awaiting them. He rejoiced to see the interest being manifested among the saints. Admonished the people to read the revelations concerning the great events which are at our doors, and no man will wonder that the spirit of God is working among and stirring up the Latter-day Saints. " We have primary associations which teach the little ones, and Sunday Schools with a membership of over one hundred thousand and the young people's associations which are doing a great work. The president exclaimed, "Arise and shine oh Zion, for the Lord has set his hand to do a mighty work. The eyes of the heavenly host, of the Lord himself and of Jesus Christ are over us, watching us to see if we will qualify ourselves to carry out those laws and principles laid upon us to fulfill in the earth. What a blessing to any man or woman to have children whose hearts are being opened to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. The prophet urged the young men to marry. "When I was a young man on my first mission I had an idea that I would like to be like Paul and not marry, but when I reached Kirtland and met the prophet and listened to his teachings my ideas changed and I saw there was great benefit in being married. I was over thirty years old when I married but I now have eighteen sons and seventeen daughters and over one hundred grandchildren, and some great grandchildren. I sometimes wish I had a few regiments of young men, single men, faithful and true. I would bring them up and command them to take these pure virgins in Zion to wife, so that these young women might have the opportunity to fulfill the object of their creation." The president quoted Isaiah 52: 9, 10: "Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem; for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God," and said that these predictions are about to come to pass. He encouraged the young men and women to prepare themselves to serve the Lord. The work of the Lord will increase in Salt Lake and in Utah and many will receive the truth. "Therefore let your hearts be comforted. No power on earth nor under the earth is ever going to stay the hand of the Lord in the fulfillment of his revelations. They are coming to pass; therefore let us send up our prayers to God who is waiting for them and he will bless us. President Woodruff asked the blessing of the Lord upon the congregation and upon the brethren and sisters who are laboring in the work of the Mutual Improvement Associations. " Sister Maria Y. Dougall was the next speaker. She thanked the Lord for the Mutual Improvement Associations. Her heart had been made to rejoice this afternoon. While listening to the prophet she had thought what a great thing it is to be a father or a mother. We have kept our first estate, that is the reason we are here, and we should so live that we shall reach an exaltation in our next estate. Advised the young men and women to educate themselves to serve the Lord. She thanked God for the privilege of being a worker in the hive of Deseret and a teacher and instructor of the youth of Zion. Elder B. H. Roberts addressed the conference during the remainder of the time for the afternoon session on various matters connected with M. I. A. work. The choir sang the anthem, "Glory be to the Lord our Deliverer.'' Benediction by Apostle John Henry Smith. EVENING. 7:30 O'CLOCK. Choir sang the hymn, "Oh God, our help in ages past." Prayer by Apostle Abraham O. Woodruff. Choir sang the hymn, "Glory to God on High." Sister Leah Dunford addressed the conference. She referred to the great blessings enjoyed by the Latter-day Saints through the perfection of the organization of the church, and the light of the gospel; of the educational advantages enjoyed in the Young Ladies' and Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations. She spoke at length upon the home management department of the Young Ladies' Guide and upon the importance of home life, and closed with some excellent advice to young women. Sister Elsie Barrow sang the solo, "Oh my Divine Redeemer." Elder Geo. H. Brimhall then delivered a most interesting lecture on "Counsel." He commenced by stating that the creation of man was the result of the council of the Gods There are three steps in the guidance of man, first, coercion; second, command; third, counsel. In early revelation the Lord said, "Thou shalt not, then "Thou shalt," but now it is, "It is my will." This is the day of counsel. The road to obeying counsel is through obeying commands. Showed the beauty and benefit of counsel in families; between husbands and wives, and between parents and children Counsel must be sought for safety and correction, and given from unselfish motives Advised young people to seek counsel from their parents, Mutual Improvement presidents from their bishops, stake superintendents from their stake presidents, and all to beware of the man who advises against taking counsel from the servants of the Lord. The choir sang the hymn, "Ye simple souls who stray." [Minutes will be concluded in the ERA for August]. EVENTS OF THE MONTH. BY THOMAS HULL, SECRETARY OF THE GENERAL BOARD, Y. M. M. I. A. May 16th: George G. Bywater died suddenly this afternoon of apoplexy. * * 18th: Secretary Long gave out the information today that the battleship "Oregon" had successfully completed her trip from San Francisco. * A tornado which swept the counties of Clinton and Jackson in Iowa and portions of Illinois today destroyed many lives and a vast amount of property. The battleship "Alabama" was * * * successfully launched at "Philadelphia" today. 19th: The United States cruiser "Charleston" which left Mare Island Navy Yard, San Francisco, last Wednesday with munitions of war for Dewey's fleet at Manila, returned to the navy yard this morning, being compelled to put in for repairs to her condensing tubes, which were found to be leaking badly. The Right Honorable William Ewart * * * Gladstone died at 5 o'clock this morning, at Hawarden, Scotland. 20th: The two batteries of artillery, Utah Volunteers, left Salt Lake City today for San Francisco on their way to the Philippines. * 22nd: The cruiser "Charleston" passed through the Golden Gate this morning on her way to the Philippines. * * The famous author, Edward Bellamy, died this morning at his home in Chicopee Falls, Mass. 24th: The Utah Volunteer Cavalry left for San Francisco today. 25th: Three transports bearing 2, 500 soldiers sailed from San Francisco for Manila today. * * The president today issued a procla * mation calling for 75,000 more volunteers for the army. 26th: The battleship "Oregon" arrived at Key West, Flo., today. Her voyage from San Francisco around Cape Horn is the most remarkable on record and she finishes it in perfect condition. Abbey, London, England. * * 28th: William Ewart Gladstone was buried today in Westminister The British steamer "Foscolia" collided with the United States cruiser “Columbia" today, in a heavy fog off Fire Island, New York. The "Foscolia" was sunk. Her officers and crew were all saved. 29th: The general conference of Y. M. and Y. L. M. I. Associations commenced today in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City. 31st: Willard Young, son of President Brigham Young, was today nominated by President McKinley, colonel of the second regiment ot United States volunteer engineers. June 1st: Hon. Wm. H. King delivered an eloquent address in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, this evening on Cuba and the war. * * * The great Trans-Mississippi Exposition was opened in Omaha today. President McKinley, in Washington, pressed the button which started the machinery in Machinery Hall. 3rd: The President today nominated Charles O. Whittemore of Salt Lake for the office of United States district attorney for Utah. 4th: Captain Charles V. Gridley, commander of the United States cruiser "Olympia," Dewey's flagship, died today at Kobe, Japan. His death resulted from injuries received in the battle of Manila. 10th: The war revenue bill which among other things provides for the issuance of United States bonds for $400,000,000, passed the Senate today and was sent to the President. Senator Cannon of Utah voted against the bill, being opposed to the issuance of more bonds at this time. An agreement was reached in the house of representatives today, to begin the debate on the question of the annexation of Hawaii tomorrow. * * 13th: Joseph Leiter, the young speculator, who for many months past had controlled the wheat market and forced the price up to an unreasonable figure, failed today. His lcsses are said to be $5,000,000. 14th: The Utah light batteries embarked today, at San Francisco, on the transports bound for the Philippines. * * 15th: The house of representatives today passed the Newlands resolution for the annexation of Hawaii by a vote of 209 to 91. * The second Manila expedition, consisting of four large transports, carrying nearly 3,500 soldiers, sailed from San Francisco today. 17th: A dispatch dated Manila, June 13th, and received today from Hong Kong, China, states that Aguinaldo, the insurgent leader, issued a proclamation calling upon the natives to assemble at Čavite on June 12th, and inviting the Americans to be present at the ceremony of a declaration of independence. BOOK REVIEW. "ADDED UPON" is the title of a story by Nephi Anderson of Brigham City, recently issued from the Deseret News press, of Salt Lake City The author is ambitious, not in the size of his book, for that contains but 140 pages, but in the largeness of his subject. He undertakes to trace the fortunes of two individuals through their pre-existent estate, through this mortal life, and reunites them in heaven after life's fitful dream is o'er, where forever afterwards, they live happily. Brother Anderson has written some very interesting, instructive and beautiful things, as both the pages of the late Contributor and the ERA will bear witness. But we cannot but feel that in this venture "Added Upon,'' our brother has been either too bold or not bold enough. Either he should not have attempted a theme at once so lofty and so extensive; or else he should have given himself room for a treatment of it somewhat commensurate with its largeness. As it is the work reminds us of some landscape, painted by a very young and, as yet, undeveloped artist. You shall find in the landscape oceans, compressed continents, mountains, valleys, rivers, villages, sheep, cattle, men-all things in heaven and in earth as far as known, and all crowded within a 32x18 inch canvass! By and by the artist learns this is a mistake, and he finds better results by taking a bit of meadow flooded with sunlight and a glimpse of a winding stream shaded by trees; or a single hilltop crowned with an old church and the mountains or the ocean dimly seen in the background. So with the writer of fiction, a somewhat less extensive field than that marked out in "Added Upon," for one simple effort, would give promise of better success. All this is not saying that “Added Upon" is without interest. But we would say, and say it in kindness, that it is too crowded with events, with doctrines, with preaching, and that the subject is too large for the book. TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN OF PROF. G. NATHANAEL BONWETSCH, OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GOETTINGEN, GERMANY, BY E. H. ANDERSON AND R. T. HAAG. THE ERA Editor's note. In January there appeared in one of the popular daily journals of San Francisco an account of what was called "A Remarkable New Version of the Apocalypse of Abraham," by Professor G. Nathanael Bonwetsch, of the University of Goettingen, Germany; and then followed a partial translation of the same. In some of its passages the writer observed many things of a character both as to incidents and doctrines that ran parallel with what is recorded in the Book of Abraham, given to the world by Joseph Smith in 1836 (?). Especially was this true in relation to the idolatrous character of Abraham's immediate forefathers, his call to depart from them, the future promise of a special inheritance, the fact of his receiving a special revelation from God, making known great things concerning the structure of the heavens and the |
