The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-04-21


gospel not. The recorders report
further showed that scvcuty-scven mcm-
bers were expelled during the past year,
for lawful reasons.
While in every sense the indiyiduali
" of man is eliminated and kept out OF
the balance in all assemblies OF the Re
organization. vet there IS ono who never
fails 10 command the unreSeTved attcu-
ton and respect Of every member Of
the church-Prcsidcni Joseph Smith
And. not without good reason Is he able
TO command an influence with his poo
pic During the past conference |
heard him several times on the floor,
and. so far rs my judgment might be
expected 10 20. he spok" always from
reason. common sense and their law.
Never dopmatic is Joseph Smith: never
addressing himself 10 tho audience in
an air that might hc i'm keeping with
his Office. as superior officer in the
church. II Joseph Smith has any weight
in their dehbcrativc assemblies. II IS
because OF tho force Of reason en-
couchcd in his argument. and never, so
far as I was able 10 observe, from nIs
mere station in the church. Owing 10
his failing cycsiCht and hearing. his
counselor. Fred NJ. Smith, wields the
gavcl during discussion, and the pTcsI-
dent must take his chances with mere
delegate so far rs obtaining the floor
is concerned. And in debate said dele
gate might with proprlety axe opposite
views from the president. and urge them
To the full extent of orderly argument.
II the president commits a parliamen-
tary breach. he is promptly called 10
time. the same rs any other member of
the assembly / was told that IN a pre-
vious conference during = lively debate.
tho president tried for an hour TO get
the floor, and only obtaining il thou
through member who had observed his
repeated failures who was able To catch
tho speakers cyo for the purpose of
Welding to the president.
But. as the honored president of tho
church. Joseph Smith is highly respected
by all who know him, and devoutiy
loved by those who have INN cdiatc ac-
duaintancc with him. But thcro is not
so far as ] can sec, tho slightest ten
dcncy 10 worship The man.
For nearly half century Joseph
Smith has presided over the Rcorganl-
Zation. but his race is almost run. From
first TO last he has been true to his
cause. his family and his name. There
was time when the namc of his fam
ilv was at a serious discount, through
the misrepresentation Of those who were
10 make capital out of such scandal;
but tho sons of Joseph tho martyr have
lived down the falschoods charged TO
their father. aud wherever they arc
known, the stories so commonly clrcu-
lated against the martyr arc not cred,
tied Their testimony, also, that OF
their mother unto her last breath. was
that Joseph the martyr had nothing 10
do with the socallcd revelation author
izinC polygamy.
The work Of the conference embodied
many interesting features 10 those
present, and far-rcaching effect on the
entire church. Questions were discuss.
ed. which if chronicled here, would
seem of little import. but IN their ma
turc. and bearing upon circumstances
peculiar TO the church. are calculated
10 be far-reaching in their effect For
instance. the church has In its pohty,
provision for the establishment Of the
Order OF Enoch. Just what this VIII
constitute when organized and set to
work, all are not clear upon, but 1t is
calculated to have something to do with
the temporal law i'll Zion, the distribu-
ton of inhcritanccs, handling of tlth-
ing. etc.
The conference will send out upward
Of 300 missionaries this year, going TO
all parts of the United States, Canada
and some TO foreign countries and the
islands of the sea. Young men Will be
sent to foreign lands, where, in order
to preach il will be necessary for them
to learn the language of the people.
And while this may seem n difficult
task, many of those who have served
on such missions testify to wonderful
help from the Lord in learning the diff
ferent languages, and have been able TO
preach iutelligently in Il remarkably
short time.
If the Spirit of the Lord is not with
this people, some mighty occult force
is working behind the scene. Many
revelations have been delivered to the
church since the Reorganization which
have gone into their Doctrine and
Covenants, as n standing law unto the
church. These must come through the
proper head, President Joseph Smith.
Their history tells us that in the early
days Of the church, before its breaking
up in 1874, the glft Of tongues,
prophecy, visitation of angels, mir
aculous healing Of the sick. dreams and
visions, power in the preaching OF the
gospel was abundantly enjoyed by them
as a people. These blessings arc still
claimed by the Reorganization.
During tho past conference, several
addresses in tongues, and some
prophecies, were delivered in the prayer
meetings, all Of which had the ring
Of being real. Not only in the confer.
euccs are these gifts enjoyed. but
everywhere throughout the church the
people witness them without being I'M
duly exercised, owing TO the fact that
they are expected, and come only as
measure OF their spiritual attitude and
standing.
In this land Of many religious, il
makes ono feel a tinglc Of the mys-
terious shoot through every fiber, when
some Obscure individual of only com.
mon attainments among very plain
aud common people, rises in the copgrc-
cation, and with 4 soft, mild, and calm
expression begins, without the slight
est degree OF agitation, or excitement.
to speak in an unknown tongue, and to
sec another rise with the same calm.
possessed spiritual temper, give the
Interpretation. Or TO witness again "a
man. wholly devoid Of the slightest
shade OF fanatical bearing. rise. with n
''Thus saith the Lord and proceed
with some word of admonition, point.