Minutes of the October 1862 General Conference

Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, convened in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, Monday, October 6, 1862, President Brigham Young presiding. ¶

The morning session opened with President Brigham Young's "Never-Ending Character of a Saints' Mission—Organization of the Kingdom of God" discourse (filed separately), reflecting on leading the first pioneer company and on the difficulty of fully organizing Zion. President Heber C. Kimball followed with remarks on continual progress and the danger of speculation, recounting Zion's Camp and the early Missouri mission ("Our Duties to God Paramount to All Other Obligations—Danger of Speculation," JD 10:75-78; filed separately). ¶

The afternoon session opened with prayer by Elder Ezra T. Benson. Elder Charles C. Rich, recently returned from a mission to England, spoke on present salvation through obedience to revealed principles ("Present Opportunities of Obtaining a Knowledge of the Principles of Truth—Importance of Improving Them," JD 10:90-95; filed separately). President Brigham Young then delivered his "Future State of Existence" discourse (filed separately), on the spirit world and the nature of the resurrected body. ¶

Additional discourses cited for this conference in the Journal of Discourses index, all filed separately in this vault, include Amasa M. Lyman's "The Object of Gathering—the Happy Effects of Obedience to the Gospel" (October 7, JD 10:83-90), Orson Hyde's "How to Obtain a Part in the Kingdom of God—Assisting the Poor to Emigrate—Classifying Labor—The Times We Live In" (October 7, JD 10:70-75) and "All Nationalities Merged in the Kingdom of God—The Unity and Happiness of the Saints" (October 7, JD 10:112-113), and George A. Smith's "The Importance of the Mission to the Cotton Country" (October 8, JD 10:121-122). Hon. William H. Hooper also addressed the conference; the remainder of the proceedings is not yet summarized in this vault. ¶