The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-02-13
SOME MORMON ELDERS.
A PARTY OF THEM NOW IN SAN
FRANCISCO.
Ihey Are About to start ON an Ex-
tended ProseIyting Tour in Cali
fornia and Elsewhere.


M. Lyman, the San Francisco Call pub
ilshes the following article:
a party of prominent Mormons has
Deen quartered at the Russ House since
the early part of the week. They are
preparing to go on a PROSECUTING tour.
portion will leave this morning for
southern California and the remainder
VIII leave on the Australian steamer
on Saturday for the Hawaiian islands.
Samoa and New Zealand.
AT the head of the party is Francis
MI. Lyman, one OF the twelve apostles,
as was his father. Mr.. Lyman is ac-
companied by his wife, whom he mar
rled near San Bernardino some thritv-
SIX years ago. Mr.. Lyman is a poIyga-
nous Mormon, or was such until The
enforcement of the Edmunds law. His
former wives still reside in Utah. with
ms children, some in Tooele and others
IN salt Lake. He is one of thirtv-
seven children, fifteen of whom were
daughters.
Mr.. Lyman declined to state how
many children or wives he had. but
confessed to having twenty-five grand
children, and to having three daugh-
ters and two sons unmarried. an
Utdn the wives discarded by reason
OF the Edmunds law said Mr.. Ly-
man, do not lose their social prestige.
While we are not allowed to live with
them we contribute to their support
MY trip to this coast is for the
purpose OF preaching and gaining con-
verts leave in the morning for
southern California, where l will preach
IN Los Angeles, San Bernardfno and
san Diego. We have a number of our
people in that section of the state. and
W!ll endeavor to unite them into
regularly ''reorganized Churches of
Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints" as
the Mormon body is known
In 1851, when II years old, l visited
TINS state in company with my father
Amasa M. Lyman. He, together with
Charles G. Reil who with my father
was a member of the twelve apostles
OF the church, bought the San Bernar-
dino Valley, comprising over eighty
square miles, for $77, 800 A number of
our people settled there and we re-
NAMED there until 1857. when we re-
turned to Utah. I met and married
my wife there, and this is the first
time she has been back to her home.
The Edmunds law has not acted
against the interests of the Mormons.
In fact we have steadily Increased,
gaining mostly from new converts
Our prospects for admission to state
hood were good prior to the Demo-
Gratis coming in power. Before the
last election the Mormons voted as a
body, but in that election party lines
were drawn. Utah is naturally Re-
publican in it's tendencies. The Legisla-
ture is two-thirds Republican and one
third Democratic
Another prominent elder of the party
is Brigham II. Roberts He is one of
the seven presidents of the 107
'quorums of seventy" the third gov
erning body of the Mormon church.
At the head of the church is the presi-
dent, Milford Woodruff, who comes be-
fore the people every six months for
the ratification of his, acts. then the
twelve apostles and finally the
quorums. These are governed by
seven presidents all of equal power,
who have charge and Jurisdiction in
all of the 1O7 quorums.
Elder Moses Thatcher, another of the
twelve apostles, will be located in this
city in connection with the local
church. Elder Thatcher is here for his
health, but will occasionally preach
The Mormons of this city meet every
Sunday in this city at Memorial Hall
on Post street. George S. Lincoln is
the presiding elder. There was formerly
a church in Orkland, but that has
been merged into the organization in
this city.
Referring to this article, DIR. Karl ..
NIaeser, now in San Francisco, writes
to the Call as follows:
Sir:-Noticing in your today's issue
an article headed Mormon Elders 1
it a duty to yourself and your
readers to correct some mis-
calculated to milead the
public in regard to our church affairs
IN this city. While acknowledging in
the main the correctness of the first
seven paragraphs, / protest against the
eighth as a whole.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints has never had any need
IF reorganization" having maintained
her legitimate continuance uninterrup
.edly from President Joseph Smith, the
nartyred prophet, until now. Parties
have occasionally fallen away and or
ganzed under various names, only to
fade out Of slight again after an
sphemeral existence. Apostles Thatcher
and Lyman, Elder Roberts, the under
signed and all our co-laborers in this
mission, duly commissioned by the
First Presidency in Salt Lake city, do
not recognize any "reorganized
church." The San Francisco branch
IF the church meets at 927 Mission
street every Sunday at 1920 a. nl., and
, and p. m. Its president is Elder
VI. f. Mortensen, who has not changed
his name nor has he moved his place
IF worship.
Your correspondent would be pleased
% give any further information on the
subject in question to any inquiry
directed to him. Respectfully,
DIR. KARL G.. MAESER.
President California Mission Of the
Church of Jesus Christ of T.atter-Day
Saints.