SHALL THE CHURCH PURCHASE LIBERTY BONDS?

Shall the Church Purchase Liberty Bonds?

I have a matter that I desire to present to the conference, as the Trustee-in-Trust of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When the subject of Liberty Bonds was broached and presented to the people, a number of my brethren submitted to me their views and their desires that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as such, should contribute some means in aid of our Government, in the purchase of these bonds with the tithes of the people. As Trustee-in-Trust, not a dollar of the tithings of the people has ever been diverted out of the regular channels of the Church, by myself ; and the funds have been expended by the common consent of my counselors and of the Twelve, and as a general thing also that of the Presiding Bishopric. I did not feel that I had the authority or the right to divert the general funds of the Church from the usual channels in which all have agreed, and all have consented for it to be used, without submitting it to the general conference of the Church. Therefore, the Question that I wish to present to the conference is : Will this Conference, this General Conference, authorize the Trustee-in-Trust of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to use a certain amount of the funds of the Church for the purchase of Liberty Bonds? And in order that the matter may be brought a little more clearly and extensively to the attention of the conference, I will ask President Lund to express himself on the subject. ¶