Official Declaration

I have been delighted throughout with the spirit of our Conference and with the instructions that have been given to us by those who have spoken. The Spirit of the Lord has been manifest through His servants who have addressed this Conference. I feel that we have had a precious time, and that the Lord has blessed us abundantly by the outpouring of His Spirit, by the beautiful weather we have had in the main, and by the glorious opportunity we have enjoyed of mingling together, of meeting many friends, of witnessing, by our presence here, our interest in the work of the Lord, and of taking part in the transaction of such business as may properly come before this Conference. It is well understood that we meet together in general Conference twice a year for the purpose of presenting the names of those who have been chosen as presiding officers in the Church, and it is understood that those who occupy these positions are dependent upon the voice of the people for the continuance of the authority, the rights and privileges they exercise. The female members of this Church have the same privilege of voting to sustain their presiding officers as the male members of the Church, and the vote of a sister in good standing counts in every way equal with the vote of a brother. The presentation of the Church authorities is part of the duty that remains to be done before this Conference is brought to a close. Other business will also be presented to the Conference, which may be considered by some as of greater importance than the rest. We desire that the Latter-day Saints will exercise the liberty wherewith they have been made free by the Gospel of Jesus Christ; for they are entitled to know the right from the wrong, to see the truth and draw the line between it and error; and it is their privilege to judge for themselves and to act upon their own free agency with regard to their choice as to sustaining or otherwise those who should exercise the presiding functions among them. We desire the Latter-day Saints at this Conference to exercise their prerogative, which is, to vote as the Spirit of the Lord prompts them on the measures and the men that may be presented unto them. ¶

It is not my purpose to prolong remarks. We are living in peculiar times. The situation in which we are placed calls for peculiar wisdom and understanding, and for the full exercise of our rights as Latter-day Saints, who should enjoy the spirit of discernment and inspiration that belong to those who are born of the water and the Spirit, and who, because of this birth, are in a position to see the kingdom of heaven. ¶

At this point President Smith gave out notice of an important meeting of cattle and sheep men to be held in the city, and then spoke as follows: ¶

We may be pardoned for giving out a notice of this kind upon this occasion, but it will not be amiss for me to say that the Latter-day Saints believe not only in the gospel of spiritual salvation, but also in the gospel of temporal salvation. We have to look after the cattle and the sheep and the horses, the gardens and the farms, the irrigation canals and ditches, and other necessary things for the maintenance of ourselves and our families in the earth. In this respect this Church is different from many other denominations. We do not feel that it is possible for men to be really good and faithful Christian people unless they can also be good, faithful, honest and industrious people. Therefore, we preach the gospel of industry, the gospel of economy, the gospel of sobriety. We preach that the idler shall not eat the bread of the laborer, and that the idler is not entitled to an inheritance in Zion. We preach that those who are industrious, those who work, those who through their integrity and industry are good citizens of the kingdom of God, are better citizens of the country in which they live than those who are not so diligent in this regard. ¶

Let me say to the brethren and sisters before we part: When you go home do not only be faithful in your prayers, in secret and in public; do not only be faithful as good church-goers; but be faithful to your families, be faithful to your flocks and to your herds, be faithful in the management of your farms, and in the promotion and conduct of every enterprise in which you are engaged. I would to theLord that we had a thousand good engineers, mechanics, surveyors and other skilled workmen among us. We could find employment today for hundreds of our people where honesty and faithful devotion to labor are demanded, if we only had the men who were skilled in the work that is required; but we do not have them. When we are applied to for men as boiler makers, as engineers, as builders, as skilled workmen in other directions, and we send out inquiries for them, we cannot find them. The boys are learning something else instead of the arts of labor. I have heard it said that science is what we know, and art is what we know how to do. ¶

President Smith presented the general authorities of the Church to be voted for by the assembly, 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. ¶

Francis M. Lyman, as President of the Twelve Apostles. ¶

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. ¶

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

Andrew Jenson, Orson F. Whitney, A. Milton Musser and Brigham H. Roberts, assistant historians. ¶

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. ¶

John Nicholson, as clerk of the Conference. ¶

President and director— Evan Stephens. ¶

First counselor, treasurer and librarian—George C. Smith. ¶

Second counselor and secretary— Sidney R. Phillips. ¶

Organist— John J. McClellan, and all the members of the choir. ¶

The voting was completely in the affirmative. ¶

Brethren and sisters. Of course you cannot help but have noticed that some of our brethren have been absent from us. I regret very much the absence of a number of the Apostles. We are all sorry that circumstances have prevented them from meeting with us. Elder John Henry Smith has been suffering for some time from inflammatory rheumatism and is still confined to his room. Elder George Teasdale received permission to retire from active duty over two months ago, and when he left us was in feeble health. Elder Marriner W. Merrill has been prostrated for some time in his home at Cache valley. These brethren have our sympathy and our prayers for their recovery. I regret also the absence from this conference of Elders John W. Taylor and Matthias F. Cowley. ¶

Now I am going to present a matter to you that is unusual and I do it because of a conviction which I feel that it is a proper thing for me to do. I have taken the liberty of having written down what I wish to present, in order that I may say to you the exact words which I would like to have conveyed to your ears, that I may not be misunderstood or misquoted. I present this to the conference for your action: ¶

"Inasmuch as there are numerous reports in circulation that plural marriages have been entered into contrary to the official declaration of President Woodruff, of September 26, 1890, commonly called the Manifesto, which was issued by President Woodruff and adopted by the Church at its general conference, October 6, 1890, which forbade any marriages violative of the law of the land; I, Joseph F. Smith, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, hereby affirm and declare that no such marriages have been solemnized with the sanction, consent or knowledge of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and ¶

"I hereby announce that all such marriages are prohibited, and if any officer or member of the Church shall assume to solemnize or enter into any such marriage he will be deemed in transgression against the Church and will be liable to be dealt with, according to the rules and regulations thereof, and excommunicated therefrom. ¶

"JOSEPH F. SMITH, "President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." ¶

They charge us with being dishonest and untrue to our word. They charge the Church with having violated a "compact," and all this sort of nonsense. I want to see today whether the Latter-day Saints representing the Church in this solemn assembly will not seal these charges as false by their vote. ¶

President Francis M. Lyman presented the following resolution and moved its adoption: ¶

"Resolved that we, the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in General Conference assembled, hereby approve and endorse the statement and declaration of President Joseph F. Smith, just made to this Conference concerning plural marriages, and will support the courts of the Church in the enforcement thereof." ¶

The resolution was seconded by a number of Presidents of Stakes and prominent Elders. Elder B. H. Roberts, in seconding the resolution, spoke as follows: ¶

"In seconding the resolution that has just been read — which I most heartily do — I desire to state at least one reason for doing it. As remarked by the president, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been accused of being covenant-breakers with this nation. Of course, there never was, and could not be, any compact between the Church and the general government of the United States. But there could be a compact between the State of Utah and the United States, and there was such a compact made in the Constitution of our state, by and through the Constitutional Convention. And now I am pleased with the opportunity of the Church saying in its official capacity that the Latter-day Saints not only now are, but have been, true to the compact between the State of Utah and the United States, and that they are true to the Constitution of the state, which, by express provision, forever prohibited plural or polygamous marriages, and made that irrevocable, without the consent of the United States. The adoption by the Church of this resolution should put to silence those who have accused us of being covenant-breakers." ¶

The resolution was then adopted, by unanimous vote of the Conference. ¶