Show L LI I A J I 1 I I I I l i I hythe b First FIrs 0 k C h r t 1 I S to of t e c I S a year is drawing towards its i close I l agreeable glee Ie to the custom that has an of years ye rs we desire d once more to say a few t words word to the tine Saints S by byWay byway byWay Way Of Olli usual Christmas greetings We e r shall hill not attempt in enter into a discussion of the life tl of the Church or orthe the principles of s the Gosp have been so abundantly of en to LQ h by b Apostles postles the A and Elders of the tJ Church throughout Zion and the thc world We Wc Wesee see sec on every eyen hand lanit unmistakable evidences e of oi i the haunt hald d of Pi the thc Lord with His Ills peo people i pie p c comprising the Church of Jesus J e us Christ of tatt Saints SJ ints and ana with all thc the people corn com composing c nh l posing p the great nation of which we e are arc a apart ai apart i part Not only the people of Utah Uta and an l adjoin adjoining on ing sta es and territories but the people l e pl r of tour our country at al large have been remarkably blessed with wills ith a aa multitude of blessings through throughout out the year Prosperity has prevailed pr in every pawl part of the land laud notwithstanding the thc ther r r financial fin hurry lurry which lt h for a time threatened serious ions consequences to the thc business of the country coq itry The seasons have been propitious and the honest laborer has generally reaped t 1 abundant i JUt dant returns for his intelligent labors Jabors The 1 world at large has been free from the he devast devastating devastating devastating effects elTe ts of war although it has not been q altogether free fre front from strife and ami the smiles smile and approbation of the Lord have been shed abroad y upon the lI e face of the earth in a remarkable degre de dc degree gree gree gre and and we think especially so in all aU parts of the world where effort is being made by byl byh l h dl is servants to lay the foundations of His work and ancl an spread the knowledge of truth aud and 1 the thc coming comit g and ancl glory of His kingdom to the children of men The tendency of the na nations nations nations to submit their disputes and differences t of arbitration instead of deadly con COll conflict conflict on the battlefield and the peace conferences confer conferences conferences that have been held in the past with ith more or less success and will be he continued in the future are indeed very gratifying signs of the th permanent establishment esta of peace and ancl the i cessation l of bf war wal We Ve believe this hoped for condition among the thc nations is sure to come that righteousness s will prevail in every land and the word wo d cl of the Lord will twill be proclaimed without fear or hindrance among all nations tongues and peoples J THE LABORS OF OR THE ELDERS 1 The rhe Elders of the Church have labored zeal zealously zealously i and faithfully to proclaim the message j g 9 life and salvation both of a temporal and andr r spiritual nature nature in all of their mission fields 4 and od have done much towards the tIie establish establishment ment of truth and brotherly love for fOlo the spirit of peace e justice mercy and righteousness emanates from the Elders and spreads abroad upon the thel people among whom they labor Their mission is one of well doing and love for their fellowmen They carry unto the thc people the thc Gospel of Christ which through obedience to its precepts will save and ami exalt them in His Iris kingdom that will eventually be lc established and have universal sway throughout the earth earths as s the ancient prophets have foretold The demand for efficient laborers in the tl c var various various ious ions mission fields has for a long time lime been far f r greater than we have been able to supply However it has been our aim to keep sufficient Elders in the thc various nations where we have missions established to carr on the work of the Lord intelligently mud and at d successfully that there may be no unnecessary delay in the spread of the thc Gospel among the thc people for forwe forwe forwe we realize that it is to be preached in power among am ng all nations in this dispensation We Ve have at present Elders laboring in t Africa and many of the islands of the sea as aswell aswell aswell well as as throughout the American hemisphere Considering Cons dering the great number that are arc kept constantly in the mission fields ex exceedingly exceedingly few fe v of oJ them have proved themselves unworthy of the glorious mission to which they have been called and am a few have laid down their lives If Yes while thus laboring in the Masters cause And while our hearts go out in sym sympathy sympathy pathy to the bereaved kindred and nd families of those faithful Elders tines thus called home h we can cannot cannot cannot not but be thankful in the thc knowledge that 4 1 4 44 tt 1 t a tar t t f S r d a AY ff d t 1 Y r f fra ra ai 4 t ck t C in 1 t yi t l lIn In k i iti ts art w ti fir tL i 1 fit 4 1 t 0 i GROUP OF CHURCH AUTHORITIES AT THE TEMPLE This interesting picture taken re rc recently by 11 C Tl Tt Savage shows a n group mado made up ot of tho the First Presidency enlY of ot the tho Church the tho Patriarch and antl several members of ot the tho Quorum of the Twelve who happened to be leav bay tho tile temple templo at tho timer time I Unfortunately the tho other members of tho quorum quorum were not present pre ent The rhe of ot the group reading from left I rt to right Is ns as ris follows Lower Row Presidents John IS in Winder Joseph F Smith Anthon Anthem H Lund and Patriarch John Smith Next Row John Henry Smith Frances I M lr Lyman and Heber Heher J Grant Next Row Elders Geo F Richards David McKay life TelL Hyrum H rum M 11 Smith and Anthony Anthon TV W Yo Ivins The Tho picture was taken at the tho main entrance to the topple on the oust enst and tho time surroundings afford an excellent view of tho the and a d Imposing of oC the building i k there is awaiting and nd reward akin a in into to that of the thc martyrs for the cause of truth in all ages of the world orId We Wc rejoice in the precious assurance given n in the Gospel el that they and their the 1 kindred r mai i t faithful to the truth will come up together in the morn morning morning ing of the thc resurrection croo crowned ned with glory immortality and The Thc efficiency capability earnestness and anti devotion to duty of those who have been b en called to sible positions of presiding over the various va missions of the world worl 1 have given n us great joy Not one of these th se has ever shrunk from any any duty duly or failed to meet any requirement r made of him hint in ill the tine faithful discharge of pf the duties of his presidency Thc Tha progress of the work of the thc Lord under their direction has been ex exceedingly exceedingly exceedingly gratifying and ancl satisfactory TREATMENT OF THE ELDERS IN INTHE INTHE INTHE THE WORLD Ve We are arc also happy to say upon reliable in information information formation that the Elders Elder t are receiving much more respectful treatment and and consideration from te tle better Jetter and more enlightened classes of people Prejudice is giving way nay y before l the thc spread of correct correct knowledge of the thc true character char character character acter of the thc great work through the and of the servants of the Lord and a ld such opposition as is now net met with ith is generally gener lly from the ignorant and misguided classes cla ses of men who are arc blinded by bythe the bigotry and ant hatred awakened in their hearts by those devoted devote to and political chicanery And while a determined d effort has been made on os the part of some bigoted and ami malicious malici souls to injure the thc cause of Zion and ami retard the spread of the message message of truth among the honest minded people of the world we te are arc ar pleased to say that their determination to do injury has been overruled by divine Providence and has resulted in good and their influence today is comparatively impotent and their attacks are aie without the results that fol followed followed followed lowed such attacks in days clays that are arc past HEADQUARTERS OF MISSIONS This year the Church has expended consid considerable consider considerable erable er le means in securing and fitting fitti g up per permanent permanent permanent manent headquarters in the missions and conferences con conferences conferences of the tine Church abroad Some of these are fine structures and well suited for the pur purposes purposes purposes poses poses of meetings and homes for the Elders We Ve rc find possessing and headquarters gives us greater respect among our outside friends and encourages our ou Saints to make mak greater exertion ex tion to t bring their friends to our ou meetings It gives them confidence cont dence in ill the e solidity of the work and makes it easier for them to follow the tine instructions given them by the Elders not to be ins insa in a hurry to emigrate but for the thc Saints to remain and help strengthen the branches where they live and they them themselves then wives selves become more strongly grounded in the b b gospel USE OF THE BOOK OF MORMON IN lN MISSION FIELDS Many thousands of copies of the Book of of Mormon have been published in the tine United States Stales and have been widely distributed by the thc Elders among the thc people The result has been tun awakening of a lively interest in the doc doe doctrines doctrines trines of the tine gospel and anti in the thc divine mission mission of Joseph Smith The Hook Book of Mormon has been placed on sale in some of o the largest and most reliable publishing S and a business u houses in the United d States and ami It it has been listed in their catalogues The Thc use of the Book of Mormon Morison as a means I of spreading the thc gospel has proved pr ed to be Ie very successful Ve We feel fee to commend the thc Elders for or their efforts effort in this direction and pray that this work may maybe mayhe maybe be he continued by b them therm in the future both at home donne and anti in foreign fields with equal diligence and good results The Thc general use of the Book of Mormon by the Elders as a means of spread spreading spreading ing a knowledge of the gospel and in iu convert converting converting converting ing men to the divinity of the thc mission of the thc Prophet Joseph jose h Smith is certain to be bc follow followed follo ed cd with gratifying results The Th book con contains contains contains a promise to all honest investigators that they shall shaH know of its truth froth if they vi wi study it with prayerful hearts Hundreds I testify to the fulfilment of this promise This use of the tine Book of Mormon is merely a return to con conditions conditions that prevailed in the early days of the Church when the Elders went forth with the thc Book of and many believed and were baptized Some of the first and staunchest staunches members were through reading the Book of Mormon Among these might be men mentioned mentioned mentioned Presidents Brigham Young and Heber HeberG C G Kimball Cimball Willard Villard Richards Parley P Pratt and Orson Pratt George Gcorge A Smith and other members of the thc Prophets household and many man others that space will not permit us to mention Tine The Elders of the Church are aie the witnesses for Christ in the world that He has again es established established established His Gospel and the world will be judged by their testimonies The Thc Book of Mormon is a witness of the dealings of God with the thc ancient inhabitants of o this land which is the land of Zion It contains the gospel of Jesus Christ and has been translated by the gift and power powel of God as a means for the sal salvation salvation salvation and redemption of His Isis children THE WORK IN THE TIIE STAKES OF ZION What we have said of the integrity and de devotion devotion devotion to to the cause by those who wino have been called to preside in the missions we can say with equal force and ancl truth of those tho e who wino have been called to preside in the several stakes of Zion They arc aie generally laboring with power Pulver and zeal cal among the Saints uniting their hearts with a love unfeigned Tine The integrity of the thc Saints to the thc cause of Zion their fidelity to the thc principles of the tine Gospel their knowledge of file tc their fellowship for forone forone one another and anti for the presiding authorities of the Church and mid the marked unity pervading ing iq all their assemblies arc are highly commend commendable able Their observance of the tine principle of tithing which was revealed and anel established by our Heavenly Father to provide for fOl the tem lem temporal te tepo po al needs of the thc Church and their improve improvement uncut ment in the observance of the thc Word Vord of Wis Vis Wisdom dom and amI tine the principles of temperance and sobriety marks maiks their growth and advancement in the thc knowledge and ami love of the of their religion Incidents of the recent past have proved the willingness of the Saints who nho are in full fellowship with the Church to forego personal desires and yield yield their individual preferences on ou their own volition for the public good and mark dis clis distinctively vely their individual growth and broaden broadening ing in the scale of intelligence as well as their integrity to the best interests of the whole whole THE TIIE CHURCH SCHOOLS Our Church schools throughout Zion which now not number 2 27 and have an enrollment of I P about students stud have continued to pros prosper prosper prosper per Some Sonic new and elegant buildings have hav f been erected and others are in course of con coin i i to make room forthe for the increasing at attendance attendance i We Ve only on y regret that the means nee nce necessary essary to meet all the requirements are arc not equal to the growth and anel demands of the schools We Ve feel it incumbent upon us ns and ami a duty that is paramount to all other duties in our schools to teach the thc youth of Zion Lion love lone for or truth virtue honor and purity of o life ven vein veneration veneration for the tine name of the and andall andall andall all sacred things proper respect t for the thc Priest Priesthood Priesthood hood not forgetting anything essential to a thorough moral and intellectual education We Ve Weare arc are impressed that in comparison anc an with these linens tl sc r principles and an abiding faith in th all other oilier things count but little in the tine education of tine the youth Let these thing things be stamped up upon upon upon on the minds of the youth until they sink deep sleep into their souls and become a portion of their very venT being We V c have endeavored to establish our schools on a firm basis and mud to t have them equipped with the most thorough instructors and supplied with all necessary apparatus appa ratus for imparting knowledge They have been raised to a high standard of o efficiency in all elemen clemen elementary elementary tary branches and ami in some sonic of them the higher branches of education e are arc taught We V c com coun commend mend menel our Church schools to the tine Saints and desire that they will continue to tog give g e to them their hearty arid and al d well deserved support that tine the they may continue to prosper and maintain maintains their efficiency THE TEMPLE WORK Great activity has been manifest during the then year 1908 r on the part of the Saints in their I Ir f Temple work The he spirit to work for the redemption reden of the dead is resting upon them then J Jand 1 and an increased cased interest has his been shown in inthis inthis inthis this work of divine love This work is the thc I Prophet Joseph tells us essential to our salva salvation |