North Weber Stake Quarterly Conference
27 June 1920

President James Wotherspoon presided and was assisted by his two counsellors, Presidents John V. Bluth and F.W. Stratford, to large congregations that filled the tabernacle to overflowing, were in attendance at both sessions of the conference.

A feature of the conference was the ordination of 66 seventies and six presidents of the seventies quorum in the stake. This work was commenced Saturday afternoon in the Third ward chapel and concluded early Sunday morning. President Roberts officiated at the ordinations assisted by the stake officials.

Under the direction of Prof Joseph Ballantyne, with Prof. Sam F. Whittaker at the great organ, the Ogden tabernacle choir rendered musical programs at both sessions of the conference. The morning session opened with choir and congregation singing “If There’s Sunshine in Your Heart.” Other selections were “Father in Thy Presence,” Nephi J. Brown and Gerard Klomp and choir; “O Love Divine,” Miss Mildred Ware and choir; “Lord, Turn Me Not Away,” Nephi J. brown; “Earth and Heaven,” choir. The afternoon music included “High on the Mountain Top,” choir and congregation; “Blessed Redeemer,” Nephi J. Brown, Gerard Klomp and choir; “Give Us Thy Peace,” Mildred Ware and choir; “Lead Kindly Light,” choir.

During the afternoon session President Bluth presented the general church and stake authorities which were unanimously sustained by the members of the stake present.

President Roberts in his morning address, gave great praise to the three stakes of the church in Weber county, stating that they had reached the highest point of mechanical efficiency of all the stakes in the church. There are no other stakes in the church, he declared, that have such a high state of efficiency as the three local stakes and this he thought was because the local people knew and appreciated the importance of the mission of the church.

The speaker told the congregation of his labors in Ogden Saturday afternoon and early Sunday morning in ordaining 66 members of the priesthood of the stake to the office of seventies and stated that this fact had naturally brought to his mind the purpose and mission of the church in the latter ays. He said that God had made of His church, the Church of the Latter-day Saints, the depository of the truth. In the church God had banked his spiritual treasures which were the ordinances and principles of the gospel for the salvation of mankind.

The mission of the Church of the Latter-day Saints, the speaker said, was to make proclamation of the truth in all the earth. He told of John the Revelator, while on the Isle of Patmos, having a vision of the latter days when an angel from heaven was to restore the gospel to the earth and at the same time declare that the hour of God’s judgment had come and call upon the nations to come back to the worship of the true and living God. This restoration of the gospel was necessary because men had fallen away from the worship of the creator and were worshipping other gods. The gospel, he said, was given to the Latter-day Saints for no selfish purpose but we were expected to dispense it among the nations.

President Roberts declared that the church was built up upon witnesses to the truth. “First of all God raised up a witness for Himself. this witness was Joseph Smith to whom the Father and Son appeared in glorious vision proving the fact of their actual existence. At the same time the awful truth was made known that men were rendering only lip service to God, their hearts being removed far from Him.”

Relating in detail the wonderful vision given of the Father and the Son to Joseph Smith one hundred years ago, Elder Roberts said “Compare this grand vision and revelation of God who opened the heavens in response to the prayer of the humble boy with the table rappings and mutterings of such men as Sir Oliver Lodge and you will see the beauties of God’s works. He knew men had gone astray and needed to be brought back to light and truth.”

There were other witnesses also to the rise of the church in the latter days, the speaker reminded his hearers. Three special witnesses were chosen to bear testimony that Joseph Smith possessed the gold plates from which the Boo of Mormon had been translated. These witnesses, Sidney Rigdon [sic], Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer have testified to the world that an angel from heaven showed them the gold plates containing the history of the Nephites who dwelt anciently upon this continent. The speaker told of a long conversation he had had with David Whitmer and how he declared that he had actually seen the angel and handled the gold plates and in relating the incident said to President Roberts, “If there is any truth in God’s earth, that book is true.”

Twelve other witnesses were called to be special witnesses of Christ and the restoration of the gospel in the latter days. The doors of the gospel are opened in all the nations of the earth by these special traveling twelve witnesses. The seventies, the speaker said, were also called to be special witnesses of the gospel among the nations but the church was faced with the problem in sending the seventies into the mission field because they were mostly men who had assumed the responsibilities of raising families and had entered into business connections which it was difficult for them to leave, and so following the line of least resistance the church had sent large numbers of young elders into the mission field, who were sustained by their parents. The speaker, however, expressed himself as being sure the day was not far distant when the great majority of missionaries to the nations would be drawn from the seventies quorums in the church. He suggested to the stake authorities that the seventies be selected to take charge of the missionary work in the world.

President Wotherspoon in presenting the quarterly report expressed his great pleasure at seeing such a large assembly of the members of the stake present. He announced that President Roberts had been in the stake since Saturday afternoon and had ordained 66 members of the priesthood to the office of seventy.

Elder Bryan Wotherspoon, recently returned from a mission in the southern states, in a brief address said he had considered it a privilege to work as a missionary for the Lord. He had enjoyed his labors because he had found that when we are engaged in the service of man we are also engaged in the service of God. He had gained a testimony of the gospel and prized it very much. He knew that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that the gospel had been restored to the earth. He also knew that the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants contained the word of God. He said that wars and famines and pestilences had been sent to the earth for the purpose of humbling the nations. ‘Mormonism is true. It is the plan of life and salvation,” he said in conclusion.

Afternoon Session

Continuing the subject he commenced at the morning session, President Roberts, at the afternoon session said that second great duty of the church was to perfect the lives of those who had received the truth. On those two things, the preaching of the gospel to the nations and the perfecting of the lives of those who receive the truth, hang all the duties of the church, the speaker said. The organization of the church is for that purpose. He thought a stranger might be bewildered and think the church was top heavy with organization, but it was simple to those who had grown up with it and understood its necessity.

Means had been provided in the organization for the perfecting or the lives of the Saints until all come to a unity of the faith, the speaker said. These means were the organization of stakes and wards with officers who are to act as home missionaries for the teaching of the gospel to the people at home. The high priests and elders, he said, should have charge of the work of caring for converts and the general church membership.

The president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “is the only one in the earth to receive revelations from God. He is to be as Moses, a leader of the people and as Christ, the link between heaven and earth, to whom God will communicate his will and to no other. All the reins of power and authority are held by the president of the church. He has the authority to speak tot he church and no one has the authority to go over his head in the work. All persons may receive revelations for their personal guidance but there is only one man to whom God will speak for the benefit of the church as a whole. Were it otherwise, there would be great confusion.

President Roberts said that the government of God in His church was moral and not effective He persuades and does not force. The only time when force was used was in cases of transgression when members were disfellowshipped. Those who hold the priesthood should win men through love and not by force of power.

Referring to the duties of ward teachers, president Roberts hinted that he was fearful that most teachers were more concerned about their percentage of visits to families instead of teaching the gospel to the families under their charge. He said there is no point of contact between the people and the church that was so strong and effective as in the ward teaching. Ward teachers should unfold the scriptures to the families they visit in such a manner that the members of the families would confess that their hearts warmed within them as they were being instructed by the teachers. The teachers should seek to win the hearts of the members of the families and should make such an impression upon them that in times of trouble he would be the first person to whom they would turn for comfort.

“Priesthood, as understood by the Latter-day Saints, is not a brotherhood of priests as in the Catholic or Episcopal churches, but it means the power and authority of God delegated to man for work in the ministry of the church.” He warned the members of the priesthood against exercising unrighteous dominion over their fellows and stated that the persecutions that were heaped upon the church in the early days were largely due to members of the priesthood exercising unrighteous dominion over members of the church and other people also. The spirit that is to dominate in the activities of the membership of the priesthood is the spirit of love.

President Wotherspoon, in a concluding address, expressed his great joy and satisfaction at the truths presented during the conference and he hoped it would be reflected in the lives of the members of the stake. He said they had been well fed with spiritual food during the conference and expressed the hope that those who had recently been ordained as special witnesses would be that in very deed.