Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-21
PRESENT PRESSING DUTIES,

IL seems to be necessary 10 repe"''
many times, simple instructions on
simple matters The settlement OF
tlthing for the year Is an example. we
are Informed that some of the Saints,
and few of the Bishops in this Stake
Of Zion, are under the impression mat
no tithing win be received at the
Presiding Bishops office during the re-
mainder of the year, This is great
mistake. While It might be better, IN
number OF instances and for several
reasons, that payments be made d.
rectly to the ward Bishops In settling
tithng for the year. 1t should be un-
derstood that such donations will be re-
celved at the Presiding Bishops office
up to December 3lst, 1908, and that
they will be included in and receipted
for the present years accounts
on Saturday December TO- prellm-
mary statement OF receipts at that Of
flee up to that date was made, and
each Bishop was furnished with an ac-
count for his ward. This was to en-
able the Bishops to account to each
1.-THE payer for amounts paid in at the
Presiding Bishops Office as well as
those paid to ward Bishops, and thus
each individual when making yearly
settlement, can learn II his or her ac-
count is correct and the proper
credits have been given. But a final
report will be made to the respective
ward Bishops of amounts received at
the Presiding Bishops Office up to De-
cember 3lst. These, with the amounts
received by the ward Bishop up to that
date, should be credited to the payer
in this years tithing account. All
amounts paid after December 3lst, 1908,
viii have to be credited on the ac-
counts for 1904. This ought to be plain
enough for anybody TO understand.
The ward Bishops and clerks should
familiarize themselves with the forms
that have been furnished for reporting
ward accounts and affairs, so that they
may be filed out accurately as re-
quired and by the time specified, Uni
formity is desired and 1t can be effected
ir each Church officer viii be diligent
and do his duty The time allotted Is
short. to be sure. but It Is ample In
most cases and a little extra work and
persistence viii make II possible TO
return the reports punctually. The
ward Bishops and clerks are therefore
earnestly urged to get down TO busi-
ness at once, and every member Is re-
quested to call on the Bishop Of his
ward at the time announced for tith-
ing settlement for the year 1908.
The keeping Of records is one Of the
important duties that are in some in
stances wofully neglected Minutes OF
meetings taken on scraps Of paper or in
pencil on pad, are not sufficient. They
should be legibly written in ink aud
signed by the secretary. The Presidents
Of uuorums, societies. and associations
are expected TO see that this is done by
the secretary, and In cases where It
has been neglected the work should be
taken up and completed by the close Of
the year II possible. At any rate, from
the beginning Of the new year correct
accounts of meetings should be entered.
and kept thenceforward UP to date.
and the back reports be entered I'm their
order as fast as convenient
Ward records Of names, baptisms, and
genealogies of members with particu-
lars of blessings of children, and or
dinations to the Priesthood are still
very incomplete. 1t Is expected that
the Bishops o. wards viii see that the
clerks perform their duty In
this and other respects. Also that
minutes OF all ward meetings
of every kind are recorded, in
ink in ONE book, when viii become a
history Of ward proceedings II kept In
chronological order This will include
meetings Of the priesthood and Bish-
ops courts proceedings, so that one
book win make a complete historical
record The Bishops are not asked for
their views on this matter. lnstruc-
lions have been issued from the Church
authorities. and these should be com
piled with so that uniformity in this
particular may be established.
II is not expected that men Will act
as ward clerks when much labor is en-