-- Monday, Oct 8, 1900
[Apostle John Henry Smith Diary] Salt Lake City
A Priesthood meeting was held in the Assembly Hall.
Prest. Lorenzo Snow said if we kept the commandments of God we would be gods in eternity. Prest. Geo. Q. Cannon said the Saints must guard against extreme partisanship in politics. Brigham Young said get the Holy spirit and keep it. Heber J. Grant spoke in favor of sustaining the Deseret News. I urged the paying up of the indebtedness on the Brigham Young monument. Ben E. Rich spoke of the condition of the Southern States Mission. Prest. Joseph F. Smith spoke on Secret Societies. Rudger Clawson spoke on keeping records. John W. Taylor on how to deal with non tithe payers. Benediction by A. H. Lurid.
[Went to Idaho and Wyoming for meetings in various cities, some political meetings, October 10-25.] (1)
[Apostle Rudger Clawson Diary] Salt Lake City. Clear and cool. 10 a.m. Meeting of the general authorities, presidencies of stakes, bishoprics of wards, and others, Pres. Snow presiding.
The speakers were Presidents L. Snow, Geo. Q. Cannon, [and] J. F. Smith, Apostles B. Young, J. H. Smith, J. W. Taylor, H. J. Grant, and myself. Topics treated. L. S[now]. He said that there were no people on earth so great nor with so great a work to accomplish as the brethren before him. And what makes them great? It is the priesthood. I am talking to men who as time rolls on will become Gods in eternity. At this meeting we have men who preside over stakes and wards of Zion, and they preside, as it were, over kingdoms. If we do not magnify the priesthood, it were a thousand times better never to have received it. It is a mighty few compared with the fourteen thousand million of people of the earth, that have received the priesthood, and these few will be Gods in eternity. In early times the destiny of the men before me was revealed to us and is embraced in that which I have told you. When Jesus came to the earth, he was a God without knowing it--he did not comprehend his
former greatness, neither did we comprehend ours. We are scarcely out of our infancy. We ought to be up and doing, and when people come for counsel, be prepared to give it to them.
[President Snow:] We are giving the brethren their second anointings, and anyone who receives them, I should think, would never apostatize. This blessing unfolds to us just what I have been telling you we can attain to. We are just working up to the greatness of our calling. The bishoprics and presidencies of quorums should be united. In Brigham City I succeeded in getting about 50 brethren united so that we could work together and accomplish anything necessary for the interest of the people; and they could come together and partake of the sacrament as the Savior administered it. A bishopric do not realize what they can accomplish--they are the servants of God. Go to the Lord and tell him what you want and ask him to help you. Presidents of stakes and bishops of wards should be very careful in recommending people for their second anointings. They should be sure, so far as it is possible to be sure, that they will not afterwards apostatize. Do not recommend those who are not worthy.
As to some presidents of stakes who have not received their second anointings, he said, if they were worthy to be presidents of stakes, they were worthy of this blessing and could have it upon application.
Pres. G. Q. C[annon]. Said, we should feel greatly blessed in listening to the words of President Snow. Such words lift up from low and groveling thoughts; tithing-consecration should not give us trouble and anxiety in the observance and are, indeed, small things compared to the higher and greater things we have received. He desired, he said, to say a few words upon the subject of politics. We have to do with them to preserve our liberties. In the coming contest the brethren should say and do nothing to grieve the Spirit of the Lord. It is desirable [that] we should maintain in the midst of the people a feeling of goodwill and peace. It has been felt by the Presidency that there are too many missionaries laboring in some of the missions--notably the Southern States and Great Britain. The elders going to those fields will, therefore, be restricted in number. We should endeavor to preach the gospel in the primitive way, and if people will not receive, feed, and clothe the
elders, they will at least have done their duty and are not obliged to remain in their midst. In Great Britain there are 274 elders, whereas so far as conversions are concerned, 74 could do the work.
B. Y[oung]. When any of us go wrong, there is a way to be corrected. Let us go for counsel and be guided by it. Elders in the missionary field are many times in doubt just what course to pursue. Why, go to the Lord in prayer and He will answer you. The elders of Israel--presidents of stakes and others--are entitled to the spirit of revelation, if they live for it.
H. J. G[rant]. Church literature. J. H. S[mith]. B. Y[oung] Monument Fund. Pres. J. F. S[mith]. Said that it is the intention of the First Presidency, soon as practicable, to furnish church literature to the missionaries free of charge. Advised the brethren against secret societies.
R. C[lawson]. I spoke upon the subject of record keeping and said that there was a good deal of neglect in regard to this matter. Advised presidents of stakes and bishops of wards to take an active and personal interest in their records and see to it that our history is properly written and preserved.
J. W. T[aylor]. Warned the authorities against hastily cutting people off the church. We should seek rather to convert than to cut off. (2)
Endnotes:
1 - Jean Bickmore White (editor), Church, State, and Politics: The Diaries of John Henry Smith, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1990, http://bit.ly/johnhenrysmith
2 - 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
LDS History Chronology: Lorenzo Snow
Mormon History Timeline: the life of Lorenzo Snow
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
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