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Show SITS IN SESSION IN SALT LAKE CITY v. Seventy-Sixth Semi-Annual Conference Confer-ence of the Churtli of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Attended by an Immense Crowd. The opening' sorvlce ot tho seventy-sixth seventy-sixth EcmT-nnnual conference ot tho Latcr-lay Saints, In Salt Lnko City on Friday, October C drow an Immense crowd, and much enthusiasm was Manifested. Tho featuro of tho morning services was tho address of President Smith, while Iho sustaining of authorities land speech of Apostle Heed Smoot liold tho closest attontlon In tho uftor- t inn it Tho most Importnnt development of tho day, as far as President Smith's speech Is concerned, was his Invitation Invita-tion to "nil fnltiifdr, nil tUho-paycra nnd Snluts In good standing," to ex-iiinlno ex-iiinlno tho books In which nro kept thp tithing accounts. Ho said Uiobq who paid tithes wero welcome to look In tho book and seo, but that ho didn't ptopoao to lot "every Tom, Dick nnd Harry" In tho country pry Into tho records. Prosldont Smith opocly dolled nny man to prove that a dollar or tithing money had been "wasted or stolen," and uxprcascd grntillcntlon nt tho In-crouBlng In-crouBlng tlthos. President Smith welcomed tho Latter-day Saints to tho conforenco and expressed his gratification nt tho unusually un-usually largo attendanco. In his opening open-ing remarks ho said that the authorities authori-ties of tho church had been active and diligent In tho porformanco ot their duties during the past-sU months. Ho reported missionary work In good shape, with tho exception that tho demands de-mands for young mon to preach tho EOHpoworo groator thnn tho supply. "Largo amounts have bion expended expend-ed In tho erection of meeting houses In wards and for stako houses," said Prcsldont Smith. "Tho trustee-Intrust has been railed on 'jo furnish lnrgo sums of money for Wo erection of churches, meeting Iiouhcb nnd nlso houses of entertainment. "I would lllto all to leno'v that tho church or Latter-day Saints believes not only In bouses of worship, but of !strucfon nrj amusement that the peoplo may have places for young peoplo to gather In dance and tho enjoyment en-joyment of desires of thu heart in righteousness." Counselor John It, Winder and Counselor Anton II. Lund also Bpoko at thot morning session, Apostle John Henry Smith, Itudgcr Clawson, Ilccd Smoot and Hyrum Smith wero tho speakers at tho afternoon after-noon session ot the conference. John Henry Smith paid an eloquent trlbuta to tho mission workers of the church. In conclusion he boro testimony testi-mony that tho present head of the Mormon church was honest, nble, up-Tight, up-Tight, fearless, as all other presidents of Uio church had been. Rudger Claw6on appealed to tho congregation to know if President Smith and all tho others who had addressed ad-dressed tho confcrcnco had not spoken spok-en by tho spirit of God. Apostlo Ilccd Smoot said that ho know tho gospol of his church was true, and that the work ot tho authorities authori-ties was tho work of God. "I say to you, Later-day Saints," he said, "that peoplo novcr had any moro coulldouco Jn any man or any set ot men, than jthoy have In tho presidency of tho church today. Tho adversary 1b trying try-ing to stir up strlfo, to set peoplo agaluBt tho authorities by making unjust un-just attacks upon them, but ho'll fall In this Just as sure aB tho sun rises." Aftor n brief address by Apostle Hyrum Smith, Prosldont Smith presented pre-sented tho names of tho authorltlos and church olllcers to bo sustained by tho conference. All woro sustained without opposition. Answers to chargos of tho Unorganised Un-organised or "Josophlte" church of Latter-day Saints nnd additional testimony testi-mony that tho tithing' funds woro righteously spont woro tho Important devolopmont of Saturday's Bosslons of tho seventy-sixth soml-annunl confer-unco confer-unco of Laitor-day Saints. Kldcr Urlgham II. Hoborh, replied directly, nnd Apostlo C. W. Ponroso Indirectly, to assertions mado by President Pres-ident Joseph Smith of tho Josephlto church, and his loaders, at tho afternoon after-noon sosslon. In tho morning session Prosldont Xf. T. Jack of Cassia stnko Idaho, uphold tho , handling of tho v jti.s' aHsiiiiiH i lB . - . . ':::':. '."'. , :::.rr H tithing funds by PreatoOnt Joseph V. UM Smith, as trtistec-lh-trttaL' H Ilrigham II. ltoberts' ntltfivstt or H that portion devoted to II. o marges of tho Joscphltes, was In dirr-rt an swer to tho speech mndd bv th pros- H Idont of tho ItoorgahtiCKl church in H Salt Lake City Sunday, September !M H Tho provident of tho reorganized movement Is hc son of Joseph tho H prophet, and claims that tho surros- slon enmo rightfully to him. H In his speech Elder Itobrts jH claimed that never had tho Mormons, H aa Individuals, more rights, and thnt H the Krent power centered In the prcs- H tdent was exorcised with hiOdoratlon. H Ho denied a statement inn do by tho H prosldont of tho dissenting church H thnt tho world nt largo had been, so H prejudiced ngalnst tho Mormon dor- H trlno by tho followers of Urlgham H Young that thoy wero roftlSlngto rm- il braco tho now H Apostlo Penrose, whllo mal ing no H direct roference, dwelt on, iho rhnrgo that thoro hnd been a hiatus or dm H organization following the proplu t s H death, nnd, In a speprh promdlng that H of Elder Itoborls, vigorously upheld H tho succcmlon of Ilrigham "otin H Tho attraction of tho last day at H tho state fair did not thin th attend- H nnco at conference n whit, now'tiiing H llko 6,500 persons bolnic present at H onch H Apostlo Goorgo A Smith '!Miv r a -H tho oponlhs; nddrms nt tho mormnj; H sosslon. Ho rojolced that Hi.' h it H wuro a peculiar peoplo lur i t i d H nn apparent tendency to o.m'., , r H giving those of the nuthom v no H had. perchance unknowing f). od M ed tome momber of the ch.ir. h ho M gavo tho Mormons ootinsel ilia f H tliny felt affairs wero not gc.uiu: (-'.t M lu Clou it was tholr duty to !.!; ' M tholr own henrts and seo If thv rou 1 locato tho traublo and illssatii-fnd!. n M Frank Y Taylor, pfasldtiif of tho H Granlto Rlnke, followad Apostle Stmh ) ud during his remarks paid n glow- H Ing trlbutp to President Smith H Patriarch John Hmllh, one or the mojit vonernblo membors if 'ho church, mado a brief statement -mr H Ing hlo testimony to tho troth f li H religion, but explaining that fix 'on -H dltlon of his lienlth and voiro rfni H dered It impossible for him to npr lc H W. T. Jack, president of tht Cassia, 'H Idaho, stako, besides ouloglzlng l'rosi Idont Smith and other leadors of tho JH church, spoke feelingly of President H Itoosevelt for the work thnt "this mnn H of destiny Is doing In rcclalbitng tho H arid wastes of the west." H Probably tho greatest crowd that H over attended services lu the talxer- .H naclo wus present nt tho closing ses- jH slon of tho conference. President JH Smith, speaking ot tho enemies ot tho lil church. Raid; JSH! "f nsu for this mercy upon my one- . mtes, upon those who slander rao and H Ho about me. I ask God to pity' them. --ssal nnd to havo mercy upon them! I asK - '- --M God to pity thoso who nro misguided! H I ask God (o havo mercy upon Hiom- H who Ro this with tholr oyes opon, and H I nsk God to pity them, because they ' H need God's pity and mercy moro than H thu others! I would not harm a hair 'sibbbbbbbI ot their heads for all I possess In tho H world I And I ask my brethren to H keep thtlr hands off tLjm. Don't B touch them! Don't touch thoso who H arc paving their way to destruction! jH Ix;t them go! Give thorn tho liberty !ll of speech they want, and let them jH wrlto tholr own doom! It doesn't hurt Jl us, and If It docs them any good let l them do It! This conference Is a tee- j tlmony that Mormonlsra Is not dead j H nor sleeping, but a living entity, and Is still doing. Lot tho world know H Another featuro of tho afternoon 'VJH meeting was a remarkable story of a tssBBBai vision told by Samuel W. Richards, MbbbbbbbbI brother or the lato Apostlo Franklin D. Richards, and n member of tho quorum of tho Bcvcnty. Nnuvoo rogrets having driven tho Mormons out, nnd would gladly wel- ,H come them back, declared German K, Ellsworth, prcsldont of tho northern H states mission, at tho morning meet- H Ing of tho confcrcnco. H "You do not hear or tho Latter-day H Saints' missionaries stirring up dls- H cord, laying traps, telling lies, and do- H Ing that which will bring their op- jH ponents discomfort," said Elder Rti- H Ion S. Wells or Salt Lako, In speaking .H ot tho peculiarities or tho Mormons H "Dnt you find them traveling without H purso or scrip, often going hungry and H enduring Indignities to which they - M have not been nccustnmed. Tho great H peculiarity of tho latter-day Saint- Is M their quality of love." H "Tho Lattor-day Saints nro limily JM establlshod In Canada, In Or una. H Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, California. 1 Utah. Colorado. Arizona. Now M' x- jssbbI Ico and havo gone owr the wall arKl l aro In tho republic or Mexico stll! f r- H ther south, and In the state of trm M Union, the countries of Hurope and H tho Islands of tho sea," wild A W iB lvlus, president ot the Juarez -tako flH of Mexico "All over the world the HH Saints have acquired possesKinnt- flBl fow, It Is trim, and It must be wi in SB acrordanco with the gospel.' SB "Tho rellKious atmosphere or ( all- BBJ fornla Is abnormal," sntd Joseph Uot- BBJ Inson, president of tho California nils- BBJ slon. Christian Sclencn Is strung; BJ thoro, he said, as Is theosophy spirit- BB uallsm, Unltarlanlsm, etc., makinc lt BB a hard land for Mormon proselyting. jBJ Tho oonferenco Is snld to havo been BB ono of tho greatest, in point or attend- BJ nnco. In tho history ot tho church. BB |
