Liberty Stake Report

My dear brethren and sisters, with my brethren I feel very thankful for this opportunity of attending our general conference. I regret, however, that the conditions of so many of our people at present are such as to prevent them from having this privilege; but the hope fills our hearts that a day will come when the people of God will be able to lay aside their temporal affairs for a few days and devote their time to the worship of the Lord in the conferences of His Church. I feel honored in being called to speak to you for a short time and to represent the Liberty Stake of Zion. Our stake was organized on the 26th day of February, this year. It is one of the four new stakes which formerly constituted the Salt Lake stake. Our President, Elder Hugh J. Cannon, is at present on a mission, presiding over the Swiss and German mission, where he has been for the last 38 months. During his absence it falls to the lot of myself and fellow counselor to take charge of the affairs in the stake, and I can testify to you that while we feel our unworthiness in our positions we have experienced great joy in our labors among the people. Liberty stake embraces eight wards, located in the southeastern part of this city, with a total membership of about 5,600. I take pleasure in listening to the reports of the presidents of other stakes and in reading in the Deseret News reports of the various stake conferences held throughout Zion, and in doing so I notice quite a difference in our conditions. For instance, I have read that in some of the stakes it requires as much as from three to six days for the president to visit one of the wards in his stake. In our stake we can board an electric car at one end of the stake, and in less than 30 minutes can ride to the other end of the stake, making the round trip for 10 cents. If necessary, we can call a meeting of all the officers in our stake on 30 minutes notice and have all the brethren present, if they are not absent from the city. These conditions, I consider, are in our favor, and on this account more may be expected from us than from other stakes. ¶

I can say nothing but good of those with whom we are called to labor in the Liberty stake. Our Bishops and counselors are united among themselves, and with the presidency, and we feel to sustain one another. Thanks be to God, so far we have been able to work in perfect harmony. The High Councilors, the Bishops, the various officers in the Stake, are good, faithful men. The object of dividing the large Salt Lake Stake was that the people might be looked after more thoroughly than was possible before, the Stake being so very large. We have already seen the advantages of this division. The people get closer together, and the officers can look after them better than was possible when the Stake was so large. Our meetings are better attended also. For example, at our last monthly Priesthood meeting we had a larger attendance, I believe, than we used to have when all the four Stakes were in one. The advantages of this division are also apparent in other ways. ¶

Our auxiliary organizations are doing a great work in assisting the Priesthood to look after the people. We have endeavored to explain to the Saints the importance of laboring with those who have grown weak in the faith, and I have pleasure in saying a good word for the Saints in this direction, for many of them have followed our advice and are doing a great deal of good in this way. Where they see a young man or young woman who is on dangerous ground, or one who has grown cold in the faith, they have taken up an individual labor with them in love and kindness, and have endeavored to bring them into line with the Latter-day Saints who are keeping the commandments of God. Already we can see the results of their labors, and we rejoice therein. We feel that it is the mission of the Latter-day Saints to labor not only for the salvation of their own souls, but for the salvation of the whole human family. This was the mission of our Savior. His whole life was devoted to the salvation of mankind, and He died for the same. His disciples followed in His footsteps, and they devoted the greater part of their lives in bringing salvation to the people, and many of them lost their lives in this service. The same mission and duty has been placed upon the Latter-day Saints. It was the mission of our great Prophet Joseph Smith. It has been of his successors up to the present time. They have labored for the salvation of the whole human family. Why is it that this Church has nearly two thousand Elders out today preaching the Gospel? Because they are laboring for the salvation of man, carrying the glad tidings of great joy unto all nations, kindreds, tongues and people. Why is it that we erect temples in the land of Zion? In order that we may labor for the salvation of the dead This is our mission, at home and abroad, and we should fulfill this duty to our neighbors and friends in the various wards and stakes where we reside. I can testify to you that there is great satisfaction in performing such labors. ¶

I rejoice in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that this is the work of God, and not of man. In our Stake we desire to be united, and to sustain the leading brethren of the Church, for we know that they are men of God. We desire to lighten their burdens and to uphold their hands wherever we can, and to accomplish as much good as we possibly can, to the honor and glory of God and for the working out of our own salvation. May God bless us and help us to be faithful, is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶

The choir sang the anthem: ¶

"From afar, gracious Lord, Thou hast gathered Thy flock." ¶