| 332 forward the work of the Temple, and in walking before the Lord in soberness and righteousness.
Such is a faint outline of the discourse of President Joseph Smith, which was delivered with his usual feeling and pathos; and was listened to with the most profound and eager attention by the multitude, who hung upon his instructions, anxious to learn and pursue the path of eternal life.
After singing by the choir, and prayer by the President, Conference adjourned sine die, with the benediction of the President.
JOSEPH SMITH, President.
GUSTAVUS HILLS, Clerk.
MINUTES OF THE LAST GENERAL CONFERENCE, HELD IN ENGLAND.
SUNDAY, June, 4th.
This conference was held in the New Corn Exchange, Manchester, on Whit-Sunday, June 4th, 1843, and by adjournment, the two following days, in the large room connected with Hayward's Hotel, Bridge Street.
From the unsettled state of the weather, we were led to expect that our numbers would not be very great, but, to our astonishment, never before had we seen so many Saints assembled together.
MORNING SERVICE.
The meeting being called to order, Elder Thomas Ward was unanimously chosen to preside; brother William Walker being then appointed to act as the clerk of the conference.
The meeting was then opened by singing "The Spirit of God like a fire is burning," &c. President Ward engaged in prayer. After the second hymn, the president addressed the conference at considerable length on the multitude before him, and the object that brought them together. He enlarged on the high purposes of God in the salvation of the human family, stating what the church of Jesus Christ understood by salvation, which was this, that intelligence, or the light of truth being connected with elementary matter, which constituted our existence, had become, through the fall as Gods, knowing good and evil; that in this condition, and retaining this knowledge, we, by the atonement of Jesus Christ, and the ordinances of his kingdom, had become sons and daughters of the highest, and by a faithful endurance unto the end, we should attain to the fulness [fullness] of God, fitting us to enter into his presence to become heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. He exhorted the Saints to cherish a spirit of love and charity, and suffering injury, even from their brethren, to be ready to forgive, and to maintain a continued purpose of heart, and whatever may arise, still to serve the Lord; by which means they would soon find the evils that affected them would disappear, and by the light of the spirit of God, they would see clearly their true position, and the clouds of darkness arising on their path, would soon be dissipated by the illuminating radiance of the light of heaven.
Elders Clark and Fielding followed, and gave some excellent teachings, in which the saints did greatly rejoice.
The number of officers present was then called for: high priests six; elders, 58; priests, 64; teachers, 40; deacons, 10. The representation of the churches being next called for, the following statements were made:
Manchester Conference-Represented by elder Charles Miller, containing 1481 members, including 38 elders, 75 priests, 54 teachers, and 17 deacons, and comprising 30 branches.
Liverpool Conference-Represented by elder Ward, containing 558 members, 31 elders, 30 priests, 14 teachers, and 10 deacons, comprising four branches.
Preston Conference-Represented by elder William Snalem, containg [containing] 655 members, 1 high priest, 18 elders, 18 priests, 18 teachers, 2 deacons, comprising 15 branches.
London Conference-Represented by elder William Major, the West End containing 58 members, 3 elders, 9 priests, 3 teachers; the East End, Clerkenwell 156 members, 3 elders, 9 priests, 2 teachers, 2 deacons. Newbery, 22 members, 1 elder, 2 priest. Woolwich, 30 members, 1 elder.
AFTERNOON SERVICE.
The meeting being opened by singing the 144th hymn, elder Clark engaged in prayer.-After the second hymn, a blessing was asked upon the bread by elder Banks.
President Ward then rose and gave some suitable instructions to the officers and members respecting the ordinance of the Lord's Supper. He wished them to have a clear view of its nature and design. The ordinance of baptism was a sign between the sincere believer and God, a sign of power by which we legally claimed remission of our sins, in the name of Jesus Christ, according to the ordination of heaven. So also the ordinance of the Lord's Supper was a sign between God and us, to which we attended for a distinct and certain purpose, which was, that we might have the continued influence of the spirit of God to be with us. Hence the teachings in the revelations given to direct us in the administration of this ordinance, viz:, saying, O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of they Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments, which he has given them, that they may always have his spirit to be with them: Amen. So likewise in blessing the wine, the idea is given us that we attend to this ordinance as a sign by which we witness these things before God, and keep his commandments, in order that we may always have his spirit to be with us. Here,
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