Show priesthood MEETING the regular monthly meeting of the salt lake stake of zion convened in the assembly hall salt lake city ou on saturday november 1 1890 president joseph E taylor presiding all the wards of the stake were properly represented except the second tenth thirteenth and eighteenth city wards and bluff Dale Granger and hunter wards of the country president joseph E taylor repeated the instructions previously given regarding the issuing of recommends to the house of the lord remarking that too much haste is indulged in by many persons that sufficient time say one or two weeks should be allowed to receive the final signature avoid haste in this respect for haste only produces confusion another question it would now BOW be wise and fraught with considerable good to renew the practice of block meetings especially in this city and all places in the country wards where the people live in close proximity to each other gather the saints together as many as can be got into your dwelling houses and there hold prayer and testimony meetings as was our practice in the early days in this city and other pi places j aces throughout our territory good teachers wise and efficient brethren should be selected to preside at these meetings in ila early times it was customary to hold these meetings in the various wards of this salt lake city on Thure thursday duy evenings of each week y you V W will 1 tind find as the saints did at that ti time ra ie that great good will result from these gatherings it at has been suggested that the bishops reorganize their auxiliaries the priests teachers and deacons quorums qu as far as it is practical to do this then again the bishops hould get nearer to the people that is visits should be made by the bishops of the different dardr to the people at their homes you are the fathers ot of the people under Y your our jurisdiction therefore visit them and make their acquaintance in some instances as some of the members of the church claim their bishops have never visited them in their homes some of the old members say bay that they have not seen the bishop in their homes except about once in twenty years I 1 realize that you have onerous duties to perform but notwithstanding ng this sometime should be allotted by the bishopric to these fireside visits As you ad ach minister to the people they will love and respect you and you will gain prestige and influence bishop william B preston spoke for a abort time on the more perfect organization of tho the lesser priesthood particularly priests quorums qu the duty of the priest was to carry the gospel to the homes of the lat ter day saints and preach teach and expound the scriptures tures in plainness to the people V I 1 know of no callin greater importance than that of the priest that of the teacher follows but the last named is to assist the priest and see that the saints perform their duty faith fully aud and carry out the instructions given by the priests and presiding officers A great responsibility rests upon the bishops for upon them devolves devolves the duty of calling to their aid faithful men and organizing them iu in such a manner as will bring about the greatest good to the people generally the relief societies can do a great deal of good in their calling by assisting the bishops io in caring for the poor the sick and the afflicted and comforting the distressed the subject of tithes and offerings was touched upon ana the saints advised to so conform to this law that they may receive all the blessings promised the home mis slon sio narles aries in this and other stakes of zion could talk upon this subject with profit to themselves arid and the saints inasmuch as the cry of give us room is heard on every hand band it would be very prudent in many cases for now new arrivals to go into the country where rents and land are cheap by doing so they would grow up with the country and by industry and economy become independent elder evan stephens addressed the meeting for a short time on the subject of combining all the choirs belonging to the wards of this city into the tabernacle choir lie he asked the operation cooperation co of the bishops and other leading brethren of the wards particularly the choir leaders aderi le to assist in this work and render what aid they could to the tabernacle choir of this city and to each other all choir leaders in the city were requested to meet with the raber caber nacle choir next friday night at at the taber nacle president charles W penrose endorsed the remarks of the previous speakers he then deprecated the practice of holding dances in the houses erected for the worship of the lord it was right and necessary to provide legitimate amusement for the young but it was unwise and in many places unnecessary to use the meeting houses for this his purpose keepin keep in mind that dances or other amusements are not carried to excess but that moderation characterizes all our acts there should be wise and fatherly supervision over the recreations of our young people exercised in kindness in the inte rests of order and morality brother penrose closed his remarks by calling the attention ioa of the brethren to the crewl pressing ug duties of the hour adjourned until the first saturday in december at 11 a m benediction by bishop samuel A woolley |