Editors’ Table: Church Conditions

Editors' Table

Church Conditions and Statistics *

BY PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH

I am very happy to greet you, my brethren and sisters, in

our gathering on this beautiful morning, to commence our eighty-

fourth annual conference of the Church. I do not know how long

I may address you this morning, but I sincerely hope that I may

not weary you too long. I am very grateful to say that I am in

the enjoyment of my usual health and strength, notwithstanding

for sometime, like a great many of my brethren, I have

been "enjoying" a bad cold the best I could. It has had its

effect upon my organs of speech 'for, notwithstanding the cold,

I have endeavored to perform my duty, and have very frequently

used my voice to the utmost in addressing the quarterly confer-

ences of our people, and also many ward gatherings as well.

I am very thankful, indeed, that the Lord has preserved us

all to meet together here this morning in His service, from

whom we receive all good, and in commemoration, also, of

the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day

Saints in this Dispensation of the Fulness of Times. I feel sure

that during the sessions of this conference there is in store for

us the usual outpouring" of the good Spirit by which we may be

strengthened in our faith, encouraged in our determination to con-

tinue faithful before the Lord, and aided in the performance of

our duties as members and officers of the Church, and as men and

women bearing responsibilities therein. All these blessings, that

we may resolve again, as we no doubt have resolved many times,

to be more faithful, if possible, in the future than we have been in

the past. It is a fact that however good we may be, however

careful in the observance of the precepts of the gospel, and in the

preservation of our lives and virtues, there is a certain degree of

weakness which we often call "human weakness" pervading our

being. Hence, there is always opportunity for improvement over

the best that we do. I feel that this is the case with me, and I be-

lieve I am not an exception to the general rule. None of us, I

presume, have reached such degree of perfection in all things that

we can say of a truth that we have not neglected any duty re-

quired of us in the Church, and that we have done all that we

possibly could do for our own good and for the advancement of

*Opening address delivered at the 84th annual conference of the

Church, April 4, 1914.

676 IMPROVEMENT ERA

the kingdom of God. The fact is, whoever will labor for his own

welfare, for his own salvation and 'upbuilding in the knowledge

of those principles which draw men nearer to God and make them

more like unto him, fitting them better for the performance of the

duties required at their hands, is in like manner building up

the Church. None of us, I suppose, can do as well as would be

expected of us by those who are perfect in the observance of the

laws of God. I presume that there are very few of us today who

would be justified in claiming that we actually observe and are

capable of living up to the precepts that were taught by the Son

of God. However good, honest and faithful we may be, I doubt

very much that there are any of us who are capable of rightfully

asserting that we are living up to all the precepts of the Son of

God. There are some glorious principles advocated by him that

1 fear it would be impossible for me, in my present condition

and state of mind, to observe or comply with. To illustrate what

I desire to express, I fear that if a man should smite me on the

right cheek that I would not feel very willing to turn the other

cheek also or, if a man should sue me at the law, unjustly, and

;

take away my cloak, that I would willingly give him my coat

also. I fear that I cannot pray for my enemies in the same spirit

of love, kindness, devotion and earnest desire for the forgiveness

and exemption of the consequences of their transgressions, that I

can for my friends, or those who love me, and are true and faithful

to me as I would be true and faithful to them.

And so there are many great things, which are almost incom-

prehensible to mankind as taught by the Savior of the world,

which lie before us, which should be the standard of perfection

for which we should aim, that we have not yet been able to master

and to apply in our lives. Yet, I believe that there are no bet-

ter people in the world than the Latter-day Saints. I do not

believe that there are any people in all the world, who more

patiently endure insults, calumnies, and misrepresentation than

the Latter-day Saints do. I do not believe that there are a people

anywhere who would endure the presence of the most vicious,

wicked falsifiers on earth, and allow them to peacefully remain

unquestioned in their midst, as the Latter-day Saints do and are

doing right along. And yet I am firm in the belief that this evil

is diminishing, and that the time will come when those who

falsify, who wilfully or ignorantly lie and misrepresent the peo-

ple of God. will be ashamed to wag their vile tongues, at least in

public. The time will come when they will be ashamed of it, and

this evil will eventually cease.

THE CHURCH UNITED

Now, my brethren and sisters, I want to say to you, as I

have said before on occasions like this, (and I believe I can say

;

EDITORS' TABLE 677

it again as truly as ever before) that

the Church of Jesus Christ

of Latter-day Saints was never in a better condition than it is

today; never was more alive to the interests of Zion; never was

more united, and I believe that there never was less of fault to

find with the people of God than there is today. I believe we are

learning, and while we may be slow in coming to the knowledge

of the truth, and to the acceptance of it all, we are progressing,

we are growing in the right direction we are learning wisdom,

;

learning patience, getting understanding ; we are increasing in our

faith and in unity, and in good works; I believe this with all my

soul. I believe that your servants, the Presidency of the Church

your servants, the Twelve Apostles, the Seven Presidents of

Seventies, and the Presiding Bishopric of the Church, never were

more faithful to you, to your interests and to the interest of the

kingdom of God, than they are today. I don't believe that the

time ever was when they were any more united than they are

now. I believe that the councils of the priesthood are united, and

that they are laboring together more effectively for their ad-

vancement and unity, and for the increase of their knowledge of

the principles of the gospel, than ever before. I can say the

same, I think, of all the auxiliary organizatoins of the Church.

I believe that our Relief Society is doing a magnificent work

among the people. I believe that the General Board of the Re-

lief more united than they have been, and they are

Society are

doing better work than they have done before that is, so far as

;

I can remember, and I can remember a long way back in relation

to some of the work that has been done by our Relief Societies.

They are an essential organization for the good of Israel, for the

welfare of the sisters, and mothers, and the daughters in Zion.

They are doing a good work, and I believe are united more than

ever before. I think I can say the same of all the other organ-

izations that have been devised as helps to the priesthood for the

advancement of the cause of Zion. And so I think that the king-

dom is growing, that the Lord is with us, that his power is be-

hind and before and above and beneath this work, and that it is

the power of God that sustains it, that causes it to grow and to

advance in the earth, and that is giving it power and influence

for good among the children of men. I believe, too, that the

power of God will be exerted in greater measure at home and

abroad, in proportion as the faith of the Latter-day Saints and

their good work increase and as the power of the priesthood and

;

of the people of God shall increase in the land, so the power of

evil and of opposition will decrease, until the victory will come

to the people of God in righteousness. I do not expect any vic-

tory, any triumph, anything to boast of, to come to the Latter-

day Saints, except upon the principles of rigtheousness and of

truth. Truth and righteousness will prevail, and endure. If we

678 IMPROVEMENT ERA

will only continue to build upon the principles of righteousness,

of truth, of justice and of honor, I say to you there is no

power beneath the celestial kingdom that can stay the progress

of this work. And as this work shall progress, and shall gain

power and influence among men, so the powers of the adver-

sary and of darkness will diminish before the advancement and

growth of this kingdom, until the kingdom of God, and not of

men will triumph.

This is my testimony to you. I hardly need to

say that I never in my life saw the time when I felt more sure

of the truth that we are engaged in than I do today. Never in

my life did I feel more satisfied, or greater assurance in my soul

of the advancement of the cause of Zion, and of the divinitv of

the work that we are engaged in. I know that God lives, and I

know that he is upholding this work, not you, not I, no individual is

doing it, no community is doing it for themselves. We may co-

operate, we may be united with the power of God, and help him

to hasten it on to its consummation, but the honor of the accom-

plishment of it, of its triumph and victory over sin, over doubt,

over the ignorance of the world, will be due to Almighty God, the

Maker of heaven and earth, the founder of the Church and of his

own kingdom. It will be due to him, and the people of God will

acknowledge it, and will give to him the honor and the glory

thereof.

MEN WHO DESIRE TO LIMIT THE POWER OF GOD

It is we have, now and then, here and there, oc-

true that

casionally, personswho would, if they possibly could, limit the

power, the knowledge, the wisdom of God Almighty, to the ca-

pacity of men. We have a few of them among us, and some of

them have been, and may be, school teachers. They will tell

you that the scriptural testimony of the miraculous deeds per-

formed by the Son of God while he tabernacled in the flesh is

mere babyism, mere symbols, nothing real, only parable, that is

all. They would make you believe that they would make you

;

and me believe, if they could, that the Lord God never did deal

with men except by and through man's own individual agency

and wisdom, and that to the extent only of his own finite knowl-

edge. They would make you believe that the winds and the

waves are subject to men. They would, if they could, make you

believe that the Son of God, who possessed all power, power to

raise the dead, power to lay down his own life and take it up

again, power to remit sin, power to unstop the ears of the deaf,

to open the eyes of the blind, to cleanse the leper, to cast out

evil spirits, and do all things, they would make you believe that

all these are simply myths, and that God Almighty, who has all

power, did not do such things. He "could not" turn water into

:

EDITORS' TABLE 079

wine all nonsense, ridiculous, they say

; "could not walk on the

;

water;" no, all nonsense; that the Almighty "could not do such

things" any more than men could do them. I say again that there

are just a few ignoramuses, "learned fools," if you please, who

would make you believe, if they could, that Almighty God is

limited in his power to the capacity of man. Don't you believe

it, not for one moment.

They would make you believe, if they could, that the Father

and Son did not come and reveal themselves to Joseph Smith, in

person that it was but the imagination of Joseph Smith. We

;

know better. The truth is overwhelming to the contrary. The

testimony of the Spirit of the living God bears record to the

contrary, and it teaches men that these things are true, and that

those who deny them are simply going outside of the truth into the

fallacies and follies of the philosophies of men. They are not

willing to abide in the solid, simple truth which God has revealed

for the salvation of the souls of men. Beware of men who come

to you with heresies of this kind, who would make you to think

or feel that the Lord Almighty, who made heaven and earth and

created all things, is limited in his dominion over earthly things

to the capacities of mortal men. They try to make you believe that

God is too busy and too great to trouble about earthly things. I

am glad that there are comparatively few such characters in the

world, and I hope that they will become more and more scarce

until they are extinct.

ITEMS FROM STATISTICAL REPORTS FOR THE YEAR 1913

Now, I feel that I must not detain you too long. The Pre-

siding Bishop's office has kindly provided a few interesting state-

ments in writing, which I will read to you with, perhaps, some

comment as I proceed.

During the year 1913, there was an increase in membership

in practically all of the stakes of Zion. The following items culled

from the statistical records of the Church are at once interesting

and instructive. The figures refer to the organized stakes only,

exclusive of the missions

"Birth rate among the Latter-day Saints, in the stakes, is 37 to the

thousand.

"The death rate is 9.3 to the thousand. The average age of death

among the Latter-day Saints, is 38 years.

"There are 8 widowers and 24 widows to the thousand."

And these, especially the latter class, are members of the

Church who need the care that the widow and the fatherless usu-

ally require from those who are abundantly supplied with the nec-

essaries of life, for, as a rule, the widow and the fatherless are left

practically destitute of this world's goods

680 IMPROVEMENT 1£RA

"Persons over twenty-one years of age, and unmarried, are fifty-one

to the thousand.

"The marriages were 15 to the thousand of these marriages 8 to

;

the thousandwere solemnized in the temples, and 7 to the thousand were

performed through civil ceremony outside the temples."

This condition, among the Latter-day Saints, so far as the

latter statement is concerned, should be remedied as soon as pos-

sible. I presume the cause of it is that some of our young people

are not properly trained, not properly instructed in their duties

in the Church, and when they arrive at a marriageable age, some

of them, at least, are not prepared to receive the indorsement of

th ir presiding officers to go into the temples.

While the rate of marriage among the members of the Church

is perhaps as high as that prevailing in any other civilized com-

munity, it should, nevertheless, be higher. Our young people

should be encouraged to marry at the proper age.

This should be a text for every bishop and for every stake

president. It is not good for man to be alone, and it is neces-

sary that our young men and women should be properly taught the

importance, the sacredness and the duty of marriage. Great evils

occur among young people through neglect in teaching them

these principles, and from failure to encourage them to the per-

formance of their duties, in this respect.

"During the year, 427 members of the Church entered into mar-

riages withnon-members of the Church and of these 427, it is noted that

;

398 were women."

So that, it appears distinctly that it is the young women who

are most inclined to follow the outsider, and to become associ-

ated in marriage with non-believers, which is a pity.

"The number of members of the Church divorced during the year

is 163; of this number 59 had been married in the temples, and 104 by

civil ceremony."

I think that here is a point worthy of observation by the Lat-

ter-day Saints. Men and women who become united in the holy

bonds of wedlock, according to the rites and ceremonies of the

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, enter into that sol-

emn relationship with better understanding of the duties and

responsibilities of marriage than others do, because they are taught

more fully the facts in the case.

"There were excommunicated from the Church, in the stakes of Zion,

55 persons."

Mostly, T suppose, for being carried away by every wind of

doctrine. We hive some foolish people who take up with any

chimera, or foolish notion that anybody may advance to them.

They are to be pitied.

EDITORS' TABLE 681

"Baptisms into the Church, of children and adults, within the

stakes, numbered 35 to the thousand.

"During the year there has been a greater proportion of baptisms

of adults than for several years previous; this gratifying result is

probably due to the more systematic missionary service within the

stakes, in which excellent labor the Seventies have been prominent.

Organized and well directed labor on the part of the Seventies has

been conducted whereby the message of the gospel has been carried

to many of our non-'Mormon' friends who are fellow-members of the

communities in which our people dwell. It is as surely our duty to

preach the gospel to non-members of the Church with whom we dwell

as it is to carry the message of truth to the nations of the earth.

Responsibility for this home missionary labor rests upon the local

authorities — —

the presidents and bishops, under whose direction the

Seventies residing in the several stakes and wards may be effectively

engaged.

"It gratifying to know, as the records show, that through the

is

benefits of our local option laws, the saloon has been eliminated in

communities wherein the Latter-day Saints predominate.

"A marked increase in the labors of the ward teachers is shown;

and one of the direct results of this important activitv is the increase

in the attendance of the Latter-day Saints at their Sacrament meet-

ings, and also a marked increase of enrollment in all the auxiliary

organizations of the Church.

"In the Ogden Stake of Zion 93% of all the families in the wards

were visited by the teachers, each month, during the year 1913. It

is but fair to state that this is the best record

in the Church.

"Great good has been accomplished by the regular visits of the

ward bishoprics to the homes of the Saints. This has given the

bishops a personal insight into the family organization and home

life of the people of their wards; and it is

pleasing to note that in

all except the largest wards, the respective

bishoprics have visited

the year every family in their wards.

during In the

at least once

aid

1-ir^er wards,the bishoprics have very properly called to their

visitation

experienced and influential brethren to assist in this annual

together, as

by going to the homes of the members, two or three

families were

representatives of the bishopric. Approximately 60.000

or by their snecially

thus visited, either by the bishoprics in person

of the year 1V1.1.

appointed representatives, during the closing months

would like to interject here just a remark. We

have had

I

fact that some men who are

called to our attention, recently, the

Church— indeed, some of them born and

of lono- standing in the

reared in the Church, and who are

occupying prominent positions

in some of the quorums of the

priesthood—when their presidents

or their bishops of the wards in which they live call upon them to

principles of the gospe and perform

visit the Saints, teach the

coolly inform their bishops that they

the duties of teachers, they

and refuse to act as teachers.

have graduated from that calling,

years of age. I am

Sn

Brother Charles W. Penrose is

seventy-six, and

of these good men who have

I

eighty-two

believe that I am older than several

graduated from the duties of the Les-

that we are not

tell them and you

ser Priesthood, and T want

to

us to do -not one of us.

as teachers, if you call

i

?oo old to act

never a time, there never will

come a time to those who

There is

682 IMPROVEMENT ERA

hold the priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day

Saints,when men can say of themselves that they have done

enough. So long as life lasts, and so long as we possess ability to

do g'ood, to labor for the upbuilding of Zion and for the benefit

of the human family, we ought, with willingness, to yield with

alacrity to the requirements made of us to do our duty, little or

great. I hope that my friends of the Seventies and of the High

Priests, who have graduated from the duties of the Lesser Priest-

hood, will take to heart what I say to them, and learn better,

and be more valiant in their duties. For it may just come to the

point that we will have to deal with men who cease to do their

duties, who have paid all the tithing they are going to pay, who

have paid their tithing so many years that they have become old

and opulent, having plenty of means, and can ride in their auto-

mobiles, etc. They can't afford to pay their tithing because they

have graduated from it. I say, we may have to deal with some

of these lofty, high-minded brethren, by and by, for their fellow-

ship as members in the Church. We do not want to do it, because

it is all free will anyhow but when men cease to have the free

;

will to do their duty as members of the Church of Jesus Christ

of Latter-day Saints, they ought not to be hoisted into responsible

positions where, by their influence, they will destroy the faith of

others, and we must see that this is not done.

"As already indicated, the vital statistics of the Church in the estab

lished stakes show a generally good condition among the people. As com-

pared with the nation as a whole, our communities show a higher birth

rate, a lower death rate, and greater average duration of life. It is

strongly urged that strict attention be given to all sanitary requirements

and rules of right living. In some of the sparsely settled districts,

the people still depend upon wells or open streams for their drinking

water. Stake and ward officers should put forth all proper effort to secure

for their communities a properly safe-guarded water supply. Strict sani-

tary observance should characterize all communities. Among the greatest

foes to human health are impure drinking water, poor sanitary conditions,

and the common house fly."

Now, think of it ! Cleanliness, it is said, is a part of godli-

ness. No unclean thing— and I think that means cleanliness of

person, cleanliness of body, as well as cleanliness of heart, and

cleanliness of spirit —

no unclean thing can enter into the presence

of God. All of us should do our utmost to supply our homes

with pure water for the use of the home. We

should provide for

our families, as far as possible, every convenience of a sanitary

character, to preserve life, and health, and to avoid exposures to

colds, to weaknesses and sickness, incident to frontier life,

in our country homes. The idea of going into a home

where there are children, and where the housewife, together

with the children, many of them, have to dwell, and where

not even the most eommon necessaries of the home are sun-

EDITORS' TABLE 683

plied for the comfort of the family, and day or night, heat or

cold they must take to the field or back yard, rods away, to

meet the exigencies of nature, pardon the expression. I deplore

the existence of such conditions. They are not found very com-

monly, but where they do exist it is deplorable, and men should

think and care more for the welfare, comfort, safety and health

of their wives and children, than to permit them to go on year after

year in this comfortless way.

"The Bureau of Information, located on the Temple Block, has

continued its splendid service, in affording entertainment and impart-

ing information to the many tourists and transients who come among

us. It reports that upwards of 200,000 visitors were received at the

Bureau of Information during the year.

''And probably during the present year this number will be prac-

tically doubled, if not more than doubled, from now on until the

termination of the great Panama Fair at San Francisco.

"The missionary work of the Church outside the stakes has

been carried on with unabated zeal. The number of missionaries

laboring in the several mission fields during the year approximated an

average of 2000; of this number, over 800 went from home to the vari-

ous mission fields during the year. Among the missionaries are over

100 women,' located principally in cities and towns where their ser-

vices can be most properly applied. The presidents of stakes

should

feel it their duty to have in the mission field not less

than six to the

thousand of their stake population, so that the labor and the blessing

attendant upon this great latter-day work may be fairly distributed

throughout the stakes."

I hope you will remember that.

"The following elders have been honorably released from their

positions as mission presidents, and have returned from the field

since

the last October conference: Charles H. Hyde, from the Australian

mission- Roscoe W. Eardly, from the Netherlands mission;

Orson D.

from

Romney from the New Zealand mission; C. Christian Jenson,

Sam'oan mission; Franklin Hewlett, from the South African

the J.

mission- A Theodore Johnson, from the Swedish

mission.

The positions thus vacated by the brethren named have been

filled new appointments. The mission presidents now in office

by

arC

of the

European mission, Elder Hyrum M. Smith, of the Council

French mission,

Twelve; Australian mission, Elder Don C. Rushton;

Elder Samuel E. Wol-

Elder Edgar B. Brossard; Hawaiian mission,

ley; Japanese mission. Elder H.

Grant Ivins; Mexican mission, Elder

.

Richards; New

Rev L Pratf Netherlands mission. Elder LeGrand Elder

7ealand mission Elder William Gardner; Samoan mission,

Scandinavian mission, Elder Martin Christopher-

John A Nelson. Jr.;

Nicholas G. Smith; Swedish mis-

son South Afrcan mission, Elder

Tobiason; Swiss and German mission Elder

sion Elder Theodore

Hvrum W

Valentine; Tahitian mission, Elder Franklin J- Fullmer.

mission Elder Joseph

And within the United States: California Samuel O. Benmon; East-

F Robinson Central States mission, Elder

ern Itates mission .Elder

Walter P. Monson; Northern States mission,

North-western States mission Elder Me v , J

Elder German E. Ellsworth;

Mallard- Southern States mission,

Elder Charles A. Caiiis, western

mission, Elder John L. Herrick; Iosepa Colony, Elder T. A.

Stales

Waddoups.

:

684 IMPROVEMENT ERA

"There are now 724 organized wards, and in addition 27 branches,

within the stakes of Zion. There are 65 stakes of Zion, and 21 mis-

sions, aside from the losepa Colony. Of the 724 wards, 607 own

meeting houses, most of which are of modern construction and have

est from $5,000 to $35,000 each."

And some of them a great deal more than that.

"There are 117 wards not yet provided with permanent meeting

houses."

And we want some of you good brethren of the wards, who

are engaged in building meeting houses today, to bear in mind

these 117 wards yet unsupplied with meeting houses, and that

they will be calling upon us for help, by and by. Make your

burdens as light upon us as you can, unless you decide to increase

the tithing. If you will get all the non-tithe payers in your wards,

who claim to be members of the Church, to pay a full tithing, and

everybody else will do likewise, we will not ask you to call upon

the people to build your meeting houses. The Trustee-in-Trust

will do it for you. But we cannot do it until more of- the people

will do their duty.

"During the year 1913, one new stake of Zion (Boise stake,) and

26 new wards were organized four new stake presidents were appointed

;

and installed, also 115 bishops, and 155 ward clerks."

So we keep changing all the while. Some die, some move

away, and this creates a necessity for a new supply of men to fill

these positions.

"The Church has not failed in its duty to the worthy poor. The

hearts of the bishops are always open to provide for the needs of those

who otherwise would be left in want. Our splendid Relief Society organ-

ization did more in aiding the poor and ministering to the needy, dur-

ing the year 1913, than in any previous year since its organization."

I is a well deserved word of credit to the Relief

think this

Societies of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and

possibly if our General Board had been a little more active in their

efforts among the Latter-day Saints, going out and setting the

proper example before them, even a greater work than this might

have been accomplished.

"A very considerable item among the many expenditures of the

Church for benevolent purposes is the aid extended to our Mexican refu-

gees.

"The Church has sought to provide, as far as possible, mission head-

quarters and places of worship in the different missions as the need for

such appears. At the present time the missions hold, as the property of

the Church used strictly for missionary services and places of worship,

houses as follows