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Show TEMPERANCE PLEA BY CHURCHMEN SPEAKERS AT CONFERENCE URGE ABOLISHMENT OF SALE OF LIQUOR IN UTAH. Conditions in Mexico Also Discussed, the Escape from Death of Saints Being Attributed to Divine Aid in Answer to Prayer. Prohibition and the Mexican situation situa-tion were the principal topics discussed dis-cussed at the second day's session of the general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, on Friday, April 7. President Joseph C. Bentley of Juarez stake and Philip H. Hurst, fiscal fis-cal agent of the Mormon church at El Paso, Texas, spoke on the trouble in Mexico. Heber J. Grant, George Albert Smith and Anthony W. Ivins, apostles, apos-tles, spoke on the temperance question. ques-tion. The latter outlined the position of the church on state-wide prohibition. prohibi-tion. Apostle Rudger Clawson and George F. Richards and Patriarch Hyrum Hy-rum G. Smith also were speakers. "If we as a people had obeyed the word of wisdom temporal salvation would have come, and we would today be the richest state in the union," declared de-clared Apostle Grant. "Statistics show an average expenditure in the United States of $21 per capita for liquor. If we dranfl as much as the average with our population, our expenditure for liquor would be $8,000,000 a year. And what would we have to show for it? Nothing hut empty barrels and bottles. "From my boyhood I have studied and preached the gospel of temporal salvation and the doctrine of President Presi-dent Brigham Young, who taught the establishment of home industries. What kind of home industry is it that leaves only empty bottles and barrels after the contents have gone to sap the efficiency of our young men? "Success comes with efficiency, and what applies to the individual applies to the city, county and state." Conditions in Mexico have . been more unsettled than ever, since the recognition of Carranza by the government govern-ment of the United States, said Joseph Jo-seph C. Bentley, president of the Juarez stake, in his address. He told of the perils through which the Mormon Mor-mon colonists there had passed and of the terror irKpired in the hearts of the Mexicans by the mention of the name of Villa. The escape of the Mormons from death at the hands of the bandit and his followers he attributed to a divine 'aid in answer to prayer. "Joseph Smith was the most striking strik-ing figure by far of the nineteenth century," declared Apostle Clawson. 'I realize that this is a bold statement, and will be regarded by some as presumptuous, pre-sumptuous, but there is ample evidence evi-dence to sustain it." He went on to enumerate the achievements and revelations of the prophet. "If all the books in the world save the Bible and Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price were destroyed," he said, "those four would form a library and a basis for historians to regenerate regener-ate the world." In restoring the eternity of the marriage mar-riage covenant he declared Joseph Smith had provided a means for doing away with the divorce evil. Enactment of a state-wide prohibition prohibi-tion law was urged by Apostle George Albert Smith. "I rejoice," he said "that this wave of prohibition is going over the land." Then he read from the Doctrine and Covenants the words of the prophet Joseph Smith concerning liquor and tobacco. "Let us make up our minds," he said, "henceforth to drive from our midst every evil thing. I hope the Mormons will exercise the franchise and send good men to the halls of the legislature and to the governor's chair, good and honorable men who will see to it that the temptation of the adversary is taken from among us." The afternoon session opened with the address of Mr. Hurst on the Mexican Mexi-can situation as the first speaker. He was followed by Apostle George F. Richards, who spoke on the doctrine of eternal life and the plan of salvation. salva-tion. Immortal life, he declared, is a means to an end. 'The gospel means something broader broad-er than just immirtal life," he said. "It Is not that man shall just live on and on. The Lord meant that man shall live in His presence in eternal glory and exaltation." The position of the church on the prohibition question was outlined by Apostle Anthony W. Ivlns. He declared de-clared the church had not changed its position, but stood for prohibition. He urged the members to vote for men who would give the state a prohibition prohibi-tion law. The general sessions of the conference confer-ence adjourned over Saturday until 10 o'clock Sunday morning, but a special meeting of the general priesthood, including in-cluding the general board of the church and the principals of church schools, was held at 10 o'clock Saturday Satur-day morning in the Assembly hall. Three interesting relics were added to the collection of the Daughters of the Pioneers in the bureau of information informa-tion at Salt Lake, during conference. The reed of a loom brought to Utah in 1S52 by Merlin Jones from Wal-lingford, Wal-lingford, Conn., has been presented by the Jones family. Vincy R. Barker of Ogden has presented to the collection a rail of the staircase that leads to the tower of the Klrtland temple, Ohio, built in 1836. A photograph of an old painting of Brigham Young and his family has been added by E. A. Hoi brook. |