| 1010 Elder Joseph Young said; last spring I visited Roger Orton, and apprised him of his appointment. He agreed to come as early as convenient, and receive his ordination; and I gave him to understand, if he did not come and act in his office, he would be dropt [dropped]. Brother Orton has always sustained Brother Joseph and the church, but he has very little of the spirit: he has been in the church about twelve years, but never has been active since his discharge from the camp, that went up to Missouri in 1834. It was by the counsel of the Twelve that he was appointed one of the Presidents of the Seventies. I have no particular desire to plead for him, but if his case can be laid over, I think he can be saved in that office, but I will be subject to counsel. I have considerable feeling for him; he lost all his property in Missouri, and has since addicted himself to drinking whiskey; that seems to have ruined him, but he may be reclaimed.
President B. Young arose and said, he would preach one of Dow's short sermons,-"If you wont when you can, when you will you shan't." I say if men will not act and magnify their calling, let more honorable men be appointed. Roger Orton is keeping a public house at Augusta and has had sufficient time to come and prove himself a worthy man in his office, but he has not done it; and I say let a more honorable man take the crown. If he wont work now, when will he? It was then moved, that we drop him; seconded and carried unanimously.
Moved that Samuel Williams be continued and sustained as President of the elder's quorum, and Jesse Baker and Joshua Smith be continued and sustained as his counsellors [counselors]; seconded and carried unanimously.
Moved, that Newel K. Whitney be continued and sustained as the first Bishop of the church; and that George Miller be continued and sustained as his associate; seconded and carried unanimously.
Moved, that Stephen M. Farnsworth be continued and sustained as President of the priests' quorum; and that William Carmichael and - Betts be continued and sustained as his counsellors [counselors]; seconded and carried unanimously.
Moved, that Elisha Averett be continued and sustained as President of the teachers' quorum; as also his former counsellors [counselors]; seconded and carried unanimously.
President B. Young moved, that there be a quorum of deacons selected, and a President, over them, and that the presiding Bishops see to it, as soon as possible, and make report to this conference, before its close; seconded and carried unanimously.
Conference then adjourned till two o'clock P. M. Benediction by Elder G. A. Smith.
Two P. M.
The house was called to order by Eleer [Elder] Taylor; the choir sung the "Prodigal Son." Elder Taylor read a list of the sick, and offered up prayer; after which the choir sung another hymn;
Whereupon, Elder P. P. Pratt addressed the conference on the subject of our present situation and prospects. He referred to the great amount of expense and labor we have been at to purchase lands, build houses, the Temple &c.; we might ask, why as it that we have been at all this outlay and expense, and then are called to leave it? He would answer that the people of God always were required to make sacrifices, and if we have a sacrifice to make, he is in favor of its being something worthy of the people of God. We do not want to leave a desolate place, to be a reproach to us but something that will be a monument of our industry and virtue. Our houses, our farms, this Temple and all we leave will be a monument to those who may visit the place of our industry, diligence and virtue. There is no sacrifice required at the hands of the people of God but shall be rewarded to them an hundred fold, in time or eternity.
The Lord has another purpose to bring about and to fulfil [fulfill]. We know that the great work of God must all the while be on the increase and grow greater. The people must enlarge in numbers and extend their borders; they cannot always live in one city, nor in one county; they cannot always wear the yoke; Israel must be the head and not the tail. The Lord designs to lead us to a wider field of action, where there will be more room for the saints to grow and increase, and where there will no one to say we crowd them, and where we can enjoy the pure principles of liberty and equal rights.
When we settle a country where the air, the water, soil and timber is equally free to every settler without money or without price, the climate healthy, and the people free from unjust and vexatious lawsuits, mobocracy and oppression of every kind, we can become vastly more wealthy, have better possessions and improvements, and build a larger and better Temple in five years from this time than we now possess.
It has cost us more for sickness, defence [defense] against mobs, vexatious prosecutions, and to purchase lands in this place, than as much improvement will cost in another.
One small nursery may produce many thousands
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