| 137 of European Mission; Robert Evans of the Welsh Mission, and J. R. Gibbs, president of the Western District of Wales.
The following call, which explains its own purpose, was published in the Herald for June 15, 1876:
This will notify all the Saints that an adjourned meeting of the officers composing the board of removal of the business center of the church, was held at the Herald Office, Plano, Illinois, June 7, 1876, pursuant to a resolution adopted at the conference session of April, 1876; and that at said meeting the undersigned was authorized to give this notice, and to request those willing and desirous, and who are intending to assist and cooperate in the removal and re-location of the business center, to perfect their arrangements and determine the amount and kind of aid they can render.
The sums donated, or loaned to this board of officers, are to be used for the benefit of the church; the land bought and buildings erected, will be the property of the church, just the same as other properties now owned by the church, the board of officers being only charged with the duty of securing and disbursing an amount of means sufficient to accomplish the object designed by their appointment.
From five to fifteen thousand dollars will be required, and of this amount about seventeen hundred dollars are in the hands of the Bishop, subject to the call of the board. To raise the remaining amount, the board request all those designing to assist, to send the sums they devote to this measure to Bishop I. L. Rogers, Sandwich, DeKalb County,
office, calling, and authority in the Church is superior to others, for their duties in looking out for the missions, and in seeing to the spiritual prosperity of the work, necessarily associates them in the united success of the work.
And so, by thus teaching, the general good as well as their own, will be served, by the means that will come into the storehouse of the Lord, and into the keeping of those whom the Lord has set for this purpose, as said in section 38:8, "And this shall be their work, to govern the affairs of the property of this church."
For teaching this law wisely and well is the important and indispensable step in executing it; this teaching including a due recognition of the rights, privileges and jurisdiction of all the authorities in their proper places in this matter.
Therefore, we believe that teaching it and having a general watchcare in the way of advice and counsel in respect to collecting and disbursing is the part the Twelve have in it. The words of Joseph Smith to and of Brigham Young in Nauvoo, in respect to the use and control of church funds, as not being the business of that quorum, are sufficient caution, in our opinion, against any stepping aside of one quorum to assume the duties or privileges of another.
We believe that there is need that the Twelve in their spiritual superintendence "under the direction of the Presidency of the church" (section 104:12), should have an understanding with said Presidency and the Bishopric, as to the wants and needs of the church, and as to what means are available, and as to what are the most important needs to be served, if but a portion can be provided for.
The lack of this understanding often brings into conference long lists of resolutions and appointments that fail of fruition for lack of funds. Besides, some appointed are ashamed that they can not go, having trusted that the church know its business in accepting them.
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