Minutes of a Conference held on 10 March 1918 in Ogden, Utah

Congregations that filled the tabernacle to overflowing at both sessions were in attendance at the quarterly conference of the North Weber stake on March 10. President James Wotherspoon presided and was assisted by his two counselors, James V. Bluth and Frank W. Straford. In the absence of representatives of the general church authorities, the addresses were given by the members of the stake presidency, Bishop W.W. Rawson of the Eighth ward, Elder James W. Thomas, president of the stake Young Men’s Mutual Association, and Mrs. Eliza R. McFarlane, president of the Young Ladies’ Improvement Association.

Although the members of the congregation were keenly disappointed at not being honored with a visit from the presiding authorities of the church – their attendance and addresses always being greatly appreciated – there was no lack of talent among the local people and the addresses delivered were timely and proved to be of great interest to those present. The fact that at the afternoon session a large number of people were forced to stand throughout the entire service which lasted two hours, and the fact that they made no sign of leaving the building until the service concluded is taken as an evidence of the ability of the local authorities of the stake to hold the attention of the people and the further fact that they have won the confidence of the membership of the stake.

At both sessions a musical program was rendered by the tabernacle choir under the direction of Prof. Joseph Ballantyne with Prof. Sam F. Whittaker at the organ. The special selections rendered by the local musical organization that always gives life and interest to the services included “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord,” Walter Stephens and choir; “I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go, Dear Lord,” Nephi Brown and choir; “Grant us Thy Peace,” Mildred Ware and choir; “When I can Read My Title Clear,” Mrs. Agnes Warner, Jed Ballantyne and the choir; “He Shall Feed His Flock,” Mildred Ware, Mrs. Myrtle Higley and choir; “O, Rest in the Lord, Mildred Ware; “Father, Forgive Them,” William S. Wright and the choir.

The morning session was opened with the choir and congregation singing “Come, Come Ye Saints.” Bishop Rawson was the first speaker. He made an appeal for more young girls to go into training as nurses at the Dee Memorial hospital of which he is the manager. The present building, he said, will soon be enlarged to meet the growing demands of the institution and there will be a great demand for nurses to care for suffering humanity.

The speaker said he was thankful that our religion was practical, one of service, and that it was one of preparation. Many people break the laws of nature, he said, and become sick and it is necessary to have those who will care for us at such times. He told of the training received at the nurses’ training home in connection with the local hospital which he said was superior to that of any college and girls who are trained here are ready and prepared to go out and serve mankind in the world. There is great need for the parents and girls to become interested in this great work. Girls who applied for entrance on a course of training must be members of some church and must produce a recommend from their bishop or pastor. The girls at the home, he said, are under good discipline and influences. They must be in bed each night at 9:30 except when late passes are honored by the superintendent. There are four training departments at the nurses’ training home, each under the direction of a supervisor and teacher. The departments are the operating department, the dietician department, the hypodermic department, and the practical nursing department. When a girl had passed through these four departments they were in a position to care for the sick in an intelligent manner and even if they had no desire after they had graduated, the speaker said, they would find their training of great benefit to them in married life as wives and mothers and this fact had been demonstrated in many instances.

President Bluth voiced the appreciation of the stake of the long and faithful services of David W. Evans, the stake clerk. His services, he said, were doubly appreciated at the present time owing to the fact that he had been sick for several week and it was thus plainly shown how indispensable his services are. Elder Evans was at the conference yesterday and this marked his first appearance in public for at least five weeks.

President Bluth stated that the stake was now entering its tenth year since it was organized. Ten years ago the stake was comprised of ten wards, which had increased to seventeen wards and two branches, taking in the northwest portion of Ogden City and Weber county and extending into the state of Nevada. The speaker reported that the tithing had increased 19 per cent over that of the previous year and he attributed this to the conversion of the people to the necessity of observing that law rather than to the increased prosperity of the people during the past year.

Ward teaching was a subject the speaker handled at great length and in much earnestness he appealed to the teachers to sense the responsibility resting upon them and exhorted them to make regular visits and teach the gospel in the homes of the people. The teacher’s work should show results, he said, in increased activity in religious work among the people and if the results were not forthcoming there must be something wrong with the spirit of the work. The teachers, he said, should not perform their labors as a duty but should be willing to bring to pass much righteousness among the families under their care.

In making reference to the principal of fasting observed by the members of the church he said the principle was to be observed for the purpose of bringing spiritual strength to those who observed it and necessary food to the poor. Fast offerings, he said, were very low and this was taken as an indication that the law of fasting was given by the Lord because it is of benefit to the human body and non-observance to the law was a detriment to food conservation and to our own health. The speaker made mention of the fact that if the entire population of the United States observed the fast law, abstaining from two meals once a month, and estimating the cost of the meals at the low figure of 5 cents each, this would mean a saving of $10,000,000 worth of food to the nation each month.

The small attendance at the ward sacrament meetings was deplored by the speaker who said the attendance should be at least 25 per cent instead of only 17 per cent as at present. The reason so many were absent from this meeting, he said, was because they do not sense the need of being in attendance and they are not hungry for the word of the Lord. The small attendance at the Sunday morning priesthood meetings was also deplored by the speaker.

In conclusion President Bluth said it gave him much pleasure to report that the people of the stake had contributed $586.30 to the soldiers’ welfare fund; $2647.87 to the Red Cross, and $4,546.00 [?] in Liberty bonds. He stated that we should all labor faithfully because of the joy there is in service and stated that no greater blessings can come to anyone than to know that this is indeed the kingdom of God.

Mrs. Eliza R. McFarland, superintendent of the nurses’ training home at the Dee hospital, and also president of the stake Y.L.M.I.A., said that we should all strive to do as much good as possible in this life but she feared that when the Savior came there would be many like the foolish virgins who would have no oil in their lamps. She was not discouraged in her labors because she knew that seed faithfully sown would bring forth fruit. The principle of repentance has been declared since the days of Adam she said and would be to the end of the world.

In speaking of the work of the nurses’ training home, she said there was no work for which we were so unprepared so much as motherhood and wifehood. If a girl received training at the home and did not take it up as a profession they would find the training beneficial to their husbands and children. The girls are very happy at the home, she said, and very rarely took advantage of the late leave of absence because of the comforts and pleasure afforded at the home.

The speaker told of the good work being done by the mutual association in the stake and urged parents to have their children come under its influence. She said that the present great world war was a proof of the fact that “God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform,” because it is teaching the people to be more generously disposed toward each other.

In a brief address President Wotherspoon said that all that had been said by the speakers was hinged up and tied up in the words of the song just rendered, “I’ll go where you want me to go, dear Lord, I’ll be what you want me to be, and I’ll do what you want me to do, dear Lord.” “That is Mormonism,” he said, but he was afraid we failed to attain to the high standard. In referring to the indifference to religious matters by some of the members of the church, President Wotherspoon said, “If some men were as indolent in temporal affairs as they were in spiritual affairs the poor houses would be overcrowded.”

“We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet,” was sung by the choir and congregation at the opening of the afternoon session and prayer was offered by Bishop E.A. Olsen of the Fourth ward of the Ogden stake. The general church and stake authorities were presented by President Bluth and unanimously sustained by the congregation.

Elder James M. Thomas, president of the stake Y.M.M.I.A. and a member of the stake social committee, was the first speaker. He told of the good work being accomplished by the organizations. There were seventeen organizations in the stake, he said, and in referring to one ward where the organization was not complete and to the report of the bishop that it was not possible to find the men to fill the vacant offices, he said there was no reason for this condition. We were in the habit, which was a bad one, of seeking help in a certain select ring. There are many people in the church, he said, who were not working because theyw ere never given the opportunity. He said there was greatneed for more of the spirit of forgiveness and that those who may have been guilty of a fault should have mercy and forgiveness extended to them and also theopportunity to render service in the wards in which they lived.

In his report of the work of the social committee, elder Thomas caused much merriment when he declared that parties that were exclusively for older people were much more rowdy and were held at a later hour than those arranged for young people and further declared that he has seen many otherwise dignified members of the Ladies’ Relief
society ragging on the floor at dances.

Afternoon Session

President Stratford was the principal speaker at the afternoon service. He said he was pleased with the general conditions of the stake as revealed in the reports given at the conference. He thought that the stake was doing remarkably well although conditions were not all that could be desired. He referred to the fact that the church workers were not paid but gave their services voluntarily because of the love they had for the work and declared that the Latter-day Saints render more free service than members of other churches. The fact, he said, is commented upon by many prominent men in the nation who were to of our faith and declared that this was so because it was the church of God.

God stands at the head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the speaker declared, and he is personally supervising the work. God has delegated his authority to men to carry on the work on earth and the members of the church were indeed thankful to God for a prophet to guide them in the latter days. He testified that it was indeed true that Joseph Smith was called of God to be a prophet and that many heavenly beings had appeared to him and conferred to him and conferred upon him the priesthood with all its gifts, keys and blessing necessary to carrying on the great work.

The speaker then at some length explained fully and in plainness the organization of the church and the various duties of the various quorums of the priesthood. He showed that the church was not disorganized when the First Presidency, for any cause, became disorganized, but that the authorities to preside over the church then fell temporarily on the quorum of the twelve apostles who had authority to reorganize the first presidency. He referred to the ward bishops who were hard working men who faithfully discharged their many duties and exhorted the ward teachers to faithfully discharge their duties and assist in building up the kingdom.

Speaking of the social work President Stratford said that the young people conducted themselves better today than they had ever done at any other time. The elder people who criticize the conduct of the young people are generally misinformed because they failed to keep abreast of the times and were not maintaining constant interest in social affairs.

The concluding address of the conference was given by President Wotherspoon who said that circumstances and conditions among the Latter-day Saints changed from time to time. The war has taken many of our men and we must fill their places. This he said could be done because of the splendid organization of the church and many of the so-called backward members would now be given an opportunity to enter into active service in the church. Activity is life, he said, and idleness produces death. Those who find fault of the authorities were generally the idlers. He referred to the success of the choir as an illustration that constant effort was necessary to produce success.

Concluding, President Wotherspoon exhorted the people to think over the many good things they had heard during the sessions of the conference that they might be able to put into practice the principles or righteousness and thus be able to perform life’s mission and be exalted in the celestial kingdom of God.

Benediction was pronounced by Elder Turnquist.

The overcrowded condition of the Tabernacle at the sessions of the conference caused much comment among those present and it was suggested that either the building was too small and that a new and large building should be erected or that the stake was too large and should be divided and thus make it possible for the people to enjoy the services with a degree of comfort, something that under present conditions is impossible.