Minutes of the April 1876 General Conference

Minutes of the Forty-Sixth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, convened in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, April 6-9, 1876. First Presidency: Brigham Young, Daniel H. Wells. Quorum of the Twelve: John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, Orson Pratt, C. C. Rich, Lorenzo Snow, Brigham Young Jr., Joseph F. Smith. Patriarch: John Smith. ¶

Thursday, April 6 Morning Session: Elder Wilford Woodruff delivered [[1876-04-woodruff-infidelity-of-the-christian-worldduties-and]], and President Daniel H. Wells delivered [[1876-04-wells-unbelief-of-the-present-agethe-saints]] (both filed separately). ¶

Thursday, April 6 Afternoon Session: Elder John Taylor delivered [[1876-04-taylor-how-gods-purposes-are-fulfilledsimilarity-of]] (filed separately), recounting Baron Rothschild's visit to Salt Lake and discussing temple purposes and Jewish prophecy. ¶

Friday, April 7 Morning Session: Elder Lorenzo Snow, Elder Charles C. Rich, Elder Franklin D. Richards, and President Brigham Young spoke (summary only). ¶

Friday, April 7 Afternoon Session: Elder Isaac Bullock and Elder Claudius V. Spencer spoke (summary only). Elder Joseph F. Smith delivered [[1876-04-smith-the-gospel-trumpetsalvation-more-than-baptism]] (filed separately, though this file carries an April 8 date). ¶

Saturday, April 8 Morning Session: Elder C. W. Penrose and Elder Orson Pratt spoke (summary only). ¶

Saturday, April 8 Afternoon Session: The General Authorities of the Church were sustained by vote of the Conference, missionary calls were read, and Elder John Van Cott and Elder Joseph E. Taylor spoke (all summary only). ¶

Sunday, April 9 Morning Session: Elder James A. Little, Elder Angus M. Cannon, Elder R. T. Burton, Elder A. F. MacDonald, and Elder John T. Caine spoke, and Elder Wilford Woodruff spoke again on the power of faith (all summary only). ¶

Sunday, April 9 Afternoon Session: Missionary calls were read, and Elder Orson Pratt closed the conference with an address on the history of Christian religions (summary only; never printed in full in JD). ¶

Key themes: building the Salt Lake Temple as a sacred obligation, proxy baptism for deceased ancestors and genealogical research, priesthood hierarchy mirroring ancient Christian organization. ¶