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Show His remarks were directed along U. channels -made by the address ol President Smith, being devoted to the rapid and sure growth of the church, spiritually, financially and temporally. Especial attention was given in defining defin-ing the attitude of the Latter-day Saints toward the other Christian denominations. de-nominations. He declared that the Latter-day Saints extend to the people peo-ple of the world the privilege of worshiping wor-shiping as they deem fit, without fear of interference from the Mormon people. peo-ple. "In return, all that we want," sail! Mr. Penrose, "is to have the sam privilege, the liberty to carry out message to the world, unhampered bj the interference of other sects." Francis M. Lyman, the second speaker, commented further on the organization of the church, laying especial es-pecial stress on the powers of organs ization to bring about personal assist-, anco and co-operation between all members of the church. His address was confined -almost wholly to doctrinal doc-trinal lines and dealt largely with the divinity of Mormonism. The concluding address was delivered deliv-ered by Heber J. Gradt, who endeavored endeav-ored to disprove the claims advanced by speakers and writers opposed to the church, to the effect, that 'Mormonism 'Mor-monism is a delusion and a snare. All of the,general authorities, from the president to choir leader, were unanimously sustained in their present positions at the closing session of the second day of the conference. OEFEiSlRINS PRESIDENT SMITH REFUTES CHARGES OF COMMERCIALISM IN CONFERENCE ADDRESS. Leader of Latter-day Saints Declares That "The World Does Not Oppose Us for What We Do, But for What it Charges Us With Doing." Salt Lake City. Memoers of the church from every state in the Union, from Great Britain and the European countries and the various islands were present at the opening session on April 5 of the eighty-second annual conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At the opening session more than 7,000 people were present in the tabernacle. tab-ernacle. Only three of the general authorities Apostles Reed Smoot, Rudger Clawson and George A. Smith were absent from their posts when the meeting was called to order by President Smith. President Joseph F. Smith and President Anthon H. Lund were the speakers. In his address, President Smith, in Tiis defense of the Mormon people Hyrum G. Smith, son ot Hyrum F. Smith of Provo, the oldest son of the late President Patriarch John Smith, was announced as the successor to hia grandfather, the late Patriarch John Henry Smith. Mr. Smith was born and raised in Utah, spending the greater part of his life in Provo, where his parents now reside. He is 27 years of age, and ig at present residing in Los Angeles. After the general authorities had been sustained, President Joseph P Smith stated the new patriarch is a lineal descendant of the late John Smith. This is the only position in the church that is hereditary. The morning session of the second day's conference was attended by mor6 than 7,000 church members. Apostle Hyrum M. Smith, was the first and principal speaker of the morning meeting. meet-ing. His address was divided into two distinct sections, the first being an appeal ap-peal for support of home products and home industries and the second admonishing ad-monishing the Saints to live the word of wisdom. George F. Richards, the second speaker, confirmed his remarRs to Hoctrinal topics. The concluding address ad-dress was delivered by Thomas E. McKay, Mc-Kay, president of the Swiss German mission. His remarks were devoted to a review of the conditions of Mormonism Mor-monism in the territory under his su. pervision. Anostle D. O. McKay of Oerden was against the attacks and charges made 1 1 . . iii i t ; - ' - N- v ',. '"I . ; - - . is. ; f . a ,K l. . 'J T L- - PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH. by speakers and writers of the past few years, declared that "the world ioes not oppose us for what we do, but for what it charges us with doing." do-ing." Various of the charges laid at the Soor of the church were taken up by President Smith in his speech and Bach branded as false and designed to place the Mormon people in a false light. The charge that the church is engaged en-gaged in commercialism was most forcibly denied by the president, who declared that "there isn't the least semblance of truth in the charge." Continuing his denial of this accusation, accusa-tion, he said that the church does not buy and sell goods or chattels, and that the tithing system is no more connected with commercialism than the collection systems in vogue in the Dther Christian denominations. Moreover, More-over, he declared the tithes collected by the Mormon authorities to be voluntary vol-untary contributions, which, he said, branded as absolutely false the statement state-ment that the Mormon people are compelled to pay tithing. In concluding his denunciation of the enemies of the church, he asserted assert-ed that they do not attack the principles prin-ciples and doctrines of the faith, but Instead they interpret the Mormon Soctrines without regard to truth, and base their attacks' on these interpretations. interpre-tations. He denied that the Latter-day Latter-day Saints are losing their spirituality, spiritual-ity, as has been charged in England, and declared the spirituality of this people was never greater in the history his-tory of the church. The church, he declared, was in a prosperous condition condi-tion and growing, progressing and advancing daily. the principal speaker of the afternoon session. His remarks were directed along the lines of a reply to the slanderous slan-derous charges made against the Mor. mons. Taking up this subject ha pointed out how the Mormons have been reviled and slandered during the past few months from the pulpit, through the press and by means of the motion pictures. This latter power he referred to as the most forcible means discovered by the enemies of the church, because of the vivid and false impressions left in the minds of those viewing the films. These false impressions, im-pressions, according to the speaker, are the result of ignorance, spurred on by the ranting of people who try to make capital of the alleged unpopularity unpopu-larity of the Mormons. Orson P .Whitney was the first speaker at the afternoon session. His address was devoted almost wholly to doctrinal lines and the endeavor to disprove the claims that Joseph Smith was not a prophet, seer and revelator. The opening prayer was given by Edward Ed-ward J. Wood of Cardston, Canada, president of Alberta stake. The benediction bene-diction was pronounced by Joseph Shepherd of Beaver stake. Easter was appropriately observed at the closing sessions of the conference confer-ence on Sunday, fully 15,000 members of the church taking part in the services, ser-vices, it being necessary to hold three overflow meetings. In the musical programs of both the afternoon and morning session the Easter spirit also was abundantly displayed. dis-played. Solos appropriate to the day were rendered and the choir numbers were also chosen because of their appropriateness ap-propriateness to the day. President Joseph P. Smith presided at both meetings in the tabernacle. Apostle Anthony W. Ivins, Apostle Joseph Jo-seph P. Smith, Jr., and Elder Charles A. Callis were the other sneakers. President Lund, in the concluding address, implored the Latter-day Saints to mould their lives in the cast of Jesus Christ. He especially urged them to pattern aft-er the forgiving and sacrificing nature of tne SavirA "I do not believe that we are retrograding retro-grading or losing our spirituality," said President Lund. "On the other hand, I believe we are growing stronger and progressing daily. I think the Latter-day Saints have more cause to be thankful to the Lord for , blessings bestowed upon them than any other people in the world. "We should show our appreciatiou of this kindness, not alone in words, but in actions also. We should offer thanks to the Lord upon arising for his kindly protection and seek his divine di-vine guidance in the duties that lay before us in the day. Again at night we should seek communion with the Lord in prayer." Apostle C. W. Penrose delivered the principal discourse of the afternoon. That Mormonism will fic-urish, in spite of the fact that some caarge that the members of the third generation will drift from the faith, and that the people peo-ple of the world will have the opportunity oppor-tunity of hearing the testimony of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth generations, genera-tions, were the declarations of President Presi-dent Joseph P. Smith in his concluding conclud-ing address. The principal speech of the afternoon after-noon was delivered by Dr. J. F. Tal-mage, Tal-mage, recently, appointed to the quorum quo-rum of the twelve apostles. The remarks re-marks of Dr. Talmaee were directed along the lines of Easter. The doc trines of the Latter-day Saints regarding regard-ing the resurrection of the Savior were vividly portrayed as the speaker compared com-pared Mormon beliefs with those of the other Christian denominations. : Ben E. Rich, president of the easterr. states mission, and B. G. Thatcher, for the past three years at the head or the Netherlands mission, briefly added their tesimony as to the truth of Mormonism. |