The Lehi banner. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1891-1917, 1907-04-11
seVenty-Eighth Annual General Cor
ference Of the Church Of Jesus
Christ Of Lstter-dsy Saints a
Memorable one.

of the opening session of the seven.
ty.eighth annual general conference OF
the Church OF Jesus Christ Of Lat
ter-day Saints. which convened in this
city on April 5, was the reading Of
the declaration Of principles and its
approval by the thousands of members
of the church present al the morning
session. together with the address
of President Smith, which was large
ly in the nature OF review of the
work OF the church during the year
Addresses were also made by Apostles
Hiram Smith, George A. Smith, D.
o. Mckay and George F. Richards
Their addresses we're devoted large.
ly-~ to theological themes. The
tabernacle was crowded at least 5000
people being present.
With the assertion that the mem.
bcrs of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latterday Saints are living better
lives than ever before. that they paid
more tithes during 1906 than in any
other year in the history OF the
ed indebtedness of the church has
been wiped out President Joseph F.
Smith opened his address
President Smith denied the charges
that have been made TO the effect that
the officials Of the church have been
diverting the tithes to their own per.
sonal use. by saying: Not one gen
eral authority Of the church draws
own use and profit"
President Smith then proceeded to
explain where this money goes, say.
ing:
II want to take you into a secret.
In the past money belonging to the
church has been used to help start
a number of institutions, such as the
H. G. NJ l., the sugar factories, and
other enterprises. Every cent Of the
amount SO invested has been returned
TO the church, the stock Of all these
concerns is now paying dividends and
from these dividends the expenses of
the general authorities of the church
are paid We are not using one cent
Of your tithing except for the purpose
for which II was intended. When
you go home and hear some Of the
old charges about what is being done
with the tithing fund. want you to
say that we are not using this fund
for the purposes which they accuse
us Of; that the tithing fund is intact
and we have a little to spare And
! would like to say to some Of those
who have charged us with misappro-
priation of this fund Put that in your
pipe and smoke it.
In referring to the general finan.
cial condition of the church the presl
dent said To-day the church does
not owe one cent TO anyone that It
cannot pay. We do not want TO Dor.
row money and we do not have 10
borrow any. We expect to see the
day in the near future when We will
not have to ask you for one cent in
donations that you don't wish TO give
with the freest kind OF will hope
TO see the day while | yet live in the
flesh"
President Smith referred 10 the dec
laratlon Of principles which had been
formulated by the church authorities,
end Immediately after he had finished
his address the document was reld
by Apostle o, + Whitney and adopted
by the members present rising
vote being taken, the vote being
unanimous
The document Is guile a lengthy
one, and we are unable to giva it in
full but the following covers the
pertinent points.
Declaration OF Principles
The principles and purposes Of the
church are widely misrepresented
and seriously misunderstood.
The religion is founded on the rev
Citations Of God, II teaches pure Chris
tlanity and its theology Is based on
the doctrines Of the Redecmcr.
III II he true Christianity 10 accept
Jesus Christ as divine. to revere him
as the son of God through whom
alone manldnd can attain salvation, 10
accept his teachings as a guide, to
comply with the requirements pre-
scribed by him as essential to mem
barship I'm his Churchlf this be
Christianity, then We are Christians"
The theology OF our church Is the
theology taught by Jesus Christ the
theology Of scripture and reason
Those who accept Of Mormonism
are among the best men and women
of the nations from which they come
honest, industrious, virtuous and
roverent They are opposed to vice
and crime by instinct and training
There Is nothing in MormonIsm TO
attract the selfish or the vile,
The Mormon people are not good
honest but misguided folks and Their
leaders the personiCation Of all that
Is bad Priesthood and the people
are inseparable and stand together
The charge that the church relies
on dupllcity and shuns investigation
Is contrary to reason and fact
Enlightened Investigation is the
means by which the church seeks 10
promote belief In its principles,
The history Of the church and the
prccepts of its leaders are sufficient
proof that the charge that Mormonsm
is opposed to education is false,
Il is impossible for a man 10 be
saved in ignorance A man Is saved