a native of Mendon, Mass., who worked on his father's farm until he was 16 years of age, afterward becoming hotel-keeper, and later proprietor of a cot ton-mill in the same state. In 1839 we find him at Quincy, Ill., whither he had gone in search of a home, and where, during the following year, he was converted by the preaching of Orson Hyde and John E. Page. In the autumn of 1840 he was ordained an elder, and in the summer of 1845 an apostle, most of the interval being passed in missionary work in the eastern states. In April 1847 he accompanied the pioneers, finally settling in the valley two years later. After some further missionary work, he was appointed, in 1860, brigadier-general of militia in the Cache Valley district, where he lived until the date of his decease, Sept. 3, 1869, his death being probably caused by heart disease. When the provisional government was established he represented Salt Lake county in the legislature, and when Utah was made a territory was chosen a member, first of the representatives for Salt Lake county, and for the last ten years of his life, of the council for Tooele county. Deseret News, Sept. 8, 1869. At his death joint resolutions were passed in the assembly as a tribute of respect, for which see Utah Jour. Législ., 1870, 185–6.

CHAPTER XXV.

CHURCH AND STATE.

1877-1885.

CONFERENCE OF THE CHURCH-REORGANIZATION OF THE FIRST PRESIDENCY -JOHN TAYLOR APPOINTED PRESIDENT-HIS APPEARANCE AND MIENTHE EDMUNDS BILL-ITS PENALTIES-AN EX POST FACTO LAW-POLYGAMISTS DISFRANCHISED-UTAH AGAIN Refused AdmISSION AS A STATEOPERATIONS OF THE UTAH COMMISSION-Governor MURRAY'S MESSAGE -HIS ADMINISTRATION.

MANY years before the death of Brigham Young it was predicted that whenever that event should happen dissensions would occur among the Mormons, if not entire disintegration of the sect; for die when he would, or succeed him who might, such absolute power as he possessed would never be tolerated in another. He was elected at a time when his people were in distress, and accepting him as their deliverer, they had almost sunk their individuality, vesting him with all the powers of pope and potentate. But now, it was said, all was changed. Contact with the gentile world, the establishment of gentile schools and churches, together with other influences that had long been at work, were telling gradually upon their faith. Already they had grown weary of the yoke, and once Brigham was laid in the tomb, his followers would no longer exist as a people. Never was anticipation so ill-founded. The world was now to learn that the inherent vitality of Mormonism depended not on the existence of any one man or body of men, not even on the existence of the twelve. "If every apostle was slain but one," remarked George Q. Cannon at

the October conference of 1877, "that one had the right and authority to organize the church, and ordain other apostles and a first presidency to build up the kingdom of God."

On the decease of the president of the church, there was for the second time in its history no quorum of the first presidency, to which authority, and to no other, as the prophet Joseph had declared, the twelve were subject. Once more, therefore, until the presidency was reorganized, the apostles must step forward and take its duties upon themselves. At a meeting of the quorum, held two days after the obsequies of Brigham, ten of the number being present, it was unanimously resolved that John Taylor, the senior' apostle and acting president of the apostles, should be sustained in his office, and that the quorum should be the presiding authority of the church. But this resolution, as well as the election of all the authorities of the church, from the twelve down to the deacons and teachers, must be indorsed by a vote of each quorum of the priesthood and of the people assembled in conference.

The forty-eighth semi-annual conference of the church was held, as was now the custom, in the great tabernacle; and in addition to the general congregation, there were present more than five thousand of the priesthood. First was presented the name of John Taylor; then in their order and separately those of each member of the twelve, together with councillors John W. Young and Daniel H. Wells," the

1At the conference above mentioned, George Q. Cannon remarked that some had been much exercised about the organization of a first presidency, 'but he wished them distinctly to understand that whenever God commanded a first presidency to be appointed it would not be revealed through any one but his servant, who was now God's mouthpiece.' Deseret News, Oct. 10, 1877.

2Apostles Orson Pratt and Joseph F. Smith were in England at the time. Millennial Star, xxxix. 682. They arrived two or three weeks later. See Deseret News, Oct. 10, 1877.

3 General Epistle of the Twelve, in Millennial Star, xxxix. 680-4. See also Deseret News, September 12, 1877; Mormon Pamphlets, Religious, no. 16. 'Completed in 1870. A description of it is given elsewhere in this vol. 5 Daniel H. Wells was a native of Oneida co., N. Y., his father, who was a direct descendant of the fourth governor of Connecticut, having served in the

CHURCH CONFERENCE.

679

patriarch of the church, the presidents of the seventies, and other church dignitaries, concluding with the lesser priesthood. The votes were cast first by the twelve, then by the patriarchs, presidents of stakes, and high councils, after whom followed the high priests, the seventies, the elders, the bishops, with their councillors, the priests, deacons, and teachers,

war of 1812, while his mother, née Catherine Chapin, was the daughter of a revolutionary soldier who fought under Washington. In the spring of 1834, being then in his twentieth year, he settled at Commerce (Nauvoo), and purchased a tract of 80 acres, a portion of which he afterward donated to the Mormons as a site for their temple. He was among the foremost to aid and welcome the saints after their expulsion from Nauvoo, and indignation at their maletreatment, rather than sympathy with their sect, caused him to join the church a few weeks before the commencement of the exodus. Arriving in the valley of Great Salt Lake in September 1848, he was appointed superintendent of public works, and was chosen a member of the legislative council of the provisional state of Deseret. In 1857 he was elected second councillor to Brigham Young. In 1864-5 he was in charge of the European missions, and was afterward mayor of Salt Lake City for several terms. part that he played in the history of Utah as lieut-gen. of the Nauvoo legion is mentioned elsewhere in these pages. Wells' Narr., MS., 1–8; Tullidge's Life of Brig. Young, suppl. 13-17; The Mormons at Home, 114-15; Beadle's Western Wilds, 93.

The

"John Smith, son of Hyrum Smith, was a native of Kirtland, where he was born in 1832. Nearly two years after the assassination of his father in Carthage jail the boy set forth from Nauvoo in company with Heber C. Kimball's family. Reaching the encampment on the Little Papillon, he became acquainted with Col Thos L. Kane, whom he nursed through a dangerous sickness, probably saving his life. In April 1848 he started for Great Salt Lake in company with his brothers and sisters, and though only 15 years of age, performed a man's work, or rather the work of several men, driving a team composed of wild steers, cows, and oxen, with two wagons tied together, standing guard sometimes day and night, bringing in wood and water, herding cows, or assisting other teams as occasion needed. In the spring of 1850 he was enrolled in the battalion of life-guards, and for several years thereafter was frequently called on at dead of night to set forth in pursuit of marauding Indians. In 1852 occurred the decease of his step-mother, whereby he was left alone to provide for a family of eight persons, three of them being aged and infirm. In 1855 he was ordained patriarch, this being the only office in the church which is handed down from father to son in direct lineage. Ten years later he was sent on a mission to Scandinavia, and arriving in Liverpool with a single guinea in his pocket, about sufficient to procure him a meal and pay his railroad fare to London, borrowed the money for the remainder of his passage. After two years of missionary labor he returned to Salt Lake City, taking charge of a company of 300 emigrants on board the ship Monarch of the Sea. During his journey across the plains he had under his care a large party of Scandinavian emigrants, and was frequently urged by the officers at government posts which he passed en route to remain with them for a season, as the Indians were at that time extremely troublesome. His answer was: 'I am used to Indian warfare, and have only provisions enough to take us home if we keep moving. We had better run the risk of fighting Indians than starve on the plains.' After his return the patriarch was engaged in the duties of his calling and in attending to his business interests. Autobiog. of John Smith, MS.

and finally the entire congregation. During the proceedings there was no haste. Ample time was allowed for objection to be made to any of the names proposed or to any of the propositions offered; but throughout this vast gathering there was not a dissenting vote. As the quorums rose to their feet, and with uplifted hand vowed to sustain those whom their leaders had chosen, the choice was in every instance confirmed by assembled Israel. It was evident that, as yet, the church was in no danger of dissolution."

Addressing the congregation, President Taylor remarked that the apostles were thankful for the confidence and faith that had been manifested. For several reasons he had said little since the death of the president, who for thirty-three years had stood prominently before the church. In common with the rest of the community, he felt sad at heart. Moreover, a multiplicity of cares now devolved upon the twelve, and, so far as his position was concerned, he did not wish to say anything that might influence their choice, but desired to leave the minds of all perfectly unbiased. "If," he said, "we could carry out in our lives what we have made manifest this day by our votes, the kingdom of God would roll forth, and the favor and blessing of God would rest upon us. "No man need think this work would stop. It would go on and increase until the purposes of Jehovah were accomplished, and no power on earth or in hell could stay its progress." Three years afterward John Taylor was elected president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith as councillors. The vacancies which thus occurred in the quorum of the twelve were partially filled by the election of Francis M. Lyman 9 and

For account of this conference, see Deseret News, Oct. 10, 17, 1877. At the general conference, commencing on the 6th of October, 1880. Francis Marion, the eldest son of Amasa Lyman, a pioneer, who was excommunicated in 1870, was but seven years of age at the date of the exodus from Nauvoo. As an instance of the experience of Mormon evangelists, it may be mentioned that when ordered on mission to England in 1859, he was compelled to leave his newly married wife almost destitute, building for her