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Show SEMI-ANNUAL CONFERENCE. Saturday, Oct. 7, loa.ni. Conference called to order by l'rest. Ueo. A. Smith. Singing by the Tabernacle choir; prayer by Elder Joseph R Smith. Tabernacle huir sang "Come all ye Saints, :c." Elder Isaac (Juoo said the Latter-day Saints were a peculiar people, with peculiar institutions, and living in a peculiar country, but the people oH-iod had been always deemed peculiar; pe-culiar; and in support of this he cited numerous liiblicjl illustrations, referring refer-ring among other instances, to Noah's building the ark and preaching the coming of the flood, and Abraham going go-ing to offer his sjn as a sacrifice. The plarj of salvation was the same in the : days of Jesus as it is now, but only in the Territory of Utah can the gospel uow bo found in its fulliiess; and no people in the world have so much reason lo be thankful for blessings received, re-ceived, lie urged ihe congregation to bo faithful and prayerful, holding that everything that had been done to --top the progress of the work of (rod had only helped to advaner it! llynni by TrcCes-or Kishburne's choir. EuKJt D. Mi IvE.NXlii bpoke next and dwelt on plural marriage, rcason- nig that it was scriptural auu approbated appro-bated by Ihe Almighty. Once ho was escorting Ciovernor Shaffer to his hotel, ho-tel, and they met President Young who was introduced to the Li over nor. Afterwards tho Governor remarked that the President was a very healthy and well preserved man, when the speaker answered that he lived so as to be healthy, lor he was temperate in all his habits, and not licentious as reported. Continuing on, the speaker referred lo the Cullora bill, and said had it passed it would have had the effect of driving him into polygamy, as it would have done with all halfhearted half-hearted Mormons; and Ihe present course taken by parties here, if persisted per-sisted in, would have a similar result. He dwelt on tho law of adultery and its being given to a polygamic poly-gamic people, referring lo the strictness with which it was enforced where polygamy was practiced, as recorded re-corded in tho scriptures. Speaking of 1 leading citizens being araigncd befbro . prejudiced courts and packed juries, ho said, "we respect the law and trust in God;" aud prayed "Kather Ibrgivo j them, they know not what tlicy do 1 " Hymn by Professor Eishburno'schoir. lirsuor E. E. Sheets made the law of tithing the subject of his remarks, and said the temple now being erected must bo built by tithing. Two temples had been built by tho Saints; one had been destroyed and the other passed into the bauds of thoir enemies. Another An-other temple had to bo built; aud it was tho duty of the Saints to meet then- tithing obligations, that there might be means for its erection. Tho speaker dwelt at some length on the doctrine of baptism for tho dead; and testified to tho truth of tho gospel which ho had embraced. Anthom by the Tabernacle choir. Benediction by Jildcr li. Young, I Junr. Adjourned till 2 p.ui. 2 l1. jj. Hymn by the Tabernacle choir. Elder Geo. Q. Cannon prayed. Choir sang an anthem, The church authorities were then presented to the congregation by Elder Geo. Qj. Cannon, for re-election, and were sustained by unanimous votes. Eishbumc's choir sang tho anthem "Behold He that keepcth Israel." Elder Geo. Q. Cannox then presented pre-sented tho names of the following I elders to the Conference, selected to go on missions to the liastern States. The Conference sustained, by vote, the selection: Erotu Salt Lake City. Wm. IJ. Miles. Erom Farm iugtou. Thomas Stead, John Wood, Truman Leonard, Henry Moon, John S. Gleason, Charles I3oin, Allan Lurk, K. T Clark, Dauicl A. Miller. Erom Ogden. Israel CauGcld, G. Rufus Stewart, Clinton Wilson. John 11, Pool, Warren G. Child. Thomas Bingham, Jonathan Campbell, lkid-Icy lkid-Icy Chase, Jonathan Browning, B. C. Crichelow, P. Green Taylor, William Ellmer, Nathan Porter. Erom Willard City. Bobort Hcn. dcrson, Charles Harding, Omer Call, George J. Marsh, JohnOustcrhouso Erom North Willow Crock. Chas. Hubbard. Erom Tooele City. Thomas Lcc, Orson P. Bates., Robert McKendrick, David H. J. Caldwell, John . J. Childs, From Grantsville. Alma II. Hale. Win. V. Martindale, Edward Hunter, Jenj F. Barms, Cyrus Bates, Samuel W. Woollcy. ?rom I'rovo. William A. Pellet, Edsou Whipple, James Bean, Jr., Robert T. Thomas, Sen., Wm. Haws, Orin Glazier, Joshua Davis. Erom Springville. Jacob Iloutz, Sen., Wm. H. Kelsey, G. D. Wood. Erom Spanish Fork, Charles A. Davis, William H. Gay. ' From Fillmore. Gabriel Iluntz-1 man. From Kauoah. Collins Hakes. l'rom Holdcn. Walter Stevens. Bishop Abraham Hatch referred to tho time the Saints were driven from Nauvoo, and compared it with tho present. Then as now they wore the most peaceable, orderly, law-abiding people in the world, lu the town where he resided at present there was hut one lawyer, and he was so poor he could uot buy a law book, and had been compelled to run a mill; for there had not been a law-suit in tho town for the past three years. Now that lawyer ta an honest miller. Tho speaker also referrred to polygamy, maintaining maintain-ing the consistency and correctness of this article of their faith. Bishop A. 0. S.moot bore a strong leshmony to the Iruth of the work in which he was a participant, aud held that they had the immutable promise oi uou mat it faiiQuld never be over-1 .come,. Ihe devil was doin" hU ut-! most to destroy the work, and chose i ; agents who would serve him ; but he ! :and they would fail. Tho speaker! hoped the Saints would continue to increase in laith, build school house promote education, encourage litem-lure litem-lure aud science, and progress in good woiks. h Elder V 0. Staines reviewed the success which had attended the imnii- ' gratiori of tho Saints l'rom Europe 1 Sensible people, business men and I- , others, ho said, desired to leave the Mormons and their : religion alone, including polygamy ; and only a portion of the religious i ! sects approved the course of tho i officials here. He had just returned ' lrom traveling extensively in the east, ; while there in charge of emigration . business, and this was the result of his observations and knowledge of public ; sentiment with regard to Utah mat-i mat-i tcrs. Polygamy, he said, was as much . a part oi the iaith of tho Latter-day ' ; Saints as baptism for the remi.-sion of sius; aud when they appealed from! the deei.-ic:i of cum Is with regard to ' it, they would not appeal to the world ' but to One above. After touching on tie growth of the city aud Terrilorv, , aud the disadvantages under which they had grown; he said that God was ' satisfied with the course of the church I leaders; and prayed that His blessing, and Spirit might be with them and the people. The Tai .;r.iac!e choir sang ihe a.itbem, a;ng ye Jehovah's name." Benediction by President Gc'irgc A Smith. Conference adjou.n i. o ., this mnrrr...-. " |