Latter-day Saints a Free People

We will now present before the conference the names of the general authorities of the Church, with the earnest desire that all the members of the Church present, who by reason of their good standing before the Lord are entitled to the privilege, will express their will according to the God-given agency that every man in the world enjoys, and which is not lessened, but rather increased, in all those who have made covenant with God by sacrifice and through obedience to the principles of the Gospel. The freedom of the Latter-day Saints has never been curtailed or lessened one whit by their becoming members of the Church of Christ. Rather has it been enlarged. There are no freer people upon the face of the earth today than the Latter-day Saints. They are bound to the Church by no ties or strings, but their own conviction of the truth. And whenever a man makes up his mind that he has had enough of what is called "Mormonism," all he has to do is to make it known and we will sever the bond that unites him with the body, and let him go his own way, only bearing toward him the feeling of sympathy and of true brotherly kindness, and wishing him still the mercies of God. We will cry, Father, have mercy upon him, because he knows not what he is doing. For when a man denies the truth, when he departs from the right way, when he rejects the right of God to counsel in the affairs of men, he is either ignorant or wilfully wicked, and it only excites our pity for him. As the Savior cried upon the cross, so will we cry in the same spirit, Father, forgive him; have mercy upon him; for he knows not what he does. Therefore, we expect only those to vote at this time who are members of the Church in good standing; but all such we do expect to vote, according to their own free will, whether it be yea or nay. However, we wish it distinctly understood that no questions upon these matters will be discussed in this conference; for this is not the place to discuss questions of difference or of feeling that we may possess one towards another. Still we can manifest our approval or our disapproval by the uplifted hand; and if there are any disapprovals, we will have them heard and adjusted later on, but not here. ¶

THE GENERAL AUTHORITIES ¶

of the Church were presented by President Joseph F. Smith to be voted upon by the conference, as follows: ¶

Joseph F. Smith as Prophet, Seer and Revelator, and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ¶

John R. Winder, as first counselor in the First Presidency. ¶

Anthon H. Lund as second counselor in the First Presidency. ¶

As President of the Council of the Twelve Apostles, Francis M. Lyman. ¶

As members of the Council of Twelve Apostles, Francis M. Lyman, John Henry Smith, George Teasdale, Heber J. Grant, John W. Taylor, Marriner W. Merrill, Matthias F. Cowley, Abraham O. Woodruff, Rudger Clawson, Reed Smoot, Hyrum M. Smith, and George A. Smith. ¶

John Smith, as Presiding Patriarch of the Church. ¶

The counselors in the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles and the Presiding Patriarch as Prophets, Seers and Revelators. ¶

First Seven Presidents of Seventies—Seymour B. Young, Christian D. Fjeldsted, Brigham H. Roberts, George Reynolds, Jonathan G. Kimball, Rulon S. Wells and Joseph W. McMurrin. ¶

William B. Preston, as Presiding Bishop, with Robert T. Burton and Orrin P. Miller as his first and second counselors. ¶

Joseph F. Smith, as trustee-in-trust for the body of religious worshipers known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ¶

As members of the General Church Board of Education, Joseph F. Smith, Willard Young, Anthon H. Lund, James Sharp, John Nicholson, George H. Brimhall, Rudger Clawson, Joseph M. Tanner, and John R. Winder, with Arthur Winter, as secretary. ¶

Anthon H. Lund, as Church historian and general Church recorder. ¶

Andrew Jenson, O. P. Whitney, A. M. Musser and Brigham H. Roberts, assistant historians. ¶

John Nicholson, as clerk of the conference. ¶

Evan Stephens, as leader and conductor of the Tabernacle choir; Robert T. McEwan, as first counselor and secretary; George C. Smith, as second counselor and treasurer; John J. McClellan, as organist; and all the members of the choir. ¶

RELIEF SOCIETY. ¶

General Officers and General Board of the Relief Society, Bathsheba W. Smith, general president; Annie T. Hyde, first counselor; Ida S. Dusenberry, second counselor; Emmeline B. Wells, general secretary; Clarissa S. Williams, general treasurer. ¶

Board—Jane S. Richards, Sarah J. Cannon, M. Isabella Horne, Romania B. Pratt, Susan Grant, Martha A. Cannon, Emma S. Woodruff, Julina L. Smith, Emily S. Richards, Ellis R. Shipp, Julia P. M. Farnsworth, Elizabeth J. Stevenson, Phebe Young Beatie, Carrie S. Thomas, Alice Merrill Horne, Annie Wells Cannon, Priscilla P. Jennings, Margaret A. Caine. ¶

ADDITIONAL MISSIONARIES. ¶

Harriet Ann Badger, Sophia T. Nuttall, Mary T. Smith, Mary A. C. Lambert, Rebecca E. Little, Elizabeth S. Wilcox, Leila Merrill Allen, Priscilla Smith, Hattie B. Harker. ¶

RELIEF SOCIETY NURSES' CLASS. ¶

Emma A. Empey, superintendent; Margaret C. Roberts, instructor; Phebe Young Beatie, corresponding secretary and treasurer. ¶

OFFICERS OF THE DESERET SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION. Joseph F. Smith, general superintendent; George Reynolds, first assistant general superintendent; Joseph M. Tanner, second assistant general superintendent. ¶

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. ¶

Joseph F. Smith, George Reynolds, Joseph M. Tanner, Joseph W. Summerhays, Levi W. Richards, Francis M. Lyman, Heber J. Grant, George Teasdale, Hugh J. Cannon, Andrew Kimball, John W. Taylor, L. John Nuttall, James W. Ure, John F. Bennett, John M. Mills, William D. Owen, Seymour B. Young, George D. Pyper, Henry Peterson, Anthon H. Lund, John R. Winder, James E. Talmage, George M. Cannon, Horace Cummings, Abraham O. Woodruff. ¶

George D. Pyper, general secretary; George Reynolds, general treasurer; William A. Morton, business manager. ¶

Joseph F. Smith, editor Juvenile Instructor; George Reynolds and Joseph M. Tanner, assistant editors; George D. Pyper, business manager. ¶

Y. M. M. I. A. ¶

Officers of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement associations: Joseph F. Smith, general superintendent; Heber J. Grant, Brigham H. Roberts, assistants; Thomas Hull, secretary and treasurer; Evan Stephens, music director. ¶

Aids: Francis M. Lyman, John Henry Smith, Matthias F. Cowley, Abraham O. Woodruff, J. Golden Kimball, Junius F. Wells, Milton H. Hardy, Rodney C. Badger, George H. Brimhall, Edward H. Anderson, Douglas M. Todd, Thomas Hull, Nephi L. Morris, Willard Done, Le Roi C. Snow, Frank Y. Taylor, Rudger Clawson, Rulon S. Wells, Joseph W. McMurrin, Reed Smoot, Bryant S. Hinckley, Moses W. Taylor, Brigham F. Grant, Henry S. Tanner, Hyrum M. Smith, William B. Dougall, Joseph F. Smith, Jr., Ovando C. Beebe, Lewis T. Cannon. ¶

Y. L. M. I. A. ¶

Officers of Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement associations—Elmina S. Taylor, president; Maria Y. Dougall, first counselor; Martha H. Tingey, second counselor; Ann M. Cannon, secretary and treasurer; Mae T. Nystrom, corresponding secretary; Joan Campbell, recording secretary. ¶

Aids—Adella W. Eardley, Sarah Eddington, Agnes Campbell, Lillie T. Freeze, Susa Young Gates, Minnie J. Snow, May B. Talmage, Emma Goddard, Rose W. Bennett, Alice K. Smith, Elizabeth C. McCune, Ruth M. Fox, Julia M. Brixen, Helen W. Woodruff, Augusta W. Grant, Mary A. Freeze. ¶

Alice C. Tuddenham, choir leader; Mattie Read, organist; Lizzie Thomas, assistant organist. ¶

PRIMARY BOARD. ¶

Members of the general board of Primary associations—Louie B. Felt, president; Lillie T. Freeze, first counselor; Josephine R. West, second counselor; May Anderson, secretary and treasurer; Olive L. Derbidge, assistant secretary; Euphemia I. Burnham, recording secretary. ¶

Aids—Aurelia S. Rogers, L. Lulu Greene Richards, Isabelle S. Ross, Camilla C. Cobb, Edna L. Smith, Eliza Slade Bennion, Fanny Woolley, Josephine G. Smith, Ida B. Smith. ¶

RELIGION CLASS BOARD. ¶

Members of Religion Class Board—Anthon H. Lund, general superintendent; Rudger Clawson, first assistant general superintendent; Joseph M. Tanner, second assistant general superintendent; L. John Nuttall, general secretary; John M. Mills, Henry Peterson, Horace Cummings, Joseph W. Summerhays, Matthias F. Cowley, Hyrum M. Smith, Rulon S. Wells, Joseph W. McMurrin, Louis A. Kelsch, John H. Evans. ¶

Board of Examiners of Church Schools—Jos. M. Tanner, Benj. Cluff, Jr., George H. Brimhall, Joshua H. Paul, James Linford, Jos. M. Tanner, general superintendent of Church schools. ¶

EUROPEAN MISSION. ¶

Elder Heber J. Grant to succeed Elder Francis M. Lyman as president of the European mission. ¶

All the voting was unanimously in the affirmative. ¶