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this labor in their behalf and to extend to our kindred beyond the veil the greatest redeeming plan of salvation. The opportunity is now afforded us. Opportunities are also continually opening before us, whereby our genealogies may be obtained. I have learned, through experience, that people who have an interest in their temple work, records and genealogies, obtain those genealogical records, to a great extent. Some people spend hundreds of dollars, perhaps thousands of dollars, in traveling and gathering up the records of their forefathers, while others are indifferent in this regard, and scarcely think of it from one year's end to another. We are not going to live forever, none of us. We may pass away any moment. I have known of many instances of this kind, where people have put off from time to time and from year to year, their work in behalf of some of their kindred dead, and have finally passed away themselves without doing this work. I know of such cases in Salt Lake City and all over the country. Now, brethren and sisters, do not forget this labor. Do not put it off until you are entirely ready, because, if you do, perhaps you will not get ready at all. Your way may be hedged up, for Satan is on the move and is looking into our affairs continually and he may hedge up our way, wherever the opportunity is afforded him, that we shall not be able to redeem our kindred dead. Therefore, I wish to urge this matter upon you. In the midst of all our duties and labor, let us not forget our fathers and mothers, and our kindred on the other side of the veil.

God bless you, and may He lead us in the paths of life; that our minds may be stirred up by way of remembrance of the duties pertaining to us in this our second estate.

The meeting was brought to a close by the singing of the hymn, "We thank Thee, O God for a Prophet."

Benediction by Elder Marriner W.

Merrill.

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and those connected with various or

ganizations, were presented to the Conference for the votes of the assemblage, as follows:

Lorenzo Snow, as Prophet, Seer and Revelator and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in all the world.

George Q. Cannon, as First Counselor in the First Presidency.

Joseph F. Smith as Second Counselor in the First Presidency.

Franklin D. Richards, as President of the Twelve Apostles.

As members of the Council of the Twelve Apostles: Franklin D. Richards, Brigham Young, Francis M. Lyman, John Henry Smith, George Teasdale, Heber J. Grant, John W. Taylor, Marriner W. Merrill, Anthon H. Lund, Matthias F. Cowley, Abraham O. Woodruff and Rudger Clawson.

The Counselors in the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles as Prophets, Seers and Revelators.

Patriarch of the Church-John Smith. First seven Presidents of SeventiesSeymour B. Young, Christian D. Fjeldsted, Brigham Henry Roberts, George Reynolds, Jonathan G. Kimball, Rulon S. Wells and Joseph W. McMurrin.

William B. Preston as Presiding Bishop, with Robert T. Burton and John R. Winder as his first and second counselors.

Franklin D. Richards as Church Historian and general Church recorder, with John Jaques and Andrew Jenson as his assistants.

As trustee-in-trust for the body of religious worshippers known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints-Lorenzo Snow.

As members of the general Church Board of Education-Lorenzo Snow, George Q. Cannon, Karl G. Maeser, Willard Young, Anthon H. Lund, James Sharp, Joseph F. Smith, John Nicholson and George H. Brimhall.

As general Superintendent of Church Schools and Religion Classes-Karl G. Maeser.

As Secretary of General Church Board of Education-George Reynolds.

As Members of the Board of Examiners of Church School Teachers-Karl G. Maeser, Benjamin Cluff, Jr., William J. Kerr, George H. Brimhall and Joshua H. Paul.

As Secretary of the Board of Examiners-John M. Mills.

RELIEF SOCIETY.

Zina D. H. Young, president. Jane S. Richards, first vice-president. Bathsheba W. Smith, second vicepresident.

Sarah J. Cannon, third vice-president. Emmeline B. Wells, secretary. M. Isabella Horne, treasurer. Directors: Romania B. Pratt, Emelia D. Madsen, Lucy S. Cardon, Susan Grant, Mary Pitchforth, Harriett M. Brown, Martha Tonks, Helena E. Madsen, Aurilla Hatch, Hattie Brown, Martha B. Cannon, Emma Woodruff, Julia L. Smith, Emily S. Richards, Rebecca Standring, Ellis R. Shipp, Julia P. M. Farnsworth.

SUNDAY SCHOOL AUTHORITIES. George Q. Cannon, general superintendent.

Karl G. Maeser, second assistant general superintendent.

George D. Pyper, general secretary. George Reynolds, general treasurer. Leo Hunsaker, assistant secretary. Members of the Deseret Sunday School Union Board-George Q. Cannon, Karl G. Maeser, George Reynolds, Thomas C. Griggs, Joseph W. Summerhays, Levi W. Richards, Francis M. Lyman, Heber J. Grant, Joseph M. Tanner, George Teasdale, Hugh J. Cannon, Andrew Kimball, Joseph F. Smith, John W. Taylor.

Aids-L. John Nuttall, James W. Ure.

John F. Bennett, John M. Mills, William B. Dougall, William D. Owen, Seymour B. Young.

YOUNG MEN'S MUTUAL IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION.

Lorenzo Snow, general superintendent.

Joseph F. Smith, Heber J. Grant and B. H. Roberts, assistants.

Aids-Francis M. Lyman, John Henry Smith, Matthias F. Cowley, Abraham O. Woodruff, J. G. Kimball, Junius F. Wells, Milton H. Hardy, Rodney C. Badger, Geo. H. Brimhall, Wiliam S. Burton, Edward H. Anderson, Douglas M. Todd, John E. Heppler, Edward H. Snow, Nephi L. Morris, Richard W. Young, Horace Willard G. Whitney, Done, LeRoi C. Snow, Frank Y. Taylor.

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Music director, Evan Stephens. YOUNG

LADIES' MUTUAL IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION. Elmina S. Taylor, president.

Maria Y. Dougall, first counselor. Martha H. Tingey, second counselor. Secretary and treasurer, Annie M. Cannon.

Corresponding secretary, Mae Taylor. Assistant secretary, Joan Campbell. Aides-Lilly T. Freeze, Adella W. Eardley, Sarah Eddington, Aggie Campbell, Minnie J. Snow, May B. Talmage, Emma Goddard, Rose W. Bennett, Alice K. Smith, Elizabeth C. McCune, Ruth M. Fox, Julia A. Brixen, Susa Y. Gates, Helen W. Woodruff, Augusta W. Grant, Mary A. Freeze. PRIMARY ASSOCIATION. Louie B. Felt, president. Lillie T. Freeze, first counselor. Josephine R. West, second counselor. May Anderson, secretary and treas

urer.

Olive Derbidge, assistant secretary. Euphemia J. Irvine, recording secretary.

Aids-Aurelia S. Rogers, Cornelia H. Clayton, Lulu Greene Richards, Belle S. Ross, Julia I. McDonald, S. E. Hyde, Camilla C. Cobb, Zaidee Walker.

John Nicholson as clerk of the General Conference.

All of the voting was unanimous.

Brother Horace S. Ensign sang the solo, Jerusalem.

ELDER JOSEPH W. M'MURRIN.

Young Men should be Prepared for the MinistyUsefulness of Musical Ability.

I feel, my brethren and sisters, in standing before this great assembly of people that I occupy a very responsible position. The words spoken by Apostle Merrill come home to me with considerable force, that when one stands up to claim the attention of so many people, he certainly needs the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that the time may be spent profitably. The time of the people should not be wasted through men speaking by their own wisdom and without the inspiration of the Lord. I sincerely pray that that spirit may direct me in the few words that I speak, and that I may have the sympathy and the faith and prayers of this great congregation of Latter-day

Saints.

I have rejoiced exceedingly in the meetings of this conference and in the glorious instructions that have been given by the servants of the Lord, as they have been moved upon by the power of the Holy Ghost. I thank the Lord that in my heart there is a response to the teachings that have been given by the various speakers, and that I feel in my soul that I am in full accord with the doctrines that have been announced; that I sustain them, and that I can bear testimony to their truth and to their great value to this people. I feel that there could have been no man or woman attend the as

semblies of this conference without feeling that he or she has received instructions from the Lord, and has come away with a determination to improve in the future with the assistance of God. I know my own heart has had feelings of this nature. I have felt that I would endeavor to do better, that I would pay attention to the hints that have been thrown out and to the doctrines that have been given and try to keep the commandments of the Lord more fully. There is a splendid opportunity for all Latter-day Saints to accomplish a great amount of good. We heard here this morning and we all

understand it, that the responsibility of preaching this glorious Gospel, which has been revealed by our Father in Heaven, rests upon this people, particularly upon those who bear the authority of the Holy Priesthood. When we think of the vast field that opens up before us, of the millions of people who know nothing concerning the glad news that God has sent to His children on the earth, we should be anxious to qualify ourselves for these duties and responsibilities.

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I feel that greater attention should be iven to the young men who are growing up in our midst. There should be greater anxiety upon the part of fathers and mothers and of men who are in authority, to train them the principles of the Gospel, that when they leave their homes and go out into the world to preach the Gospel, they may be qualified for that labor, that none of them may be in the condition of some who have declared that they never studied the that they did not know where to find Gospel, certain books of the Holy Scriptures, and that they had never prayed publi● ly in their lives, not even in the family circle. I rejoice that there are opportunities abounding on every hand, if the people will take advantage of them to educate their sons and daughters in the principles of the Gospel and to prepare them for this serious responsibilty that must come upon them in the future. We have many schools organized that are under the control of the Latter-day Saints, where the principles that are so dear to us are taught to the studerts. I feel that all the people should give encouragement to these worthy institutions. They should send their sons and daughters to be educated under the influence of the Gospel, that they may grow up with an understanding of its principles and be capable of defending them when they go out among the people. I believe that in one particular we could make very great improvement, and that is in a musical way. As I listened to the solo that was rendered here this afternoon by Elder Ensign, who has recently returned from missionary labor, I felt in my heart that the power and ability that he has in this direc

tion has been as of great worth to him in the reaching of the Gospel as a knowledge of the scriptures. If greater attention were given to this subject of the tra.ning of young nen and of young women also, how to sing the songs c Zion, it would be of great worth to the missions to which they go. I think that if Mission Presidents who are in this congregation were asked, they would bear testimony that they would rather have men sent into their missious who could sing well and who could teach cthers to sing, even though they could not preach at all. This has been my experience in the European Mission, particularly in Great Britain. The young men who could sing the songs of Zion in a proper and pleasing manner were always in demand. They carried an influence with them that made them welcome at the homes of the people. They attracted attention uron the streets and they found good congregations to preach to, and they were able to do a great deal more good through being able to sing well than they otherwise would have done. Wonderful things can be accomplished in this direction. Prof. Stephens, I believe, at times has had thousands of students under his direction, training the youth of this Stake of Zion particularly, to sing the songs of Zion. Other musical directors could follow this example. They should persuade young men to join their choirs, to form glee clubs, and to prepare themselves in this way to make a good, impression on the people when they go out to preach the Gospel.

I do not feel, my brethren and sis ters, that it would be proper for me to occupy more of your time; but I do rejoice in this Gospel. I thank God with all my heart that I have been born and reared in the midst of the Latterday Saints. I testify before you that this work is of God; that there is power and salvation within it; that it has been revealed by the God of Heaven for the benefit and blessing of the people. I pray God that we may be stirred up as a people; that we may believe that there is a Prophet in the midst of Israel and that the God of Heaven has spoken to him and has commanded him to warn this people of the error of their ways and to point

out to them the way in which they should walk, that they may be blessed of the Lord. Let us receive the counsel given; let us believe the word of the Lord; let us sustain His servants, and let us awake to the responsibilities that rest upon us and follow in that straight path that will bring us everlasting life. May God bless us and help us to live aright all the days of our lives, is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.

PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH. Effectiveness of Musical Ability-The Efficacy of Prayer-The Righteous have no cause to Fear the Death of the Body-Spiritual Death and the Means of Escape from It-Young Men should Preserve Themselves in Purity.

Greatly to my surprise, I have been requested to occupy a few moments. I need not repeat the petition of my brother who has just sat down, that I may have the sympathy and the prayers of the Saints, for I certainly desire and need them. A certain incident was mind while brought forcibly to my Brother McMurrin was talking to us. Not long ago President Snow and his party attended a Stake conference, and I noticed that the choir was made up almost entirely of young ladies. There were perhaps two young men. One young man led the choir, and I do not remember clearly whether there was one young man in the choir or not besides the leader; but all the rest were young ladies. It was a beautiful choir, and they sang beautifully, but the absense of male voices was very conspicuous, notwithstanding. I believe during one of the services the leader of the choir was absent, and one of the young ladies had to step forward and lead it. I inquired why it was that the young men were not more numerous in that company of singers, and was told that the young men considered it was too effeminate, too womanly, for them to engage in the occupation of singing. I presume they might have felt more at home shaking the quilts, sweeping the floors, and helping to

wash the dishes. I can remember when I was a little boy, hearing my father sing. I do not know how much of a singer he was, for at that time I was not capable of judging as to the quality of his singing, but the hymns he

sang became familiar to me, even in the days of my childhood. I believe that I can sing them still, although I am not much of a singer. When young men go out into the world to preach the Gospel, they will find it very beneficial for them to know how to sing the songs of Zion. I repeat the admonition and request made by Brother McMurrin, who has recently returned from a lengthy mission to Europe, that the young men who are eligible to preach the Gospel, and who are liable to be called into the missionary field, begin at once to improve their talent to sing, and do not think it is beneath their dignity to join the choirs of the wards in which they live and learn how to sing. When we listen to this choir, under the leadership of Brother Stephens, we listen to music, and music is truth. Good music is gracious praise of God. It is delightsome to the ear, and it is one of our most acceptable methods of worshipping God. And those who sing in this choir and in all the choirs of the Saints, should sing with the spirit and with the understanding. They should not sing merely because it is a profession, or because they have a good voice; but they should sing also because they have the spirit of it and can enter into the spirit of prayer and praise to God who gave them their sweet voices. My soul is always lifted up and my spirit cheered and comforted when I hear good music. I rejoice in it very much indeed. Now, I would like to encourage the young men of Israel to learn to sing, and especially those young men of whom I have been speaking. I would not like to tell you just where they live, because it might be considered a little personal, but it was down south; it was not very far down south either. It was somewhere near Sanpete valley. I want the young men of Sanpete Valley to learn how to sing, so that when we go down to hold conference there again we can have the young men joining with the young women in the choir, and not leave the young women to do all the singing. This might apply also to all the other counties; especially should it apply to those counties or Stakes of Zion where the young men think it is beneath their dignity and their manhood to learn

how to sing. I hope they will rise above such a foolish notion as this.

Not only should we learn to sing, but we should learn to say our prayers. It is about as awkward for a young man to go out to preach the Gospel to those who sit in darkness, who does not know how to pray, as it is for one who does not know how to sing. And there are some who have gone out into the world, as we have heard today, who have not even known how to pray. The last time I was absent from home in the missionary field, I heard of a young man, whose grandfather was an Apostle and one of the most brilliant and faithful Apostles of the Church, and whose father has been a Bishop in the Church, and is today a very promeinent man. This young man went out to preach the Gospel to the heathens, and when he got into the field of labor he confessed he had never said a prayer in his life; he had never heard his mother pray; he had not been sufficintly with his father to hear him pray, and he knew nothing about praying and he had to begin as a little child, in the missionary field, to learn how to pray. It is a great pity that a young man should be sent out handicapped in this way; that he should be put to such a disadvantage by the indifference of his parents and the neglect of the opportunities that he had had in Zion. I pray you, my young brethren who are present in this vast congregation, and who are liable to be called to preach the Gospel to the world, when you are called to go out, I pray that you will know how to approach God in prayer. It is not such a difficult thing to learn how to pray. It is not the words we use particularly that constitute prayer. Prayer does not consist of words, altogether. True, faithful, earnest prayer consists more in the feeling that rises from the heart and from the inward desire of our spirits to supplicate the Lord in humility and in faith, that we may receive His blessings. It matters not how simple the words may be, if our desires are genuine and we come before the Lord with a broken heart and a contrite spirit to ask Him for that which we need. I would like to know if there is a young man in this cong

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