Mormon 104th

Twelve thousand Saints sat one day last week beneath the vast, umbrella-like roof of the Latter-day Saints (Mormon) Tabernacle in Salt Lake City. Members of that bustling sect which has 700,000 communicants and the largest priesthood per capita in Christendom (158,045 of the worthiest Mormon males), they had come from every white nation and from Hawaii, the Philippines and the South Seas, to attend their church's 104th annual conference. As always, this opened on the anniversary of that day (April 6) in 1830 when Prophet-Founder Joseph Smith with six others organized the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fayette, N. Y.

The Mormon Church is run by a First Presidency of three, a Council of Twelve Apostles, a First Council of Seventy. Last week for the first time in three years the Mormons met with a full .organization, vacancies having been filled including that of Second Counselor, which had been expected by Apostle Reed Smoot but which went to Joshua Reuben Clark Jr., onetime Ambassador to Mexico. Since 1918 the First Presidency has been headed by patriarchal, 77-year-old Heber Jedediah Grant, potent businessman as well as divinely authorized Prophet, Seer and Revelator. When this patriarch speaks in conference, he is believed by all Mormons to be "guided by the spirit of God and His will to have said such advice as is good for us." Bewhiskered and clear-voiced. President Grant was guided to give no startling advice last week as amplifiers carried his speech (extemporaneous) to the 11,000 hushed saints. He warned against faultfinding, counseled them: "Live our religion. The Latter-day Saints Church does not make mistakes. The Church is true and humble and my prayer is that you will follow out closely its teachings. Individuals may make mistakes but the Gospel is solid.'' Reviewing his 51 years in the Priesthood, President Grant recalled witnessing the Church's growth from 30 to 105 states (districts).

Proceeding extemporaneously with prayers, speeches and hymns sung to the Tabernacle organ, one of the world's mightiest, the 104th Conference touched little upon secular problems. Of interest to the Latter-day Saints were reports on their church's huge investments in mines, rails and sugar beets, the extent of which they wisely keep secret.

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