River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-03-17
How the Mormon Church is BuiIt.

san If1uSiccO OHfVHlStc-
At my request Bishop Henry Hunt
of Cedar City, explained to me the
manner in which the Church of Lat
ter-day Saints is organized. He said:
" First, there is a president, and he
has two counsellors. Second, there
are twelve apostles. The president is
one of them, and there are eleven
others. Each of them receives a
salary of $500 per annum. The
president yields an authority equal to
that of the other eleven. Third, there
are seven presidents designated as the
presidents of the seventies. Fourth
comes the seventies, with seven presi-
dents over each, and president over
each of the seven. Fifth come the
seventies; each body of which consists
of seventy elders. There are eighty of
these seventies in Utah, and they are
compelled to report at least annually.
These constitute the general authori-
ties of the church. Sixth is the head
patriarch of the church. This dignity
is hereditary when the candidate is
worthy. The head patriarch resides at
Salt Lake City, and blesses the people
by the laying on of hands. The pre-
Stllb vi tAl1G HbSlllOll
is John Smith, the nephew of Prophet
Joseph Smith. Seventh, there is a per-
siding bishop, who attends to the col
lection of tithes. Eighth, Zion is divid-
ed into twenty-three stakes, each of
which has president. They call me
bishop from habit, but my ecclesias-
teal rank is higher. ] have been here
thirty years, and was bishop for eigh-
teen years. | am now president of the
stake which you are in. | have
twelve high counsellors to arbtr ate
among the brethren. Each stake is
subdivided into wards and each ward
into districts, Each district has quo
rum of teachers, whose business it is
to visit each family periodically and
look after the spiritual welfare of its
members. Each district has meeting
house, Sunday-school, day school,
young mems mutual improvement
society, primary associations for small
children, which meet on Saturdays,
and usually dramatic society. Our
people at Cedar City have brass band,
string band, a cooperative store,
cooperative tannery, and co-opera-
tive grist mill, which cost $4,000.
Ninth come the priests and deacons.
In the world the priests preach and
baptize, but do not lay on hands. The
wisdom of man could never have
devised church organization like
that. Our present presiding bishop,
Edward Hunter, is eighty six years of
aged. He formerly noted gzazies in
Chester county, Pa. Out of total po-
pulation of 10000, there are 10000
children in Utah under eight years of
age. We have Sunday, school or
ganization known as the Deseret Sun
day-school Union, of which George Q
Cannon is superintendent. He is
our delegate to Congress. Then we have
a perpetual immigration socity found in
charge of President Albert Darlington.
With this, we assist in gath ering our
converts to these valleys. All nations
are here represented. There is
young woman at Beaver City whose
father was native Hindoo, and colonel
of the Royal Bengal Regiment. She
has become one of our people. We
assist these people here, and, when
they become able to do so, they repay
the expense to the immigration fund.
Much of this Indebtedness was cancel
led by the church last April, in addi-
ton to which we gave 1000 sheep and
500 COWS to our poor. During the past
year we have brought over more con-
VertS than ever before"