Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-12-24
JOSEPH THE PROPHET
Services on The Eighty Ninth Ami.
YorSaTy Of His Birth.
SOME PERSONAL "REMINISCENCES.
Interesting Addresses by President Jos.
eph =. Smith aud Others VINO
Knew the Prophet.

"hiNh nNNuAlth ~ ouhNeui NlnhhuI
county, Vermont, Dec. %, 1sO5-was
observed with special exercises In sew
etal Of the Sunday schools In this city
yesterday; also al tho services In the
Tabernacle, and by a specially inter-
esilng program In the Sixteenth ward
meeting house In the evening.
nthe Sixteenth ward Sunday school
the regular proceedings were dispensed
with, and all the classes assembled In
tho large hail. There were present
besides the ward and school officers aud
a large attendance Of children, Prosi.
dent Joseph II. Smith and Patriarch
John Smith, sous OF the marlyred
Patriarch Hyrum Smith aud nephuws
q OF the Prophet Joseph Smith, and
Elder Edward Stevenson, VI tue First
Council Of Seventies.
Elder Stevenson had with him
paintings Of tho nm Cumorah and
Joseph receiving the plates from the
Angel Moroni, Liberty jail, aud Car
thage jail. He addressed tho school,
principally upon the subject OF tho
three pictures.
President Joseph +. Smith 70.
lated many incidents In the life OF
the Prophet, impressing the children
with his exalted character ~ n servant
Of the Lord called 10 be tho head VI this
dispensation.
Patriarch John Smith also spoke,
corrobofating the testimony OF Pfesi.
dent Smith, and after the usual oloalng
exsrclsee the aaaemblags dispersed.
In the Sixth WARD, the usual exer.
olees were dispensed with, aud the
children and others assembled In the
meeting room, where program, iuolud-
Ing a sketch Of the Propheps life aud
appropriate songs, questions, etc., was
carried out.
The Seventeenth ward also followed
nslmilar procedure, hs did others In
different localities.
EVENING MEETING.
Atthe evening meeting ia the Biz.
teenth ward, the stand was beautifully
draped la white and decorated with
planta aud flowers. Ga the wall hung
n picture OF Joseph ns lieutenant gen.
eral OF the NAuvoO legion, and the
paintings used by Elder Edward
Stevenson nj the Sunday school ro-
view In the afternoon. On the
stand were President Joseph n.
smith, Patriarch John Smith,
Elders John Henry Smith an
Heber J. Grant Of the council
OF Apostles, Edward Stevenson, OF thu
First Council VI Seventies, Angus NJ.
Cannon, Joseph h. Taylor aud q. w.
Penrose, OF the Salt Lake Stake presi.
dency, Bishop +. hesler and counsel
oTr, and others.
The following is n list OF those present
who had met aud talked with the
Prophet Joseph Smith: II. keAler,
aged 10; Joseph q. Klngsbury, aged
81 Angus NJ. Cannon, 90; Joseph #.
Smith, 81; John Smith, %; Edward
Stevenson, 10; 3. IL. B. smith, 90,
Homer Duncan, 30; o. q. Workman,
x SiTl s., N Sl.. B. ~ s@.s,
cousin OF the Prophet, 10; Airs. Rachel
Grant, 20; A. II. Raleigh, 20; Walter
Wilcox, "a; q. V. Spencer, n; II. r.
Burton, rs. James w. Phlppiu, 70;
ManR Burton; Baihsheba w. Smith.
~; ZlnR ID. IA. Smith, "a
aud Lucy Walker Smith, Is,
Ths last two named were
wives OF the Prophet. There were
also present, who had seen the Prophet,
Jane Keslor, II. Maria Smith, Eliza,
beth Jsiis, RoXana q. Tripp ana John
Il. Reeve.
The choir and congregation sang th,
hymn beginning, "Praise the man who
c0mmuned with jehovah" Prayer
was offered by Elder Joseph q. Kings.
bury. The choir sang, "a poor, way.
fating man OF grief" tbs last hymn
sung by the Prophet Joseph and Presi
dent John Taylor In Carthage Jail, be.
fore tho martyrdom OF the Prophet
The Sacrament was administered, and
the choir sang, "Jeeus, once OF humble
birth.D
Bishop +. Kpsler was the frat speak,
or. He stated that II had been usual
during the past twenty years for lister
Elizabeth ROundy TO give these
birthday gatherings vt her home
In the Sixteenth ward, or Mt tho old
HchoOlhouse. On the prehent occasion
II was given In the meeting house on
account OF the large congregation. II
was proposed TO call upon all those who
were acquainted with the Prophet 10
relate their personal experiences Ia
order that tho young men aud women,
and even the older ones, might become
familiar with his characteristics, both
physical and mental, and hear the
testimony OF those who knew him 10 be,
In truth, Prophet Of the living God
The speaker nrst knew him shOrtly
after the removal 10 Nauvoo, In 1886
NAuvoo was first called Venus, thU1
Commerce, but nitorwhrd &C
qulIed the name Nauvuo, allhoug i
at one time II was designated
tue City OF Joseph. Bishop Keslel
declared that when he fret saw Joseph
he was convinced that he WIS standing
In tho presence OF Prophet. AS he
grew to know him better, he learned L
love and revere MIN more. Physically
Joseph was tho perfection OF manly
beauty. In the uniform OF lleutsnant
general OF the NRuyoo legion, no wal
tue finest looking officer he ever saw.
He was good anu kind ami In every
way calculated TO make all who knew
him love him. The speaker called the
congregations attention to the fac
that two OF the Prophets wives weT,
seated upon the stand.
President Joseph f.. Smith was the
next speaker. He expressed the hon,
that the birthday Of the Prophet would
be observed M holiday by the Latter.
day Saints. IL Is now flity years sine,
his marlyrdom. He was the greatest
Prophet that over lived, save Jesui
only. He was chosen OF GOD and
designated to DO the mouthpieop VI the