During our Conference we shall require the people to pay attention and
to preserve good order, and perhaps we shall require that that will
not be altogether pleasing in some respects. One thing which strikes
me here this morning, and which is a source of considerable annoyance
to the congregation, appears to me might be avoided, and that is
bringing children here who are not capable of understanding the
preaching. If we were to set them on the stand, where they could hear
every word, it would convey to them no knowledge or instruction, and
would not be the least benefit to them. I will ask my sisters: Cannot
we avoid this? Have you not daughters, sisters, or friends, or some
one who can take care of these children while you attend meeting? When
meetings are over, the mothers can go home and bestow all the care and
attention upon their children which may be necessary. I cannot
understand the utility of bringing children into such a congregation
as we shall have here through the Conference, just for the sake of
pleasing the mothers, when the noise made by them disturbs all around
them. I therefore request that the sisters will leave their babies at
home in the care of good nurses. And when you come here, sisters and
brethren, sit still and make no noise by shuffling your feet or
whispering. Wait till meeting is dismissed, then you may go out and
talk and walk as much as you please; but while you are in this house
it is necessary to keep perfectly still.
I hope our doorkeepers are instructed and understand, so that they
will keep order, and also be still themselves. I have noticed
sometimes that our doorkeepers and policemen will make more
disturbance in a congregation than the people do. This is very
unbecoming, and it certainly exhibits a great lack of understanding.
If a look or motion will not answer, do not holloa; we, on the Stand,
will do all the talking necessary. But if a doorkeeper holloas to this
one and that one, he makes more confusion than the people will make.
Now, doorkeepers, be sure that you are perfectly still; and if you
are obliged to walk around here much, I would recommend that you wear
india-rubber overshoes, so that you may be able to walk without making
a noise.
There is another subject I wish to refer to. Last Sabbath this front
gallery, the gentleman's gallery, was very full. After meeting was
dismissed I took a walk through it, and to see the floor that had been
occupied by those professing to be gentlemen, and I do not know but
brethren, you might have supposed that cattle had been there rolling
and standing around, for here and there were great quids of tobacco,
and places one or two feet square smeared with tobacco juice. I want
to say to the doorkeepers that when you see gentlemen who
cannot omit chewing and spitting while in this house, request them to
leave; and if such persons refuse to leave, and continue their
spitting, just take them and lead them out carefully and kindly. We do
not want to have the house thus defiled. It is an imposition for
gentlemen to spit tobacco juice around, or to leave their quids of
tobacco on the floor; they dirty the house, and if a lady happen to
besmear the bottom of her dress, which can hardly be avoided, it is
highly offensive. We therefore request all gentlemen attending
Conference to omit tobacco chewing while here. To the Elders of Israel
who cannot and will not keep the Word of Wisdom, I say, omit tobacco
chewing while here.
In all probability our congregations will be large, and we shall be
under the necessity of being a little stringent and exacting in regard
to leaving the children at home and in preserving quietness and order
while in the house. You may think it a little unreasonable, sisters,
to make such a request, but it is not so, for you who are here this
morning have seen the great amount of confusion and annoyance the
crying of children has caused; and if you cannot, for the space of two
or three hours, forego the pleasure of gazing upon the faces of your
little darlings, just stay at home with them. This we earnestly
request while we are here in Conference. We have all the brethren of
the Twelve here, except Brother Carrington, who is in Liverpool, and
we shall have speeches, exhortations and advice from them, which, if
followed and observed by the people, will lead them in the path of
truth, light, intelligence, virtue, soberness and godliness, and we
want such good order preserved and maintained that all attending
Conference can hear the instructions given.
We have many things to say to the people. They need a great amount of
talking to and instruction. They are a good deal like children and
need to have words of counsel and advice constantly reiterated. The
mother says to the child, "My darling little Johnny, don't you get
that knife," or "Can't you let your father's razor alone," or
"Let the
crockery alone, you will break it." And the "little darling Johnny"
lets it alone for a minute or two, but soon he makes another stretch
after the knife, razor, tumbler, pitcher, or something that his mother
does not want him to have, and again her voice is heard, "Johnny, let
that alone, it is not good for you to have;" or, "You will break that
pitcher." Johnny sets down the pitcher, and pretty soon it is gone
from his mind, but he runs around a little, and then he wants a drink,
and while getting the pitcher, or perhaps the knife, the mother
coaxingly says, "My darling dear, will you let that alone," and
finally, wearied with talking to "Johnny," she probably boxes his
ears. It is precisely so with the people, or many of them. We exhort
them to observe the Word of Wisdom, to be faithful, truthful and
prayerful, and so on, but many of them forget, and we have to ask and
beseech them again and again.
We shall now dismiss our morning's meeting, and shall assemble again
at two o'clock this afternoon, and I trust that strict attention will
be paid to what is said. I am of the opinion that what is said will be
instructive and good for the people. We do not want the teachings of
the Elders to drop upon senseless, careless, indolent ears; but let
every ear be open, and every heart receive understanding, that good
may result from our labors. We are teaching the people how to be
saved—how to walk and talk so as to secure eternal salvation, and I do hope and pray my brethren and sisters to pay attention,
that the Spirit of the Lord may be in your hearts, that you may see
and understand things as they are. I would say, still further, if
there be error advanced here, do not receive it, pass it by, and live
so that you will know truth from error, light from darkness, the
things that are of God from those not of God; and if an error should
drop from the lips of one of our Elders, do not receive, believe, or
practice it. Truth is what we want, and we ought to live so that we
can understand and know it for ourselves. This is our privilege and
duty; and we request of the Latter-day Saints, and of all people, to
live so that they may know and understand the things of God, and
receive and embrace them in their faith, and practice them in their
lives.