-- Thursday, Jun 15, 1899
[Apostle Rudger Clawson Diary] Salt Lake City. Clear and warm. 11 a.m. Meeting of the brethren at the temple. Present: Presidents Snow and Smith, Apostles J. H. Smith, Geo. Teasdale, A. H. Lund, A. O. Woodruff, F. D. Richards, R. Clawson, and Geo. F. Gibbs, clk., [and Matthias F. Cowley].
Pres. Snow said that he had been impressed to call the presidents of stakes and bishops of wards throughout Zion to meet in the temple, fast day, July 2nd, 1899, and there present to them the law of tithing. He wished to know, he said, how the brethren felt in relation to the matter. Apostles J. H. Smith, Geo. Teasdale, A. H. Lund, M. F. Cowley, and myself made remarks favoring the idea. It was moved by myself that the meeting be held, July 2nd, in accordance with Pres. Snow's suggestion, and that the following authorities be invited to attend: First Presidency, Twelve, First Seven Presidents, Patriarch, presidents of stakes and counselors, and bishops of wards. Carried.
A letter from Wm. H. Seegmiller, pres. Juab [Sevier] Stake, was read. He stated that the stake tabernacle, recently destroyed by fire, would soon be ready for dedication and expressed the hope that the First Presidency and Twelve would favor them with their presence upon that occasion, the President to designate who should offer the dedicatory prayer. Invitation accepted.
Apostle J. H. Smith asked if there would be any objection to Elder Ben E. Rich, president of the Southern States Mission, having his wife live with him in the mission, as it was thought she would make a very efficient missionary. President Snow said there would be no objection to it.
Singing. Benediction by Apostle Geo. Teasdale.
In the afternoon had F. G. Holden, the electrician, come to the 18th Ward house and get out a bid for wiring same. He told me it would cost $27.50, and I instructed him to go ahead. (1)
-- Jun 15, 1899; Thursday
Presidents [Lorenzo] Snow and [Joseph F.] Smith proceeded from the Office to the Temple, to meet with the Apostles at 11 A.M. Present: Presidents Lorenzo Snow, Joseph F. Smith and Franklin D. Richards; Apostles John Henry Smith, Matthias F. Cowley, Abraham O[wen]. Woodruff and Rudger Clawson. The rest of the Apostles were absent on various important errands.
President Snow remarked to those present that he had concluded, and was perfectly satisfied that it was the proper thing to do, to call a meeting of the Presidents of Stakes and as many of the Bishops as could attend, to be held in the Salt Lake Temple, for the purpose of laying before them the law of tithing and the importance of strict obedience thereto. He had spoken to President Smith about it, and he agreed with him that it was the right thing to do. He went on to say that the Lord was pouring out upon this nation evidence of his wrath, and that the Saints have no promise that they shall be preserved, unless they observe strictly the law of tithing. He felt it burning in his bones to have the Saints understand this, and that it is their bounden duty to obey this law. He also said that he felt that members of the Church should not be recommended to the Temple for sacred ordinances who were not tithepayers.
The brethren present expressed themselves as in favor of this proposed gathering, this solemn assembly of the Priesthood, and they felt nothing could be done that would tend so much to impress the presiding Priesthood with the importance of the instruction to
be given, as to call them together within the walls of the Temple.
After some further discussion of the matter it was decided to invite not only the Presidents of Stakes and Bishops, but also the counselors to the former; this being the necessary limit on account of the accommodations.
The following motion was then formulated by the Secretary, and it became the sense of the meeting: "That a solemn assembly, consisting of two meetings, be held on the next fast day, July 2nd; and that there be invited to attend it, the Presidents of Stakes and counselors, and as many of their Bishops as may be able to come; also the Presiding Bishopric, the First Seven Presidents of Seventies, the Patriarch, and such others as the First Presidency may see so fit to invite." ... (2)
Endnotes:
1 - Stan Larson (editor), A Ministry of Meetings: The Apostolic diaries of Rudger Clawson, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1993, http://bit.ly/rudgerclawson
2 - First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve minutes
LDS History Chronology: Lorenzo Snow
Mormon History Timeline: the life of Lorenzo Snow
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
--
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "LDS Church History" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to LDS-church-history+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
