Omaha daily bee., 1915-04-04
LATTER DAY SAINTS
BEGIN CONFERENCE
Church Will Select Successor to Late
President Smith at Meeting Which
Starts at Lamont Tuesday.
MANTLE WILL FALL ON HIS SON


LAMONT. Ia, April s.--CspeciaL The
seafh on December 10 last of Iosgph
smith. president Of. and Prophet Seer
sa~s RsvelatJr' To, the Rsorgauized
church OF Jesus Christ Of latter DAY
saints. and the approaching genH1aI ION
rsrence of that church. at which tinIe a
surressor to the late president WIN be
CHOSEN. bring again To the atfentinn Of
the public tho peculiar rise, ciHifna. be-
uefs end tragedies connected with the
history OF this people
The doctrines OF the church are based
4 ,-on present revelation. Members believe
that God communicates with his people
in these dsys. az well as in former times
The founder OF the church. Ioseph aEnith,
father Of the late president. claimed that
an angel appeared to him when he was a
young man OF twenty, ana delivered 20
him some gold plates upon which were
inscribed strange characters. and which
he translated by the power Of God This
book. which was first published In 1sSo.
claims % be record of the ancient tn
habitants OF America, and represents
them 10 have been at one time, in high
ate OF civilization.
Command from God.
The eldest son Of Joseph Smith. who
was only lad of ~ when his father and
Uncle Hyrum Smith were shot by a
masked mob at Carthage. ILL.,. in 1884. be-
lieved that In 1880 he received command
from God 10 go to Amboy, H.. and meet
with some OF the elders OF the church in
conference there. lie went. and was hailed
with great Joy by the assembled menu
bers. who Immediately ordained him to be
their president. A reorganization was ef-
fected. and thus the young man took UP
what became his life-work, viz, the
vindication OF his fathers GOOD name.
which had been traIlcd in the dust OF dis
honor because OF the apostRsy from the
original tenets, and the attempt 70 make
the religion for which his father laid
down his life, honorable in the sight of
men. How wfll this man succeeded, cir
cumecribed and handicapped as he was,
by popular error and false understand
ings. is evidenced by the universal tribute
OF respect paid TO him by the press OF
the entire nation at the time Of his death
last December. His life was sincere,
upright and kindly. and he summed all
false pretensions or expediencies. His
n
he died possessed OF no other worldly
goods and no legacy TO his family except
the envlable one OF a name of honor
among men. TO his persistent efforts, the
line Of distinction has been drawn between
his church ana the one in the valley of
the west. presided over at present by his
klnsman. Joseph Fielding Smith. son OF
Hyrum Smith. killed nj Carthage In 1874.
At times the differences OF the two
churches have been brought before the
courts OF the land. In the effort 10 estab-
fish title to u piece Of ground in Ipde-
pendence. Mo-. which the first president
OF the original church designated as the
sacred spot where a great temple should
be erected. Three times has the United
states supreme court decided that Tia
fseorganissd church Is the legal successor
10 tho one founded IN 1880, the Utah
faction being apostate. and that the
doctrines Of polyamy. ETC.. were intro
diced into the tonets OF that church
utterly outside OF and contrary 20 any
authority based upon the faith OF beliefs
Of tho original one.
accord of independence Church.
AZ Independence, Mo-, where Joseph
Smith resided for tho last eight years Of
his life. his followers number over 2.70o.
according TO the last report OF the re-
corder Of the branch. They form r. staple
part Of the government Of the town Of
1z.0co and arc found 20 stand ALMOST as
a unit upon the moral side of every
question OF civic conctn. Ninety-five
per cent OF these people are opposed 90
the liquor interests in every form. and
from their ward IN the city they roll up
a solid vote against a. They are in
dtlstrious and charitable and have a
financial system which enables them to
care for their ewn poor. aged. sick. or
phaned or other dependents and seldom
OF never do any OF their members come
upon either town or county for support
Too. their ministers are unpaid. except
that their families arc supported from
the church treasury. and all church ap-
polntees. whether holding positions high
or low, AZ home or in the missionary
field. receive an equal smount according
20 their schedules. Joseph Smith himself
was no exception 70 this rule and~prIded
himself upon having shared the lot Of
his brethren. however humble Il was.
Upon hts death-bed he said. Il have
never used dishonest dollar IN my life.
and have never knowingly wronged a
human being-man, woman or child"
Son WfIl succeed IIim.
In lso2 Joseph Smith designated his
son, Frederick NJ Smith. as his sue
cessor In tho position Of presiding Of
ficer OF the church. providing he should
be worthy This young man was born
near Chicago in ls7l. and received edu-
cation al Iowa university. Graceland
colieec and Kansas university. and "a
nov about 70 receive the degree OF Doc
Tor OF Philosophy from CLARK university
Massachusetts. lie has been associated
with his father In the first presidency
OF the church az his first counsellor
since 1902. the position OF second coun,
aellOF being held by Ebert a. smith
son Of David. youngest brother 60 IN,
late president. These two young meT
have carried the major part Of the bur
den Of presiding over the church. and
directing its missions. etc. for some tini,
past. as the disabilities OF age had crep
upon their chief. who spent the last fou
years Of life IN blindness, Thus. IN
church experienced no shock In admin
iatration OF affairs when their head wa
renaocod and n hi4 Wishes are caFries