Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-05-21
JOSEPH SMITH, JR.
Appearance oftbe Leading Expound-
err ofthe Book of Mormon.
Globe Denocrs

er ofthe Book of Mormon.
Globe Democrat
On the third floor OF building on
the northeast corner of Broadway and
O'Fallen streets, in a room that gave
every evidence of being lodge-room,
there met yesterday afternoon a very
ecstatic congregation. The singing.
the praying and the other features of
the afternoon services were marked
| with the greatest ferYor, and toe
lGlobe-Democrat missionary, VINO
dropped in there in search of religious
consolation, was amply rewarded. 1t
was al hour after his entrance before
the concluding hymn was sung, and
during that time dozen or more of
the lay members arose and gave vent
to their belief in their Church, and
their love of their Lord, in feeling
speech. Facing the congregation
were several plain, honest-looklng
men, one of whom led, occasionally,
the singing, and at all times was the
cynosure of the congregation. The
little assemblabe represented the
| integrity of the Church of the Latter
Day Saints in st. Louis, and the man
who was the observed of all was
Joseph Smith, Jr.. prophet, priest
and king" of the reorganized branch
of that body.
81 am the eldest son of Joseph
Smith, the founder of our church, -"
said this gentleman to the missionary
from the great religious. daily, at the
conclusion of the services,
A bcvy of ladies here assailxd the
prophet with invitations to visit their
homes, each pleasantly competing for
the honor OF entertaining him at din
mar. Receiving these offers warmly
| and cOurteOusly, and submitting at
almost every other moment to greet
ing from some member OF the Church,
Mr. Smith confessed he was in rather
a poor position to be interviewed.
81 arrived in ST. Louis Friday"
said he, land will leave In the morn
ing. l have been in attendance at
the conference of our church at indie
pendeGce, No, and am now on my
way to Alton, Ill. My home is ia
Lamont. Ia, where our paper, The
Saints Herald, is published.
How many members does your
church number?"
Between 10000 to 10000. We
have over 500 regular congregations. y
Inhabitants of what part of the
countryG'
Scattered all over from Maine to
New Mexico and from Florida to Al
aska. We have members in all parts
of the world. IN the Society Islands,
| A al
all established by apostles or elders.
We have 800 or 1000 in Utah. these
are Is charge of Elder J. R. Anthony.
We have a large missionary force at
work always"
THE DAWN OF LIGHT.
| 'W hen was the church established?'
''In the year 1927 my father had
his visitation. An angel revealed to
him the theory of our doctrine and our
Church. All that is matter of his
tory and has been repeated so often
that it is hardly necessary for ne to
say anything of it. On the 9Th of
April, 1880, the Church was organic :
ed by Joseph Smith and six elders, at
| Amherst, 0. The first conference was
held in June of that year. The mem
| bers of the conference went forth into
the world and preached the word. In
the course of time they made converts,
and they then gathered together and
| built temple. This was at Kirkland,
/ 0. About this same time they settled
in Missouri, in the town of Independ-
ence. They prospered in both places
until, in the year 1881, local feeling
arose against them ia Kirkland, result
ing finally i'll their expulsion from
that place. They concentrated at In
dependence, Mo, after that, but en-
countered the same opposition Ia Mis-
souri, they met in Ohio, and in 1888
they were banished from this State
They then emigrated to Illinois, set
Ting in Hancock County, at Nauvoo.
This was ia 1889. presume you are
| familiar with the troubles at Nauvoo,
as nearly everybody is who has a
knowledge of the history of the west.
In 1914 my father was killed at
| Carthage. The Church then num-
bered $50, 900 souls, 25, 900 of whom
we're ia Hancock County, Illinois.
After my fathers death, or in 1916,
| ne mass of the church went west to
| Utah. A large number, however, re-
| manned behind. It was then that
the schism in the church began. Ny
mother, myself and nay brothers did
not go. Ia 1852 we reorganized the
church, the branch of which [ am
now President originating them"
"What is the difference between the
| two branches"
Simply this. We do not believe
in polygamy. The church, as first
organized, was not a polygamic body.
It was only later that it became So"
1.-THE death of your father must
have caused great excitement.
''It did. I should like very much
to sit down and give you long story
about it, but there arc too many here
claiming my attention BOW. Those
were exciting times. Ny father mad
been arrested by an excited body of
citizens. He could have taken advan,
tage of an opportunity given him to
hail himself ont but chose to remain