OCTOBER 1900
First Presidency
LORENZO SNOW -86
-George Q. Cannon -73
-JOSEPH F. SMITH -61
Quorum of the 12 Apostles
-Brigham Young Jr. -64
-Francis M. Lyman -60
-John Henry Smith -52
-George Teasdale -68
-HEBER J. GRANT -43
-John W. Taylor -42
-Marriner W. Merrill -68
-Anthon H. Lund -56
-Matthias F. Cowley -42
-Abraham O. Woodruff -26
-Rudger Clawson -43
-Reed Smoot -38
Trivia: Reed Smoot served from 1903-1933 as a U.S. Senator for Utah, all while also being an Apostle.
I dare say that the people that are before me this morning have learned that it was an absolute necessity to have a perfect understanding, and an understanding that could only come directly from the Lord. It would not be satisfactory simply to turn over the leaves of the New Testament and to see that these principles were in accordance with those preached by the Apostles of old, but to have this knowledge come directly to themselves from the Lord. Now, I say this in order that if there are any Latter-day Saints, who have not advanced to this knowledge and can not see and understand clearly that they have espoused the principles of salvation and exaltation and glory, and that directly from the Lord, it is time they were about receiving this information.
We are not through with our labors yet, although we have got through a great many of them that have been considerable of a trial to us, and temptations, perhaps, have been to some of us of a nature that almost amounted to a disposition to turn away from the principles that we had received. The trials and temptations have been very great to many of our people, and more or less, perhaps, to all of us. The Lord seems to require some proof on our part, something to show that He can depend upon us when He wants us to accomplish certain things in His interest...
The religion that we have received, the principles of exaltation and glory that you and I have received, bring upon us persecution, or else they are not those principles which we thought they were. They bring upon us trouble upon the right hand and upon the left, but we should seek to be calm and cool as Job learned to be calm and cool under circumstances of the most uphappy character. We should learn to do this and there are things that are provided for us by which we can learn this. Think now of how much worse you and I might be, and then think of what superior blessings we actually possess...
When the brethren arise to speak you should ask the Lord to let them say something that you want to know, that they may suggest something to you that will be of some advantage. If you have any desire to know certain matters that you do not understand, pray that these brethren in their talks may say something that shall enlighten your mind in reference to that which troubles you, and we will have a grand and glorious Conference, a better one than we have ever had before.
LS - "The Redemption of Zion"
A word or two about Joseph Smith. Perhaps there are very few men now living who were so well acquainted with Joseph Smith the Prophet as I was. I was with him oftentimes. I visited him in his family, sat at his table, associated with him under various circumstances, and had private interviews with him for counsel. I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God; I know that he was an honorable man, a moral man, and that he had the respect of those who were acquainted with him. The Lord has shown me most clearly and completely that he was a Prophet of God, and that he held the Holy Priesthood and the authority to baptize people for the remission of their sins and to lay hands upon them for the reception of the Holy Ghost, that they might receive a knowledge themselves in relation to these things. I am one that has received from the Lord the strongest revelation concerning the truth of this work. That manifestation was with me powerfully for hours and hours; and whatever circumstances may occur in my life, as long as memory lasts this perfect knowledge will remain with me...
God bless you, my brethren and sisters, and let us try and be as perfect as we possibly can be from day to day. No religion has in it such prospects as has the religion of the Latter-day Saints. Nothing was ever introduced to man equal to it in its grand and glorious advantages. We ought to enjoy our religion to such an extent as to be happy most all the time. We should never allow ourselves to get into a position where we cannot secure some happiness. The prospects that have been opened up to us are grand. In the next life we will have our bodies glorified and free from sickness and death. Nothing is so beautiful as a person in a resurrected and glorified condition. There is nothing more lovely than to be in this condition and have our wives and children and friends with us.
The same Gospel prevails today, and the same ordinances are administered today, both for the living and for the dead, as were administered by the Prophet, himself, and delivered by him to the Church. So far as I know, there is not an ordinance of the Church now enjoyed or practiced that was not revealed to the Church by the Prophet Joseph Smith. I know of no new doctrine that has been revealed. Principles that were revealed to the Prophet Joseph have grown and developed more fully and clearly to the understanding; but we have received nothing new that I know of. Yet if we should receive something new, through the proper channels of the Church, we should be as ready and willing to receive it as we were or would be to receive the same at the hands of the Prophet Joseph himself...
The question in my mind is this: Who is to judge who are the good men and the wise men? If you leave me to judge, I say one man; if you leave Brother Brigham to judge, he may say another man; or, if we leave it to the people to judge, one says this is the wise man, and another says that is the wise man. The question with me is: Am I in a frame of mind, that when I get the word of the Lord as to who is the right man, will I obey it, no matter if it does come contrary to my convictions or predilections? If I reel that I can obey the word of God on this matter, then I am in harmony with the spirit of the work of God. If I cannot do it, I am not in harmony with that spirit.
JFS - "Baptism"
Here is a question: "We have but one baptizing day in each year in our Stake. Thus we nearly always have children over eight years old in our schools that are not baptized." This I think to be a very great mistake. I believe in this Stake of Zion there is a baptizing day in each month, and all the children that reach the age of eight years, and all others who desire it, may be baptized, without waiting any longer than one month. We think it is all wrong that children should be kept for nearly a year after they are eight years of age before they are permitted to be baptized, and we would recommend to all the Bishops and to the presidents of all the Stakes, to institute the practice of baptizing once in each month in all the Stakes, and as far as possible in all the wards, so that all the children may be baptized, when they are eight years old, according to the commandment that is given to us in the revelation.
We have the commandments of the Lord before us in the written word, and from time to time we have our minds refreshed by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon those who are called upon to preach to us. There is therefore no excuse for the Latter-day Saint who does not keep the commandments of God. We cannot say that we do not know what our duties are, because they are fo often and so forcibly brought to our minds by those who speak to us. I realize that it requires a constant effort on the part of each and every one of us to make a success of our lives. It requires no effort at all to roll down the hill, but it does require an effort to climb to the summit. It needs no effort to walk in the broad way that leads to destruction; but it needs an effort to keep in the straight and narrow path that leads to life eternal, and we are told that but few find this path. The all-important thing for you and me is to discover whether we are walking in the straight and narrow r path that leads to life eternal, and if we are not, wherein have we allowed the adversary to blind our minds and to cause us to depart from that path which will lead us back into the presence of God? Each one should search his own heart to find out wherein he has failed, and then he should diligently seek unto our Heavenly Father for the assistance of His Holy Spirit, that he may come back into the straight path...
Now we desire that the Latter-day Saints shall be free from the bondage of debt...
I know that the policy of President Brigham Young in advocating to the people that they support home manufacture and keep their money at home to build up the country, is the true policy for the Latter-day Saints to follow. I wear home-made clothes. I have done it ever since I was a little boy. Why? Because I believe it is better for this community that I pay twenty dollars for a suit of clothes than that the wool be sent East and bring only one dollar back...
[He went on to give a story that illustrates the importance of staying out of debt by relaying a skit he saw at a "negro minstrel show" that showed the different characters passing money around and all getting out of debt. Different times, different times.]
HJG - "Do Not Fail to Keep the Commandments"
Take Sidney Rigdon, who was with Joseph Smith when he received that great vision and revelation wherein it is declared that they saw Jesus Christ who came into the world to bear the sins of the world; and the testimony which they bore of Jesus was: "After the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of Him, that He lives, for we saw Him, even on the right hand of God, and we heard the voice bearing record that He is the only begotten of the Father." And they testify that they saw the angels and those that were sanctified singing praises to God. I say, notwithstanding they saw the Savior and bore His testimony, this man Sidney Rigdon, fell by the wayside. I say to the Latter-day Saints, no amount of knowledge, no amount of testimony, no amount of sealing in the temples of God to our wives and children will save us; but the keeping of the commandments of God, being honest in our dealings with God and with out fellow men, paying our tithing, obeying the Word of Wisdom and doing our duty as Latter- day Saints — these are the things, and the only things that will save us.
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