Show FIFTY FIRST semiannual SEMI ANNUAL aon XON conference FERENCE the fifty first semiannual semi annual conference of tiie the church of jes jesus u a christ of latter day saints convened in the tabernacle salt lake city on thursday october ath 1881 ISSI at 10 am as per adjournment present on the stand of the first presidency john taylor george Q cannon and joseph F smith of the twelve wilford ilford VV wood runn ruff lorenzo snow snows franklin D richards francis M lyman and john henry smith counselor D H wells patriarch john n smith of the first seven presidents of seventies horace S Eld eid eldredge fedge john van cott and W W taylor of the presiding bishopric edward hunter hunters leonard W hardy and bobert robert tT T burton besides presidents of stakes bishops and other leading men from all parts of territory the remains of apostle orson pratt were borne into the tabernacle by several of the apostles the casket beautifully adorned wa with th flowers was elevated above the bishops shops a tand stand which was also decorated with bouquets and floral emblems in view of the congregation which was unusually large for the opening meeting the stands were heavily draped la in mourning conference was called to order by president john taylor taylon choir sang the hymn come wo we that loye love the lord and let our joys be known prayer was offered by apostle franklin D richards the choir sang behold the mountain of the tho lord in utter latter days shall rise rim JOHN jorn TAYLOR in opening the proceedings said we have met this morning in accordance with our adjournment 1 six I months ago to attend to the affairs of our conference and on these oc teas leas ic asiong lons ions as we are assembled from the different stakes throughout the i luand of ig zion for the purpose of attending to all matters in which we as a people are interested it is proper that we should comprehend the tte position that we occupy and be prepare prepared with prayerful hearts and with 0 our oun spirits and feelings drawn out unto our heavenly father to attend to all things that shall come before us in a manner that shall be just and right and proper that we wo may have the tile spirit of the lord to rest down upon us that in our teachings in our business and in all affairs that ahall come before us in a conference capacity we may be under the guidance and direction of the lord as we ought always to be in all of the blies biles of the saints we are placed today to day under rather peculiar circumstances while we at tend to our conference wi w at the same time are called to perform the obsequies connected w with the death of our beloved brother and apostle orson pratt this is rather a peculiar phase to be entertained in a conference capacity yet he though dead yet lives and while he be lives in the heavens he lives also in the hearts of the saints and of the holy priesthood and we could not have a more fitting opportunity to attend to the obsequies of our beloved brother and when we shall have finished paying the last tribute of respect to this our beloved brother there is also another occurrence which has taken place and we wish to hold memorial services pertaining thereto that is in connection with the death of elder feramorz jj V young son of president brigham young who in returning from a mission to mexico in company with moses thatcher one of the twelve died at sea between havana and new york we thought that while attending to the funeral services of brother or an pratt it would be a fitting oc casion caslon to hold memorial services also pertaining to him for he is accounted a faithful intelligent and an honorable young man and a good latter day saint and as he has died in the harness although his body la Is not present we wish to show to him that respect that all honorable elders of israel ought to have therefore the ceremonies pertaining to his funeral will be attended to in connection with those of brother pratt this aften gi and as the time seems to be progressing and we wish to have everything done without confusion that all may have an opportunity of viewing the corpse we WO will not this morning prolong our remark remarks sp for it would be irrelevant with so so short abort a time and under existing circumstances cum stances to introduce any other subject 7 at present APOSTLE WILFORD WOODRUFF then arose andave and gave a few instructions about the order orden der den agreed upon in relation to the public viewing the remains PRESIDENT JOHN TAYLOR stated that after this service closed and the presidency and twelve had viewed the boby the tho public would have the privilege of passing by each side of the coffin and taking a glance at the features of the departed and trusted there would be no confusion but that all would observe order and decorum the Confer conference enee ende adjourned until 1 pm the choir sang bang the anthem the lord wm comfort zion benediction by president joseph F smith the casket was wag then lowered and the first presidency the twelve apostles the presidency of the stake and other authorities took a farewell look at the e of bleir venerable lellow laborer and the vast assemblage filed past in double doable columns the eyes of if many being filled with te rs a as they gazed upon the face cf ef the man whose voice has been lifted lined up both long and loud for so many years in israel and among the the glad tidings of eternal salvation during daring the intermission some seven or eight thousand people viewed the remains the whole time being taken up in this manner atone at one the casket wua again elevated and then the tho tabernacle leing being filled in every part followed the OBSEQUIES OP APOSTLE ORSON PRATT thursday rpm the choir sang hark from afar a funeral knell kneil moves mores on the tho breeze its echoes swell prayer by president joseph F smith choir sang thou dost not weep to weep alone the tho broad bereavement seems lo 10 fall PRESIDENT WIL wll MID lid WOODRUFF read a revelation through the I 1 ro phet joseph smith to orson pratt g ven november ath 1830 as follows 1 ai I my son eon orson hearken and hear and behold what I 1 the lord god shall bhail bay say unto you even evon jesus Jesua christ yur your redeemer Rode einer elner 2 the light and the lila ot of tho the world a light which ellneth in darkness and the darkness c it not who ao so loved the world that ha be gave hia hla ow own mt uto that as many as would believe belleve might become the tha sons ot of god wherefore you are may mybon mynon Md 4 and blessed ame are you because you have havo believed 6 and more blessed are you because you are called of me to preach my gospel 6 to lift up your voice as with the sound of a truyn trump p both do th long and loud louds and cry repentance pen tance unto a crooked and perverse go generation no preparing tha way ot of the lord for lils his second c coming oming 7 for behold verily verI teri 1319 verily I 1 say unto you youg the time la is soon at hand handt that ishall I 1 shail bhail come la in I 1 a cloud with power and great glory 8 and it shall bhan be a great day at A t the e time of my coming for all nations shall tremble Q but before that preat great pi oat eat day shau ooma coma the sun bun shall be darkened and the moon be turned into blood and the stars shall ret ref refuse use their shining and some shall fall and great destruction st Et await the wicked io 10 wherefore lift up your voice and spare noto not for the lord god hath spoken therefore prophesy and it shall be eiven given by the power of the holy ghost IL 11 and if you are falth ralth faithful sulp fulp behold I 1 am with you until I 1 come 12 and verily verily I 1 say unto you I 1 come quickly I 1 am your lorland your re d deemer mec mer even evenso so 20 amen amed brother woodruff said if lie he was to express his desires to the lord it aou d be 0 lord give us grace that wet weL maybe able to accomplish the work required of us buto but 0 the chains tha that t bind this immortal spirita sometimes he felt 0 that he could break the bands of mortality and open his eyes in the spirit world to receive that which orson pratt is now enjoying but we must be patient and be willing to abide our time it would be imps sible to give the history of that great man or to depict the glory that awaits him it would take the trump of the sixth angel to do that he had bad been associated with brother pratt man years the first testimony he ever heard from him wag wai in a house in kirtland in april 1834 1831 he went with him to mis sour in zious camp in traveling a thousand miles with the prophet th fo who were in that company received an experience that they can never forget hlen nien were reduced to mere skeletons with the chole inand many died aled bro pratt while suffering frum its effects manifested that indomitable will ani h has since been many times exhibited hibi ted he struggled with death and overcame by faith in god brother pratt had lived longer in this thia church traveled more balles miles and preached more sermons than any man in it he had baptized thousands and fulfilled the revelation just read his garments were clear from the blood of this generation he had studied and written more upon the gospel and upon science than any man in in the church he had now gone home it was all right this event the speaker had expected for some months before lie he left on his late visit to st george he laid his hands upon bro pratt and blessed him this was recorded in his journal which the hi stori ans could read after the speakers speaker death if bro pratt could speak to this ass after meeting with he the prophet joseph and his brethren in the spirit world he would say to the apostles the seventies the high priests the elders eiders the lesser priesthood and the saints can you afford to spend one hour in neglect of this great work upon the things of this world the spirit of bro pratt is alive today to day and will live as long as our heavenly father lives his testimony is closed his voice ii hushed in death bu it will not be a great while for some of us before we hear it in the spirit world let tile the living work while the day lasts bro pratt makes the ninth apostle that had left us who came through emigration canon canlon in 1817 this enjoined us to be also ready to be faithful to god ani uni and I 1 the responsibility resting upon us the speaker thanked god for the gospel and priesthood revealed and exhorted all to be faithful as saviors on mount zion sleep on brother orson then with thy quorum thou meet in bliss and spend eternal day amen APOSTLE LORENZO SNOW jsam sell hia feelings were very similar to those expressed by bibro bro woodruff there was not much occasion to mourn when those who had received the gospel and magnified the priesthood passed away as had bad brother pratt the gospel opened to view a hope faith and satisfaction that was a comfort in occurrences like these it was well for all wise latter day sains saints to have before them a full view of the glory that awaits those who are faithful in th tb ia bi important cause we ought to have a proper sense of the glory that had been promised and that resurrection for which we eo so fondly hoped could bro pratt have the privilege to communicate with us he would say mourn not for lor me I 1 have passed through the fiery ordeal t L have through the blessing of god ob obtained the victory and there is secured to me the privilege of a that through which I 1 have ministered t L hail hall be made glorious I 1 have been able to pass through affliction and temptation and onta outa obtained ined the victory the promise is r that as we are now the sons of god when the lord api eary earm ears we shall 1 if faithful be e like him and see him as he is S jesus when he appeared to his de sciples after his death came in hia hi glo gio glorified rifled body he also appeared c d to joseph and oliver in the temple at kirtland he was glorious in appearance and when he ile shall be ree aed from heaven those who overcome and are worthy shall be like him it was necessary for us to endure the fiery ordeal of this thia life to pass pasa through this probation that we might attain to an exaltation we agreed to this in the spirit world before coming here bro pratt had endure i i and ove overcome reome it was indeed a satisfaction when a man could pass through temptations for so many years ears and not lose his right to a c crown owl owr bro pratt t bas has as sustained no loss his exaltation was sure and he I that in a the spirit world bro pratt could do as much good for his family as here and also for this great work it was waa now our duty to imitate hia hla faithfulness which he be had maintained in traveling from lancto land to land laud ans from seat scat sea bea to osea obea sea the spirit of inspiration had remained with hini him from the day he received the revelation that had bad been read until he departed and he would attain to the glory of a son of god the speaker trusted that the family of the deceased would woula be comforted and be able to take that course that they might meet him and enjoy that trat glory which he had bad secured also that all might be able to overcome aud aud and receive that reward which was was prepared for those that are worthy APOSTLE F D RICHARDS felt that we had assembled under very peculiar i r circumstance I we had not done with mourning for the loss ot of the president of the united states before we were called to mourn the loss of the presence and ser Eer services vices of an apostle of the lord and also that of a young and faithful brother who had been called to meet a clr cir circle cleof of friends more intelli intel lir gen gent t and glorious than any on earth bro pratts prates life had been distinguished by the labors of over i alf a century in this cause he had bad ilis als priesthood from the hands bands of those who obtained it direct from peter james and john going forth preaching and writing under the spirit of inspiration in his youthful days the speaker had bad labored much with hlin him and testified that if any man had a right to the title of meek it was brother orson Prat tand while his nature was so firm that thai it amounted sometimes almost to obstinacy yet he fie always yielded to that which was declared oy authority brother pratt fratt was a studious assiduous worker preparing himself by acquiring a thorough education to meet all that might rise up tip against him seeking by Ju inspiration to learn all that could be known the speaker referred to the testimony of prof proctor that bro pratts works on astronomy were entitled to the admiration and respect of the scientific world when this church was in poverty in want tant sant he labored and toiled tolled continually in its interest as wf 11 as when he was placed in a condition of greater comac rt in speaking of the lifes labor of such a man it was difficult to tell where to be gin and where to end he had however finished his work fought the fight and kept the faith and so cured his big crown he aras wasl wasi now where his powers were extended where doubtless he be could see as lie he was seen as he was known the speaker had sat at his feet being pleased to bearn of him he was giad glad for him for lie he was now resting from his jabors labors and his works would follow him in bis his generations he had earned the power to bless all of his posterity who would be obedient 0 that god would help us all that our last end might be like his and may god comfort the bereaved and make them to feel that the judge of all the eartle has done right PRESIDENT JOHN TAYLOR said it would be impossible during the limited time allotted to this meeting to do dr justice to the life and labors of bryther brother orson pratt that must be left to history in paying respects to the departed we felt that though we had to do with death we had also relations to life we had an existence before we came here |