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Show CHUBCHPBOSfEilS DECLARES LEADER CONGRATULATES MEMBERS CN PROGRESS OF PAST YEAR AT NINETIETH CONFERENCE. President Heber J. Grant Reviews Prosperity of Past Year and Con-gratu'ates Con-gratu'ates Members on Spiritual 1 and Material Progress. fin It Lake City. The liinei I -1 li annual an-nual conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of 1 .tit t er-ilay Saints opened til the Tabernacle til 10 a. in., on April 4, rresiilenl. licber .1. Grant presiding and delivering the opening address. A I. the morning and afternoon after-noon sessions, Hie Tabernacle was filled lo overflowing. It being found necessary to hold overflow meetings. The Inclement weather did not seem to have any appreciable effect upon the a I tendance. It evidently takes more than a spring snowstorm to dampen the ardor of the loyal Saints. Church officials had expected a record attendance, at-tendance, and they were not disappointed. disap-pointed. longri.il tiltit ions on the spiritual and malerinl progress of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as an organization, as evidenced by the unprecedented attendance ; reaffirmation, reaffirma-tion, witlt emphasis, of his previous statements regarding with disapproval labor unions which seek to interfere wilh the liberty of non-union members, mem-bers, and presentation of evidence tending to show that the attitude of men high in national and financial circles toward "Mornionisni" had of late undergone a decided and favorable favor-able change formed the principal themes of the address delivered by l'resident Heber .1. Grant, at the opening open-ing of Hie conference. l'resident (irant also spoke tit: some length of the occasion as being of special significance in the life of the church organization, marking the centenary cen-tenary of l.lie receiving of the "first vision" by the l'rophet Joseph Smith, then a mere boy, this vision leading to other manifestations of God's favor, culminating in revelations that led to the founding of the Latter-day Saints church with its mission to carry the restored gospel to all the peoples of the earth. In bringing before his congregation, which taxed the capacity of the great tabernacle to the utmost, proof of the great expansion of the church, l'resident l'resi-dent Grant read figures showing the amounts expended during the past -e.n- hv Hia eluireli n ill hnrities in vtir- ius lilies of specified activities. These he quoted in round numbers as follows fol-lows : "For meeting houses, $254,000 ; for ward appropriations, $447,000; for stake tabernacles, $35,000; for stake appropriations, $107,000; for charities, $354,000; for hospitals, $70,000; for temple maintenance and construction, $211,000; for missions, $102,000; for education, $GS7,000." Anthon II. Lund of the first presidency presi-dency made the second and final address ad-dress of the morning session. His remarks re-marks were in the main theological, being devoted to an exposition of the significance of the vision received by the Prophet Joseph Smith, the doctrine of the resurrection and the law of tithing. Charles W. Penrose of the first presidency made the extended address in the tabernacle at the afternoon ses-ion. ses-ion. After staling his gratification over the indubitable evidence of the presence pres-ence of God's spirit as manifest in the discourses of the morning session, Presidenl Penrose said that this was but another proof of the eternal truth upon which the church was founded, indicative that the prophecies made in the beginning were being fulfilled to the letter. At: considerable length he discussed the visions anil revelations received by the l'rophet Joseph Smith, going into the question of knowledge of spiritual insight and holding that many thousands of Latter-day Saints had received positive assurances that the youth was the true prophet, bearing bear-ing God's message to the world. In response to direct summons from President Grant, Apostle Melvin J. Ballard took the speaker's stand. He voiced his testimony in strong words mid said that it was witli emotions of pity and sorrow that he saw so many other denominations who could not understand un-derstand the views held by the Latter-day Latter-day Saints. Apostle Richard R. Lyman was the last speaker of tlie session. His address was almost entirely theological, dealing deal-ing with the significance of the prophet's pro-phet's first vision. Estimates of the number attending the ninetieth general conference of the L. I. S. church run front 17.000 to JD.OOO. There were special meetings of parents' par-ents' class stake supervisors, stake superintendents and stake secretaries and the general church priesthood meetings during the three days devoted devot-ed to the ninetieth annual conference, all meetings neing well attended and intense eiilhusiasm manifested. Much interest was taken by the visiting vis-iting Saints in the semi-annual conference con-ference of the Deseret Sunday School union, at which able and earnest 1 alters addressed the gal borings, 'al music being provided, the con-Mr con-Mr e being a success in every way. talncd |