76 Annual Conference

of the

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints

Held in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Utah, April sixth, seventh, eighth, nineteen hundred and six, with a full report of the discourses

'. • ■

Published by the Deseret News

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GENERAL CONFERENCE

THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.

FIRS'

The Seventy-Sixth Annual Confer- ence of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints convened in the Tab- ernacle, Salt Lake City, at 10 a. m. on Friday, April 6, 1906, President Joseph F. Smith presiding.

THE PROCEEDINGS.

There were present of the First Presidency, Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder and Anthon H. Lund; of the Council of the Twelve Apostles, Fran- cis M. Lyman, John Henry Smith, Rudger Clawson, Hyrum M. Smith, George A. Smith and Charles W. Pen- rose; Presiding Patriarch John Smith; of the First Council of Seventies, Sey- mour B. Young, Brigham H. Roberts, George Reynolds, J. Golden Kimball, Rulon S. Wells and Joseph W. Mc- Murrin; of the Presiding Bishopric, William B. Preston and Orrin P. Mil- ler. There were also a large number of presidents of stakes, their counsel- ors, presidents of missions, and other prominent men of the Priesthood.

The services were commenced by the choir and congregation singing the hymn which begins:

Our God, we raise to thee Thanks for thy blessings free

We here enjoy. In this far western land, A true and chosen band, Led hither by thy hand,

Would sing for joy.

The opening prayer was offered by Elder Joseph E. Taylor.

The choir sang the hymn beginning, High on the mountain top

DAY.

A banner is unfurled, Ye nations now look up, It waves to all the world.

PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH.

(Opening address.)

Prosperity general among the Saints.— Harmony and faithfulness characterize the Quorums of Priesthood, and auxil- iary organizations. — Duties denned, and efficiency to be increased. — Mechanical and Agricultural training in Church schools.— Striking example of the advan- tages of technical education in farming. —1905 the "banner year" for tithing con- tributions.—Books open for inspection of tithepayers.— Object and purpose of the Church organization. — Wickedness will not be tolerated.

I feel very grateful for the privilege of again meeting with you at one of our general conferences, it being the seventy-sixth anniversary of the or- ganization of the Church, and am pleased to see the number in attend- ance this morning. I sincerely hope that the Spirit of the Lord may dwell hi our hearts throughout this con- ference, that at the conclusion we may feel that our coming together has not been in vain, but that much good has been accomplished and the require- ments of the law of the Church ful- filled. We are grateful to the Lord for this beautiful morning, and I trust that we may be blessed with good weather, as well as with a rich out- pouring of the Spirit of God, through- out the conference.

It is six months since we last as- sembled in general conference, and many interesting things have trans- pired since then. Prosperity seems

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GENERAL CONFERENCE.

to have crowned the efforts of the Latter-day Saints throughout the land; and I do not say this boastingly at all, but in the very depths of humility and gratitude. I believe that the spirit of devotion to the cause of Zion has prevailed in the Church during the last six months as much as if not more than ever before in its history. I be- lieve that, speaking in a general way, we have been as united as ever before; and were it not that some might think we were boasting, I would venture to say that in my judgment- the Priest- hood and the people as a whole have never been more united than we are today.

I can assure you, my brethren and sisters, that, so far as my knowledge extends, the Presidency of the Church are united, and the spirit of love and confidence possesses our souls. The Lord has blessed us abundantly with health and with a reasonable outpour- ing of His Spirit. We have endeavored to meet the obligations that have de- volved upon us, to the best of our abil- ity and to the utmost of the strength and wisdom the Lord has given us. "We have not shrunk from any duty. We have sought to meet every re- quirement made of us as best we could, and we have reasonable assurance that so far the Lord has been pleased with our efforts and has accepted our labors. We desire to continue in the labor required at our hands, so long as the Lord shall desire it; and I be- lieve my counselors feel just as I do when I say that whenever the Father is satisfied with our services, we shall bow humbly and gratefully to His will.

With reference to the brethren of the Twelve, with whom we meet from week to week, and often from day to day, in council, I have to say that those of them who have been with us are united together and in full har- mony with us. I believe that the brethren of the Twelve who have been at their posts, performing their duty, stand solid for the advancement of the kingdom of God, and are united in their views and labors for the up-

building of Zion. There are circum- stances connected with these matters which are not altogether pleasant, and which are fraught, in some respects, with very serious consequences. But I have no hesitancy in recommending to you, brethren of the Priesthood and members of the Church, those mem- bers of the Council of the Apostles who have kept within the spirit of their calling, who have sought to magnify the same, and who have been instant in season and out of season in the per- formance of the duties that have de- volved upon them. They are worthy of the confidence of the Latter-day Saints, are valiant in their testimony for the truth, are earnest and vigilant in their watchcare over the interests of Zion submitted to them, and have labored diligently in the mission field, at home and abroad, as much as op- portunity has afforded.

With reference to the brethren of the Presiding Council of Seventy, I desire to express my commendation of them. They have always been on hand, ready to respond to every call made upon them, so far as their health and other important duties would permit. It is understood generally that Brother B. H. Roberts, one of the presidents, is engaged on the History of the Church, and is connected in this labor with the Historian's office. A large proportion of his time is required in this duty. Nevertheless he has re- sponded to the calls that have been made upon him, dropping his work and going out to visit the conferences when- ever required. The same may be said with reference to the other members of the Council. Brother George Reynolds another member, is a man much en- cumbered with duties in connection with the missionary work, the calling of Elders for missions, the keeping of their records, and also! the labor of the Sunday school, and other matters as- sociated with the President's office. He is a man who; labors from morning till night, early and late, and is most faith- ful and diligent in the performance of his duty. Moreover, he is most cap- able, being blessed of the Lord abund-

GENERAL. CONFEItKNCI.J

antly in the calling to which he is as- signed. I mention these two brethren for the reason that they are occupied in clerical work to a great extent, and are therefore not at liberty so much as the others to visit the conferences and labor in the ministry.

I am sorry to say that all the Pre- siding Bishopric of the Church are not in the enjoyment of perfect health, but they are united, diligent and faithful in the discharge of their duties, and their integrity is unquestioned. With the assistance they have in their office, which is most capable and efficient, the duties and responsibilities of their office are well and faithfully perform- ed. I regret to say that Bishop Bur- ton's health is very poor at present, but I understand he is improving, and I trust he will soon be himself again.

I would like to say a few words in re- gard to the various quorums of the Priesthood in the Church — the High Priests, the Seventies, the Elders, and the lesser Priesthood. The aim of those in charge of these quorums has been to awaken within the hearts of those who compose them a livelier interest in their work; and I believe it may be said in all candor and consistency that there never has been a time when the various quorums of the Priesthood were more interested in their work, more alive to their duties, looking more di- rectly to their legitimate calling, and paying more attention to the respon- sibilities that devolve upon them, than they are today. The Presidents of the Stakes are taking up the work of the quorums, especially of the lesser Priesthood, and they are endeavoring to arouse the members of the Priesthood to a realization of the great responsi- bilities that devolve upon them by rea- son of the Priesthood they hold and their connection with the quorums thereof. We expect to see the day, if we live long enough (and if some of us do not live long enough to see it, there are others who will), when every coun- cil of the Priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will understand its duty, will assume its •own responsibility, will magnify its

calling, and fill its place in the Church, to the uttermost, according to the in- telligence and ability possessed by it. When that day shall come, there will not be so much necessity for work that is now being done by the auxiliary organizations, because it will be done by the regular quorums of the Priest- hood. The Lord designed and compre- hended it from the beginning, and He has „ made provision in the Church whereby every need may be met and satisfied through the regular organiza- tions of the Priesthood. It has truly been said that the Church is perfectly organized. The only trouble is that these organizations are not fully alive to the obligations that rest upon them. When they become thoroughly awaken- ed to the requirements made of them, they will fulfill their duties more faith- fully, and the work of the Lord will be all the stronger and more powerful and influential in the world.

A word or two in relation to the Re- lief society. This is an organization that was established by the Prophet Joseph Smith. It is, therefore, the old- est auxiliary organization of the Church and it is of the first importance. It has not only to deal with the necessities of the poor, the sick and the needy, but a part of its duty — and the larger part, too — is to look after the spiritual welfare and salvation of the mothers and daughters of Zion; to see that none is neglected, but that all are guarded against misfortune, calamity, the powers of darkness, and the evils that threaten them in the world. It is the dutv of the Relief Societies to look after the spiritual welfare of them- selves and of all the female memoers of the Church. It is their duty to col- lect means from those who have in abundance, and distribute it wisely unto those in need. It is a part of their duty to see that there are those capable of being nurses as well as teachers and exemplars in Zion, and that they have an opportunity to be- come thoroughly prepared for this great labor and responsibility. I have heard of a disposition on the part of some of our sisters to become a law

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GENERAL. CONFERENCE.

unto themselves in relation to these things. I would like to say that it is expected of the Relief Society, espec- ially the general authorities of that great organization, that they will have a watchcare over all the organizations among the women of Zion. They stand at the head of all such; they ought to stand at the head, and they should magnify their calling, and see to it that error is not permitted to creep in, that cabals are not formed, that secret combinations may not get a foothold, to mislead the sisters. They should see to it that the other organizations of women in the Church correspond and are in harmony with their organ- ization. Why should this be? In order that the women of Zion may be united, that their interests may be in common, and not conflicting or segregated, and that the purpose of this organization may be realized and the organization itself be effective for good in every part of the Church throughout the world, wherever the Gospel is preached. We realize that it is impossible for men or women possessing physical weaknesses on account of age or in- firmities, to meet every requirement; but we expect that every man and woman entrusted with responsibility in the Church will do their duty to the utmost of their ability. That we look for; that we pray for; for that we la- bor to the best of the ability and strength we possess.

When I arose this morning I did not design to occupy much time, but I would like to say something in rela- tion to other organizations; and if I do not touch upon all of them, no one need feel slighted, for I feel that the eyes of the Lord and of His ser- vants are over all these organizations. We are cognizant of their existence; we know somewhat of their labors and of the responsibilities that rest upon them; we are not blind to their efforts, nor to the good thev are accomplish- ing. I want to say a few words con- cerning our Sunday school organiza- tion. I do not think any one will claim that at any previous time in the Church the Sunday school organization

was any more perfect or efficient than it is today. Do you think so. Brother Reynolds? (addressing him). [Broth- er Reynolds: "No, sir; I do not."] I believe that those who are connected with this work and familiar with what is beine: accomplished by it will be unanimous in the claim I make that never before, since the Sunday schools were organized in the days of our early settlement here, has this organization been so perfect and efficient as it is to- day. The brethren of the Sunday School Union Board meet every week, and they are interested in their work, Some of the members live at a dis- tance and cannot attend, but most of those who are within reach attend their council meetings every week, where matters connected with the Sunday schools are thoroughly con- sidered and weighed, and conclusions are reached, after much careful delib- eration and thought, in relation to the work that is sought to be accomplished in the Sunday schools. I feel thankful to my Father in heaven that we have so many efficient, capable workers in our Sunday schools, who are diligent in the performance of their duty, who wield such a wholesome influence over the minds of the pupils, and whose ex- amples are such as to make them worthy of all commendation. I desire to commend to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the laborers in the Sunday schools, and I trust that the parents will sustain them in their callings, strengthen their hands, by encouraging their children to attend the schools on the Sabbath day and to show deference and respect for their teachers.

Our Young Men's Mutual Improve- ment Associations are in as good care and keeping as could be expected. This is an organization which only continues a portion of the year. During the busy season, when young men are required on the farms, these associations sus- pend for a time; but the work is car- ried on all through the winter season, from October to April, when the youth of Zion are able to attend to their du- ties in these organizations. I desire to

PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH.

F>

say that our best missionaries are called from these Mutual Improvement Associations. The young men that make the most efficient missionaries are those who have been faithful in these organi- zations. It is true we have missionary classes in our Church schools, where the young- men who have not paid much attention to religious matters and are not well read in the scriptures, may gc for a short season and receive instruc- tion. But this work is only temporary compared with the work of the Mutual Improvement Association. It is alto- gether too brief, and those who attend t;;ese classes are generally pushed for time, in a hurry to get home and go to work again, and can scarcely stay long enough to finish the course. There- fore, I repeat that our best and most effective workers in the mission field are those that have given most atten- tion to the Mutual Improvement work at home. So that it is doing good.

Ihe Young Ladies' Mutual Improve- ment Associations are also prosperous and doing a glorious work. Yet for buth of these organizations the field is broad, and the laborers are indeed few. But they are doing the best they can under the circumstances, I believe, and I have only words of commendation for them.

Our Primary Associations are also ef^. fkient and doing much good among the little children, and I commend their la- bor and organization, and exhort them to diligence in the performance of their duty and economy in the use of the means that comes into their hands, as I do the Relief Society. I say to all these organizations that it is expected of them that in all their dealings they will operate on business principles, strictly upon honor, so that it may never be necessary to cover a single track they make, but that every step they take may be above board and open to the scrutiny of all who may be in- terested. It is expected that they will make reports from time to time, as re- quired, both of their financial and their ecclesiastical work.

We have a number of Church schools

established in Zion. I have not taken the pains to post myself as to the ex- act number, but I believe there art about 17. The Brigham Young Uni- versity in Provo, the Latter-day Saints' University in this city, and the Brig- ham Young College in Logan, are in- stitutions of which the whole Church has reason to be proud. The Trustee- in-Trust, by and with th<» advice of the First Presidency and the Council of Apostles, has given as liberally as pos- sible, consistent with other obligation^, for the maintenance of our Church schools. We have sought to encourage in our Church schools the establish- ment of .departments of mechanic arts ani1. manual training; and. so far as I know, everything possible is being done, at least in the principal schools, for the training of our youth, not only in the regular mechanic arts, but also in the art of agriculture. An agricul- tural course has recently been started in the Brigham Young University, and one of our most proficient scientists has teen called to take charge of the class. I am happy to say that some of our old- est farmers are delighted with the information they have obtained by at- tending this class. I heard a brother who had been farming for many years, say that he had always been under the impression that when a man could not do anything else, all he had to do was to turn his attention to the plow and cultivate the soil, for anybody could make a farmer, but he had found out since attending his class that it re- quired intelligence and intelligent ap- plication to be a good farmer, as well as to be a good artisan. In connec- tion with this I may state a circum- stance that came under my own ob- servation years ago. A certain brother had lived upon his farm for some four- teen or fifteen years. He had culti- vated it every year the best he could, but it had become so impoverished that he could not make a living off it any longer, and he became so disgusted wi,th the country, especially with his farm, that he concluded, if he could only trade the farm off for a team and

6

GENERAL, CONFERENCE.

wagon that would take him out of the country, he would be glad to go. By and by his man came along, and he sold his farm for a team and wagon, in which he put his wife and children and moved to some other country. The purchaser took possession of this worn- out farm, and within three years, by intelligent operation, he was able to gather from that farm forty bushels of wheat to the acre, and other pro- ducts in proportion. The nutriment of the soil had been exhausted, and it needed resuscitation; so he went to work, gave it the nourishment it re- quired, and reaped a bountiful harvest as a result of his wisdom. There are too many of our farmers who think it does not need any skill to be a farmer; but this good brother in Provo to whom I alluded found it did. So we are teaching agriculture in our schools, as well as the mechanic arts. The Brig- ham Young College is putting up a building now wherein are to be taught all sorts of industries; where our youth will be able to learn carpentry, black- smithing, domestic arts, and other things that will be useful to them. Yet we find it a drag to induce anybody that is possessed of means to contribute very largely to it. Some of our wealthiest men felt the^- were doing their utmost when they donated per- haps a hundred dollars towards a building that will cost eight or ten thousand dollars, if not more. I men- tion this for the reason that in my opinion the Church schools are laying the foundation for great usefulness among the people of God, and they should be sustained by the people and by the Church. The Church is sus- taining them, and as we acquire more means and become more free from ob- ligations which have been resting upon the Church for years, we will be more freehanded to administer to the needs of our Church schools, as well as other requirements of that nature.

The Religion Class work is an ad- junct to the Church schools. It is under the direction of President An- thon H. Lund and his associates, and it

is a necessary and most interesting ad- junct to our auxiliai^ organizations. It was established to assist in the pro- per training and education of our chil- dren, and I commend it to the presid- ing authorities throughout the Church, and bespeak for it their kind attention, encouragement and assistance, so far as it lies in their power. Let us take care of these things, for they nurture and strengthen our children in the right direction, and there is nothing more im- portant. If is extreme folly for any people to send thousands of mission- aries out into the world to preach the Gospel to the nations, and neglect their own children at home. I think our very first interest should be to look after our children, and see that they have every advantage necessary to bring them up in the way they should go, that when they get old they may not depart from it.

I want to say to the Latter-day Saints that the year 1905 has been the banner year for the tithings of the peo- ple. You can put that down in your memorandum books, and remember it. Never in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have the people contributed as much tithing as they did in 1905. And yet they have not done anything more than their duty; in fact, there are a great many Latter-day Saints that have not done their duty, as the books will show.

In this connection I may say that a most thorough and searching audita- tion of the books of the Trustee-in- Trust, the books of the Presiding Bishopric, and the books of the Deseret News Company, has been made by the auditors that were appointed and sus- tained at our last conference. Before the conclusion of this conference we will read you their report, and I be- lieve you will be perfectly satisfied with it. The man that complains about not knowing what is done with the tithing, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred is the man who has no credit on the books of the Church for pay- ing tithing. We do not care to exhibit the books of the Church to

PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH.

7

such carpers and to that class of peo- ple. But there is not a tithepayer in the Church that cannot go to the Presiding Bishop's Office, or to the of- fice of the Trustee-in-Trust, if he de- sires, and find his account, and see to it that every dollar he has given to the Lord for tithing is credited to him. Then, if he wants to be more search- ing as a tithepayer and find out what is done with the tithing, we will set be- fore him the whole thing, and if he has any good counsel to give us we will take it from him. But we will not — because we do not have to, and it is not the business of the world to require it- open our books to the world, unless we wish to. We are not ashamed of them. We are not afraid for them to be in- spected. They are honest and straight; and there is not a man in the world that will look at them, but will say so, if he is honest himself.

I do not know but I have trespassed upon your time, but there are other things that pass through my mind. We are contributing means for the pur- chase and maintenance of mission houses in the world; and today we have more headquarters belonging to the Church in Great Britain, in Scan- dinavia, in the United States and in the islands of the sea, where our Elders may rendezvous and find a resting place in time of sickness or distress, and where they may meet for counsel, than evier bjefore. When I say that I do ,not boast at all; I simply give it to you for information and as a statement of fact.

So we may say that notwithstanding the opposition, the bitterness, the hat- red, the falsehoods, the slanders and the misrepresentations with which the public press has been filled for year3 concerning the Latter-day Saints and the authorities of the Church, there never was a time when the Church prospered more than it is doing today; and I do not know but we ought to be thankful that the Lord lets our enemies expose themselves as they do.

The Lord bless you. I see before me- the leaders of the Church, the presiding

spirits, in the capacity of Presidents of Stakes, Counselors to Presidents of Stakes, High Councilors, Bishops and their counselors, and those who are en- gaged in our educational institutions and in other responsible positions in the Church. I honor you all. I love you for your integrity to the cause of Zion. It is the kingdom of God or nothing, so far as I am concerned. I cut no figure personally in this work, and I am nothing except in the humble effort to do my duty as the Lord gives me the ability to do it. But it is the kingdom of God. What I mean by the kingdom of God is the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints, of which Jesus Christ is the king and the head; not as an or- ganization in any wise menacing or jeopardizing the liberties or rights of the people throughout the world, but an organization calculated to lift up and ameliorate the condition of man- kind; to make bad men good, if it js possible for them to repent of their sins, and to make good men better. That is the object and purpose of the Church, that is what it is accomplishing in the world. And it is very strict in regard to these matters. Drunkards, whore- mongers, liars, thieves, those that be- tray the confidence of their fellowmen, those who are unworthy of credence, unworthy of love and confidence — all such, when their character becomes known, are disfellowshiped from the Church, and are not permitted to have a standing in it, if we know it. It is true that there are none of us but have our imperfections and shortcomings. Perfection dwells not with mortal man. We all have our weaknesses. But when a man abandons the truth, virtue, his love for the Gospel and .for the people of God, and becomes an open, avowed en- emy, it becomes the duty of the Church, and the Church would be recreant to its duty if it did not sever him from communion, cut him off, and let him go where he pleases. We would do wrong if we hung on to and tried to nurture such evil creatures in our midst, no matter what the relationship

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GENERAL CONFERENCE.

may be that exists between us and them. Therefore, I say again, the Church of Jesus Christ stands for vir- tue, honor, truth, purity of life, and good will to all mankind. It stands for God the Eternal Father, and for Jesus Christ, whom the Father sent into the world, and whom to know is life eter- nal. This is what the Church stands for, and it cannot tolerate abomina- tion crime and wickedness on the part of those who may claim to have some connection with it. We must sever our- selves from them, and let them go. Not that we want to hurt them. "We dc not want to hurt anybody. "We never have, and we do not intend to, hurt anybody. But »we do not intend to be hurt by those who are seeking our de- struction, if we can help it. It is our right to protect ourselves.

Now, God bless you. May peace abide in your souls, and the love of truth abound in you. May virtue garnish all your ways. May you live uprightly and honestly before the Lord, keep the faith, and be valiant in the testimony of Jesus Christ; for he that is valiant will receive his reward. God bless you. is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.

The choir sang the anthem, "Let the mountains shout for joy."

UNIVERSITY TRUSTEES.

President Smith explained that ac- cording to the deed of the Brigham Young University, the trustees of that institution shall be presented every three years to be sustained at the gen- eral conference. He therefore pre- sented the following names for the vote of the Saints:

Joseph F. Smith, David John, Wilson H. Dusenberry, Susa Y. Gates, Reed Smoot, John Henry Smith, Lafayette Holbrook, Stephen L. Chipman, Jesse Knight, Oscar B. Young, Jonathan S. Page, Jr., Richard W. Young. The vote was unanimous.

PRESIDENT JOHN R. WINDER.

Testimony concerning the truth of Presi- dent Smith's statements. — Gratifying in- crease of interest in Temple work.— The Lord will bless the faithful.

I feel very thankful this morning to ■have the privilege of meeting once more with you in general conference. I have listened with much pleasure to the statements made by our President in relation to the condition of the Church of Jesu3 Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have no doubt that you also have listened with the same degree of interest. I rejoice exceedingly that 1 can bear testimony to the truth of what he has said, in all particulars. I am very thankful that the Lord has been so kind and generous to me as to extend my years until the present time, and I pray and hope that the remaindei of my days may be spent in assisting to build up His Church upon the earth.

I remember that in the last sermon preached by the Prophet Joseph Smith, he laid particular stress upon the duties and obligations of the Latter-day Saints in relation to the redemption of their dead. I rejoice to know that the dispo- sition and feeling of the Latter-da> Saints in this direction is improving, and that the number attending to this w ork in the temples is increasing al! tne time. A little item that has ap- peared in the statistics we have re- ceived is of much interest to me, name- ly, that during the past year there has been a very decided increase in the number of marriages in the temples. We are much gratified to know that our ycung people are looking towards the temples of God as the proper places for the performance of the marriage cere- mony. We hope they will continue to do so, and that there will be a still greater increase in this direction dur- ing the present year. I look upon the payment of tithing, ahd the desire of the people to perform temple ordinances and work for the redemption of their dead, as good indications of the faith- ful condition of the Saints.

I am thankful, my brothers and sis- ters, for this opportunity to bear tes- timony to what has been said. I do

PRESIDENT ANTHON H. LUND.

9

not feel to occupy your time, but I de- sire to express my thanks and gratitude to God for every blessing He has be- stowed upon His people. I am satisfied that if we continue to prosecute our la- bor? as faithfully as we have done in the past the Lord will continue to bless us, and will multiply us upon the earth. May God bless you, my brethren ana sisters. Many of you have traveled long distances to come up here to spend a short time in conference. May you be abundantly repaid for all that you have done in this direction.

God bless you, and all pertaining un- to you, and may your substance, and everything that is needful for your ■welfare, be multiplied and increased, is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Ainen.

PRESIDENT ANTHON H. LUND.

The ethics of "Mormonism".— Pursuit of worldly affairs quenches love of Gospel. —Essentiality of religious, intellectual, and manual education.— Advantages of Church school instruction.— Gratifying progress of the Church at home and abroad.

When President Smith in his clos- ing remarks told us what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stands for, I thought of these words, given in an early revelation:

"Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kind- ness, godliness, charity, humility, dili- gence, ask, and ye shall receive; knock and it shall be opened unto you."

This passage contains the ethics of Mormonism, and is what the Church stands for. I believe that we, the Lat- ter-day Saints, are remembering these virtues, and that faith is increasing in our midst. It would be well for us all to examine ourselves and see if our faith is increasing, or if we are getting indifferent and our faith de- creasing. We should do this thorough- ly; let our criticism of self be severe so that we may see ourselves in the true light. Many who received the Gospel abroad, in thinking over the Past, are led to say: "How sweet was the word of God as it came to us

through the servants of the Lord." Eut since coming here they have be- come so absorbed in business and worldly pursuits that they seem to have forgotten the object of their gathering with the Saints. To such I will say, Stop, and try to regain that first love of the Gospel which, even now, gives you so much pleasure in re- calling. A friend, whom I remember from my childhood, said a short time ago: "You may not think that I am very staunch in the faith when you see how little I do in a Church way, but I wish to say that, when I think of those early days, when I joined the Church, it warms my heart, and I feel thankful that I have a knowledge of the truth." Here is one who has let the present absorb all his energies, and he has become seemingly indifferent to the requirments of the Gospel. This should not be the case with any of us. We should remember and do the duties required of us as Saints.

We should remember our fellowmen, and that we owe the duty of making them acquainted with the faith God has given us. There are many living right in our midst who do not know what we believe. Many of us are will- ing to go to the ends of the earth to proclaim the glad tidings of a restor- ed Gospel, but do not think of our neighbors who live in the same street with us, and who know nothing about our religion except that which they read in newspapers inimical to us. We should be ready to bear our testimony to them, and above all let our good works so shine that they may know we are endeavoring to be the children of God.

We should cultivate the virtues mentioned in the passage I have read. We are there encouraged to seek knowledge. The President has given us a statement of the different or- ganizations in the Churteh, and has told us their aim and purpose. The object of the quorums of the Priest- hood, and the auxiliary organizations, is that their members n*ay acquire knowledge, and self improvement. If we are called an ignorant people, we

10

GENERAL CONFERENCE.

want to make it manifest to the world that the charge is not true, but that we are obeying the commands of the Lord, seeking knowledge ourselves and are imparting this also to our chil- dren. I feel proud of what the Latter- day Saints are doing for their children in regard to education; they are alive to the necessity of having them tho- roughly instructed. We do not want the mind trained alone, but also the hands. We desire that the education we give our children shall be most useful to them. The object of giv- ing them a good education should not be alone for the purpose that they may be able to gain a living without man- ual labor. It is true that we need many teachers; we need many men and women in other professions also, and they must devote their time to fit and prepare therrfselves for such positions; but all our children cannot expect to enter the pro- fessions. There are, however, many vocations open to all, and a skilled hand will always find work. Presidents Smith and Winder are much in favor of giving our children thorough manual training. We should teach them to regard labor as en- nobling, and not to look down upon the farmer or the tradesman as engaged in occupations beneath the professional man, for the one is as noble as the other. The professions may require more study, but those having attain- ments in these directions should not look down upon those who are skilled in the trades. Professions and handi- crafts, should go hand in hand.

We desire our children to get a good, solid education, both secular and spir- itual. We would like our people to sustain the Church schools and let their children spend some time in them — a year, two years, four years if they can afford it — so that they may have opportunity to study theology. We have excellent school all over the state, and the people should make the best use of them; and when the children get through the grades let them attend our Church schools. The Church has ad- vanced a great deal of money to sus-

tain these institutions, >n order ihat our boys and girls may attend them and become grounded in the faith. Our faith is valued 6>0 highly by us that we want them to appreciate it also, and it is gratifying to see that when they receive religious; instruc- tions in these schools they love it. To- some it may be irksome, but there are few who complain of theological studv in the school. It is for religious train- ing especially that Church schools, have been established. If a student wants to take only the secular branch- es of education, with theology elim- inated, he can get all he wants at the state institutions; but he must attend the Church schools if he wishes re- ligious instruction. We would en- courage our people to give this due thought. We cannot overestimate the value of giving our children an op- portunity to study under teachers who- will teach them the way of life and salvation. Of course, a great many cannot attend the Church schools. We would like such to have a chance to obtain religious instruction, and for this purpose religion classes have been established. I was thankful that the President brought them to our notice. I hope that all of us will try to make these religion classes do as much good as possible to our children.

I rejoice, brethren and sisters, in see- ing the progress that the work of the Lord is making, both at home and abroad. At home I see that the quor- ums of the Priesthood are awakening to their duties, and that in many of the Stakes the Presidents and their counselors, the Bishops and their counselors, are taking an active part in making the quorum meetings inter- esting unto the members. The quor- ums are indeed like schools,