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Show President Smith at Sunday School Conference Speaks Against Modern Dresses Salt Lake, April 11. Scnthlng de-niniclntlon de-niniclntlon by President Joseph F. Smith of tho prevailing fashions in women's dress, together with vehement vehem-ent reproach for the daughters of ZIon that permit themselves, to be led Into imitation of tho garb of the conclusion last night of tho semi-annual conference of tho Deserct Sunday Sun-day School Union. In an assembly thnt filled to capacity tho tabernacle, I Including tho choir seats, President j Smith pronounced tho Into fashions for women tho products of houses of Infamy, nnd pleaded with tho girls and woman of tho Church to refrain from their adoption. Following'1 his regular closing nd-dress nd-dress at tlib conference, In which ho had declared the gathering tho largest larg-est in tho history of tho Sunday School njpvemcnt, President Smith begged Indulgonco to touch upon a topic foreign to Sunday school affairs. af-fairs. Without further preliminaries ho launched upon nn arraignment of modern fashions, declaring hlmsoU ashamed 6'f'them', "nnd a'ddlng that their creation was wholly for tho purposo of inviting licentiousness and for tho gratification of tho lust of scoundrels who stand ready to defile anything, and everything sacred. "You will pardon mo If I speak for a moment on a topic entirely foreign to Sunday School work nnd Sunday School subjects, said President Smith nftcr concluding his remarks about tho progress of tho Sunday School movement. I wish to enter my protest pro-test ngalnBt tho prevailing fashions for women. Fashions that nro not only ridiculous but shameful, suggestive sugges-tive nnd dlsgrnccful to tho modesty of men who havo any regard for themselves nnd womankind. . "To say that I nm ashamed of tho clothing of somo of tho daughters of ZIon' is to speak my mind mildly. I know I stand condemned by those that lovo tho fashions of Babylon. "Tho fashions worn by some of our women today had tholr origin in tho houses of Infamy in Paris and London Lon-don and othor grent contcrs. Innocent Inno-cent pcoplo hero nnd clsow'horo fall Into tho habit of Imitating thoso fallen, fall-en, tnfnmous women in tholr man-nets man-nets of dross, creatures who llvo by onticlng tho lust of men. Our girls lmvo not wisdom enough to stop imitating im-itating theso creatures and many of. them nro wearing tho fashions created creat-ed for tho gratification of tho lust or scoundrels that stand ready at any tlmo to defile ovory living sacred. "I enti'r my protest against my daughters' 'following such fashions, and I thank God that thus fur none of them (iavo. I prny that our othor girls and women may refrain from adopting them also." Sunday School Growth President Smith spoke on tho growth of tho Sunday School movement, move-ment, and tho Incrcaso of knowlecK'o in tho world. Ho dwelt at length on tho subject of prayer. He Illustrated by the references to tho wireless tho methods by which he said ho believed believ-ed God hears tho prayers of his children. chil-dren. Ho urged, tho Importance of teaching moro carefully the children of tho Church, declaring that they should bo much moro familiar with tbo Church organisation, Us general officers, Its standard works and I's principals and doctrines. Looking over tho vaBt audiences of Sunday School workers ho pronounced it Hn biggest that had yet assembled In n conference, and commended tho work of tho forco of officers nnd teachers. |