-- Aug 22, 1901; Thursday
President [Lorenzo] Snow presided at the Council meeting in the Temple. ...
President Snow said, It seems to me that the quorums of the Priesthood will have to receive attention, the actual work that is being done appears to be in the direction of the Mutual Improvements, but the quorums are not doing much. ... (1)
-- Aug 22, 1901
Uniform method in sustaining Church authorities-- Salt Lake City.
This letter sought uniformity throughout the L.D.S. Church on procedures in voting to sustain general authorities and other church officials in both general and Stake conferences.
Salt Lake City, Utah, August 22nd, 1901.
Prest. Angus M. Cannon and Counselors,
DEAR BRETHREN:
It having come to our notice that different methods obtain in different stakes of presenting and voting upon the general authorities of the Church; and deeming it proper that uniformity be established in doing this we concluded to recommend to each Stake Presidency that the general authorities of the church be presented and voted upon at each stake conference in the same way that they are presented and voted upon at our general conferences.
Your Brethren, LORENZO SNOW, JOSEPH F. SMITH. {1901-August 22-Circular letter, Church Historian's Library,} (2)
-- Aug 26, 1901
Your wife Christine wrote to us recently representing herself to be in needy circumstance, and asking us to use our good offices to induce you to help her children. We wrote her in answer to this that on a previous occasion (about two years ago) she wrote a similar letter, and that you were communicated with respecting it, and that you answered in effect that inasmuch as it was a domestic affair it appeared only right and proper that she should address you direct regarding it. In reply to this letter Sister Christine has written again, from which we are sorry to learn that she failed to be informed of the contents of your letter referred to; and from her last letter we quote as follows: "Your letter reveals something which was unknown to me before, or, believe me, I should not have permitted Brother Booth to intrude my affairs upon your notice again. After I had sought your advice and aid two years ago, I was made acquainted with the decision of the Council of the Presidency and the step taken, but no further information ever reached me-whether a reply was received and what position Mr. Young assumed in the matter I never learned until today through your letter. Through an aversion of again broaching the subject I let the matter drop until recurring illness this summer again barred my way and left me apparently no place to which to turn except the only authority on earth that has influence in this matter. In reply to the spirit of Mr. Young's attitude I wish to submit this statement: Mr. Young was fully aware at all times of my condition that I had neither home nor means, no parents, no relatives who were in a position to help me, he knew fully that there was nothing to keep me and his two children from want all these twelve years except the effort of my hands, and that my health was such as to make that effort a severe trial he too was mad acquainted with through letters from the children. I assume that in the heart of every intelligent human being who seeks to do right, conscience has written a code of ethics that supplements the written letter of the law in governing the conduct of man and woman toward one another. I feel strongly that no man with a vestige of chivalry in his soul would humiliate a woman so as to force her to ask a favor of him that what in all human justice she has a right to claim as her due-the least reparation man can make for a life's happiness destroyed. That Mr. Young should desire me to write personally such requests or wish to read letters which at best would be painful reminders had never occurred to me, and when remittances ceased, I took it as conclusive that he either had not the means to meet his obligations or that he repudiated them. Hence the course of my conduct." We sympathize with Sister Young in the embarrassing position in which she is placed, and agree with her that she should not be required to ask for the assistance you may be able to render and which you should render her; and we trust therefore you will see your way clear to aid her, and that you will have the disposition to help her without further importuning on her part. We appreciate the fact that this is a delicate subject, and that you may feel sensitive about it, but there appears at present to be no other recourse for Sister Christine, and this must be our apology for writing you regarding it. (3)
Endnotes:
1 - First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve minutes
2 - Clark, James R., Messages of the First Presidency (6 volumes)
3 - Lorenzo Snow and Joseph F. Smith, Letter to John W. Young
LDS History Chronology: Lorenzo Snow
Mormon History Timeline: the life of Lorenzo Snow
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
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