The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1909-04-08
Invocation BY First Counselor Grin p.

the soprano solo, "Oh, Shining Light
/ Divine" in very effective manner
during the interim between speeches
The speakers at the morning SEES
sion were Apostle Orson +. Whit.
ney and Elder Serge F. Baliff, presL
dent of the German and Swiss mis-.
sionary stations, but recently return.
ed to America, and Elder George f.
/ Richards.
Apostle Whitney's remarks were
confined to the principles of the Nor
mon belief and the relations between
the religious and civil government,
and the fact that each member has
the voting power on all questions of
policy or government.
Elder Serge Baliff, who has just re-
turned from a four years stay in Ger
many and Switzerland, spoke of the
interests of the church In foreign
lands, particularly the work of heal
ing the sick.
Elder F. G.. Richards selected the
non-payment Of tithing as his sub
ject, calling attention to the laxity
on the part of some members in fail
ing to pay their tithing until the end
of the year, at which time they are
usually unable to pay the entire year,
leaving them in arrears to the church.
Apostle Rudger Clawson also ad-
dressed the meeting, giving an &C.
count of the twenty.one missions
scattered over the world in the inter.
ests of the church. and stated that
there are now 1923 missionaries in
the field
Statistics introduced by him show.
ed that l,S65,214 meetings and gospel
communications had taken place dur
ing the year 1908. and that 10,356,4S5
pieces of church literature had been
sent out to individuals.
At the afternoon session Apostle
Hyrum M. Smith spoke at length on
the liquor question, using the word
prohibition" for the first time dur
ing the conference in connection with
the recent anti-liquor movement in
the state legislature.
Apostle Smith made the statement
that at the last conference the church
went on record as in favor of prohi-
bition, and said: I'VE asked the state
Legislature for assistance in securing
this relief. and also asked for Sun
day law, and we were given stone.
We also asked for absolute prohibit
ton and ! want to say here that the
lower house of the legislature, with a
few dishonorable exceptions, stood
squarely in favor of the measure.
Liquor was and is destroying your
sons and daughters, and injuring the
best interests of the state.
THE upper house was the reverse.
With a few honorable exceptions.
they would not give the people what
they wanted, and openly said that not
only would they refuse TO restrict the
saloons but would give them greater
license than before.
I'VE held out to the very last hop
ing for purity in life, for every vir-
| tue, for everything that will help our
people TO lead better and purer
life. and as far as | have authority
to speak for the church of Christ. /
may say we desire relief from the
liquor combination. a Sabbath day to
be kept holy and we deplore the con-
dition of affairs that permits public
servant to openly arise and publicly
cast aspersions on the church and Its
/
motives.
But do not be discouraged. We
have had to fight for everything we
ever had, all our lives. Just as the
leaven is working in other things, so
will 1t be with this, and we will live
to see the day when we can put men
in our legislature who will listen to
the voice of the people, and will free
Eus from the bondage of the sons OF
men"
Closing Session.
The seventy-ninth annual confer
ence OF the Church of Jesus Christ OF
Latter-day Saints came to close
Tuesday afternoon. the morning SEES
sion having been continued to the
close of the program that the mem
bers might not be required to brave
the Indictment weather by returning
for a further session.
All of the authorities were present
ed for consideration and sustained by
unanimous vote, the only change be-
ing the appointment of Tracy Y. Can
non as assistant organist TO succeed
Walter J. Poulton. Jr.. resigned. The
OIIlCt vi DItol0thl VI ShN ''pN' HNN'N
choir was also created and John k.
Winder appointed to fill it.
The reported change among the
seven presidents of the seventies.
caused by the illness of President
George Reynolds, did not take place.
his name being announced for the
position and sustained with the re-
mainder Of the officers of the church,
The speakers of the session We're
Charles W. Nibley, Elders Soren
Rasmussen. recently returned from
the scandinavian mission, Heber j..
Grant, Francis NJ. Lyman, John
Henry Smith and Presiding Patri-
arch Joan Smith.
The attendance at the closing SEES
sion, though slightly smaller than on
any other day of the conference, was
still well over $4,000 persons. and
nearly two-thirds of them remained