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Show mghTeaders meet imsmj luke THOUSANDS ATTEND THE SEMIANNUAL SEMI-ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND ' LISTEN TO ABLE SPEAKERS. President Smith Pleads for Greater Activity in Church Work and Exhorts Ex-horts Members to he Guided by Spirit of Brotherly Love. Salt Lake City. The stormy weather wea-ther may have kept a few people at home last week, but one visaing the Temple grounds would not have easily easi-ly believed such was the case, when more than 8.000 members of the church nocked into the tabernacle to hear the keynote address delivered by President Joseph F. Smith at the eighty-sixth semi-annual conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Latter-day Saints. Pleas by President Smith for greater great-er activity in the work of the church, both on the part of stake and ward officers and among the members of the church, and exhortations to Mormons in general to be guided by a spirit of brotherly love and settle differences that members sometimes take before church and civil courts were the features fea-tures of the opening session. With but two exceptions the general gener-al authorities of the church were present for the conference. George F. Richards, one of the twelve apostles of the church, who is tn Liverpool presiding over the vast European mis-mission, mis-mission, and Levi Edgar Young, one of the first seven presidents of seventies, who was unavoidably detained else-1 where, were the only two absentees. President Smith delivered the opening open-ing address, and Anthon H- Lund, first counsellor, was the only other speaker speak-er at the morning session. Practically what as to numbers, if possible, heard what as to numbers, if posible, heard Charles W. Penrose, counsellor of the first presidency; Francis M. Lyman, president of the twelve apostles, and Apostle Heber J. Grant speak at the afternoon session. President Smith exhorted his audience audi-ence to greater interest in the activities activi-ties of the church, and spoke regretfully regret-fully of the tendency of many of the members of the faith, and he referred particularly to the bishopric, to step down and pass their duties along to others. He chided the bishops for what he likened to carelessness in failing fail-ing to gain a better knowledge of the personalities of their charges, and declared de-clared that members of the church should strive to settle whatever differences dif-ferences that might arise between them without recourse to either church or civil courts. President Lund's talk urged a greater great-er and more regular attendance at gacramental meetings. He warned his hearers of the dangers of spiritual starvation, and he dwelt upon the advisability ad-visability of encouraging singing as part of the religious services inasmuch as the more attractive the service is made the greater will he the attendance. attend-ance. Joseph Smith, founder of Mormonism, Mormon-ism, and the relationship which he and the present head of the church bear to the Divinity furnished the theme of the principal address at ,the afternoon session delivered by Charles W. Pentose, Pen-tose, second counsellor of the first presidency of the church. President Penrose emphasized his conviction that Joseph Smith was a prophet of the living God, adding that in his belief be-lief he was one of the "mighty" referred re-ferred to in Holy Scriptures as reserved reserv-ed to come on earth in this last dispensation dis-pensation to revive religious principles princi-ples that had been lost for ages. Active and inactive membership furnished the theme for Mr. Lyman's talk. He said that although only a small percentage of the membership of the -Mormon faith was present at the conference, he hoped that all who were in attendance were active members. mem-bers. The whole membership could not be present, he said, but the words tittered at the church's conference would ho carried to every branch of (he church and he expressed a hope that they would have the effect of stopping the necessity of reports from bishops to general church olficers calling call-ing attention to the number of inactive inac-tive members. "Inactivity tends to darkness." he said. "Activity to light." lie drew attention to the tact that everybody Is industrious in temporal matters and decried the fact that they were nc as industrious in insuring the success of the religious side of their nal tiros. llober J. Grant, member of the twelve apostles, delivered the concluding conclud-ing address, lie, too, decried the tendency to sidestep religious duties. The tendency of the Amcrieau people peo-ple to live beyond their means and to indulge in practices that cannot help but have the effect of making them unworthy of the blessing of the Ileav- |