The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-12
Quarterly Conference of the Stake
Held Yesterday.
AUTHORITIES SUSTAINED
LORENZO SNOW AND APOSTLES
AS THE PRESIDENCY.
The Principle Address Made By DR..
Talmage - Gives Warning
Against the Practice of Magic
Apostle Woodruff Speaks and Re
fers to His Fathers Death.

The quarterly conference of the stalk
of Zion was held in the tabernacle yes
terday, the principal discourse being de
livered by DIR. ]. Z. Talmage. In thu
course of his remarks Prof. Talmage as
serted that there were those among then
who, as magicians, are using peepstones II
/ imitation of the power given the priest
hood. The high council. he said, had dc
clared against such practices. but upoI
/ investigation il was learned that some ar
/ still practicing the black arts. One sucf
I woman had been visited. He warned tbs
guilty ones to beware. for the evil Spiri
would tell 20 truths in order 10 get in one
/ falsehood. The evil one Is not less vigilan
now than ever 10 lead Latter-day Saint:
into darkness. The church had been told
| that troublous times are near, but they
stand ready to meet them.
The attendance in the morning was com
paratively light. but il increased in the
afternoon until the tabernacle was wei
| filled.
AUTHORITIES SUSTAINED.
By unanimous vote the authorities OF
the church We're sustained upon presenta-
ton of the following declaration by Elder
C. w. Penrose:
THAT we sustain President Lorenzo
Snow and mis- associate apostles as tins
presidency OF, and as prophets, seers and
reveiators to, the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints in all the world
Also that we sustain the rest of tbs
general authorities of the church as they
were sustained at the last general con-
ference"
The above created an impression among
some people that Lorenzo Snow had been
elected president of the Mormon church
which was mistake The quorum OF
apostles. of which he is president. con-
stitutes the presidency and head of the
church until a new president Is chosen.
The morning session was opened at 10
a. m. by the choir singing Praise We
the Lord" Prayer was offered by Pat
riarch w. II. Walker. selection was
rendered entitled Sweet Is Thy Work.
Bishop W. II. Preston delivered dis
course in which he urged the priesthood
duty, particularly the priests and teach
ers, and that the people be stimulated TO
greater righteousness
Apostle ]; w. Taylor said he had but
recently returned from Colorado, where
with others, they had been preaching the
gospel of salvation.
persons had been added TO the church BY
baptism.
After a song by the choir the benedic-
ton was pronounced by Elder Theodore
At 2 p. m. the afternoon session was
opened, the choir singing Great God
prayer by Elder \. ". Jones. A hymn
was. rendered entitled GLORY to God on
DIR. TALMAGE.
DR.. ]. E. Talmage delivered the prin-
cipal discourse. He said the large num-
attendance in the morning. but that
those few had come from a sense of duty.
He then called attention to the evil
spirits in the world which needed to be
neutralized He believed in the existence
of good and evil spirits as well as a per-
sonal God and devil. An effort should
be made to drive out the eyll spirits
The speaker then pointed out the need OF
preparation for all the duties of life, and
especially in missionary work. Further.
it was urged that it is hardly excusable
for people to live beyond their means and
go in debt, but they should be in a condi-
ton to go anywhere when the call was
made. He then referred to the progress
of missionary work which he had observ-
ed in his travels The missionaries were
accomplishing a grand work. and the eff
feet on the missionaries themselves was
marked. In fact. the gospel is helpful in
all the secular duties of life.
DR.. Talmage took up the criticism Offer
ed by the world that the elders are illit-
crate; that many are not well trained and
murder the English" Although an adj
mirer of good grammar. he wanted to re-
mind them that words mean little; it is
the feelings of the heart that influences
one. Nor did he think many souls were
brought into the church by argument, for
in a contention one Is put on the defen-
sive. and is apt to pay little attention to
truth. but strive after triumph. Argu-
ments are nothing more than wrestling
matches. in which those who take part
are wrestlers. All such contention and
debate accomplish less than does the spir-
it of love, the bearing of testimony and
asking the Lord to seal it.
The reluctance of the elders in receiving
aid from the poor. among whom they
Travelled. did not, he thought, tend toward
good. They could afford to enter into the
rf= of yrb
they labored.
AS to the efficiency of the sisters in the
field. he had observed and listened to
many and had seen nothing but good
from them. They were discreet and care
full. ana had distinct parts of the vineyard
to fill
In conclusion, Professor Talmage gave
a warning against the practice of magic
as stated above.
The authorities of the church were then
sustained.
APOSTLE WOODRUFF.
Apostle A o. Woodruff addressed the
expressing the soreness of
his heart. though he thought as a true
son. he should not grieve over the loss
of his father. He pointed out the hope of
the resurrection, saying that his father
advanced to a more exalted position.
where the work of the ministry would
He expected to meet his father
in the body, which would be glorified.
satiOn. he expressed his loneliness at be-
ing almost the last one left of those who
had been faithful in the trials of the
prophet. and the joy he would experience
upon meeting the prophets Joseph, Brig
ham and John. who would be anxious to
hear of the things on earth. He seemed
10 have no more fear of death than If he
Were lying down to take nap. Apostle
Woodruff said he had never known a man
who contained more of the spirit of the
Master. II he had fault, 1t was in being
too trusting and unsuspicious.
The apostle then diverted to the Gift
of Tongues and gave in his own testi-
moay. saying that while q missionary at
he had been able
with the inspiration of God. and by hard
work. to read the Pearl of Great Price,
In the German tongue in three weeks.
Professor Karl e. Maeser called atten-
ton to the opening of the l.. D. s. High
school today, and invited parents to call
and visit the pupils.
After the hymn. God Moves in a Mys-
terious Way" the benediction was pro-
by Brigham Young.