| Show THE LATE conference thim THE general conference which closed on tuesday oct jtb was in several respects a notable gathering of its kind the attendance was unusually large throughout the entire session of three days on the first day sunday the multitude was so no great that it was necessary to have recourse to an overflow meeting which was held in the afternoon in the assembly hall like the tabernacle that building was excessively cesel ces vely crowded and yet many hundreds of people were still left on the outside being unable to gain ingress to either structure this thin feature of the conference dashes to pieces the predictions and hopes of those who have imagined and desired the speedy demise of mormonism which we understand der stand to be simply the falness of the restored gospel of christ the renunciations enunciations of the speakers were of a decidedly practical turn there was scarcely any effort to explain what might be termed abstract theories the teaching chiefly related to the practical duties of life their nature being such as when carried into effert would improve the general status of the community among the themes introduced and expounded were the natures nature responsibilities and obligations resting upon those on whom the priesthood had been conferred the exercise of genuine christian charity toward all people was forcibly enjoined the necessity of looking after the poor with special reference to providing them with employments employment was upon as one of those duties of the saints sainte regarding which the lord had made his mind specially manifest in numbers of revelations revelation the duty of being scrupulously honest and aad living up to all agreements without regard to whom they are made with was vigorously urged some of the speakers dwelt emphatically upon the need of maintaining peace and ana union in families the duties of each member in relation to the others being explicitly delineated those who addressed the vast assemblages as a rule bore strong testimony to the divine character of what is called mormonism s1 sa assert ing that they had bad received manifestations of the power of god on the subject of the changed condition of ef public sentiment concerning the latter day saints indicated by the widening of a disposition among honorable non Mor mormon mons people both here and elsewhere to accord them their rights was spoken of with satisfaction it was confidently stated that as the true character of the community became known this improved feeling would become broader and deeper the chasms which divide citizens from each other were deplored as something that should not have an existence the general assembly of the church was most decided in its it 4 stand against the calumnious misrepresentations sensations of the utah commissions commission embodied in their report to the secretary of the interior it was evident that the saints had reached the co conclusion elusion that they had been slandered long enough without raising a protest and presenting reputations refutations i of libelous in camies and that hereafter they proposed to pursue the policy of active resistance by denouncing falsehood and exhibiting the truth this determination was hold held to be it duty the community owed to themselves to their children to the nation and to the world at large this resolution to ie a most moat healthful one in many other respects besides being self protective but the latter consideration alone to is of sufficient importance to render the duty imperative it to is a fact demonstrated everywhere that a host of people can be fou found 12 d who wh 0 would have no hesitancy in kicking a 0 sheep beep without cause only a few how however everi care to venture on administering that kind of injustice to a lion the sentiment of the saints j in taking emphatic action in reference to the fal false se representations of the majority of the utah commission was not essentially of a retaliatory character it was simply an uprising of resolution in opposition to falsehood and unfairness and in favor of truth and just treatment it is to bp hoped that the spirit of the preamble and resolutions pawed passed at the recent conference will never abate until the refuge of lies is swept away from those who whether through ignorance malice or the of ulterior motives undertake to and misrepresent the people we do not think that the genius of the action referred to will slumber when I 1 any future conspicuous occasion for its being awakened shall arise |
