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Show CONFERENCE OF THE MORMON CHURCH The eighty-third annual conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day b.iints in Salt Lake bids fair to surpass, in point of numbers, any preceding general gathering of the nir i.ibers of the Mormon faith. At no previous conference has the attendance attend-ance at the opening scssiou been so large as that which marked yesterday's yester-day's sessions Conservative estl-I estl-I mates places the number who ntteuil-ed ntteuil-ed the forenoon session yesterday at T.iiOu and the tabernacle held easily S.O0O at the afternoon session. The conference began at 10 o'clock 1 yesterday forenoon President Joseph p. Smith presided. In his opening ! address President Smith took to task I those of the priesthood and author! ! ties who shirked their duties and ! shifted the responsibilities of their offices of-fices to other shoulder. He declared declar-ed that all cases requiring attention I in the way of complaints or grlev-j grlev-j ances should follow the established ; course. It was the duty of bishops I of wards, he said, to take action In individual cases. Also the presidencies presiden-cies of stakes were the next in Jurisdiction Juris-diction on appeal The president de clared that the practice of carrying I matters over the heads of the bishops and stake officers to the first presi j dency must be stopped. President Anton H. Lund. firs; counselor in the first presidency, gave a brief historical review of the conferring con-ferring of authority by revelation He also unfed greater activity in the organization or-ganization of religion classes. Stake Presidents Report At the afternoon session four presidents presi-dents of stakes told the conference o:' conditions In their fields. They were Melvin J Ballard. northwestern states mission Joseph E Rohinson, California mission; . Ben E. Rich eastern east-ern states mission, and C A Callls, southern states mission President Joseph F. Smif'n was the fir6t speaker of the conference. He devoted his address almost entirely to a definition of the duties of the various organizations of the church, aud declared that every division had its appointed work and its duly chosen authorities By inference, President Smith let it be known that some one or more than one in the church organizations or-ganizations has been derelln in prescribed pre-scribed dutle? Also it appeared from the president's remarks that complaints com-plaints had been made to the first presidency when they should have been made to the bishops of the wards and the presidents of stakes This practice must be stopped, he said. Law Is Laid Down Moreover, said President Smith, those who were in authority and who ".( icmpted '0 shift (heir r snoii--ihility were guilty of gross neglect of duty The properly constituted officers who shirked their duty, he said, deserved the severest condemnation. He added: add-ed: "We have been patient but patience pa-tience has its limitations, and if the injunction I give you now is not ob-' served von will hear something stronger from me. We have enough to do, God knows. without being overwhelmed with the aflairs of Individuals In-dividuals who have grievances or think they have By revelation, the proper authorities have ben provided provid-ed and to these must be referred all matters of complaint The bishops of the wards and their counselors have ample at:thorif and jurisdiction. They have power to trv members for misconduct and may withdraw their fellowship If grounds therefore are proved. The presidencies of stakes hive jurisdiction on appeal and may go to the extent even of excommuni-C8i excommuni-C8i ) There is a regular course of a teal until the Inchest authorities in the church are reached, hut all cases must take their regular course and there rn 1 1 t be no going over the heads of the bishops and the stake piesidents PJven I am by the law of our church compelled to recognize the authority of my bishop and 1 do ree- I opnize that authority, because he Is I the proper authority for rne to recognize." President Smith sroke words of felicitation fe-licitation to the conference He gave thanks for the measures of strength of body and of spirit that was ouch-cufed ouch-cufed him, and also spoke in like terms of the restoration of health of his first counselor. Anthon II Lund and remarked with gratification upon the remarkable vigor of body and mind of bis second counselor. Charles V. Penrose, who has attained the age of 2 years The president noted the resenee of all ot the quorum of the twelve apostles, with the exception of! i vj Heed Smoot and Rudger Claw-son. Claw-son. postle Smoot, said President Smith, was doing good work both in I the ministry and in the service of the people In the latter capacity, said President Smith Apostle Smoot was exercising a widespread influence for good Apostle Claw son Is in charge oi the European mission Anihon H, Lund, first counselor In Hi;- I'r t presidency, followed President Presi-dent Smith. He gave a brief historic histor-ic i review of the conferring of authority au-thority by revelation and the forma tion of the various oreanlzatlons He dwelt upon the importance and the necessity of rendering obedience to the laws of the church, which related to Its governmental bodies. Importance of Records. President Lund spoke of the importance im-portance of keeping perfect church I records, and said that the historim s j office was in possession of a creat mass of invaluable data Presently, be said, the historian would have a building iu whtcfa the records might , be kept in proper form. He urp. cJ the officers of various organization- bishops, stake presidents and heads of auxiliary organizations to keep a faithful chronicle of the affairs of their dl logons The speaker urged attendance at t.ie religion Classes He declared the j teaching of the joung was a most im-! im-! porta nt work, aud he pledged for the organization of clashes lor rclipious tialning wherever they are not vet organized, Reports From Missions. The afternoon session of the con-ferenee con-ferenee wa: given over to the presidents presi-dents of missions. The first to address ad-dress the conference was C. A. Callis president of the outberrj st;tes mis-rlon mis-rlon Elder Calli declared ihat the principles of the Church of Jeus Christ of Latter-day sainu were fasi becoming recogulz.-d. tn lllustratlor of this statement he said that at B receul conference of the Method I il Episcopal church, south, the principle princi-ple of tithing as a source of revenue bid been Indorsed, and that the Methodist, south, church was also enlisting en-listing laymen in its ministry few years ago, said the speaker, the Bams people who were now making these chances had laughed at the ministry ot the Mormon church, calling it an uneducated ministrv and consequently consequent-ly Inefficient. Now those principles which they had derided a few years ago they were adopting, said the speaker. Melvin J. Ballard, president of the northwestern states mission, bore hi-testimony hi-testimony He said that God had phced a special commission upon the l atter-day Saints to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. Were the Saints doing their duty'' Elder Ballard Bal-lard spoke of the steady erowth of the Mormon church, saying that while the increases in numbers were gratifying, some might sa the; should be still greater. He did not doubt that God wss staying the too-rapid too-rapid growth of the church. He said tnose governments endure longest which are slow In their establishment and he applied this view to the church Ben E. Rich, president of the eastern east-ern states mission, referred to the wonderful progress the church has made. In eighty years, he said, the doctrines promulgated by Joseph Smith at the command of God bad spread over the whole world, and if the growth during the next eighty years were equally great, then the latter-day Saints would be the greatest great-est power for good the world had ever known Joseph E Rohinson. president of the California mission, spoke alone; similar lines. Ho gave accounts of the advance of the church on the west coast, and predicted a glorious growth in the future Superb music was a feature of the lirst day's sessions. The follow in:, hymns were sung by choir and congregation, con-gregation, with organ accompaniment: accompani-ment: 'Come Come, Ye Saints." Redeemer of Israel." "We Thank Thee. Oh God, for a Prophet." "Praise to the Man." ' Oh. Say What Is Truth." and "How Firm a Foundation" At the forenoon session Charles W Kent j-ang a solo, and at the afternoon Fission Miss Tina Rasbnnd sang The invocations wore delhcred by Joseph R Shepherd president of the Bear Lake stake, and Edward J Wood president of Alberta stake The benedictions were pronounced by Andrew An-drew Kimball, president of St Joseph stake, and Daniel G Miller, president of Yellowstone stake Will Assist Visitors. A committee consisting of the presidents of Salt Lake Ensign. Liberty. Lib-erty. Pioneer and Granite stakes has been appointed to supply board and loidglns for visiting Saints who may desire accommodations The com-m'.ttee com-m'.ttee has established headquarters in rhe bureau of information in the temple grounds All members of the church residing in Salt Lake who c;n offei rooms for the use of out-of-ton - its are requested to communicate with the committee The presidents of missions have established es-tablished oft ices in the west room Oi the Assembly ball, where they will be pleased to meet former mission -aiits. who labored with them, or others oth-ers desiring to call. |
