The Latter-Day Saints'
MILLENNIAL STAR.
HE THAT HATH AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAITH
UNTO THE CHURCHES.—Rev. ii. 7.
No. 3—Vol. XIV. . Price One Penny.
MINUTES OF THE GENERAL CONFERENCE,
OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS, HELD IN THE BOWERY, GREAT
SALT LAKE CITY, SEPT. 7th, 1851.
(From the Frontier Guardian).
Present of the First Presidency—
Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Wil-
lard Richards.
Patriarch—John Smith.
Of the Twelve Apostles—Orson Hyde,
Wilford Woodruff, G. A. Smith, and E.
T. Benson.
Presidency of the Seventies—Joseph
Young, B. L. Clapp, J. M. Grant, A. P.
Rockwood, H. Herriman, Levi Hancock,
and Zera Pulsipher.
Presidency of the Stake—Daniel Spen-
cer, David Fullmer, and Willard Snow.
High Priest's Quorum—John Young,
and Reynolds Cahoon.
The High Council of the Stake.
Presiding Bishop—Edward Hunter.
Clerk of Conference—Thomas Bul-
lock.
The Conference was called to order by
President Kimball, who stated that if the
people have paid their tithing, the Spirit
of God will be on this Conference; and
notified the brethren, that another person
would not get his endowment until his
tithing was paid in full.
The Choir sung a hymn; prayer by
Elder Orson Hyde, and singing.
President Young then addressed the
people on the business of the Conference,
and the experience that this people had
passed through, and showed that Mor-
monism circumscribes all truth, whether
in heaven, on earth, or in hell, and will
continue to revolutionize this world, until
all the kingdoms of the earth are subject
to the kingdom of Jesus Christ; and tes-
tified that Joseph Smith was a Prophet
of God, and was as good a man as ever
walked on the earth. Adjourned.
2 O'CLOCK, P.M.
Opened with singing and prayer, fol-
lowed by discourses from Elders E. T.
Benson, O. Hyde, G. A. Smith, Wilford
Woodruff, Levi Hancock, President Young,
and Willard Richards, each bearing a
powerful testimony to the work of the
Lord in the last days, and testifying that
Joseph was a Prophet of God.
Adjourned, until the 8th, at 10 o'clock,
A.M.
Monday, September 8th, 10, A.M.
Conference called to order by President
Young; singing; prayer by Elder Joseph
Young, and singing.
President Young then introduced the
Hon. Perry E. Brocchus, Judge of the
Supreme Court, for Utah Territory; who
thanked the people of the Territory for
their hospitality and kindness, in attend-
ing him in his sickness, when he was a
stranger. He bore testimony of the peace-
fulness of the inhabitants, their fellowship,
peace and love one towards another; their
submission to the tribunals of their own
choice, and prayed to God to grant that the
time may soon come, that all the United
States may soon have such tribunals as
are in this Territory, and then it always
would bring peace to the hearts of those
who had to be judged. He expressed his
indignation and abhorrence of the scenes
which transpired, in driving the Latter-
day Saints from Missouri and Illinois.
He then presented a description of the
monument intended to be built to the
memory of Gen. Washington, and finish-
ed his discourse by saying, that he should
always remember with deep gratitude,
and respect, his interview with the Lat-
ter-day Saints in their mountain city.
He was followed in his remarks, by
President Young, and the congregation
was dismissed with benediction by Elder
Wilford Woodruff.
2 O'CLOCK, P.M.
After an intermission of one hour, the
Conference was called to order by Presi-
dent Young; singing; prayer by Elder
John Young, and singing.
President Kimball, then rose, on the
business of the Conference, to bring be-
fore the people the authorities of the
Church, and presented Brigham Young
as the President of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout
all the world, and also as Prophet, Seer,
and Revelator; which was carried unani-
mously.
Heber C. Kimball was then presented
as First Counsellor to President Young,
and Willard Richards, Second Counsellor;
who were severally sustained in their
office.
John Smith was sustained as the Pre-
siding Patriarch to the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Willard Richards was sustained as the
Historian of the Church, and General
Church Recorder.
Orson Hyde was sustained as the Pre-
sident of the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles; and P. P. Pratt, Orson Pratt,
Wilford Woodruff, John Taylor, George
A. Smith, Amasa Lyman, Ezra T. Ben-
son, Charles C. Rich, Lorenzo Snow,
Erastus Snow, and F. D. Richards, were
severally sustained as members of the
same Quorum.
Daniel Spencer was sustained as Pre-
sident of this Stake of Zion, and David
Fullmer, and Willard Snow, as his Coun-
sellors.
Henry G. Sherwood, was sustained as
President of the High Council, and Elea-
zer Miller, John Kempton, Heman Hyde,
William W. Major, Levi Jackman, Ira
Eldridge, John Vance, E. D. Wooley,
and John Parry, were sustained as mem-
bers of the same, and Winslow Farr, and
W. Snow were voted to be members of
said Quorum.
John Young was sustained as Presi-
dent of the High Priest's Quorum; and
Reynolds Cahoon, and George B. Wal-
lace, as his Counsellors.
Joseph Young was sustained as Senior
President of all the Quorums of the Se-
venties; and Levi W. Hancock, Henry
Herriman, Zera Pulsipher, Albert P. Rock-
wood, Benjamin L. Clapp, and Jedediah M.
Grant were sustained as his Counsellors.
Edward Hunter, was sustained as Pre-
siding Bishop in the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints.
John Nebeker was sustained as Presi-
dent of the Elder's Quorum: and James
H. Smith, and Aaron Sceva, as his Coun-
sellors.
Joseph Harker was sustained as Pre-
sident of the Priest's Quorum; and Si-
meon Houd, and Lewis White, as his
Counsellors.
McGee Harris was sustained as Presi-
dent of the Teacher's Quorum; and John
Vance, and Reuben Perkins, as his Coun-
sellors.
Return R. Hill was voted as President
of the Quorum of Deacons.
Brigham Young was sustained as Trus-
tee in trust, for the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Edward
Hunter as an Assistant Trustee.
D. H. Wells was sustained as the Su-
perintendent of the Public Works.
The President, and Assistants, of the
Perpetual Emigrating Company, to gather
the Poor, were next presented, when
Brigham Young was sustained as Presi-
dent of said company; and Heber C.
Kimball, W. Richards, W. Woodruff, O.
Hyde, G. A. Smith, E. T. Benson, J. M.
Grant, D. H. Wells, W. Snow, E. Hun-
ter, D. Spencer, T. Bullock, J. Brown,
W. Crosby, A. Lyman, C. C. Rich, L.
Young, P. P. Pratt, O. Pratt, and F. D.
Richards, were sustained as his Assistants.
President Young said, there would be
travelling Bishops, to visit the Bishops in
their respective wards, to see that they do
their duty, and if they do not do it, they
will be removed out of their place and
others put in; when Nathaniel H. Felt,
was nominated as one of the travelling
Presiding Bishops, under Bishop Edward
Hunter—Carried.
John Banks was nominated as another
of the travelling Bishops, and carried.
Ezra T. Benson, Jedediah M. Grant,
and Orson Hyde, were voted as Agents of
the Perpetual Emigrating Company, to
gather the Poor to this place.
Samuel W. Richards, Willard Snow,
Abraham O. Smoot, Dorr P. Curtis, and
Vincent Shurtleff, were voted to take mis-
sions to England.
Daniel Carn, was voted to take a mis-
sion to Germany.
John Young, was voted to take a mis-
sion to the States, to preach, and gather
up the Saints.
John L. Dunyon, was voted to take a
mission to the States, and preach the
Gospel.
A manifest of the affairs in the Tithing
office were read; also a manifest of the
Perpetual Emigrating Poor Fund Com-
pany.
Adjourned to 10, A.M. Benediction by
George A. Smith.
Tuesday, Sept. 9th, 1851, 10 A.M.
Conference again called to order; sing-
ing by the Choir; prayer by H. G. Sher-
wood, and singing.
The forenoon was occupied by Presi-
dent Young preaching a funeral sermon
on the occasion of the death of brother
Lewis Abbott, was followed in his re-
marks by Elder H. G. Sherwood, Levi
Gifford, John Young, and H. C. Kim-
ball, and benediction by Elder Hyde.
2 O'CLOCK, P.M.
Conference being called to order, and
opened in the usual manner. The Patri-
arch John Smith, said he had been
through the whole scene of persecution,
of mobbing, and murders, from 1832 to
the present time; and alluded to the night
of the murder of Joseph and Hyrum in
Carthage Jail, and called on the people to
pay their tithing, that it may be said of
us, well done good and faithful servants;
and was followed in similar remarks by
President Kimball, Edward Hunter, W.
W. Phelps, Isaac Chase, and Zera Pulsi-
pher.
The Patriarch again arose to speak on
the Word of Wisdom, and urging on the
brethren to leave off using tobacco, &c.
President Young rose to put the mo-
tion and called on all the sisters who will
leave off the use of tea, coffee, &c., to
manifest it by raising the right hand;
seconded and carried.
And then put the following motion;
calling on all the boys who were under
ninety years of age who would covenant
to leave off the use of tobacco, whisky,
and all things mentioned in the Word of
Wisdom, to manifest it in the same man-
ner, which was carried unanimously.
The Patriarch then said, may the Lord
bless you and help you to keep all your
covenants. Amen.
President Young amongst other things
said he knew the goodness of the people,
and the Lord bears with our weakness;
we must serve the Lord, and those who
go with me will keep the Word of Wis-
dom, and if the High Priests, the Seven-
ties, the Elders, and others will not serve
the Lord, we will sever them from the
Church. I will draw the line and know
who is for the Lord and who is not, and
those who will not keep the Word of
Wisdom, I will cut off from the Church;
I throw out a challenge to all men and
women. Have I not always counselled
you right? I would rather you would
cut me into inch pieces, than to flinch
from my duty, the Lord being my helper.
I would rather live with a few men who
will serve the Lord, than live with ten
thousand hypocrites. He then exhorted
the men and women never to quarrel,
to cease all contentions. If a man abuses
you, settle with him with kind words, but
never go to law. Let every head of a
family gather their family together night
and morning, and wait on the Lord until
his Spirit rests on you like a cloud, and
I say unto you in the name of the Lord
God of Israel, be you blest.
Adjourned until Wednesday, at ten
o'clock, A.M.
Benediction by George A. Smith.
Wednesday, Sept. 10th, 10 o'clock, A.M.
Conference called to order, and was
opened with singing by the Choir.
Prayer by President Young, and sing-
ing.
E. D. Wooley bore testimony of the
work of the Lord, that Joseph was a Pro-
phet of God, and that Brigham is just as
good a man as Joseph was, and he was as
good a man as ever lived on the earth,
&c.
President Young spoke on the subject
of the Mormon Battalion, and why they
went the journey. General Doniphan
said in St. Louis, that, "if he had one
thousand Mormon Boys, the same as the
Mormon Battalion, he could do more
good than all the United States soldiers
that were there:" I say, if he had been
a Mormon he would have been charged
with treason, although the government
is good, and the Constitution is as good as
could be framed.
He then exhorted the Presiding Bishop
to settle with the First Presidency and
all the Bishops, and require their tithing,
the one-tenth of all their real estate, of
the value of their farms and possessions,
and all they have got, and then see that
the Bishops settle with every man, and
that he pays his tithing or we will disfel-
lowship him from the Church. I will
sell every particle of my property if a man
can be found who will pay the cash, and
I will put it all into the hands of Bishop
Hunter, and I will begin anew, and in
five years God will so bless me that I
shall be richer than any man in this
community.
He then called on the First Presidency,
the Twelve Apostles, High Priests, Seven-
ties, and every person to know if they were
willing to do as he told them, when all
hands were immediately raised.
He lifted his hands on high and with
all the powers of the Holy Priesthood
vested in him, he blessed the Saints in the
name of the Lord God of Israel, when all
the people cried, Amen.
On motion the Conference was ad-
journed to the 6th October next, at ten
o'clock, A.M.
Benediction by President H. C. Kim-
ball.
THOMAS BULLOCK,
Clerk of Conference.