ioime a and opportunity wo we shall have the privilege of healing from them nut but I 1 will trill ray pay that president snow Is expected to be absent bhelt from us its for a day or so lit in attending tile the funeral of judic or of Brig harn city and I 1 will call upon him this ibis morning to occupy a little time in talking to us PRESIDENT SNOWS TALK I 1 Tres president ident larenzo snow next ad aresser the conre conference rence lie he opened a picture of the blissful condition to prevail vh the millennium shall 1 arrive the at present from a moral point of view was most forbidding tile press was filled with accounts of detestable crimes and human misery all would be altered by and ty anil and all should endeavor to hasten the itlie coming change lie ile emoke of the need men felt at times tor for supernatural aid against earthly difficulties it seemed to be necessary to try the alie saints to the extent ot of their endurance that their characters may be developed sometimes the lives of elders ciders had been in peril but they had been saved by following the directions of I 1 the spirit of god president t snow I 1 closed by asking god to bless president I 1 woodruff elder 11 S J grant then addressed the conference lie he rejoiced lit in the fellowship and integrity of the saints and in the diligence of the those se who presided I 1 in the stakes of zion the rhe disposition he said to depend upon the tithing of each stake for the support of its poor pool ete etc was happily dying out and there was wag a tendency to 10 sustain the presidency of the church with will i means as well as by faith it should be the pride of every saint to pay ills tithing for this purpose united effort I 1 would enable the saints to place their tithes in the hands of those who could use tt it to best advantage advant aee for the ad van Wan cement of the work of god elder elde r grant dwelt upon the importance of training children wisely they their should ithe I 1 I 1 the taught to be obedient tu to god so that as saints they would be prepared r for dor their high destiny the matter m of personal responsibility to god was em especially should the priest 11 chood lh hooie he said magnify their calling i bu s those over them in the aunch h and in the govern government men t of the THE W WORK ORIC ABROAD elder john W taylor who has just Tet arned from rom missionary service in ondon li was the last speaker at the Tri morning orning service lie ile described the work he had been engaged in 1 I ing IE interesting pictures of 0 lo 10 london don life ilia his absence from utah had bad taught him am to more highly appreciate the vad valleys and mountains of zion the ON av age individual in utah he said was much better oft off than the average r en n gIl elder taylor described a thop shop near the london mission NN which h fell sold bold bones that had been discarded by restaurants and hotels crowds of wretched people bought these bones ifor tor a penny or 01 two a round pound and then 0 bat at on the curbstones curb stones near by gnawing the gristle and scraps of meat and dis ging out the marrow many ot of you english people declared the speaker 0 would O id be gnawing bones in england if 11 you had no not come to the e valleys of zion elder taylor related an incident that occurred on the train on which lie re turned the men in our sleeper the 6 orning we reached utah lie he said aid went into the smoking room because the ladles ladies were dressing the room was full of smoke when I 1 went in I 1 1 never was a hand for smoke id at al most rather see eee the ladies diess dress than 4 to stand the smoking laughter but I 1 remained and listened to one of the i ile men attacking brigham young I 1 declared that brigham when I 1 he came out here never expected follow him or that railroads would be allt into this region I 1 jul just it thought A would put in a word for brigham nd ind I 1 said to this man Brig harn lie he young loung did not fly from civilization fled from just such savages as YO you u appear V ear to be he preferred the red sav ages fc to the white and when you intimate dimate that he did not favor railroads you are mistaken for he wa was one 01 the greatest promoters of railroad building west ot of the missouri river alye ina find was waa one of 0 the largest contractors tn oil the first trans trana con continental ti nen tal line elder concluded with n complimentary reference terence re to the tod fod people were dit din utter after which the with a benediction by patrish fifth john smith AT THE alo AFTERNOON ri SESSION the me aile attorn oon set services vices the began ii with t it hear r altson R Us lord E n d ot and t a the ti C come hymn 1 1 5 and dwell come ell rne was offered by preal dent kd dward S partridge wr of go an 1 th L gyllin yr the followed rolo Pv like a alro I 1 13 burning apostle george e teasdale aada i of the 6 hurch church in 11 mexico ex ic 0 I 1 e preached missionary missions the ry opening sermon I 1 ald naf or ills his themo theme the ini mission ot of the church c urh e t in sp spreading reading the ot of gospel 0 of truth tru to t 0 all a 1 I 1 tile the nations the earth when lien t the 1 I 1 latter day work woric was rol veale lie he said I 1 I 1 it made the requirement lit that t all people should repent arid and bellev believe they were called upon to believe in a personal god a mediator christ jesus they were called upon to believe in ili heavenly visions ions the visitation of angels angela and miraculous ra Tri gifts ire ile felt gratified gra tined at tile progress made by its his church in shedding light in daik darkened ened lands and said hud had great occasion for rejoicing ile he saw tilt the OVI evidences dences of gods god il blessings and revelations on ell ill all sides and as a in instance pointed led to the great tempi which he said could not have been designed and built without wi divine d I 1 V I 1 ne revelation lie he closed by felicitating felici tating ohp people upon the grand purposes of the rne meeting eting arid and said he felt elt amply repaid for his travel ot of 1200 miles in order to be in ill attendance nt at the conference ference JOHN SMITH I 1 the rhe duty ind and importance of 0 spreading tile the gospel in order that the people may be warned of the re establishment of truth upon the earth form formed edithe the subject of apostle john henry smiths discourse ile he said the message entrusted to 0 the latter day saints saint 8 was one n of peace and ll 11 d arid and greater glory happiness and peace of mind and heart could be attained by living up to its ita teachings as expounded by tile the leaders of lit ane church there wore were still millions that had never heard tills this glorious glori ois message which lie he said was introduced by the savior and preached by ills disciples and the work of the mormon church would riot not be finished until the message had been carried to all the people of the earth in spite of the prejudices that had always existed in many mens minds the church waa making wonderful progress lie he said and the great scholars ot of alie world were examining its teachings and many were recognizing its pi sciples of love and truth ile he exhorted his hearers to awaken to a greater realization of the importance of their mission and manifest more interest in the work STRENGTH OF 3 CHURCH apostle 11 W merrill reported the total number of baptisms in all tile the temples of the moemon church from its organization up tip to december 31 1894 was these figures heeres did not include the work done inthe endow ment houses which however had been duplicated in most cases so the number was very nearly correct the speaker considered tills this but a small beginning beg nnIng compared with wilh the multitudes to whom this great blessing was unknown ile he urged tile the members to greater interest in temple work president wilford ir supplemented apostle wen ills closing remarks nat ks by saying the temples tern ples had been cell built arid and should be made use of by the latter day saints v who ho were re spin sibie for tho deliverance of cod gods a message t to the living and the dead after the announcement of society meetings the choir sang the anthem jesus I 1 my cross have taken and the closing prayer was ofT offered erd by J G Kira ball the conference contero ncr ihen adjourned until hlll 10 tills morning mornin 9 |
