The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-10-06
CONFERENCE
An Immense Crowd In
Attendance.
OVERFLOW MEETING
President Woodruff Publicly
Thanks President Harrison
FOR HIS ACTION TO JOS. F. SMITH
Fun Report of the Two Days Meetings
Most of the Authorities
Hold Forth.


day Saints convened in the tabernacle Sun
day morning at 10 O'clock.
Many strangers who attended conference
nd saw the throngs Of people on the
streets may not know that the event that
brought them together was the semi annual
celebration of the organization of the
church, which occurred April g. 1880.
Every April and October the members of
the church meet in conference to receive
Instructions and admonitions from the heads
of the church, and counting that they have
met every six months since their organiza-
ton, the conference that opened Sunday
was the one hundred and twenty-third that
has been called.
Seldom has conference opened under
more favorable auspices. The stormy
weather of the week previous had settled
into the most delightful Indian.ssummer,
the air was 5almy, the streets free from
DUST and every condition favorable for an
immense gathering.
And an immense gathering turned out.
The Sunday afternoon at the Tabernacle
during conference is usually the test of at
tendance and last Sunday has rarely if ever
been excelled in the way of crowds. AT :
O'Clock the great building was crammed to
suffocation; all the aisles were blocked, and
the great fringe of space around the gallery
was crowded with standing people. An
overflow meeting was announced for the
Assembly Hall adjoining, and this was
iammed up in five minutes. After all this,
there were at least thousand people stand
ing near the door and sauntering about the
yards.
The gathering of the heads of the church
was scarcely less notable. For the first
time in many years the head quorum
of the church, the First Presidency
was united, and Presidents Wood
ruff, Cannon and Smith occupied
the stand together. Besides these there
were present of the council of twelve
apostles: Lorenzo Snow, Franklin D
Richards, Francis M Lyman, Heber j
Grant, John W. Taylor, Mariner W. Mer
rill, Anton H. Lund and Abraham h Can
non; patriarch, John Smith; of the presid
ing council of the seventies, Seymour b
Young, G. d. Fjelsted, b. II. Roberts an
George Reynolds; of the presiding Dish
opric, William B. Preston and John r
Winders.
other authorities from stakes and branche
all over the west occupied the usual places
Stephens great choir, nearly 400 strong
furnished the music; even after forty 0
fifty voices were sent over TO help tn
overflow meeting, enough remained /
make volume of sound most inspiring.
Twice during Sunday, led by the choi
and organ, the whole vast concourse aros
and rendered congregational hymns. Tai
of congregational singing If Rev. Devil
Talmage could have heard it he might hay
been persuaded that even his fashlonab
Brooklyn tabernacle congregation migt
have gained some pointers.
At 10 O'Clock in the morning the congrt
CATION was called TO order by Presider
George q. Cannon.
The choir and congregation sang Il
hymn commencing:
How firm a foundation We saints of the Lord
Is laid for your faith in His excellent word.
The opening prayer was offered /
Apostle NJ. w. Merrill.
On the mountain tops appearing
Lo. the sacred herald stands!
was sung by the choir.
The conference was addressed by
President wiItord Woodruff,
who said: My heart is filled with graf
tude to God my Heavenly Father for tt
blessings that 1 enjoy. 1t is over sew
years since the Presidency Of this churt
ana as many of the twelve apostles ha
occupied this stand until to-day, and fe
that we have all reason to thank God 81
rejoice in His name for the blessings al
privileges that we enjoy this glorio
morning.
God bless President Harrison for exc
cising his official clemency in iberatil
President Joseph Z. Smith, and am than
full that Brother Smith is with Us to day.
say also God bless every other ma
whether be be Jew or Gentle, Catholic
Protestant, Judge or Juryman, who has lie
his name to this and not only hberau
President Smith but many of our brethr
who have the privilege of sitting here wi
US on this occasion. l nope there is
harm in that thought or feeling; for that
the way l do feel at this time. My heart
full of gratitude and blessing TO my fello
men for all the good they have dor
Everything that leads to good and to
good is of God; ana everything that lea
TO evil and to do evil is said to be OF l
wicked one. / feel that all of US have re
son to rejoice before the Lord for the
liyerance and blessings which He
wrought among US. rejoice IN the UNI
which exists among US as presidency
this church and the twelve apostles. The
bodies Oh men VINO VI al LuGu uul
heaven ahould be united in the work OF I
Lord in which we are engaged. do I
believe there ever has been body OF u
in any age of the world who, as gene
thing, are more united and happy than ;
those to-day, and while we are here
sembled together hope and trust that
may have the inspiration Of Almighty 6
with US in our teachings, in our instr
TONS in our counsels. We shall call VI
our brothers to address US, and say IN
name of the Lord, let US all have peace.
President Joseph f. Smith,
OF himself he felt very weak and inc'
able of addressing so vast congregat
as he now saw before him; he felt exec
ingly humble in the sight Of God.
He desired to say that his faith in
gospel of Jesus Christ had undergone
one change since he met with the Sal
there be ore. ''The change that has &C
upon my faith since L had the privilege
last meeting with you is that my fait
rs much stronger, as much more ferye
as much more determined as it is pUss
for il 10 have grown in the lapse Of Sc
and half years. That is the only cha
that has come upon my faith in regar'
The principles of the gospel"
He desired to exhort his brethren
sisaers to be just as faithful as 1t was ]
sible for them TO be, from this time hel
forth and forever They had received
had m