Minutes of the September 1850 Great Salt Lake City General Conference

Transcription status

This is a source-integrated draft, not a completed transcript. The Millennial Star's own reprint of these minutes is incomplete -- its editor states the remainder was "lost or mislaid" in transit -- so this record runs from Friday, September 6 morning through partway into President Young's tithing discourse on Sunday, September 8 morning, where the printed text breaks off mid-sentence. The Sunday afternoon session (which, per secondary indexes, included remarks by Newel K. Whitney, Heber C. Kimball, and Parley P. Pratt, and President Young's closing) is not preserved in this witness at all. The heavyweight pass confirmed the underlying manuscript (CR 100 318) does continue past this point -- the "lost or mislaid" text was lost only in the Millennial Star's own transmission/editing, not from the historical record -- but that continuation's handwriting could not be transcribed with confidence via remote visual inspection; see the heavyweight_review_notes and the collation notes below. ¶

Do not split these minutes into individual talk files. Although several named speakers give substantial remarks, the source itself is organized as continuous conference minutes (in the same style as the 1830s-1840s Nauvoo-era conference records in this vault), not as separately headed discourses, so it belongs here as one conference_record. ¶

Friday, September 6 -- Morning Session

Source: Millennial Star, Vol. XIII, No. 2, pp. 17-18. ¶

President Brigham Young, Presiding. ¶

Present, the First Presidency, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Willard Richards. ¶

Patriarchs -- John Smith, Isaac Morley. ¶

Of the Twelve Apostles -- Orson Hyde, P. P. Pratt, G. A. Smith, E. T. Benson. ¶

Presidency of the Seventies -- Levi W. Hancock, Zera Pulsipher, Henry Herriman, A. P. Rockwood. ¶

Presidency of the Stake -- Dan. Spencer, W. Snow. ¶

High Priests' Quorum -- John Young, R. Cahoon. ¶

Presiding Bishop -- Newel K. Whitney. ¶

The High Council of the Stake. ¶

Thos. Bullock -- Clerk of Conference. ¶

The Conference was called to order by Elder G. A. Smith. The choir sung a hymn. Prayer by P. P. Pratt. Singing. ¶

President Young then stated to the congregation that the morning would be occupied by exhortation, teaching, and preaching, and instructions through the day. The business before the Conference will be concerning the different quorums and authorities of the church -- the propriety of strengthening the San Pete settlement, and a call for volunteers to return with Father Morley -- a delegation of elders to Germany, and the various states in that country; that he purposed once more to lay the law of tithing before the people; praying that he might have the spirit to communicate, that the people might understand; and that on Saturday afternoon, Elder Hyde would deliver a lecture on education, to the Chancellor and Regents of the University. ¶

Isaac Morley then expressed his thankfulness for this opportunity to meet the Saints; my heart is full of blessings for the people. I want a good company of good men and women to go to San Pete, and I do say, that no man shall dwell in that valley, who is in the habit of taking the name of God in vain. ¶

President Young said, I have it in my heart to ask the congregation, if Father Morley shall have the right and privilege to select such men as he wishes to go there? ¶

Moved that he have that privilege -- carried. ¶

Moved that he select one hundred men, with or without families -- carried. ¶

President Young said, it is as good a valley as you ever saw: the goodness of the soil cannot be beat; there is only one practicable road into it, and that is up Salt Creek; the inhabitants there are "No. 1," and when I was in that valley I prayed to God that he never would suffer an unrighteous man to live there. I am going to bring before the people the necessity of keeping up the fund for the emigration of the poor. I declare openly and boldly, there is no necessity for any man of this community to go to the gold mines, to replenish the fund: we have more property and wealth than we are capable of taking care of. If a man is not capable of improving one talent, what is the use of his getting more? He is like the foolish child, that could hold but one apple in both his hands, and in reaching for more, he lost what he had. If men only knew how to control what they have, and were satisfied, they would do much better. ¶

I will commence at the north and go to the south settlements, and pick out 25 of our inhabitants as they average; and another man may take 50 of the gold diggers, off hand, and they cannot buy out the 25 who have tarried at home. Before I had been one year in this place, the wealthiest man who came from the mines, Father Rhodes, with 17,000 dollars, could not buy the possessions I had made in one year! It will not begin to do it; and I will take 25 men in the United States, who have staid at home and paid attention to their own business and they will weigh down fifty others from the same place, who went to the gold regions; and again, look at the widows that have been made, and see the bones that lie bleaching and scattered over the prairies. ¶

Brother Joseph suffered himself to be dragged about the country by a mob, and was dragged into something like forty-six or forty-eight law-suits, yet he triumphed over all of them, and then they murdered him in cold blood, in Carthage jail, without any shadow of crime attached to him. I then swore that I would never fee a lawyer again; and we don't owe one dime, but that we are able to pay at any moment. If I can keep my credit good with the Almighty, I care not whether men speak evil of me or not. ¶

Singing by the choir, and benediction by G. A. Smith. ¶

Friday, September 6 -- Afternoon Session

Source: Millennial Star, Vol. XIII, No. 2, pp. 18-19. ¶

Friday, Two o'clock, p.m. ¶

Conference called to order by Daniel Spencer. Singing. Prayer by G. A. Smith. Singing. ¶

P. P. Pratt made some remarks on the mountains and valleys south of the Utah. ¶

If we carry out the instructions that we continually receive, we shall be the happiest people on the earth; whoever is governed by the kingdom of God, is a happy man: but who realizes it? It always was the man that was ready, that the Lord would work by: the only thing that should concern us, is, have we the principles of the kingdom of God in our hearts, and is it our desire to fulfil them? ¶

Orson Hyde then plead in behalf of the Perpetual Emigrating Poor Fund, and those who remain in Pottawatamie county. "I am glad that ways and means have been devised to deposit horses, oxen, wheat, &c., and give checks on the States, where the money can be appropriated to bring on the poor to this place. The operation is a good one, and it will operate not only in the United States, but in England, and other countries also. I feel when I get back to Iowa, that I can relieve the Saints, as I have both seen and tasted of the fruits of the Valley." ¶

President Young said, I am much gratified to see the warmth of feeling for the poor by Elder Hyde, and I think the best way to relieve ourselves of all our spare horses and cattle is, to put them into the Poor Fund. We shall not cease our exertions until Zion is redeemed, and all Israel is gathered. ¶

From the days of Joseph to the present moment, the prophecies were never fulfilled faster, and that too upon natural principles. They are miracles and remarkable phenomena to us so long as we do not understand them. ¶

H. C. Kimball moved that there be a committee of three appointed, to take care of and transact the business of the Poor Fund -- carried. ¶

And, on motion, Willard Snow, Edward Hunter, and Daniel Spencer, were voted said committee. ¶

President Young said, there is one question I wish to ask, it is this; will this people back that committee up to the last farthing? If they will, in the end, great joy will be yours; if you will covenant to do it, please signify it by raising the right hand. (All hands up.) Gentlemen, that's the terror among the nations! you cannot get a contrary vote! that's the terror! the union of this people. ¶

I think our next move will be to have this committee organized into a company, and chartered by the State, to sue and be sued, collect and be collected, and dispose of, and do all business as a company, and then will be the budding and blossoming of one of the greatest operations in all the world. ¶

We do not want to detain this meeting any longer; but at intermission, come forward and enter your names, and what amount you put in, Brother Bullock will enter to your names. ¶

Singing by the choir, and benediction by Ezra T. Benson. ¶

Saturday, September 7 -- Morning Session

Source: Millennial Star, Vol. XIII, No. 2, pp. 19-20. ¶

Saturday, September 7th, 10 a.m. ¶

Conference called to order by Daniel Spencer. Singing by the choir, prayer by Lorenzo Young. Singing. ¶

Elder G. A. Smith rose to speak on the first principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He said, to preach the word of life to man is a very high and holy calling, and an important trust committed to any people; and chose for his text, Thessalonians, 1st chap., 5th verse; and divided his text into, firstly, the word of the gospel; secondly, the power of the gospel; thirdly, the power of the Holy Ghost; and fourthly, its assurance. As the gospel is the power of God unto every soul that believes; he reviewed the birth, crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and then the commission he gave to his disciples, and his instructions to them, as his witnesses, to testify to the truth, and teach all the things whatsoever he commanded them, and their commencing to preach on the day of Pentecost, in fulfilment of their commission; calling on the people to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, with the promise of the Holy Ghost, that was to follow, through the ordinance of the laying on of hands. ¶

Men must obey the ordinances of the first principles, or their superstructure is in vain; it is recorded, all power in heaven and on earth is given unto Jesus Christ; therefore he ordered them to go and baptize the people in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and they went in the name of Jesus Christ and did act, and the Comforter proceeded from the Father, and did bring all things to their remembrance, and did teach them things to come, and when the people had obeyed, the Holy Ghost fell upon them, the promises were fulfilled, and then the people rose up and declared they knew the thing was true. ¶

The sects of the day argue that these gifts and blessings were withdrawn from the earth, and they dared not even attend to baptism, or the laying on of hands, although the Saviour positively tells us we must obey. ¶

Did God intend that this gospel should be applicable to us in all its power and glory, gifts and blessings? Yes: they are promised even unto the end of the world; and just as long as there was a being on the earth; and Christ himself gave some apostles, some prophets, teachers, &c., for the work of the ministry, and the edification of the church. ¶

The whole Christian world have rejected the law, lost its light, have not the power and authority and blessings; and for the want of these things, they are tossed about on every wind of doctrine, and the cunning craftiness of men. ¶

God, in these last days, in his infinite mercy, sent Joseph Smith with the gospel, and the assurance [that] all those that continue to follow, following the Shepherd of the sheep [shall be saved]. The world united against him, and forty times he was brought before the rulers, when no fault could be found against him; and then he was by wicked priests and crafty men, murdered in cold blood; and his blood was shed upon the ground like water. He bore his testimony to the truth, and sealed it with his blood; and the authority is here to administer the ordinances to you and your children, and as many as the Lord our God shall call; its principles are now preached, and we invite you to come forth and receive its blessings, in all its fulness; and may God our Eternal Father bless you all in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶

Willard Snow presented a subscription book as follows: -- "We, the undersigned, agree to pay the committee of the Perpetual Fund for the Emigrating Poor, the amount set opposite to our names," &c., and then strongly advocated the cause of the Poor Fund, but wanted all to pay as they go. ¶

George A. Smith. -- There is an item of business to present to this Conference in relation to Father Cutler. After the Presidency left Pottawatamie there was a report that Father Cutler went to Jackson County to lay the foundation for another temple. There is an influence existing there, to draw away from the Valley, and a great mystery hangs over their doings. The Conference in Pottawatamie County withdrew fellowship from Cutler, Calkins, and others. Calkins said there was no power there to try him, as he was a bishop. ¶

We have had a notion of asking the good people living now in Jackson County, Mo., to petition us to go back again and build a temple there, if the legislature of Missouri will pass resolutions to protect us in our rights. (Laughter.) ¶

President Young said, there is no trial before the Church concerning the Silver Creek branch, where Father Cutler resides. During the late war he was acquainted with many Indians in New York State, who went to Green Bay; they saw him again at Winter Quarters, when they urged him to go down and build mills, and establish a school among them, as they had the privilege from government to select their own mechanics and teachers. I told him to go down, work, and get his outfit. This has been turned into an under current of lies, and has destroyed his influence. ¶

The conference there, has all the authority to act with members in that conference, and I sanction their proceedings; all is perfectly lawful, as far as I have heard. ¶

I wish it distinctly understood, that there is not an apostle of Jesus Christ who now lives, or ever did live, or ever will live, but that man's word is law and gospel to the people if he magnifies his calling. The apostles did right in this case; and I say the acts of the conference in Pottawatamie, Elders Hyde, G. A. Smith, and E. T. Benson are just; and if this conference think the same, signify it by the uplifted hand. (All hands up.) And further, if the conference in Pottawatamie County have cut them off, they are as much cut off as they ever can be. ¶

When we have an apostle abroad, who has not the power to deal with a conference, we will call that man home, or send him to Texas, to join Lyman Wight, and then we will put another man in his place. ¶

Choir sung a hymn. Benediction by Aaron Johnson. ¶

Saturday, September 7 -- Afternoon Session

Source: Millennial Star, Vol. XIII, No. 2, pp. 20-21. ¶

Saturday, 2 o'clock, p.m. ¶

Conference called to order by W. Snow; singing -- prayer by W. Snow -- singing. ¶

Elder O. Hyde delivered a lecture to the Honorable Chancellor and Board of Regents of the University of the State of Deseret, in presence of the conference, on education. ¶

Education is not confined to letters only, but to the excluding of all darkness, and when a man has ascended to the summit, he can then bask in the light, having nothing to obscure his vision. Every person is under a responsibility to impart the intelligence that he enjoys, unto others. The child that is born into this world, is like a blank sheet of paper, susceptible of any impression, and we have cause to be thankful for the place of our birth; that it has been in a country where intelligence has burst from the heavens through the administration of an angel. ¶

Great honour has been conferred on parents to mould and fashion that mind, which is put into the tabernacle by the Almighty himself, that it may be qualified to fill the station it is destined to fill. Here is the honour of rearing up children to the glory of our Father in heaven, and we have an opportunity of rearing them, to offer them to our Father and our God, from whom we received these pledges. ¶

Man originates ideas by external circumstances, and there must be some vehicle to convey his ideas to others, or they are comparatively useless. How pleasing it is when a man gets hold of a brilliant idea, to be able to convey it to others. We can conceive ideas as splendid as the heavens, as brilliant as the orbs that roll above us; but when we want to convey our ideas, our language is imperfect. There was a time when God talked with Father Adam in the garden of Eden, in a language as perfect and pure as the water that flows in rills around. Afterwards, God confounded the language all over the world. Yet an imperfect language is better than none at all. If you could bring all the best authors now living together, they will express their ideas in different words, and they will all admit, that our language is imperfect, yet we have to use that which we have, in order to accomplish the object which is before us, and fulfil the obligations we are under, one to the other, by using the instruments already in our midst. ¶

A certain portion of your property ought to be devoted to the education of your children, in order to qualify them to be good representatives. Let them be full of light and intelligence and then they are able to give an answer to any thing. The schoolmaster occupies an exalted sphere in the field of labor. My feelings are, endow your teachers with a liberal compensation, and then they will spare no pains to educate your children. If you sustain the teachers, they will bless you in return; and that people that pays the schoolmaster well, is destined to prosper; and may you increase in knowledge until ignorance is burned up in celestial fire; may God grant it, Amen. ¶

President Young said, we have been highly entertained by Elder Hyde, he has dealt out the food I like, I feel it my duty to speak in behalf of the Perpetual Emigrating fund for the poor. Last year we did wonders, we accomplished a good thing in raising over 6,000 dollars, which was sent back to the States for the poor. ¶

Benediction by Elder P. P. Pratt. ¶

Sunday, September 8 -- Morning Session (incomplete)

Source: Millennial Star, Vol. XIII, No. 2, pp. 21-24. Breaks off mid-sentence; see collation notes. ¶

Sunday, September 8th, 1850, 10 a.m. ¶

The conference was called to order by President Young, stating it was the duty of the bishops and their counsellors to attend to their respective wards, and the officers of State and County to keep perfect order round the building. ¶

The choir sung the "Prodigal Son." Prayer by G. A. Smith. Singing. ¶

Elder G. A. Smith said, the business that presents itself to this conference is the presentation of the different authorities of the church, to see if this conference sanctions them in their fellowship, and then presented Brigham Young, who, on motion, was sustained as First President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- also Prophet, Seer, and Revelator; and also H. C. Kimball as his first Counsellor, and Willard Richards second Counsellor, Historian, and General Church Recorder. ¶

B. Young then presented Father John Smith, who on motion was sustained as Patriarch of the Church. ¶

On motion, Orson Hyde was sustained as President, and P. P. Pratt, O. Pratt, W. Woodruff, J. Taylor, G. A. Smith, A. Lyman, E. T. Benson, C. C. Rich, L. Snow, E. Snow, and F. D. Richards, as members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. John Young was sustained as President of the High Priests' Quorum; also R. Cahoon, and G. B. Wallace as his Counsellors. ¶

Joseph Young was sustained as senior President of the Seventies, also Levi W. Hancock, Henry Herriman, Zera Pulsipher, Albert P. Rockwood, Benjamin L. Clapp, and Jedediah M. Grant, as Presidents of all the Quorums of Seventies. ¶

D. Spencer was sustained as President of this Stake of Zion, and David Fulmer and W. Snow his Counsellors. ¶

N. K. Whitney was sustained as the Presiding Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ¶

H. G. Sherwood was sustained as President, and Eleazer Miller, John Kempton, Heman Hyde, Lewis Abbott, W. W. Major, Levi Jackman, Elisha H. Groves, Ira Eldridge, John Vance, Edwin D. Woolley, as members of the High Council, and John Parry was voted to be a member of the same, in place of Thomas Grover, who is gone to the States. ¶

John Nebeker was sustained as President of the Elders' Quorum, also James H. Smith and Aaron Sceva his Counsellors. ¶

Joseph Parker was sustained as President of the Priests' Quorum, also Simeon Howe and James A. Chesney his Counsellors. ¶

M'Gee Harris was sustained as President of the Teachers' Quorum, also John Vance and Reuben Perkins his Counsellors. ¶

W. C. Smithson was sustained as President of the Deacons' Quorum, also Gehiel M'Connell and Oilburd Summe his Counsellors. ¶

President Brigham Young then rose and called the attention of the conference to the direct principle of tithing: we have preached, and talked, and wrote about it a long while; I will try again to give my views on it, and the things that are, I will give you my knowledge so that you may all understand and be edified. ¶

In the first place, we are in duty bound to pay our tithing, one tenth of all we possess; that is what is required of this people; but there are so many queries and doubts, and sentiments as to leave the principle of tithing in the dark; yet it is simple and easy to be understood, and may be comprehended by the weakest of all Saints; yet there is a general confusion pertaining to the real debt we owe, called tithing. That debt we all acknowledge, and are willing to subscribe to it, and sign an obligation for it, and yet many do not understand that it is the tenth of all we have. It is as easy to be understood, as it is for the elders who are sent forth to preach the first principles of the gospel, that men may be saved. The time has been, when you and I did not understand those easy simple principles that you read over in the Bible; you can read all the ordinances in the Bible, and yet many exclaim, we know nothing about it; at least the Christian world presents it so, because there is no light in them. ¶

For the real debt of tithing, I shall have to suppose characters to bring it to your minds. Some say they are going to pay their tithing in produce and not in labor; and some say they pay one fifth instead of one tenth. If there is not a man that has ever lived up to the principle of tithing, I will except many, for they have given all, and then the balance have not paid even the one fiftieth of their tithing; and in all probability not more than one in a thousand dollars, that has been due as tithing, in the kingdom of God. I have been an observer so far as to know, that as a general thing the law of tithing has not been lived up to. Those who have promptly acted as Saints of the Most High God, and as servants of the Lord, have been ready to give their all; men must come to understanding and then live to it. ¶

I will take the whole community, and represent it as one man, and call his name Mr. A., a member of the Church: I walk up to him, and say, Mr. A., tithing is required of you, to help to build temples, feed the poor, the widow and the fatherless, and any thing that the law requires; you give the one tenth of all you have for building up the Kingdom of God upon the earth, to sustain the priesthood, and for rearing up the kingdom. Mr. A. is engaged in many branches of business, merchandising, trading, farming, and raising grain and cattle; he then retires to his country seat; rides in his carriage, has plenty of spare time; then he goes to the anvil, joiner's bench, &c., &c., and fills a variety of trades, positions, and characters. Mr. A. commences with one hundred thousand dollars as capital stock. Mr. A., there is ten thousand dollars due from you, which we want this day. He pays it, and has ninety thousand dollars capital stock on hand. Every man must do something, no idler is allowed in Zion, every man must go to work, no man must wrap his talents in a napkin, but put it to usury. Mr. A. goes to speculating on cargoes of merchandize, cattle, horses, and farms are offered at auction, he puts forth his 100,000 dollars as purchase money, and gains perhaps 10,000 dollars, making 110,000 in one week, it is quite a supposable case -- there is then 1,000 dollars more tithing due, to pay into the store-house of the Lord, the balance goes to his capital stock. ¶

We next see Mr. A., his money all gone, going into the kanyon after a load of wood, or to the mill for something to eat, we see him ten days toiling and working, he owes the one tenth of his time and team; when he has worked nine days for himself, then let him take his team and work a day for public works. ¶

We next see him as a carpenter or joiner, set him to work on the public works, and every tenth day is put down to him as credit on tithing. ¶

We next see him a farmer, raising wheat, cattle, horses, sheep, &c., he sits down and calculates what he has raised, say 100 bushels of wheat, at twenty days work, we then take ten bushels of wheat for his tithing. If he idles away 160 days of his time in riding and pleasure, he owes 16 days work to the Lord -- if he idles away his own time, he has no right to idle away the time of the Lord. If he has 100 sheep, he pays the one-tenth part of them, and has an increase, he must bring in the one-tenth of his wool, and the one-tenth of his increase, or pay for them, one of the two: -- again, he has some cows, and they give so much milk, where are they? we want the one-tenth of them, with the one-tenth of your butter, cheese, and the one-tenth of your calves. If Mr. A. has fifty ducks, we want the tithe of them, which is five, and the tithe of the eggs -- if you think it too trifling a matter for you, let us have the whole of them, it is not too trifling for us -- we want the tithe of your geese, and all of your increase -- it may look penurious to you, if it does, hand over the whole of them. ¶

Editorial note, as printed (partly OCR-damaged): "[The remainder of the Minutes have been lost or mislaid. Pres. Hyde and Company's reception ... crowded out this insert; also the Epistle. They will appear in our next.]" The final attribution line is too garbled to transcribe with confidence; it may read "Ed. Frontier Guardian," suggesting this note originated with the Frontier Guardian (the Council Bluffs/Kanesville paper Orson Hyde edited) rather than the Millennial Star's own editor. No continuation of these minutes was found later in Vol. XIII. ¶

Collation notes

• The Millennial Star reprint is the only witness transcribed in this pass; it was not checked against a Deseret News page image, so isolated OCR misreadings may remain beyond the ones corrected above.
• The Millennial Star's attendee list originally printed "R. Gaboon" among the High Priests' Quorum officers on Friday, September 6, while the Sunday, September 8 sustaining vote gave "R. Cahoon" for the same office. The heavyweight pass resolved this against the CHL manuscript (CR 100 318), whose attendee list gives only initials ("J.Y. & R.C."), consistent with Cahoon and not Gaboon; the Friday line above has been corrected to "R. Cahoon" accordingly.
• Two bracketed editorial insertions were added into Elder G. A. Smith's Friday-morning-adjacent Saturday sermon ("[that]" and "[shall be saved]") where the original OCR was garbled past the point of a confident mechanical fix; these are supplied to make the sentence parse and should be re-checked against a clean scan, not treated as certain original wording.
• The record ends where the Millennial Star's own text ends. The Sunday afternoon session -- which, per the non-authoritative summary at historicalgeneralconferences.weebly.com, included remarks from Newel K. Whitney, Heber C. Kimball, and Parley P. Pratt, plus President Young's closing -- is not preserved in any witness transcribed into this file. That secondary summary was used only to understand the conference's overall shape, never as source text.
• The CHL manuscript (CR 100 318) does preserve further content past this cutoff (confirmed present through at least leaf 9 of 25), so the missing Sunday content is recoverable in principle. It was not transcribed in this pass because the handwriting could not be read with enough confidence via remote visual inspection to meet this vault's "never invent text" standard; this is flagged as the top priority for the next heavyweight pass on this conference, ideally with higher-resolution image access than a rendered-viewer screenshot allows.