The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-04-07
PRESIDENT SMITH OEFIES AND EXPLAINS
AT MORNING SESSION OF CONFERENCE

ter-day Saints. gathered here on the
opening day of our SeVcntV-fifth annua II
conference. I am pleased 10 SEQ You and
meet with YOU: and with the blessings of
the Lord and the guiding influence Of his
nov Si'lrlt / trust that l shall also he
pleased in the opportunity afforded me
At this moment of speaking 20 YOU for n
short Time feel eXCeedingly dependent
upon tho promptings of the spirit to my
mind. You may think il strange for mo
to say that / have mad no moments to
bestOw upon any forcthought with ref
erence to what I shall say to YOU this
morning. / stand before YOU without pre-
meditation or forothought as to what I
/ believe that l can say to YOU with all
confidence that so far as my knowledge
extends. the Latter-day Saints throughout
this intermountaip region and the ad-
Joining country, and so far a. ] know
throughout the world, are in excellent
Latter-day Saints enjoy as much today
of that thorough spirit of their religion
- as much union among our people
throughout the length and breadth of the
land as has ever existed in the church.
] think ] can confidently say that there
are as few local difficulties and troubles
among the people. coming before the
church courts. before the bishops and be
fore the high council. as I have ever
known before within the scope of my re-
membrance aud knowledge.
Never Free From Trouble
little misunderstanding among neighbors
and members Of the church. and il is;
often the case that these little misunder-
standings, arising among our brothers
and sisters. are brought before the teach
cTS and perhaps before the bishops for
adjudication and reconciliation but 7
the truth will verify the same that within
my knowledge and according to my best
can remember. any less of these little
Observation-Disclosures and difficulties than
exist today. Indeed. ] may say that mis-
UNDERSTANDINGS have been far more pro-
nounced in years that have gone by than
they appear to be now.
The Saints Are Firm.
believe that there is feeling Of ge-
eral contentmcnt among the I.attcr-da.-
Saints. and feeling of satisfaction in
their minds and In their hearts with ref
Prophet Joseph Smith and to tho great
DIVINITY and atonemeut Of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ In other words
believe that the Latter-day Saints TODAY
arc AS devoted and feryent firm in
their convictions Of the truth and in their
knowledge Of the truth. as they ever have
been At any period of the church's his
tory from its beginning down to tho pres
ent Tune. believe that these statements
can BE- seconded and vouched for by the
presiding authorities Of the church
throughout tho length and breadth of
the land. We have these brethren here
before Us-prcsid"UtS Of stakes and their
CouuSelorS the bishops and their CouSeIors
and the presidents Of our various mis-
Sion~-aud 7 am satisfied that they will
ono and all verify tho statements that 7
have made with reference to the present
condition Of tho church
Not only IS this so. but ] heley. that
the tim" has never been when the
financial. tho temporal condition of the
Latter day Saints was better and more
encouraging than IT tn" present time.
7 believe that our people ere generally
prosperous and J. sm satisfied that there
Is sun greater prosperity i'm store for
them through their continued faiI hfulnCSS
before tho Lord. believe that m" Lord
viii bless the earth for their SAKE. that
he will temper the clements for their
good that nc will prosoer thcm in the
labor of their hands and in tho thoughts
Of their minds. that ne viii guide them
by the power Of his spirit into all truth
pursl blessings that are so needed to
make a people happy, contentcd and
blessed i'm the land
Tithing Above the Average.
With reference t. this matter I desire
To say that We have believe. a very
spiritual and temporal condition Of the
church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
saints Tho records of the church viii
show at tho closing Of the accounts for
the past year that the tithing and the OF
terluEs Of tho LattcT-day Saints have been
"A little above actually a little above.
what would DC called tho average. We
have had one or two more prosperous
wears I'm tho past. Judging IL Dy TINS cri-
year was equal and n little above the
average. Notwithstanding the fact that
during the last few years our people in
many parts of the country have been sui
fering from "A protra drOutn i'm which
they have come short in their crops. IN
which they hav" suffered materially in
their tlOcks and i'm their herds and in
many places tho drOuth has been so Sc
we're that the people have been under the
necessity Of hiring or borrowing means
with which TO secure FOR themselves grain
for socd for this present year
want to say to You, my brethren and
siSt cTs and those who preside over tho
church. that II is matter Of pride and
church is ia q condition to assist those
that arc in need OF this kind Of assist
aucc, and We have done 50.
Holding the Fort.
II anyone should feel dissatisfied with
the truste e-iu-trust and his counseIors
and associates in the matter of extend
ing aid to the Latter-day Saints in such
matter Of extremity as this they know
where TO enter 10 make their complaints
and ! should be glad TO meet them and
consider the question We wish il dis
fiuctIv understood that while the 7 ord
preserves US in the positions to which we
have been called. the positions which we
deuce Of Cod have been brought 1lpon
Us We will hold ourselves responsible he
fore God and before his people to render
material and financial aid to the people
~ God in every direction where We feel
that IL is necessary to do so. Our people
IN the south have been unfortunate in