The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-04-06

The sixty-fifth annual conference OF
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
day Saints convened in the tabernacle
yesterday at 10 a. m. Their
were present on the stand: Pres
dents MILFORD Woodruff, Georg
Z Cannon and Joseph f. Smith,
Apostles Lorenzo Snow, Franklin D,
Richards. Brigham Dung, Francis
NJ. Lyman, George Teasdale, Heber
J. Grant, John w Taylor, Mariner
W Merrill and Albram H. Cannon,
an6 many other prominent elders of
the church.
The attendance was large.
The conference was called to order
by President George G Cannon. The
choir sang the hymn:
"All hail the glorius day
BY prophets loSg foretold."
Prayer was offered by Elder George
Teasdale Of the quorum of the twelve.
The choir sang the hymn:
Come. dearest Lord, descend and
dwell,
BY faith and love. in every heart"
President MILFORD Woodruff was the
first to address the congregation. He
said in brief: Our hearts CHS morn
ing should be filled with gratitude
and thanksgiving TO God, for the
many blessings we. as Saints. enjoy.
= long generation has passed since
the organization Of this church, as
foretold by the prohphets of old.
Many nations and the islands of the
sea have heard the gospel. The
church. has been organized among
many nations and tens of thousands
of the sons. of God have been gather
ed here in Zion. The gospel has been
preached 20 the nations, by men called
and sent forth to warA the inhabit-
ants of the earth of the great events
to come to pass before the coming
of the son of man. We have passed
through many scenes foretold by THE
prophets. The Lord has enabled us
to rear temples to his holy name. In
them the dead have been redeemed
and the living blessed, and the prom
ises of God fulfilled to holy men
from Abraham to Joseph Smith. We
should all be filed with gratitude for
our many bles sings.
II was the Lesire of the speaker
that the spirit of God would be with
the assembly and that their hearts
would be united together, and that
speakers would be guided by that
holy spirit.
In conclusion President Woodruff
felt to thank the Lord for his mercy
in allowing him to continue to dwell
QPplI AIl6 SdIlLls 10 rWOIh the re-
demption Of mankind and that the
blessings and power of God would
rest upon all his people.
Elder Ahram H. Cannon next adj
dressed the meeting. He spoke Of the
financial difficulties confronting the
Saints, and hoped that at no distant
day they would be relieved of those
burdens, 50 that they would not
stand in the way of their spiritual
a6x-a Those lot1rHonc
heavily upon the first presidency, but
happily the credit of the church was
of the best, as it had an enlightened
and liberal people behind it.
He spoke of the desirabilbty of the
various stakes and branches becom-
ing as self-supporting and independ-
ent as possible by developing the re-
sources near them. Especially is this
so of a great deal of idle land. We
should not wait for the stranger to
come here and develop our resources,
but buckle to and do the work our
selves. There were plenty of chances
here and they should be utilized. All
men should be the directors OF their
own labors, but those who cannot
one who is able to direct him and who
is guided by the inspiration Of the
holy spirit. All should be producers.
II is better to work for a small wage
than to remain idle. Under present
conditions the capitalist cannot invest
as heretofore and all should endeavor
to look after his own labor and avoid
the sins that come with idleness.
Elder Mariner W. Merrill was the
next speaker. He had obtained a tes-
timo.1y that this was the work OF the
Lord in his youth and had never
doubted it since. The Saints should
look into their own lives and endeavor
TO eliminate sir therefroGn. Actions
and not words would be taken into acs !
count by the Lord. The living up to |
the principles OF the gospel and doing /
them would be what would count
Elder Merrill spoke of the principle |
of revelation. and said it was open to
all for their particular guidance. /
though the prophet Joseph received /
revelations for the guidance of the /
whole people. He added his testimony
to the truth Of the words of Elder |
Cannon and referred to the various
stakes endeavoring to be as self-sup-
porting as possible. This would tend
TO lessen the burdens of the general
Elder John W. Taylor expressed
himself as delighted with the instruc-
tons received. He said that the peo-
pie needed employment, both for their
minds as well as their hands. 1t was
a good thing to belong to an organ
izatFon that allowed a. man to express
his own views without restriction, in
which things were done by common
consent
The prophet Joseph was raised up
to establish the gospel in its fulness.
He was not prepared before hand at
Institutions. He went
from the field in answer to the divine
call. From that time he was subject
10 the attacks of satan. The designs
Of evil were directed against him I'M
til the day Of his death. This should
occasion no surprise, as he was an in
strsnsnt in the handsof God in in
vading the domains Of satan.
The speaker referred TO the perse-
BUTTONS of the Saints in Ohio, Mis-
souri, and Illinois. Many OF them had
'aIlen by the wayside; at enc time
only two OF the quorum OF the Twelve
true to him. They were
Brigham Young and Heber c. KIM
,ail. Those who had thus fallen were
n strong ground. The same DISPOSE
ion was cropping out now.
There are those VINO derive satisfac-
ion from the falsehoods circulated I
concerning the church, and not those
Who are non-members. but those who !
He clossd by exhorting all to put {
way the spirit of fault-finding with
hose in authority and do their own
luty.
;ong. a Song of JOY" Benediction was
by Elder Angus NJ. Cannon. $
Afternoon Session.