Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1902-10-10
StvENTY-IHIRD CONFERENCE
LARGE CROWDS ATTEND SEMl-ANNUAL
CONFERENCE AT SALT LAKE.
President Smith Expresses Satisfaction at
Large Attendance and Gratitude to
Almighty for Prosperity That
Has Attended the Peo-
pie During the Past
Season.


ened Saturday forenoon, October 4th,
in the Tabernacle, with an attendance
that completely filed the vast edifice.
Promptly at 10 o'clock President j oseph
cation open the conference with the
singing of the hymn, sour God We
Raise to Thee" Invocation was offered
by Stake President Higgs, of Nephi,
and, after the mammoth congregation
had sung "Redeemer Of Israel, Presi-
dent Smith, the first speaker stepped
to the pulpit and addressed the assem-
biage briefly. President Smith ex-
pressed satisfaction at the unusually
large attendance, and spoke his graft
tude to the Almighty for the prosperity
that has attended the people during
the past season.
During the morning session Presi-
dent Ben E. Rich, of the Middle States
mission, denounced in severe terms the
eastern press, which has set up the
cry of blood atonement" in connection
with the cold-blocded murder of which
Hooper Young is accused.
"What damnable lies they tell" said
President Rich. "They will die and
go to hell and be damned forever And
they will remain in hell forever I'D less
some Mormon elder goes down and
helps them out"
President Rich said the press in New
York, where Hooper Young is in Gus
tody. had been trying to bring home
to the Mormon church the responsible
ity of the crime Of which the young
man is accused. Regarding blood
atonement, Mr. Rich said the church
authorities, in 1889, declared openly
that the shedding of blood was abhor-
rent to them, and denied that enemies
Of the faith had ever been ordered
killed. He said the Mormon people
believe in blood atonement only to the
extent demanded by the laws of the
country.
President Joseph Robinson, of the
Oalinifornia mission, in a short talk
before the conference, reported that
the California mission is prospecting,
and that the mem bership is now fully
500, despite the fact that the elders
who are at work in that field have met
much vigorous opposition during the
past six months.
President E. II. Nye, of the Southern
States mission, followed with short
address on conditions throughout the
South. He said there are about hun
dred elders operating throughout the
Southern States, mostly among the |
rural and backwoods districts.
President McRae, of the Colorado !
mission, was the next speaker, and he |
told of the work being done in his |
districts, giving most encouraging |
report of the success of the mission.
Apostle Byrum Smith made the clos
ingaaddress of the morning session,
dealing with those who are defaming
tho church. Apostle Smith said the
spirit that is being manifested by some
Is the same that caused the murder of
Joseph Smith, whose blood is still cry
ing for vengeance. He deplored the
fact that people, among them minis
tiers, go east and deliberately lie about
the Mormon people.
At the afternoon session President
Duffin of the Southern States mission
said that mob violence in that district
is dying out, and that people in the
southwest are becoming favorable to
President Woodruff, of the mission of
the Northeast, said that there were
many converts being made constantly
bis mission.
President Nephi Pratt, of the North
west mission, also spoke of the fatter-
ing state of affairs in his field of la or
Apostle John Henry Smith said he
had visited Hancock county, Illinois, {
during the past year, and found that
sll the hard feeling that once existed |.
against the Mormon people has died
put. II found that the place is Jack /
Mormon rather than anti-Mormon,' I
aid Apostle Smith. "There seems to
DO belief that the Mormon people
'ould return to that country and build
ap the towns that have wasted since
they were driven out by persecution"
SECOND DAYS SESSION.
Apostle Reed Smoot. the FIRST speaker