Minutes of the October 1852 General Conference
Conference record
MINUTES of the General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, held in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, commencing October 6, 1852, 10 a. m., Prest. Brigham Young, presiding. ¶
Present, Presidents: Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Willard Richards. Patriarchs: John Smith, Isaac Morley. Twelve Apostles: Orson Hyde, Wilford Woodruff, John Taylor, George A. Smith, Ezra T. Benson, Lorenzo Snow, Erastus Snow, Franklin D. Richards. Seventies: Joseph Young, Levi W. Hancock, Henry Herriman, Zera Pulsipher, Albert P. Rockwood, Jedediah M. Grant, Benjamin L. Clapp. Presidency of the Stake: David Fulmer. High Priests' Quorum: John Young, Reynolds Cahoon, George B. Wallace. Presiding Bishop: Edward Hunter. Clerk of Conference: Thomas Bullock. Reporter: George D. Watt. ¶
The Wednesday morning session opened with remarks from Elder J. D. Ross on the gathering of Israel, followed by Elder Orson Hyde and Elder Jedediah M. Grant on miracles and the unity of the Church. President Young invited the Saints to attend conference daily and announced the next day as a Fast Day for the benefit of the poor. In the afternoon, Elder Ezra T. Benson spoke on settling the valleys and against allowing livestock to run loose and destroy gardens, followed by Brigham Young's extended remarks on the Temple, settlement calls to Iron and Millard counties, missionary calls, and the wheat economy (filed separately). President Heber C. Kimball followed, exhorting the Saints on economy, virtue, and home manufactures. A newly arrived "young brother" also briefly addressed the congregation. In the evening Elders' meeting, Franklin D. Richards spoke on home manufactures and the gathering of substance alongside people, Wilford Woodruff warned against patronizing Gentile stores over fellow Saints, and Orson Hyde spoke on the connection between body and spirit. ¶
On Thursday, October 7, President Heber C. Kimball spoke on going south to settle new country (filed separately as "Going South—Building the Temple—Murmurers"), the Saints sustained the general authorities of the Church (continued into the afternoon session), Elder Benjamin L. Clapp and others addressed mission calls, and Elders George A. Smith and Lorenzo Snow also spoke. The evening Seventies meeting heard from Presidents Joseph Young, Zera Pulsipher, Levi W. Hancock, Jedediah M. Grant, and Benjamin L. Clapp, along with Nathan Tanner, John Pack, and President Brigham Young. ¶
On Friday, October 8, President Brigham Young addressed the morning and afternoon sessions; Elder John Young and President Heber C. Kimball spoke in the afternoon on "Blessings of Faithfulness" (filed separately). The evening High Priests' meeting heard from President John Young, President Brigham Young, Bishop Edward Hunter, Bishop Felt, and Bishop Heywood. ¶
On Saturday, October 9, Elder Lorenzo D. Young testified of the Restoration and the Kingdom of God in the morning session. President Heber C. Kimball then presented Elam Luddington and Levi Savage Jr. as missionaries to Siam (with Chauncey West), who accepted on the spot, and raised the question of temple building materials, delivering his "Materials for the Temple—The Clay and the Potter" discourse (filed separately) and putting the motion to build of the best materials available, seconded by George A. Smith, John Taylor, and Ezra T. Benson, and carried unanimously. In the afternoon, President Brigham Young spoke on "Management of the Canyons" (filed separately). ¶
On Sunday, October 10, Elder John Taylor spoke on the beauty of the earth as testimony of God, followed by Elder Orson Hyde. In the afternoon, President Brigham Young addressed the congregation, followed by remarks from Elijah Newman, Alexander Badlam, Levi Gifford, George D. Watt, and Noah Packard, and closing remarks from Elder Erastus Snow, President Joseph Young, and President Heber C. Kimball. ¶