Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-04-06

| winter Quarters could have conceived
the scene which is witnessed during our
conferences. There had never been a
disagreement between the presidency Of
the stake or the High Council They met
regularly in the Temple. The High
Council was composed of faithful and
intelligent brethren He stated also
that 1t had not been necessary 10 wait
a minute to organize the High Council.
The High Priests and the Elders have
improved In their diligence and faith
fulness Many Of the latter had been
sent on missions. He was gratihed with
the way In which the young men laid
aside their occupations and went ON
missions. He felt that II was a great
evil for so many of the poor to come TO
the city. The Church had 10 be called
upon to sustain the poor. He thought
that many OF these might. to good ad-
vantage, 90 into the country As a rule
the saints are prospecting The auxill.
airy organizations are doing good work
Notwithstanding the great difficulty en-
countered In the city. He prayed that
God would bless the Saints everywhere.
ELDER LEWIS ANDERSON,
president Of the South sanpete Stake,
was called upon to report. IL is only A
few months since he had been appoint
Ell president Of this stake. succeeding
the late Canute Peterson. The stake
has nine wards with a population of
more than 5000. All the uuorums of
the Priesthood are well organized, tho
auxiliary associations are active AMI
progressing; the presidency of the
stake and the High Council are united;
and the Saints generally are prosper.
Gus The people had recently con
trlbuted $4,000 towards the erection
Of stake academy This part of the
country had suffered from scarcity of
water and from a grasshopper plague.
Nevertheless the tithing of the people
had fallen but little.
The choir sang the anthem: 80
Come, Let Us Sing Unto the Lord"
ELDER t. A, wADDoUPs.
president of the Iosepa colony, next
addressed the conference. This colony
Is situated In Skull valley. Tooele
county. The organizations are doing
Well The people are especially strong
N their faith and as q general rule
set as near the Lord as any other class
OF Saints They are especially con-
sricuous in being gifted In the healing
o. the sick. He knew Of nothing exist
'ns In the colony with which he had
any reason to find fault.
ELDER JOSEPH w. McMuRRlN,
OF the First Council OF Seventies. was
the concluding speaker. He had been
deeply impressed by the numerous
testimonies that have been borne dur
ing the conference. Some very remark
able statements had been made by
some Of the presidents Of the stakes
Two Of these had reported that there
were no saloons In their stakes. An
other stated that there were but three
saloons In his stake, two Of which
were located In mining towns. And
still another had declared that only one
saloon could be found In a district
where there were ten large wards. This
Is very remarkable condition 10 re-
port thing that he believed could not
be said of many communities in the
world
The Saints in these various stakes
had been gathered from the nations of
the earth. They are growing and pros
pering on every hand. Some people
are becoming anxious over the spread
of the Gospel and the people into other
states. He asked what harm could
come TO anyone by the spreading OF
the conditions spoken of by these pres
idents Of stakes. The Gospel teaches
men TO become better, 1t makes them
hate the works Of evil
He had rejoiced IN the statement of |
another president 10 the effect that In |
twenty years 10000 Saints had estab- |
lished homes IN what was once the |
Bannock Stake. The people had been
taught by good and wise men how TO |
redeem the desert places of the earth. |
And this Is the result OF ''MOrmonism |
the result of the teachings OF the lead
crs Of the Church Surely there Is not |
q great deal OF harm In this.
The statement has been made that |
the "Mormons" are controlled 10y a few |
men, and that the rest Of the people |
are in bondage Elder McMurrin Won
dered II the enemies Of the truth could |
derive any consolation from the evil
dences that have been manifested here, |
that there are a great many |
men, situated In all parts Of the
Church. who are as firm and independ-
ont in their faith as It is possible for
men TO be. This conference has clear
~ shown that the Church Is led by |
many men--men OF intelligence and in
tegrity, whom 1t is not easy TO move in
their opinions.
Elder McMurrin read from the Scrip
lures TO show the blessings which the
| ord has promised the Saints. We
are realizing these blessings. In the
that have been established
in this western country, And all these
things testify that the source Is good
from which this people has drawn their
He hoped that the Saints
would prove true to the Gospel which
had done so much for them.
The choir and congregation sang the
hymn which begins:
Come. come we Saints
No toll nor labor fear,
But. with Joy. wend your way
Benedlction by Elder Hyrum NJ