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Show JUNE CONFERENCE IS INTERESTING SPIRITUAL FEAST Tin. North Sanpete Slake quarterly co.iioniice lU'UI in Ml. Pleasant last sir.: ;.ay and Sunday was one of I lie ull,,t i.noio.-iiins ivli;;ious KiUheriugs u.er held here, as well as cum of the l-i,.e;i. M.-re than eleven hundred I ji uiuois nl ihe slake were in attend. luc.1 a l the Sunday afternoon session. ivpart mental meetings were held Saturday nioiniii and afternoon, at I which special insl ruct ions were given n, embers of the l'rieslliood tiuoriiins. ' and va.ious auxiliary oi?ani.acious. On Sunday three general sessions were held. ILldor Orson F. Whitney, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, rep- J presenting the general church an-. ,iu....iOj at i he conference, was the p.iikipal speaker both days. He intruded in-truded the iieople in the line of their duty as Latter-Day Saints, and admonished them to keep pace with liie rapid growth of the church, and iiut fall by ihe way side, or sit on the coat-tail of progress. Other speakers were Mrs. Orson F. Whitney of Sail Lake City, President S. .11. .seiUen. President Daniel Ras-mussen. Ras-mussen. President Louis A. Petersen, Miss Pearl Madsen, and Arthur O. ' Neilsen, all of Mt. Pleasant, Bishop! Orlando Bradley of Moroni, Roseoe Cox of Fairview, Simon T. Beck of Spring City, and Judge George Chris- teusen of Price. Short talks and , reports, were also made by the hea ls ot the various auxiliary organiza-i tions. I Joseph Seely and H. G. Erickseu of Mt. Pleasant, and James Ander-i een of Fairview were sustained as members of the Stake High Council to fill vacancies which have occured recently. Music for the various meetings was furnished by the Mt. Pleasant and rainiew ward choirs. Sunday eveninu's session was in charge of the Stake M. I. A. officers, and an excellent program was ren tiered, including an interesting talk by Elder Whitney. For the benefit of those who were mable to attend the conference, we: are printing in full Elder Whitney V Bunday afternoon sermon, as report-' ed hy Mr. E. C. Hinckley. It is as j jQollows: "The Church of Jesus Christ of Lat-! tc-r Day Saints is a wonderful organisation, organi-sation, and it should be, for it is a work of Ciod. Joseph Smith did tot make it. Erigham Young did IPI lot make it. It is not a product i )f human genius or ability, but it is j kJ he work of God. It challenges :he admiration of intelligent men all Jver the world who come in contact "ith it. They speak of it. or used: :o do so, as an organization onlyj 'quailed possibly by the organization ' the German army. That was then Germany had an army worth (peaking of. but even this is a loor compliment, because the German Ger-man army is a product of human ibility. It represented the quin- ui ii.muiiy wisuom ameiHii n from all the ages and was probab-f probab-f the most formidable army that j vt.- existed among men, but there s. or rather there was, no possible omparison between the German ar-ny ar-ny and the Church of Jesus Christ i Latter Day Saints. It is like saying that the moon is he brightest luminary in existence, xcept the sun, which involves an nti-clim-ax. God's work cannot be ompared with man's work. This lagnificent church organization ame down from Heaven. It was evealed to a prophet of God in a ision. He saw the church a3 it exited ex-ited in Heaven and ireproduced it pon the earth just so far as condi-ions condi-ions would permit. Of course, we ad no such magnificent scheme of overnment as is now manifested hen this church first came into ex. itence. It hart only thirty six mem-ers mem-ers and six of them organized the hurch. because it was a law of the tale of New York that no less than ix persons could compose any re-itoius re-itoius organization, so that six per-3ns per-3ns including Joseph Smith organi-:d organi-:d this church. But about that time there were bout thirty others who believed the ootrine of the Book of Mormon, and , ley all met together in a little inn house room at Payette. Seneca j ounty, New York, on the sixth day! . E April, 1830. and there organized lis church with Joseph Smith and: liver Cowdery as its first and sec-J sec-J "d elders. There were no high riests in the church at that time.! here were no seventies, there were o bishops, no first presidency of tree high priests, but Joseph Smith lid Oliver Cowdery were sustained te officers that day. Joseph Smith 'as the first elder and Olver Cow-sr- the second elder, and they Plained other elders, priests, teach-"s teach-"s and deacons. What gave them io authority "to do these things'.' , 'by an angel of God had come down m Heaven and laid his hands on heads savi,ig, "Upon you mv lkv servants, in the name of Mes-an. Mes-an. . confer the Priesthood of Aa "i, which holds the keys of the min istering of angels, and of the gospel of repenlence, and of baptism by emersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken ugain from the earth until ino sons of Levi ! do otter again an ottering unto the Lord hi righteousness." I This an.sel told them that h0 acted under the direction of the Apostles Peler. Jamos and John, who held the keys of 11 higher priesthood, the Pi .csthocd of Melchisedek, and that it should be conferred upon them m line time. He told them that the Aaronie Priesthood, which he con-teired con-teired uuoii iheui, jnly gave them the a ithority lo teach and to baptize, but the Melchisedek Priesthood would give them the power to bestow the H. dy Ghost, which held the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven aud of the u... ,'Uuitii of God, which priesthood was held by the Apostles Peler, Ja.ncs and John. T,.ese three angels, ang-els, the ancient apostles, Peter, James ami John came in due time ana laid their bands upon these two men and ordained them to the Mei-chisedek Mei-chisedek Priesthood and then they were equipped and qualified to car's car-'s out the instructions that were Siven to them, to call togetuer all who had accepted the Book 01 Mormon Mor-mon and its teachings, and who wouiri accept Joseph Smith, as a prophet of God and present their names before them to see if they would sustain them as their presiding pre-siding officers. It is one of the most striking things in the history of the church. They had seen the face of Gcd, they had comraiunieated with the I'uther and the Son; they had been told by Them not to join any of the churches then in existence, ihat they had all strayed from the tiuth, but to wait for the coming orth of the true church. They had been favored hy the visitation 01 . ilii the Baptist, who conferred up. on them the Aaronie Priesthood, and also Peter. James and John, who restored the .Melchisedek Priesthood md yet. after all that, tney were required to go before the people and i re ent their names, to see if the peopie would sustain them as their ire..dig oiaeers. God and the people peo-ple that is the Mormon Church. It is a theo-democracy. God choosei his own prophets, His own seers, H's own revelators. He chooses the men upon whom the priesthood is bestowed, but He would never force any presiding officers upon the people peo-ple they were not willing to sustain and uphold. The consent of the governed must first be obtained. No surer evidence of tiie divine inspira tion of the Declaration of Independence Indepen-dence could be desired than tnose wondert'jl words of Thomas Jefferson Jeffer-son who said, "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, "with certain inalienable inalien-able rights; that to secure these lights, ijovbrnments are instituted among men deriving their just powers pow-ers from the consent of the govern ed." ! That underlying principle of the government of the United States is an underlying principle of the government gov-ernment of the Church of Jesus I Christ of Latter Day Saints. I Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery 1 presented their names "Are you willing, wil-ling, brothers and sisters, that we should be your presiding elders? All those in favor of doing, this please manifest it by raisii.g your right hand", and they held up thejr hands just as ion have held ud vours to day, and the (Tiur-di of Jesu3 Christ of Latter Day Saints was organized But don't let us imagine that when we hold up our hands to sustain the men who preside over us that we make those men prophets, that we give them their rights and power. We give them only one, the privilege of presiding, that is all. We do not make them prophet;,, seers or revelators. revela-tors. God has done that already. But if the people on that day had refused to accept Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery as their leaders, what would have happened? They would have been deprived of ' the blessings then in store for them. They would not enjoy visions and the ministry of angels. Joseph Smi an 3 Oliver Cowdery could have igona anywhere on the earth where the people would accept them and organized or-ganized the church. The people who had refused them would have been without those blessings because they had not accepted these men God had nominated. I said that at that time there were no high priests, there were no twelve apostles, there was no first presidency, presiden-cy, there were no bishops, etc., and yet, in those two commissions which Joseph and Oliver had received were all the offices in the present organization organi-zation from the President down to j t he deacon. Then why did they not ! have them all that day? Why did they not have twelve apostles, high ; priests, bishops, seventies, etC.T Why simply because their work had not U'ome. What would have been tka j sense of organizing a Stake of Zion j when there were only six people to compose it? .What would have been j the sense of organizing even a Ward w ith only six people in it? The work ! comes first and the officers are or-daine.l or-daine.l and supplied later as they are needed. When John the Baptist ordained Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery to the Aaronie Priesthood he gave them the offices of bishop, priest teacher and deacon. When Peter, i James and John gave them the Mel. chiseiel; Priesthood, they gave them the offices of President, Apostle, Pa- (Continued on Page 5). Interesting Conference , m,i. .1 i i'mii r.igo 1 t . ; , , 11 , 'i I'r .-l. S.-,-n1 and :1n,i iif '" ' .otwes wore lo he culled forth i.l :( ll"' 'i. noo.lo.1 A nil - i-.iv llml lliis church w.n org:in- '- r,. 1 alter n model it p.'ittern, th ' t'lll-'i'h of ;'''1 111 H.'.IM'M. 'I'll H v u0,.,- .f lll ''" ""'l 1,1 rt :i:id l'wu.ints hcl't .lo- 1 ,,m, ' Siiii'.h spoKe of ll'o dune- of .1 S.-w'.i'-v mid -iul; "ll H according to 1'',. SU'H Slli I11B l!l' Older I'f the v ,',,..itv that l low hul I ti. sex on L. ii'r. -M.lents to preside oxer thoi". ' . w iu".'' '.i: !o " '' u h w l"'" ' Clink of ;i piosl.'.on.-y xx o li.ilurnl- lv U,:uk ( l!rv. Throo lush irio-t . , ,-'..1'' eer lh, church, typical ot 1 l!u' three Pixine l'i'iioi!.u',iM u'vi pro s ,', in 1 1 . -i on. l ho Father. Son and ilio Holy (lliost: and whop o speak of a presidencx of a Slake. ,. (li nk .( ihu'o lush priests . ho preside out iiu stake. Iho president and his t v. . oomim'Iov Who n o Ihlnk of the : - -.dencx of a Ward wo think of throe, the I'ohop .1:1 1 I'.'n wo .'oun ..- s An. I in all l.io othor quorums the priesthood llioro is a pvesidon-of pvesidon-of thro-', but "hen il conies to 111.' cx.nty. ;hr.'o aro not enough,. Thera to I"' soM'H presidont-i to pre-s.de pre-s.de oi or a quorum of Seventy, Decline De-cline that w s l'u' vision that Jo. s.'i'h ha.l soon. Whv did ho not lvlt ('irt'0 Ul'n ox.r t b o quorums ot exemy. oo-' oo-' cause it would not havo been Accords'-.; to tl'.o vision of which he speaks. IV lui.t sven a vision of the church :s it existed in Heaven, aii.l as fast as they xxore needed the various of-f.v'ors of-f.v'ors xvoro oholl. M.".i havo trio.l to ao.'ount for th x iorful ortani.-a: ion in our church sn.1 somo of tho nttonipts aio vorv .. ,,v s,,j humorous, while others i sre ri.l'a'iilous. ' roniombor of res.l-n-: of a stu.lotit in Yalo rnlverslty t,' was ro.iitiro.l to vrito a thesis lip.-n whi.-h to I'iso his applioation for a doctor's iloitrfo. an.1 he took Jo;t",'h Smith an! his niarv.lous ;. ri .'viio-- uions an.l tho o'a.mbatiiui of the (."1 jr. h of Jesus Christ of Latter Lat-ter Pay Saints as the theaie of his thesis, ami he tr'eil to ao omit for tlris onlt'-,"ul orir.ini' i ' ion hy say- ir.g that Joseph Smith .vaj an epilop-t epilop-t c youth a'l.l 'h.r ho !'! i:o a tit ima ine 1 a'! t'-.is. Can ou im-fjine im-fjine such a marvelous orsarilration as h s co'Ti .-. fro;n ti'.e hrain of an epi::;v:e ! oy fourte-'ti years of ajte? Th-re ae some charges marie stalast the church that don't : . -,1 t 1 h, nn swere.i. they or.ly nee,', t i he stated, and they refute theaiselv-.s am) tha' is ore of them. But as I was savins, there are t''.ree h:?h ; - eJ's w ho pros', '.e over :h church, twe'.ve aaosties who preside pre-side over the church throu-hout the world, uuorutv.5 of hic'a priest, i.n arxv of seventies an.! elders in even S-ake of Zion. Th-re are also quor-un'.s quor-un'.s of r'-ests. teachers an 1 deacons in all the n'n.'.y S'akes of Zion. an! every Stake has Wards over which Bishops preside with their counselors and und.r them there are qua-ums of priests, teachers and deacons, and aided to these th--re are the auxiliary o-gantzations. the Your.s Men's and Young Ladies Mutual Improvement : Associations, the Primary, the Reli-f'on Reli-f'on Classes and the Geneoloirioal As- sooiations. And then there ar wonder? ;1 doctrines fi'.le ! full of philosophy, full of poe'ry. full of truths which speak for theiri36lTes. All of the-e are suppos--.l to have . sprang from the brain of a poor boy v. ho had fallen into a fit I can-Lot can-Lot thins of it without pity f."r the ii:3ii who would put forth sucn a ' miserable plea. It is a perfect organization, or it will be. when we get all there is to' ii. We have not yet got the perfect organization. Why the first bishop, tjward Partridge, was not called when me church was first organized We did not have him on the B.xtn dav of April. 1SJ'). The bishop is the manazer of the temporal things of the church. God had revealed to the prophet Joseph Smith the great law of consecration. Jackson county. Missouri, was the place where Zion was to be built. That wonderful city, the New Jerusalem, i as to be built there, wherein a terapie ofthe Lord was to be built and unto it the Savior would come, in order to build that city and that temple and to sanctify a people worthy to receive the Lord me ia of consecration was given requiring ., the Latter Day Sainu to give all their properly into the custody of the Lord. These consecrations v.ere to be made to the Bishop of the church, and hat was he to do with these properties? He was to give them back to the people in the form of stewardships. It mteht be the ' b&me property that was consecrated or it might be some other. From that hour that stewardship was to be worked and managed and operated in the interests of the entire community. com-munity. And then the people would be working for each other and for God, and God would take care f them. Ali the earnings of these stewardships were to go into a com-E'on com-E'on fund out of which each steward was to receive his or her ample support. sup-port. All were expected to work at the things they were best adapted Th' God anJ the PeP'e aain. inat was to bring about a condition scribed by Knuc concerning ths 'on of Knoc of ancient times. Perfect harmony prevailed be. cause "they were of one heart and I 0:'e mind, and there was no poor among them." m,, jr we only had lsuch a condition now, all these trou- ble3 between capital and labor would i be ended. They loved God. They loved their neighbor as themselves, i-and that is the only condition that re Produce Zion, and until -there Is i r-v . " on ear,n tlle Lord Je,u3 ..... jurist will not come. That Is the pi.'blein conri'oiulnj; us us Littler n.iv Sainis. VV will t:lit U,n dooms day In ai until wo practice Hi"''.' prim-lplon which havo boon r- oalo, lot- iIkii purpoai. una nuixe i.' i.! Hie way lor iho coming of the Lor. I. That is why ih iirsi Hialuip .v.i.h not Miqioiiii.'d whi.ii Iho church was I rst oi'nanUed. Later ho wuh -in down to Jackson t'ouuty, Mo., to lniil.1 up Zion. That necessitated the call lor another Bishop and that happen. '.I to lie niv uandftithor, Newel K. Whitney. Jackson County, Missouri Is Zion her . If, :in.l the other places where Cod s people gather are only Stakes of Zion. ti must not confuse them w it h Zion herself. j In t S the First Presidency canvv into ei .tence. Three hih priestn w i to called to preside over th .1 ar.h and kivo directions to nil tho other olliceis. On,, sdako In Kirt-land. Kirt-land. I Mi in. was followed by other Slakes in ii her places am! the work has oin. on from thin thno until this when there are now ninety Slakes of Zion. And strange to say nun have found fault wth this wonderful won-derful piogress of tho work of God. You woul.l naturally think that men and women would rejoice nt the p-o.ress ,,f i he work of God. and thev .io when they have the spirit of tho Go. pel. and the Spirit of God. Tho Spun ,.f th,. Lord win always say "!'! and onward," and the Saints will live to s.. the work of God progress. Hut there are always some who op-po..e op-po..e progress w ho. as one humorist has said, "sit on the coat-tall of "u .n'lu'i w aoa. r-very oi T.aiii.'a: am in this church has hail to run the gauntlet of criticism. I The earliest fault tlndu.- that I know anythiin- about In Him church was P.imI Whinner lie was one' of the men who bore testimony to tho effect that an ansel of God had come down from Heaven with the' Mldon plates of the Hook of Mormon ' .u'..l showed them to him. and to-. to-. other with Oliver Cowdery and Martin Mar-tin llarr.s tie testitled that the Dook of Mormon was translated by tho m'i lit and power of God. Oliver, Cowdery. David Whitmer an.l Martin' Harris all left the church. All dls. I .'.cr.i'd with the Prophet Joseph and '.I'..'.' had to b,. excommunicated from ho c'a.iroli. but they never denied their testimony. David Whitmer , was the only one of the thre- who' did not come back. Tlle other two did hut he did not. Hut he always niaintaine ! his or!-.; nal testimony. He wrote a IPtie pamphlet some years after Irs eooni,nunicatlon In which ,o fun n 1 far. It with Joieph Smith and his associates for changing the ot'gin.'.l organi.v oil of the church. He an:ue that God organized th-1 church with , l.lers. pi Jests, teachers : ti.l deacons, "hut when Joseph Smith le.ame a fallen prophet we heard for tiie first time about high priests, pa--iarchs. and seventies, etc. The church had no right to grow. The little boy had no rviht to become m.iii. The little girl ha.l no right to become a woman. Because the 'hunh do! progress and because he did not p. o . ess with it. he passed out of it. and to his dying day thot he was riirht. Some critics are too determined to admit when they are wior.g. They are like the lost Indian In-dian in the forest, who was observed von.lering about, and when asked by a white hunter if he was lost, he replied, re-plied, "No. wigwam lost. Injun still here." It is very sad to contemplate the d-kiiess that envelopes the mind of a man or woman when they have ence been enlightened by the Holy Ghost. They become like children They arsue like children. Kverybody who pos.-esses the spirit of the gospel knows that God intended the church to ,-o on and liecorae perfect. As 1'aul once said "After that which is perfect is come then that which is :n part shall be done away with". 1 he Gospel is the pathway to perfection. per-fection. The next hundred years will witness far uiLrre progress than the past hundred years. We must be prepared to go along with the work of God and not hang back and find fault with it President Drigham Young said that after the death or the Prophet Joseph Smith, when they were building the Temple at Kirtland, Ohio, some of the workmen murmured because he had changed the instructions given by the Prophet Joseph. They were building the oaptismal font. The first temple erected by the church had no baptismal font because the ordinance of baptism for the dead had not yet been revealed. Afur tne revelation was given the temp!;, had to be prepared accordingly The ; Prophet Joseph Smith had directed that the font in the new temple be : constructed of wood. Brigham Y'ouiig directed that it be built of stone. Conditions had changed. Stone was easier to obtain than in ( Joseph's time. "Why we would have made it of gold if we could have afforded af-forded it," Brigham Y'oojng said. "There is nothing too good for the w ork of God." Many thought he was tampering with the things of God ' because he directed the work be done in stone. He was simply keeping pace with the march of progress. I remember myself in the early days in Utah when we used to hold last meetings on Thursday as they did in Nauvoo, just as the Prophet Joseph Smith had directed them to do. But the time came when our fast meetings were only in name. A few old sisters would come and relate their dreams to one another and that was about all there was to it. The brethren were all out at work and could not get away to attend at-tend fast meeting. The men at the head of the church directed that the dav be changed from Thursday to , Sunday. The first Sunday in the month was to be observed as the Fast Day. 1 remember that many members of the church, some of them old and experienced in the priesthood thought the leaders of the church were tampering with the sacred things of Coif. Nevertheless, I i we chaiiM'd il from Thursday to Sunday, and then (he brethren could coino to Fust Mooting, mid those I moot lam's were tilled lo the benefit o' the church In many wiiys. Thli Is only a sample of how I lungs havo to be changed occasionally In the InMi'-esis InMi'-esis of progre is and prospcrll v. It Ims always I n Iho case, 1 Hiippose. I When th Keller Society wus organl. zed In Nauvoo Homo mild, "I don't sen the need of the lteliof Society. Wo have the priesthood, why do wo need tlle Keller Society?" Why' Because tho work ot tho Lord w grow ing. The harvest was so great ii n il the laborers were lew. Tho brethren had to go out into the world to preach th,, Gospel hii il was nee- ' essury for tlle sisters to attend to the sick and tho poor. The Young La lb s and Young Mens Mutual I in provetueii I Associa. Hons, lb,, Primary, and the Keliislon ,1'luss nil had to run the gauntlet ot criticism. 1 have hoard of Bishops who were not yet converted lo Hie Keliglon Class work. If they are not. It is about tune th.y are becoming be-coming convoited to II. The liellg-ion liellg-ion Class movement is necessary In the church of God. Our ch.ldren cannot be (aught religion In the noou-ltir noou-ltir schools. The Sunday School li:n only two hours a week in which to tea. h our children. The Ifellgi n Class was Inst. luted lo give our child ren an opport mi It v of learning the Go :ool. It bespeaks a'.rovvth in the i Ini. -h and Kingdom ot God. Wo have home m issionai les now. That was not thought o.' In tho be ginning, we nave toreign missionaries mission-aries preaching the Gospel to Hie nations of the earth. You have thirty. two from the North Sanpete Slake in the different pans of Hie world preaching the Gospel. You have sustained them hero todiy, but hear In mind this one ihiir;. You have held up your hands I to sustain these young men an.l young women in the field, but aro they repre nting the North Sanpete Stake of Zion only" oh no! They represent suiiiot lit n greater than that. They represent th" I Church of Jesus Christ f Latter Dav I Saints. It Is till right to sustain them hii I encourage them, but they are servants of Jesus Christ, and Misrepresent Mis-represent the whole church, as long as they are in the mission Held. You have home m i -siona ries 'n tlle field wliii are working among our neighbors. They call on our friends and ne'i-thlxirs and Invite thorn to our iiht: ivits and try to rliow them what is meant tj th Chur. h of God an I the Kveriastmg ' Gospel. We ought to keep pace with Ho' progro-; of the ch.irch. If we hang back the procession will go on wilh out us. President George A. Smith used to compare this work with a hill of ci n. You might fo alon,; the roadway any sMrhv day and see a farmer hoeing in a Held. You tni,.'ht ask hi:n. "What is that you are hoeing." hoe-ing." i.tiil he would reply. "I am hoeing a hill of lorn." You co on your way. an, in a few' weeks late-come late-come back by that sanr field. Where (the small blade was in ;h" ti-st place there are now two or three s' illts of cirn with broad leaves and plump ears grow ing on them. You a-k th. farmer what the new growth is. and he answers, "It Is the same liiil of corn." The corn which ttrew from a small blade to mature stalks symbolizes sym-bolizes the Chur.h of God. Like the kernel of corn the church was orL'.ini7ez.i on the sixth day of April. lSilrt, win, but six members, will, the oftices ()f tirsi ,ln, s, ,,..' elder but it held within it all these other offices of whi.h I have spoken Thev were all in that ordinal organization. The time had not yet come for them to develop and show themselves, j Today we have :n the church more than a half million members. Then we did not have even a Ward or Stake of Zion. To.l c vvo. have ninety nine-ty Stakes, innumerable Wards and an army of elders. The work is go ' ing on to perfection, and we mast go along wilh it. my near brethren jend sisters. And how shall we . keep pace with the work of God? P is vwy simple. By doing the will of God, by keeping His commandments, by doing the things He has told us to do and not dohir the things He has forbidden. "Blessed. are thev who fulfill all righteousness, and who carry out the work of God. These are they who shall receive a I fullness of joy." May God grant it I to be our happy lot. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen." |