The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-10-09
Dramatic Scene in Tabernacle With
President Smith Chief Actor.
VISION OF ELDER RICHARDS
GREATEST CROWD III HISTORY
OF ORGANIZATION.

ing the conference 10 a CLosSs With an
impassioned plea to God to have mercy
upon his enemies.
President Smiths address was dra-
matte and impressive. Save for his
voice, shaking with the intensity of his
feeling, scarcely sound could be
heard in the tabernacle, which was
crowded almost to its ultimate capa-
city. He stood with arms uplifted
head thrown back, and his entire body
quivering, while the words poured
rapidly from between his drawn lips.
Many of his hearers burst into tears
during the course Of his address.
President Smith began to speak at
4 o'clock. His address opened calmly
with an apology for beginning to speak
at so late an hour, and a promise that
he would be brief. After making some
announcements and several formal eX-
pressiOns Of thanks, he suddenly be-
came vehement and said:
Appeals For Gods Mercy.
II ask for this mercy upon my enc
mics, upon those who glandeT me and
lie about me: I ask God to pity them
and to have mercy upon themi I ask
God to pity those who are misguided,
l ask God TO have mercy upon those
who do this with their eyes open, and
I ask God to pity them, because they
need Gods pity and mercy more than
the Othersi [ would not harm a hair
of their heads for all / possess in the
world! And ] ask my brethren TO keep
their hands off them. Don't touch
them! Don't touch those who are pay
ing their way to destruction! Let them
alone, Let them run, Let them go.
Give them the liberty Of speech they
want. and let them write their own
doom! 1t doesn't hurt US, and II IL
does them any good let them do il,
This conference is a testimony that
MOrmOnism is not dead nor sleeping.
but living entity, and is still doing.
Let the world know itP' he cried Let
the world know itr' he added in
lower voice, as if to himself.
Gives Thanks TO All.
Ia beginning his address, President
Smith said:
IN behalf Of myself and my COM
selOrs. Brother John r. Winder and
Brother Anthem H. Land, and of the
apostles, the seven presidents of seven
ties. the presiding patriarch and other
general authorities, desire TO offer
you, We men and women of Israel, our
most sincere thanks and gratitude,
both TO you and TO our Father IN
Heaven, for your prompt, faithful and
numerous attendance, for the spirit or
You men and women that has charac-
terized all our assemblies. for the love
and good will manifested on the part
of all assembled herein in the name OF
the Lord. And L say, in the name or
the Lord, be you blessed! God bless
these mighty men who sit before this
stand. They have not been called by
man. but by the Almighty God bless
you. my brethren, and while you stand
united as you have in the past, God
mill hEacs xynr and increase WOIIF
and strength to do good. Let US go
home more determined than ever 10
serve God and obey Him. No matter
what the world says, let US say, IN the
language of Joshua, ! viii serve
Cod"
President Smith then thanked the
veterans of the church, Evan Stephens,
conductor of the choir, Organist J. J.
Mcclellan and the choir. Then he
turned to the congregation, praised the
apostles, saying they are Gods men,
that he knew their lives and hearts
and that they are true men. At once
after concluding his remarks about the
apostles he began on his appeal for
mercy for his enemies.
Story of Wonderful Vision
Another feature of the afternoon
meeting was a remarkable story Of "A
vision told by Samuel w. Richards,
brother of the late Apostle Franklin D.
Richards, and a member Of the quorum
of the seventy Elder Richards is a
silver-haired man, apparently so years
OF age. His voice was not strong
enough to carry his interesting tale To
most of those who had crowded into
the building, but his narration held the
closest interest of those who were able
to hear him.
The story was told by request Of
President Smith. Mr.. Richards said
the time of the story was the winter
of 1843-1S44 shortly before the Prophet
Joseph Smith was killed.
D I was TO quite an extent intimate
with the Prophet Joseph Smith when
he was here upon the earth" began
Mr.. Richards "One day, about six
months before the prophets death, a
messenger came to me in NauVOO TO
ask me to become one OF company
Of pioneers to explore this Rocky noun
tain country. to find a home for the
people. 1 was only a boy in my teens
at the time, and I thought it was
strange that l should be asked to do
this. but l could not say no to the
prophet The persecution in NauVOO
was strong at that time and it was
decided TO send a party of tWenty-four
young men to travel to find a home in
the Rocky mountains for the people.
Inc Prophet JOSEpH WdHlEu 10 80 viii
this party, but others prevailed on him
TO 90 back. Hyrum Smith, the prophets
brother, was there at the time and he
said he wanted to send on this party
men who could go on the mountains
and talk to God face TO face, like Moses
talked to him or Mount Sinai in Israel.
Heard Voice Say "stop."
when L thought this over / feared
| was not the one to do that, SO I left
nv home and started for Hyrum
house to tell him ] ought not to go,
when / heard a voice. ] heard il talk
ing right beside me- and it said stop
l then went home TO pray. After I had
been in bed four hours / got an answer
to my prayers and was prepared 10 go
on the journey. ] saw III the four hours
I lay in bed all I should expect TO see
if I lived for 1 600 years to come. Some
one came 10 ne. and / performed that
whole Journey there ia my bed. [
| passed four sentinels and gave them
the countersign ! got il from heaven
as | passed them. and I didn't know 1T
before. was told 60 so on, and I went
on 10 southern California and to Mex
| leo and then TO Jackson county, Mis-
souri,. where 7 Went 90 work 0n the
| temple and ] saw il completed. / saw
my soul leave my body and I traverse.
this continent from end TO end saw
the land flied with towns and villages.
! reapers and sewers fields and flowers,
and l saw the Garden Of Eden here In
| Zion. All this I saw while sleeping. /
could tell long story ABOUT this maj