Closing Address: Educational Growth and Priesthood Harmony

Religious and secular educational institutions of the State flourishing.— Resources of the State being developed. — Spiritual condition of the Saints excellent.— The Lord will sustain His Church and people.— Sorrow because of vacancies that have occurred in Councils of the Twelve and Seventies. ¶

We feel that our time is very precious when there is so large a gathering of representatives of the various departments of the Church, consequently our discourses are necessarily brief. We have heard from quite a number of our brethren during the conference as to the condition of affairs among the Saints who are gathered in Zion, and also in the various missions throughout the United States. We have heard of the great good that is being accomplished by the Church school system, and the great expense which the Church has incurred in sustaining our Church schools in the stakes of Zion. A splendid work is also being done in our state by the district schools, the high schools, the Agricultural College, the University, and by denominational schools; for the Latter-day Saints are not the only people who believe in church school education. Our Christian brethren of various denominations have established some excellent schools, and these, together with the Latter-day Saint schools, are aiding very much to place this state in the front rank educationally. As a State, we are entitled to congratulation for the educational effort put forth. The agricultural resources of the State are being developed; the mineral deposits are being opened up, and we are becoming one of the rich states. Though we are not quite 60 years of age, we compare favorably with the states about us. some of which are older and some younger. The Latter-day Saints are doing their part in this, and are receiving their fair measure of prosperity and blessing. They have led out particularly in developing the agricultural and educational departments of the State, and have done consider able also in developing the mineral resources of the country; and in common with the other people of the State, they are sharing in the prosperity. Our sugar industry has been referred to. It has brought much wealth to our state, although it has only been running a few years, and the prospects are altogether favorable for the future. We have led the way in this industry in the United States; at least, we have very closely followed those that have been in the lead. ¶

The Lord has blessed His work. You have heard the testimonies of our brethren in regard to the truth of this work. The Lord has established it, and will maintain it to the end. We understand that it is established never to be thrown down, and never to be given to another people. The Lord has blessed us individually with a positive testimony in regard to the truth, so that whatever afflictions and trials come upon us, we do not fall simply because others do. If calamity comes upon one, it is not necessary that another should fall down; the Lord will sustain every individual member of His Church. Whatever we may have to grapple with in this life, whatever losses, financial or otherwise, the Lord will sustain us if we will but remain faithful and true to him. Up to this date the Lord has not forsaken His people. He never will forsake them; He will care for them as a whole, and in the various departments of His kingdom. He has ordained that in the organization, which is so perfect in all its departments, there shall be no breach. There shall nothing occur to break the force and power of this work. Men may die; men may apostatize and turn from the truth, families and large numbers of people may. There have at different times been losses to the Church by schisms and other troubles; but the Church has been so trained and disciplined, during its existence of seventy-six years, that today there is a solid phalanx of veterans who have seen service and passed through trials and tribulations without being disturbed. So when afflictions come, when difficulties arise, and we are threatened from all directions, we possess our souls in patience and wait upon the Lord, for we do know that this work is the Lord's. The Prophet Joseph Smith has accomplished his mission on the earth; the same with President Young, President Taylor, President Woodruff, and President Snow. President Joseph P. Smith is with us today, and he will accomplish his mission, as his predecessors have done, and will go to his reward. So will we all in due time; but we will not go till we get through; and we intend to be just as long getting through and finishing our work on this earth as we possibly can be. In other words, we intend to live. ¶

I say to the Latter-day Saints that we have everything to encourage us, to increase our faith, and establish our standing and fellowship in the favor of the Lord. We have no reason to find fault or complain. We may have trials ourselves; we may have difficulties with our neighbors; various things happen that we consider very serious afflictions at times, but they prove beneficial in the end to those who are faithful. They demonstrate the strength of the fibre of which we are made, and the measure of testimony and faith that we have in the Lord. The Latter-day Saints can be trusted; they have always been worthy to be trusted. They have been true and faithful, and will be to the end, as a people. We need have no trouble or fear, for we have been made free by the Truth. The Gospel we have embraced has made us able to endure the trials and hardships of life. We are increasing in numbers, in wealth, in influence and in power, and the Lord is entitled to the credit, for it is He that enables us to do it. We are under obligation to Him for our very being, as well as for what we are accomplishing. ¶

I want to draw attention to the fact that throughout Zion, not only is there material prosperity, the result of agriculture, mining, manufacturing and the like, but there is spiritual prosperity also. Our houses of worship are being greatly improved, and we are building splendid new meetinghouses, almost like temples; I am not sure but we have gone a little to the extreme in that regard. The school buildings throughout the state are very creditable; in fact, when you travel and see what has been accomplished in this line, you can discover that there is faith in the hearts of the people of this state, and a love for education, and they are generous in the building of schoolhouses, academies and universities. The spirit of education has taken hold of the people, and we are in the front rank with states that are more than a hundred years old. In these matters we have nothing to be ashamed of. When our boys and girls obtain all the education they can in the district schools and high schools here, we occasionally send them from home into the older states, and even across the water to Europe, that they may have the advantages of the best schools in the world. In addition to that, our people travel largely abroad as missionaries, preaching the Gospel throughout the world, and thereby get training and experience that is most valuable. This state, and the states and territories surrounding us, when the Latter-day Saints are in considerable numbers, are having the benefit of all this. ¶

Now, we feel very grateful for the generous attendance of the people at this conference. After drawing attention to many good things we have to encourage us, and make us happy and joyous, and to thank the Lord for, we have some things to be very sorrowful about. It becomes my duty to announce officially to the Church that, on the 6th day of February, in the city of Richmond, Cache County, our beloved brother, President Marriner W. Merrill, passed from this life, making a vacancy in the council of the Twelve. Also to announce to you the resignation of our beloved brethren, John W. Taylor and Matthias F. Cowley, from their positions in that Council, because they found themselves out of harmony with the Presidency of the Church and the quorum to which they belonged. Their resignations, you may well appreciate, caused us the deepest sorrow. They were accepted by the Council of the Twelve Apostles and the First Presidency on the 28th day of last October, causing two more vacancies in the Council. On the 23rd day of December last our beloved brother, President Christian D. Fjelsted, a member of the First Council of Seventies, passed away, leaving a vacancy in that presiding quorum. Here are four important vacancies, which will be filled at this conference, as we have been directed to do by the Lord, through our President, Joseph F. Smith. ¶

AUTHORITIES SUSTAINED. ¶

President Lyman then presented the General Authorities of the Church 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, Rudger Clawson, Reed Smoot, Hyrum M. Smith, George A. Smith, Charles W. Penrose, George F. Richards, Orson F. Whitney and David O. McKay. ¶

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, Brigham H. Roberts, George Reynolds, Jonathan G. Kimball, Rulon S. Wells, Joseph W. McMurrin and Charles H. Hart. ¶

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, A. Milton Musser, Brigham H. Roberts and Joseph F. Smith, Jr., assistant historians. ¶

As members of the general Church board of education: Joseph F. Smith, Willard Young, Anthon H. Lund, John Nicholson, George H. Brimhall, Rudger Clawson, John R. Winder and Charles W. Penrose. Arthur Winter, secretary and treasurer to the general Church board of education. ¶

Rudger Clawson, Reed Smoot, William W. Riter, Charles W. Nibley and August W. Carlson, auditing committee. ¶

John Nicholson, as clerk of the conference. ¶

Evan Stephens, as director of the Tabernacle choir, with Horace S. Ensign, assistant; John J. McClellan, organist; Edward P. Kimball, assistant organist, and all the members of the Tabernacle choir. ¶

President Lyman announced that the voting was unanimously affirmed in every case. ¶

President Lyman concluded, as follows: ¶

I pray that the Spirit of the Lord may go with us to our homes from this conference, that we may continue our faithful labors, and that our devotion to the cause of the Lord shall increase, and be intensified and strengthened from this time forth. The Lord is with His people, and they will prosper from this time forth more than ever before. We have heard today that this is the banner year in our temporal prosperity, but this will seem small compared with the prosperity that will attend the people hereafter. God bless you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶