OnsL dkwdhsxL fciqhJwnik. ANNUAL coimcf OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS Held in the Tabernacle Salt Lake City, Utah OpdL ^ 5and 6, 1W With Report^>f Discourses Published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Salt Lake City, Utah Printed in Hie United States of America "THE ENIGMA OF PALMYRA" For more than 100 years vigorous, but futile attempts have been made to explain him away, only to be rejected, dis- credited or abandoned. , One explanation survives the tests of time and truth. Read it, and its many-sided manifestations in these books: JOSEPH SMITH, AN AMERICAN PROPHET....$3.00 By John Henry Evans JOSEPH SMITH, THE PROPHET $3.00 By Preston Nibley TEACHINGS OF THE PROPHET JOSEPH SMITH $2.50 By Joseph Fielding Smith PROPHECIES OF JOSEPH SMITH AND THEIR FULFILLMENT $1.50 By Nephi L. Morris One significant and impressive fact about him is the caliber of men whose love and loyalty he won, and what they ac- complished under the motivation and enthusiasm of their testimonies: BRIGHAM YOUNG, THE MAN AND HIS WORK $2.50 By Preston Nibley BRIGHAM YOUNG, THE COLONIZER $3.00 By Milton R. Hunter HEBER C. KIMBALL $3.00 By Orson F. Whitney DANIEL HANMER WELLS $2.50 By Bryant S. Hinckley EZRA T. BENSON $3.00 By John Henry Evans and Minnie Egan Anderson DESERET BOOK COMPANY "THE BOOK CENTER OF THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST" 44 East South Temple Street, Salt Lake City 10, Utah The One Hundred Eighteenth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints The One Hundred Eighteenth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints convened in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Utah, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, April 4, 5, and 6, 1948. General sessions of the conference were held at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, and the General Priest- hood meeting convened Monday evening at 7:00. A special Priesthood meeting was held in the Temple Wednes- day morning at 9:00, to which the General Authorities of the Church, presidencies of stakes and missions and other designated officers were invited. A report of the special priesthood meeting is not included in this record. The Church of the Air broadcast was presented Sunday morning, April 4, at 8:30 over Radio Station KSL and the Columbia Broad- casting System, a report of which broadcast is included in this pamph- let. The Tabernacle Choir and Organ broadcast, which was present- ed over KSL and, through the courtesy and facilities of the Columbia Broadcasting Co.'s system, throughout the United States on Sunday morning at 9:30, is also made a part of this report. Television equipment had been installed in the Assembly Hall, thus enabling those who gathered in that building to see as well as hear the speakers and those who had furnished music. President George Albert Smith was present and presided at each of the sessions. He also conducted the services at each of the sessions, with the exception of the Monday morning meeting which was conducted by President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., First Counselor in the First Presidency, and the Monday afternoon meeting, which was conducted by President David O. McKay, Second Counselor in the First Presidency. General Authorities of the Church Present The First Presidency: George Albert Smith, J. Reuben Clark, Jr., and David O. McKay. Of The Council of the Twelve Apostles: George F. Richards, Joseph Fielding Smith, *, John A. Widtsoe, Joseph F. Merrill, Albert E. Bowen, Harold B. Lee, Spencer W. Kimball, Ezra Taft Benson, Mark E. Petersen, **, and Henry D. Moyle. * Elder Stephen L Richards was returning from a visit to the South American missions. ** Elder Matthew Cowley was visiting missions in the Pacific. 2 GENERAL CONFERENCE Sunday. April 1 First Dag Patriarch to the Church : Eldred G. Smith. Of the Assistants to the Council of the Twelve Apostles: Marion G. Romney, ***, Clifford E. Young. The First Council of Seventy: Levi Edgar Young, Antoine R. Ivins, Richard L. Evans, Oscar A. Kirkham, S. Dilworth Young, Mil- ton R. Hunter, and Bruce R. McConkie. The Presiding Bishopric: LeGrand Richards, Joseph L. Wirthlin, and Thorpe B. Isaacson. Officers and Other Authorities Present Church Historian and Recorder: Joseph Fielding Smith and A. William Lund, assistant. Members of the General Welfare Committee, Church Welfare Program. Members of the Church Board of Education, Commissioner of Education, and Seminary Supervisors. Presidents of Stakes and their Counselors, Bishops of Wards and their Counselors, Presidents of Temples, Patriarchs, High Priests, Seventies, Elders, General Stake and Ward officers of Auxiliary Associations, from all parts of the Church. Mission Presidents: Richard L. Evans, Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Utah; Roy W. Doxey, Eastern States; S. Dilworth Young, New England; Creed Haymond, Northern States; William L. Killpack, North Central States; Francis W. Brown, Central States; Thomas W. Richards, East Central States; J. Robert Price, Central Atlantic States; Heber Meeks, Southern States; Glenn G. Smith, Texas- Louisiana; Francis A. Child, Western States; Oscar W. McConkie, California; German E. Ellsworth, Northern California; Joel Richards, Northwestern States; Floyed G. Eyre, Canadian; Glen G. Fisher, Western Canada; Arwell L. Pierce, Mexico; Lorin F. Jones, Spanish- American; S. Eugene Flake, Navajo-Zuni. FIRST DAY CHURCH OF THE AIR The Church of the Air broadcast was presented Sunday morn- ing, April 4, at 8:30 a.m. over radio station KSL and the Columbia Broadcasting Sytem. The Tabernacle Choir, under the direction of J. Spencer Corn- wall, furnished the music for the service. Dr. Frank W. Asper was at the organ. Richard L. Evans was the announcer. The Choir sang the hymn, "Rejoice, the Lord is King." Following the rendition of the aforementioned hymn, the Choir sang, "O Worship the King!" Elder Henry D. Moyle of the Council of the Twelve Apostles was the speaker, his subject being "Feed My Sheep." ***Elder Alma Sonne was absent, presiding over the European Mission. ELDER HENRY D. MOYLE 3 ELDER HENRY D. MOYLE Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles Easter is past. We have been reminded again of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ the Lord, the Redeemer of mankind. We are again reminded of his charge to the apostles of old when he ap- peared to them the third time after his resurrection, and speaking directly to Peter: He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. (John 21:17.) It is generally understood that the Lord here enjoined those en- gaged in his work to teach the gospel, to impart spiritual strength to those who may be spiritually weak. As those who profess to follow the Savior, none of us can escape that serious responsibility. And yet, is there not another requirement in that injunction, which, though temporal in nature, may not—be disregarded? Can we satisfy the concern of the resurrected Lord "Feed my sheep"—when we leave his children as we find them, "an hungred," "thirsty," "a stranger," "naked," "sick," and "in prison," without satisfying their need? Christian Attribute of Charity So important is the literal fulfilment of this sacred requirement made of all disciples of Christ that he taught this fundamental prin- ciple: . Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. (Matthew 25:40.) Can our prayers ascend to the throne of mercy and be heard and answered, as we humbly desire, unless we practise charity in our lives? Must we not give of ourselves and of our means in helping others? Good intentions alone are not enough. Charity is not a virtue to expect in others only. It is the all-important Christian attribute to be found in ourselves. The Apostle Paul placed it in its proper position when he wrote: And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. (I Corinthians 13:13.) In one way or another all sincere Christian people have recog- nized and have endeavored to put into effect this fundamental principle of the gospel. Miserable as the world is, it would be very much poorer without the efforts of those who have tried sincerely to follow this injunction of the Master. And yet, have we not been remiss? Have we not been prone to think that we have done our full duty when we have given a few 4 GENERAL CONFERENCE Sunday, April i First Day dollars to organized relief and felt satisfied that the hungry would be fed and the naked clothed? Have we not lost sight of the timeless axiom that "the gift without the giver is bare"? Have we not been guilty of preaching work and industry on the one hand, while destroying independence and promoting idleness on the other? Have not many of us broken the law given ancient Israel—-"Hon- or thy father and thy mother"—in passing to others the care of those who in our younger years cared for us? Care of the Poor These matters are of the very essence of the gospel. We of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints so believe. We have accepted as divine pronouncements: ... ye must visit the poor and the needy and administer to their re- lief. (D. &. C. 44:6.) And again: .