-- May 16, 1900; Wednesday
Bro[ther]. Grant Geddes had a talk with President [Lorenzo Snow]. It appears that his deceased brother's wife (Margaret) who is a widow, has confessed to the a charge of adultery in the Bishop's court, and that the court had given her time to reveal the name of the man [i.e., David Eccles] in transgression with her. This she had refused to do on the grounds that he was a man of family, respected in the community, and to do so would do no good, but only bring reproach upon his family, and add to her mortificaiton. She was willing to make a public confession and ask forgiveness, and desired that she may be permitted to do this in order to retain her standing in the Church. The court held however that she must obey its requirement, and Bro[ther]. Geddes' business was to consult the Presidency in regard to the matter. (1)
-- May 17, 1900; Thursday
The Presidency were at the office until 11 o'clock when the council meeting of the Presidency and Apostles was held in the Temple. There were present: Presidents [Lorenzo] Snow, [George Q.] Cannon and [Joseph F.] Smith of the Presidency, Elders Brigham Young [Jr.], John Henry Smith, Heber J. Grant, Anthon H. Lund, Rudger Clawson and Reed Smoot of the Apostles quorum. ...
The case of a young man named Mikeljohn who had been called on a mission, but the day before leaving reported that he had been held up by two men, taking to a private house and robbed and sent away in a hack, was mentioned. The brethren did not believe the story, and Brother Grant who had his case in hand now reported that he had given instructions to Brother William C. Spence not to arrange for his missionary transportation as he did not think him worthy of going on a mission. This led to lengthy talk on the subject of interrogating our young men as to their fitness to preach the Gospel, also as to their moral status. President Smith stated that Miklejohn had already confessed to having spent a night in a brothel in this city in connection with two other young men, but claimed that they did nothing but drink beer.
President Snow now brought up the subject of providing
suitable quarters for the Latter-day Saints College. He said that it had been proposed to turn the Assembly hall into a college building, as before noted, which could be done at a cost of $20,000 which amount it was thought could be raised by donation; the necessary additions to be made after plans to be drawn by a competent architect who claims he can improve the look of the building by the contemplated additions. The President referred to the present quarters at the top of the Templeton building which were exceedingly unsafe, he added that he would be greatly relieved when the school term ends and the children are out from there. He further said he could not see any possible chance of obtaining college accommodations without erecting a building, and the question immediately arose then where the money was going to come from. It was understood that should the Assembly hall be turned into a college building, it could also be used for religious purposes. The subject was now before the council.
Brother Lund thought the school should have a campus which the proposed building could not afford, and then he believed the beauty of the building would be marred by adding to it, also that the grounds would be marred by having the school building upon it. He favored the Church buying the old University of Utah grounds and buildings on second west, for the College.
Brother Grant thought it would be a good thing to convert the Assembly hall into a college building. It would have the advantage of being centrally located, and strangers could visit and doubtless would, and thus much good could be done in that way. He believed that a good architect could add to the building without marring it in the least, and by and by it could be so added to as to accommodate the Deseret Museum, which would be a fine acquisition of the college. He said he did not want to mar the Temple block by advocating this proposition, and he conscientiously could not see that the block could be marred by it or that it would not be right; of course it was understood that the playground could not be made of it; but there was no playgrounds to the present building, nor was there in the previous ones, but he could see that the Temple grounds could furnish the students the pleasure of sitting outdoors. Referring to the present quarters, he said, that he had two daughters going to the school and there were times, when thinking of the danger and risk, he was filled with horror, and he had been actually tempted to take his children away from there. The speaker referred to the Spencer Clawson building, which could be had for $20,000, and a forgiveness of the debt of Spencer Clawson, and interest. At least when he went east to see Mr. [J. B.] Claflin, who was the largest creditor of Spencer Clawson, and tried to get the building for $10,000, and the indebtedness, that gentlemen expressed his willingness to let it go for $20,000., and supposed it could be had for that now.
Elder Smoot expressed the opinion that $30,000. would not be sufficient to make such additions to the Assembly hall as would be necessary to accommodate the school and preserve the harmony of the building. He thought too, the school should have a playground
or campus and favored trying to buy the University grounds and buildings in the Sixteenth ward and favored obtaining temporary quarters in the meantime.
President Snow stated that he desired the brethren to talk to the subject of the supposition that other places cannot be found, for he did not know, neither did he know anybody that did know where temporary quarters could be had, and rather than have the college continue in its present quarters he should feel in duty bound to stop it altogether.
Brother John Henry Smith said he was dead against remodeling the Assembly Hall and putting the school on the Temple block as it would overturn all the propositions for which the ground was dedicated.
President Snow asked the brethren who could do so to suggest what could be done with the present college, as it must be known right away so that teachers might be engaged for the coming school year.
Of course all the brethren were agreed as to the situation at present being unsatisfactory. President Cannon said he did not feel to say much on the question, as he fancied President Cannon said he did not feel to say much on the question, as he fancied President Snow?s mind leaned towards making a school building of the Assembly hall. In the first place, he said, the Temple block was not laid out for educational purposes, but for sacred purposes and the Assembly hall had already been dedicated for sacred purposes. He suggested that the northwest corner of the block immediately east of the Temple block would make a suitable place for the college building, and with the $30,000 to be raised he thought that part of the college building might be erected, sufficient perhaps for present needs. His objection to the Temple block, besides the one already mentioned was that the Temple block could not furnish a campus. The speaker recognized the advantage of a central location, and said he was prepared to vote for the Assembly hall now, after having expressed his objectons to it, if President Snow felt led to convert that building into a college.
President Snow stated that he had set no stakes in the matter. He, however, could see no serious objection to using the Assembly hall for college purposes from the standpoint of sacredness. He referred to the Nauvoo (?) Temple having been used for school purposes for boys and girls after it had been dedicated. He was inclined to accept the judgement of Professor Paul in preference to the brethren in the matter who did not know so much about the situation as he, Brother Paul did, regarding the adaptability of the Assembly hall for college purposes and if $30,000 could be raised to make additions to that building, and the design of the building could actually be improved, as it was claimed it could be, it was a proposition worthy of consideration. He did not think that the grounds would be injured at all, but of course, nothing could be done until it was known the amount of money it would take outside of Church assistance. Referring to the idea of purchasing the University grounds and buildings, that had
been talked of, he did not know whether they could be purchased or not even if we had to run into debt for them. Something had to be done one w3ay or another as it was necessary to move towards the employment of teachers for the next school year.
Brother Grant again referred to the Spencer Clawson building and proposition, when President Snow moved that Brother Grant try to purchase the building for $20,000 and the indebtedness to the Church of $40,000 and interest. Seconded by President Smith and carried.
Brother Grant now reported on the business of the Utah Loan and Trust Co[mpany]. bank, which was in effect that if all promises were realized, and assets could be sold for what they had been estimated to be worth, another $25,000. or $30,000. would be needed to wind it up.
After talking some time on the question, President Snow said that if Brothers Grant and Smoot felt like making another trial to collect what had been promised and succeeded in doing so he would undertake, as Trustee-in-Trust, to furnish $25,000. to close up the business, and promised $5,000 of this amount right away in case it should be needed to keep the bank from breaking. ...
Brother Rudger Clawson said that a question had been asked him if money sent to elders in the missionary field for their support should be tithed, that Brother Ben E. Rich, president of the Southern States mission had so ruled.
After some remarks on the subject John Henry Smith moved that Presidents of missions be instructed not to require missionaries to tithe the money sent to them for their support, which was seconded and carried. ...
Brother John W. Taylor met the Presidency this afternoon at the office and had a short talk with them about collecting the commission allowed by the Canadian government on emigrants going into that country as bona fide settlers, he having learned that the government allowed three dollars to every male over eighteen, and two dollars for every female over eighteen, and one dollar for every child. He was authorized to make the collection, and it is understood that he will report to the Presidency.
The sum of 75.00 was appropriated to help pay hall rent of the Anaconda Branch, this sum was taken out of the tithes of that branch. (2)
Endnotes:
1 - Office Journal of the First Presidency
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/
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