Report on the St. Joseph Stake

This suspense is painful, in waiting and facing this immense congregation. The worst experience of this kind I ever had was before I went on my mission. The mission was not half so bad as the suspense. Another time I suffered was before I went to Arizona. ¶

I come from the St. Joseph Stake of Zion, where we were cutting lucern hay when I left, and wheat was in head, roses in bloom, and the country covered with beautiful grass and flowers. The California poppy was to be seen ;n acres on the hillside, and so beautiful that we could even out-do California in growing the flower emblem of their state. The Lord has been very kind to us in one way, and I presume has been very cautious in another way, not to give us too much. We suffered from drouth for several years, until many of our people became discouraged and went into the wet country of Oregon; but now the rains have come to Arizona, and the people are coming back again, inasmuch as they have had drouth in that usually rainy country. We have had a large amount of rain during the greater part of this year; but it has been disastrous to us m the great floods that followed. I presume we have lost over 3,000 acres of choice farming land along the river banks. The heavier floods did not do sr> much harm as those that have continued in steady grinding against the banks. The heavy floods in January covered many acres of ground that had been planted, and where the crops were up and doing well. After that had dried, the brethren planted again. Then in February the floods came again and covered that over. They planted the third time; and if it gets covered up any more they will plant corn, because we can plant something every month in the year. ¶

It won't do for me to undertake to tell any stories, because when I told about a 37 pound sweet potato they would not believe me; and when I tell about those melons that Brother Clawson, Brother MeMurrin and Sister Aggie Campbell helped to eat down there, weighing from 40 to 60 pounds, and that we raise from Ave to seven crops of alfalfa hay, and two crops of field products, people won't believe that. Now I will tell you a modest story about the ravages of the terrible old Gila river. It was kind to some people and very severe to others. There was a widow woman, who paid her honest tithing, that had 50 acres of soil added to her farm; while on the other side of the river it took 65 acres away from another party. Then there was another widow lady that Imd her farm washed away, wire fences and all, and the next storm that came along planted back on that foundation the same number of acres of soil, .but it did not give back the wire fences, and the land was not level, nor were there any weeds on it. Down on the Imperial — a new country that is being established at the mouth of the Colorado river—it is very low, and the water is apt to cover it up; so we sent some soil on down the Gila river to try and accommodate them, and make the land higher. We are not discouraged, if we have lost 3,000 acres of land. We are going to where there are higher lands; and we can repair our 67 canals. There have been 22 canals injured in these floods; the heads of the canals and sometimes miles of them have been torn away. Our people have to go to work and rebuild. The rains have continued, and we are going to raise our crops this year almost without irrigation, at least one crop of grain and two of alfalfa. As the flood waters soften the banks along the river, the soil being of a rich sandy loam, it crumbles and caves in, the water becomes so thick with sediment that it rolls and tumbles in its rush, and finally forms a levee or sand bar, this diverts the stream and causes it to leave its natural channel, if it ever had one, and as it shoots across to the opposite bank it cuts out farm land and carries the soil and deposits it again on another sand bar or cape below. This makes it reasonable to understand how farms can be shifted from one place to another. ¶

This is only the temporal side. The people of God in that section of the country are a good people. I think they are about the best in the world. I love them, and I believe they love me, because I champion their cause every opportunity I have. My counselors are good, stalwart men. We are united. We meet every Monday night in our council meetings. The first Saturday in every month we meet with the Saints in our Priesthood meetings. The Sunday school union assembles in the chapel of our Academy building at 10 a. m. The High Council meet the same hour in the new building that has been constructed by the Bishop of Thatcher ward. At 12:15 all the Priesthood come together, and after the opening exercises they disperse to the different rooms, the High Priests in one room, the Seventies in another, the Elders in another, and they enter upon a consideration of principles of the Gospel. We do not have sufficient material in any one ward to organize the Priests of the Lesser Priesthood, so we have made a stake organization of the Priests, and at 1 o'clock they meet in the academy. They are taking up the study of the principles of the Gospel, so that as they go from house to house, holding block meetings, they will be prepared to teach the people those principles, and be qualified to act as block teachers. The Deacons collect the fast offerings in the wards. ¶

During the last winter the presidency and High Council divided the stake into districts, and we have gone on missions from house to house, without purse or scrip. In this way we are warming the people up. Some of my brethren have stayed with luke-warm members for three months, more or less, and have never let up until they got them converted back unto the Gospel. I am indeed pleased with the labors of my brethren. It may not be considered any credit vo our stake that we are not troubled with High Council trials; we win the people unto the Gospel by loving kindness, rather than by coercion and unkind driving. Our High Council meet in the spirit of love, and kindness, and union, discuss the principles of the Gospel, and keep in touch with the authorities, and thus prepare themselves to do good work. I do not suppose that down in that far off land we are going to set any pattern, but it may be that, after six years of experience, we are able to offer some suggestions that will help new stake presidents. We invite the sisters into our Priesthood meeting; and at 2 o'clock promptly we commence. The sisters join in the opening exercises, singing, -etc., then we have the roll call, and each order of the Priesthood stands up to be counted, followed by the auxiliary organizations. The brethren and sisters are there also to receive the word of God as it comes from those who preside. After these instructions of a general character, the women withdraw and meet by themselves. The president of the stake is in touch with the Presidency of the Church and presiding Bishopric, and the presidency of the stake meet in council from week to week, and are prepared to counsel the people, so that when they come together they are fed, and when they go back home they say to their neighbors, "You ought to have been at the Priesthood meeting, for indeed it was a feast of fat things." Our Priesthood meetings seem better than conferences, they are so representative in character. The spirit is so good that pervades them and the work that is accomplished makes it appear like having a conference every 30 days. In those meetings we try to get expressions from the different sections, recognizing all. ¶

It is not my purpose to do much preaching there, but rather to be the general, if possible, directing the labors in the stake, and dividing the responsibilities among the people. Myself and counselors have apportioned between us the supervision of the auxiliary organizations. My younger counselor takes the Young Men's and Young Ladies' associations; President Johnson, the old pioneer, takes care of the Relief society and the Primary, and I look after the Sunday school, which I am very much interested in, and the Religion class. Then we are in competition to see which can make our organizations the best. Of course, I look after all of them in a general way. The senior members of the High Council gives special attention to the home missionaries. The third Sunday in the month we meet together and discuss current events and principles, so that when we go out among the people we are prepared to give them something to enlighten their minds, under the inspiration of the Spirit of God. We are united, and the people's hearts are melted in kindness. The kindergarten department of our academy, desiring to make a little means, proffered to have a lunch at noon for our Priesthood meetings. It went on for a little while, and finally we established the Priests' meetings, and in order to help it out the presidency met with the boys. The meetings became so interesting that as soon as the High Priests and the Seventies and Elders got out of their meetings, instead of them going to get something to eat, they came in to get a little more spiritual food, and listen to the delineation of the principles of the Gospel. It was no particular compliment to ourselves, but it was one of the greatest evidences of the devotion of the people in that stake of Zion, that they hungered after the Gospel and preferred it to something to eat. Ward conference is also "record day." When we go out to attend these gatherings we invite representatives of each of the auxiliary organizations, and the Priesthood, to accompany us. During the noon hour we examine the records and by this means we stir the ward organizations up, and there is an incentive for these organizations to take care of their records. ¶

I realize, my brethren and sisters, that there are those whom we all desire to hear. You have not come from a long distance to hear me; but it may be that in the exchange of ideas we can all be benefitted. I have often thought that if the presidents of stakes could get together in a convention for the purpose of exchanging ideas about how best to succeed, we might possibly elicit some ideas by which each could be benefited. Our Bishops also might get together and converse upon their duties, and get at the best ideas to accomplish the greatest amount of good to the greatest number of people. ¶

We are indeed greatly blessed, and I know - this is the work of God. We have heard much about revelation in the last few months. My counselors and myself sit in council for the welfare of our stake, and determine upon some policy. We start upon that policy for the good of the people, and oftentimes we no more than get started than we receive a letter from the Presidency of the Church outlining the same policy, and we found we had been sitting in council on that question at the very same time as the Presidency in Sa'lt Lake. I will venture that if 1 were to ask my brethren away up in - Canada, and throughout Zion, and those on missions all over the world, I would no doubt find that these brethren are inspired at the same time and on the same subjects that are for the interests of the people of God. We do enjoy the spirit of revelation. We do enjoy that inspiration which guides and directs us for the welfare of the people. Notwithstanding that we live away off, with only a visit now and then from the Apostles, and once in a great while representatives from the auxiliary organizations, we do not get off on some ism or schism and false doctrine, as is the case with the gentile world. We are on good terms with our brethren not of our faith. Just recently I have stood on the platform with a Methodist minister two different times and preached funeral sermons ever Gentile ladies. They keep sending for me. Over in Safford not long ago the people said, "What a pity Brother Kimball is a 'Mormon,' the doctrines he teaches are so comforting." ¶

Brethren and sisters, this is the work of God. I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, and was raised up in this the dispensation of the fulness of times, to establish this work. And these men who have been called to preside are indeed leaders of the Church, and God is leading and directing them and taking care of this work. God bless you, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶