The New York herald., 1870-05-13
M OR M ON1SM NJ.
raaisih Annual Conference Of the Church OF
Jesus Carist Of Latter Dsy saints.
rmrcsiay sosae IN the Esw rabernssle-fcn
Taoussnd Saints in councli-Taeir systsn Of
Thoocrssy--cocnsels Of tbs "Prend-
ing Prlss.Asod" 70 the People
s.,rt.xr CRY. q. r., MAY 6. 1870.

OF tae absence vf Brigham founs ana 1cofRe A.
sm IN and q he uannis ei tate OF the ga ry h
tbs New Tale .rle reas sembie tins morn ny ac'
cording to announcement stccia = aims ve ecu
run on the Utai Cent al Re- road, ado'd'ns snoa'
sands li.tnx toward the north ant cls convenient
transit hither rom the Inc OF The II iansccn hc''ai
RAJ road, waie sABts reading ia he settle ncnts
toward tbs west and south have b ID recourse az
heretofore. TO wagon transportation. THIS CITY "
full OF Mormols from AT parts OF Utah; ior IL 10
fhity OF ali the saints who can conveniently atehd
70 assemble here on conference OCCASIONS 10 receive
instructi.n ana counsel from tne ruihs PRIEST
hood. How wei the spirit Of Obedience "uicn
il one OF the fundamental principles OF
the Mormon syslsm, has beel mpr ssed upon
the minds OF the p,opie Is SEN In me
presence OF tho thousands who gather mere
Ia response TO the requirement. Tie weather 10 now
delightful, and. with the sh ,de ees IN edf and the
lruit trees in blossom the appearance OF the city Is
maqn fccnt. The character oi ths cone en- o meet
ngs differs but little from that OF che usual sun lay
SERVICES save that In conference the sacrament Ia
not administered. Tho conference c0nvenes semi
annually, IN spring md aatimn. On thes, occa-
sons saints who 40 not reside In Salt LAKE " have
favorable oPp0rtunit es for coming TO list 70 the
utterances OF tho living oraccs The President ana
his two cOunsellors who symbo izc the Holy "r niy
and the Twelve Apostles. VINO are typical OF lhe
twelve whom Jesus chose for His disciples, gene.
rally address the multitudes during The continuance
OF the conference. Aud such occasions afford the
presiding priesthood favorable opportunities fJr
moulding the minds OF the masses into homoSe-
neous wh0e--that oneness of sentiment wh ch Is
pronounced to be essential not alone 10 the a1vance
ment OF the system. but TO It's continuance.
Within the enclosure Of Temple Block, which les
west OF Brigham's--Main street running north and
south between the situation OF the houses OF the
Lord and those Of his pr0paet-are the Old LAB rna
Gle, the New Tabernacle, the Endowment House ana
foundation Of the temple, The New tabernacle 1,
ova in shape aud immense In sze being cspao.e OF
accommo latlng congregation often thousand The
ceiling is concave, like vault OF heaven BY the
addition OF the gallery, which has just been cop-
eted both eye and ear are gran led. 1he hul4ing
has been improved bOtl III apr rearance aDd acoUsti;
Gu lllues. AT western end aud stretching across
the extreme end of the building, towers Toward the
lofty ceiling the magnificent and massive organ It's
sweet ana powerful peals resound inrongnouL Inc
SAINTS WHO sing the songs OF zion. From III
front OF the choir ser.es OF step-se enclosu es de-
8 ends towards the floor for the accommodation OF
members oil the different orders OF the Priesthood
First SIT the President OF tile Church and his two
COunsellors, VINO c0lstltute Tue "presuihg priest
hood.n
The next "mnisterial bench" below is for the
Twelve Apostles, and all are present except one
who is IN charge OF the European on. And
thea, ia order, ss the pre- ideat Of the seventies,
the presidency OF tie High Priests quorum, the
. esiuency or this Stake OF Zion and the presidency
Of this bishoprc. 70 the right OF these tie main
por ion OF the platform Is occa led By hundreds Of
high pr ests and memuers OF the Seventies, aid to
the left by hundreds uf shops from all sections OF
the Territory. those differ nv prlesty orlers repre-
sent the principal machinery by and through which
the Whole Church is governed. BE ow, in the
body Of the building, and above, ON the gallery
OF all ages' are Assembled. Below, the women
cupy the middle of the building end the men the
sdcs above. the women one side OF the gallery and
the men The other. And SO everything Is arranged
in perfect keeping With that admirable system OF
Cirist Of Latter pav Saints hitherto so singular and
essful theocracy. 10 is an impressive sight To
see ten thousand iaces turned toward him whom
most Of them look ulon o. The IorG's anointed
rounded thus by "a cloud of witnesses" in the per-
sons Of the lesser priesthood.
The Prophet himself called the Conference to or
der, and, af er the opening devotional exercises,
George A. Smith. who IS first counsellor TO Brigham
the faith and works OF the Mornons. First he said
1t had been the fortune Of the Latter Day SAINTS
never to stay in any place long enongh
molate the people. and although they had
now spacious edifice there might be occasions
when IL would be inadequate To no all who would
want admilfance. Although the Church was liter
ally IN It's infancy when 1t was organ 10 ty years
ago, 1t was to a certain extent IN its infancy yet
Tnen the Lora revealed the Inauguration OF an I'M
pgrtant and powerful work, whose influence would
extend over all the earth. The different Christian
denominations that had previously existed contained
certain portions Of the system OF salvation as re-
veaied by Christ and His apostles Ia the esh; but
faith IN The Lord Jesus Christ, and repentance and
the ordinance OF baptism by immersion for the
the elders for the git OF the Holy Ghost first brought
the whole into one complete CrganiZaton. 1t was
singular, he said that the different Christ an denom
CATION OF those principles which Christ had taught,
and It was partly owing to that fact that
the saints were now located here in The great
basin OF the Rocky Mountains, in the heart OF the
American Continent, and in the enjoyment OF that
political and religious liberty for which they had
greater reason to be thankful to God than any other
people on earth. In answering question OF his
own propounding as TO whether all the saints had
appreciated the principles OF the Gospel which had
been revealed to them and had observed the require
mems II had imposed upon them Smith touched
upon the presen, absorbing subject OF apostacy and
showed that from the earliest days OF the Church
especially every time that the saints had been scat
tered order that those who could not abide in the
faith should fall away and make their wickedness
manifest to the Church and the world; but under
this sitting process tie Church had prospered In
order to illustrate his statement that God depended
not on any individual, but upon His own might
' ae alluded to tic early apossacy 'Vp Of Svsii SSivsi
Cowdery, who was associated with Joseph Smith in
the founding of the Church, and who had said that
II lie should apOstatize the Church would thereby be
broken up; and to the death OF Joseph Smith him
self, when the enemies OF the saints cOnspred 10
shed his blood with the confident assurance that the
Killing Of that .arch-traitor" would destroy the
the work. and all that the saints had to dO was 10
live up to the privileges and liberties OF his holy law
anu 10 sacIHcei need De, themselves anu all that
they possessed Tor their own savatt0n aud the well
fare OF Zion. lie closed his short address with an
invocation for blessings upon the priesthood and the
people.
DANIEL Il. Wells who is second counsellor to Brig
ham Young and who seldom speaks IN public TO the
people, next de ended the principles and practices
OF the saints OF Cod 1t had pleased God he said
this day and generation 10 reveal HIS holy
Gospel to Joseph Smith, and the angel
which John had pr0phesed should come bearing the
everlasting gospel to the children Of men mad
at the right timeat period in the worlds history
when at least would receive 1t, anu to the right
individual. God had made no mistake In either the
time or the person. Therefore one Of the most In
conceivable blessings that could be conferred upon
tie children of men was 1--we this day and gen.
Grafton IN which God had revealed HIS gospel and
conferred upon His servants the holy priesthood to
administer holy things and teach us to walk III holy
ways All were free to accept or reject those prn-
ciples, but people who rejected them incurred Q
onnor,unty Of hearing that gosnei in this wy world
would have such an opportunity In some otter
sphere OF existence. II do honestly belleve,H
caid Nhnt nffn Go n-Inla