Report on the Tooele Stake

My brethren and sisters, to attend the general conferences of our Church has always been a feast to me, and this one is no exception to the rule. I pray that the same spirit that has characterized the remarks of the brethren who have already spoken during this Conference will continue with us; that the people may be fed with the bread of life and that we may rejoice together. ¶

I feel pleased to have the privilege of representing the Tooele Stake of Zion. This stake joins the County of Salt Lake on the west. It is large in area, comprising the entire county, "which extends 50 miles north and south and 1?5 miles east and west. Although our stake is large in area, the population is small, it is probably one of the smallest stakes in Zion, the population being a little over 3,000 souls. There are nine wards, located in a radius of about 50 miles. A few of our people live on the extreme west of the stake, bordering on the Nevada line, where a small Sunday school has recently been organized. The presidency of the Tooele stake and the High Council labor in unison. Quite a number of the High Councilors have been members of the High Council ever since the stake was organized, in 1877, and they are laboring for the best interests of the people. Although the stake is small In population, we have the same organizations that they have in other stakes— Relief societies, Sunday schools, etc. So far as our population is concerned, we have not increased very much. We have been very limited in our resources, and are today, so far as our water supply is concerned. Our population has been limited on this account. We are not able to get the young people to settle in our midst and make homes; however, a few have taken up dry farms and have been successful to some extent, although last year was quite a failure. Since 1882 our population has only increased 159 souls. Our resources have been limited, and we have been swarming, like bees, and the people have scattered, going to other places to which they have been invited to go to establish homes. A great portion of what is known today as Cassia county was built up by people from Tooele county. During the past season as many as twenty persons left Grantsville. They were obliged to leave on account of our limited water supply. The only remedy we can find for this, though we have not established it yet, is the piping of our water from the mountain streams to reservoirs to be stored and used during the dry season. That is the only way that I know of that we can increase our population. ¶

I feel pleased to report that we have established a Sunday school at the Mercur mining camp (sometimes referred to as the Johannesburg of America), according to a suggestion of Brother George Reynolds, of the general superintendency of the Sunday schools of the Church. "We have a nice ward there, but it is composed mostly of transients. We are kept busy re-organizing the various organizations of the ward, on account of the transient nature of the people. At one time this ward numbered BOO persons. We have been able to establish successfully religion classes in all the wards of the stake but three, one of these being Mercur. Our people are so engaged there that it has not been possible to get anybody to take hold of the matter, and the teachers of the district schools are not of our faith. The people of the Vernon ward, in the extreme south of the stake, are so scattered that, during the winter months, it has been impossible to retain the children after school hours to attend the religion class. ¶

All the organizations and institutions of our stake are in a good and healthy condition, I believe. I feel to rejoice in this, and in the amount of faith exercised by the people. The subject of tithing has been referred to by some of our brethren who have represented their stakes, and they have reported a wonderful increase, amounting to thousands of dollars. In the year 1882 the tithing of the Tooele stake was about $9,000. Since that time it has doubled itself, though our population is about the same. I take that as an indication ' of an increase of faith on the part of the people. The tithing paid last year amounted nearly to $19,000, and the population is but 3,000. As I remarked, I take this as an indication of an increase of faith on the part of the people, because it is the oldest members of the stake who pay this tithing, the young people having moved to Canada and other places to find homes. ¶

I feel to rejoice in making this report, though it is probably not as complete as I would like to make it, as we have not time to go into details this afternoon. ¶

I hope that we will be able to remain faithful and to appreciate the blessings and privileges that we enjoy, associated, as we are, with the living oracles of God, who have been placed in the midst of the people to guide and direct them. I hope that we will be able to enjoy the same feeling expressed by Abraham Lincoln during the time of the civil war. A friend was talking with him regarding the condition of the country, and so on, and made the remark, "I hope that the Lord is on our side." 'Well," said President Lincoln, "I do not worry about that at all; I know that the Lord is always on the side of right. What worries me most is to know if we are on the Lord's side." I hope, my brethren and sisters that we will worry over this until we have a testimony of the truth, and an assurance that we are on the Lord's side. Amen. ¶