Minutes of the October 1879 General Conference

Minutes of the Forty-Ninth Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, convened in the Large Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, October 6-8, 1879. President John Taylor presiding. Apostles present: Orson Pratt, C. C. Rich, Lorenzo Snow, Erastus Snow, Franklin D. Richards, George Q. Cannon, Brigham Young Jr., Joseph F. Smith, A. Carrington, Moses Thatcher. ¶

First Day Morning Session: Elder Orson Pratt delivered [[1879-10-pratt-progress-of-the-work-of-godintroduction]], discussing rapid Church growth over fifty years and arguing that polygamy, sanctioned biblically, should not be criminalized by Congress. Elder Lorenzo Snow delivered [[1879-10-snow-the-church-founded-upon-the-rock]] (both filed separately), emphasizing revelation as the Church's foundation. ¶

First Day Afternoon Session: Elder Franklin D. Richards delivered [[1879-10-richards-preaching-of-john-the-baptist-and]], drawing parallels between anti-slavery and anti-polygamy political movements. Elder Brigham Young, Jr. spoke on the revelations of Joseph Smith (summary only). President John Taylor delivered [[1879-10-taylor-the-work-of-god-cannot-be]] (both discourses filed separately), prophesying severe national judgment for persecuting the Saints. ¶

Tuesday, October 7 Morning Session: President Joseph Young spoke on firm belief in God, missionary calls were read, and Elder Joseph F. Smith spoke (all summary only). ¶

Tuesday, October 7 Afternoon Session: President John Taylor delivered [[1879-10-taylor-opposition-to-the-work-of-god]] (filed separately — a single discourse that JD itself splits across Volumes 21 and 22, merged here into one file), followed by a statistical report. ¶

Tuesday, October 7 Evening Session (7 p.m.): President John Taylor, Elder Junius F. Wells, and Elder Moses Thatcher (an account of his first mission) spoke (summary only). Elder George Q. Cannon delivered [[1879-10-cannon-the-righteous-suffer-persecutionfalse-teachers-popularsaints]] (filed separately). President Angus M. Cannon and Sister Zina Young also spoke (summary only). ¶

Wednesday, October 8 Morning Session: Elder Angus M. Cannon spoke on the kind providences of the Heavenly Father (summary only). Elder Erastus Snow delivered [[1879-10-snow-cleave-to-lightcoming-of-christabominations-of]] (filed separately), closing the conference. ¶

Central themes: persecution and constitutional rights violations, polygamy as divinely revealed doctrine, Saints' responsibility to maintain faith despite legal opposition, and prophetic warnings regarding national judgment if persecution continued. ¶