The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-04-05

approximately 5000 people filed the
great tabernacle almost to capacity YES.
terday morning when President Joseph
+. Smith opened the eighty-fourth an
nual conference Of the Church Of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints. There was
even larger attendance at the after
uoon meeting, and today it is probable
that one or more overflow meetings will
be necessary to accommodate the Nor.
mons who are in attendance from all
over the world
AS In the past, the annual address
Of President Smith was the feature of
the opening session. Carrying his sew
enty-six years III splendid stateliness,
the head Of the church delivered his
message to his flock in an unusually
happy mood which was caught up by
the other speakers Of the day. That
the church is stronger, more united and
in generally better condition today
than it has ever been, was the key
note expression of President Smith S
address and that OF Charles w. Pen.
rose, second counselor to the president,
who addressed the afternoon meeting.
Attacks Liquor Traffic.
Apostle Heber j. Grant electrified the
gathering in the afternoon with a pow
erful oratorical attack on houor traffic,
in, rt-hinh bn 1nn1prnl h. xho
Mormohs predominated in the state 10.
cal option had prevailed. He declared
that If the Latter"day Saints were Civ"
en- chance TO vote on ate.wide pro-
hibition, when they would be in the
majority would mean the end of the
liquor business in Utah.
The musical feature of the opening
day Of the conference was the delight,
full programme rendered by the com.
bined choira of Davis county, who came
to Salt Lake to render the music for
the day. In addition to the choral
selections, directed by e. d. Mann, mu-
steal director Of the Davis County Mu-
sical association, several soloists from
Davis county sang special numbers. Pro
fessor j. J. Mcclellan, tabernacle organ
ist, and Tracy Y. Cannon, assistant Or
ganist, presided at the famous organ.
Organ solos were rendered Before and
tlleI tdCH VI Iue TWO SGSSlONSs
President Joseph +. Smith called the
eighty-fourth annual conference to or.
der at 10 O'Clock yesterday morning
and announced that the Davis county
choirs would render go Ye Mountains
High" " assisted by the congregation, as
the opening ode. President Louis s.
Pond Of Bannock Qdaho) stake offered
the invocation.
Presidents Message.
Great good has boen accomplished
by the regular visits OF the ward
ssnlp This has snS given ass bsaps G 5s
a personal insight into the family or
ganizat!on and home life OF the peo-
pie OF theIr. wards and II is pleasing
LARGEST eete wards 1H the saisS' bsh
oprics have visited at least once dur
Ing the year every family In their
wards. In the larger wards the bish-
their aid experienced and influential
brethren to assist In this annual Wis
itation by going to the homes OF
proxirnatoly 10000 families were thus
visited either by the blshoprics In
person or by their specially appoint
cd representatives during the closing
months of tho year 1918.
AS already indicated. the vital sta
tistics OF the church as relating to
the established stakes show gem
people, Az compared with the nation
as whole our communities show q
higher birth rate and lower death
rate: and greater average duration OF
attention be given to all sanitary re-
uuircments and rules OF right living.
In some OF the sparsely settled dis
D1cr