OCR Text |
Show REVIVING CUSTOM CHURCH OFFICIALS WILL TOUR STATE President Joseph F. Smith, Who Ac-companied Ac-companied President llrighum loans. Will Ileutl Purty. A party of church officials, headed by the First Presidency, left Tuesday, Tues-day, September 11, for a trip to the southern part of the state. The journey jour-ney all the way to St. George was made by automobiles ana may Include In-clude before the return, in addition to the visits to the various towns, a trip to some of the scenic wonders of southern Utah. This is the first time in the history his-tory of the present church regime that a combined party of church officials of-ficials have undertaken such a trip. The tour is being made primarily for an inspection trip of the church organizations. or-ganizations. More than sixty-seven years ago cf ciiph trins were inaugurated hv President Brigham Young, who made tours to both the northern and southern south-ern sections of the state. In those days the trips were made by carriage and wagon trains and were attended by all the hardships incident to pioneer pi-oneer life. President Joseph F. Smith, who will make the - present tour in an automobile, accompanied President Young on many of those early-day journeys. Sunday President Presi-dent Smith spoke of one such trip about '54 or '55, which then extended only as far as Iron county. Starting from Salt Lake the itinerary took in . provo, Springville, Nephi, and other towns, following practically the present pres-ent route today of the Salt Lake Route. Camping sometimes out in the open or by a creek when a set-, tlement could not be reached, taking days to make various points now made in hours, the parties were given giv-en ovations in all the cities and towns. At Summit, now Santaquln, , President Smith vividly remembers being met by Chief Walker's warriors war-riors of the Ute tribe bedecked in paint, who afterwards figured conspicuously con-spicuously in the Walker and Black Hawk Indian wars, old Aropeen, San-pitch, San-pitch, Tabby and others. The little army of visitors held conference sessions ses-sions in. the various districts visited and usually took the greater part of the fall months for the trip. ( Half Century Later. Now, half a century later, the trip will be made by President Smith in less than ten days with all the comforts com-forts known to the twentieth century cen-tury automobile world. Special prep-erations prep-erations are being made for the reception re-ception of the visitors in the various stopping places ' scheduled and in practically all of the larger centers meetings will be held. The party j will arrive in St. George for the last day of the big fnuit festival and may. possibly visit the rim of the Grand Canyon pf the Coloraao, and the Zion canyon district before returning home. Individual members of the First Presidency, the Presiding Bishopric Bish-opric and the Council of the Twelve have made the trip many times Into the district, but this will be the first time since the old days that such a party has made the tour. President .Smith paid his last visit to some of the southern settlements about five or six years, ago. The personnel of the party, which will be under the direction di-rection of Bishop C. W. Nibley, includes: in-cludes: i Personnel of Party. President and Mrs. Joseph F. Smith, President and Mrs. Anthon H. Lund, President and Mrs. Heber J. ( Grant, Elder and Mrs. Stephen L. Richards, Elder and Mrs. Hyrum M. Smith, Elder and Mis. Joseph F. Smith, Jr., Elder and Mrs. Joseph W. iicMurrin, Presiding Bishop and Mrs. Charles W. Nibley, Bishop and Mrs. David A. Smith and Elder Andrew lenson. Mount Pleasant will be the last town visited. The party is scheduled to arrive here at 10 a. m. Thursday, September 2 0. A meeting will be held here and the party served with luncheon, after which they will leave for Salt Lake City. The Sunday School children of the two wards will greet the visiting church men by forming in a parade n Main and State streets. |