Two decades of federal pressure. Anti-polygamy laws seize Church property and send men to prison, and in 1890 Wilford Woodruff issues the Manifesto ending the practice of plural marriage. Utah becomes a state in 1896, and the Salt Lake Temple, begun forty years earlier, is dedicated in 1893.
682 entries in this era, shown 200 to a page. This is page 4 of 4, covering 1897 to 1899. See the same material on the moving timeline.
Organization of State Historical Society of Utah on fiftieth anniversary of arrival of first Mormon pioneer wagons in Salt Lake Valley. Its first president is apostle and church historian Franklin D. Richards. In 1923 general authority Levi Edgar Young becomes first professionally trained historian to serve as president.
President of the Twelve Lorenzo Snow visits ailing Church President Wilford Woodruff "He gave me a list of Salt Lake Temple work since the commencement May 22, 1893 to March 31 97 Showing 142,679 Baptisms for the dead, 3,646 for health, 5,908 living Endowments 81,933 dead endowments; ordinations 53 living 32,739 dead; Sealings 2,590 living, 21,288 dead; children to Parents 6,147 living 17,936 dead; adoptions 67 living 694 dead; 2nd anointing 1,017 living 531 dead. Total living 19,428 Dead 297,794 = 317,222."
President Wilford Woodruff writes: "I was quite restless all night. Felt chilly. Took a little Brandy sling and a cup of coffee, and slept some before daylight and until 9 am. . . ."
1897 Church Membership 255,736
The Brigham Young statue in downtown Salt Lake City is unveiled as part of the Pioneer Jubilee celebrations. Wilford Woodruff unveils the statue: "In the name of God I unveil this statue." Catholic Bishop Lawrence L. Scanlan gives the Benediction.
The federal Edmunds-Tucker Act seizes all church property.
The Improvement Era began publication as the official organ of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association. Other Church organizations later joined in sponsoring the monthly magazine, which continued as the official voice of the Church until 1970. It was replaced by the Ensign magazine.
The Improvement Era begins publication by the Mutual Improvement Associations.
The jubilee anniversary of the arrival of the Pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley was held in Salt Lake City for six days. The celebration began with the dedication by President Wilford Woodruff of the Brigham Young statue that would later stand at the intersection of Main and South Temple streets on July 20, and ended with a celebration for the Pioneers in the Tabernacle on July 24 and memorial services honoring all deceased Pioneers on July 25.
The Twelve Apostles discuss the health of President Wilford Woodruff. They learn that "his heart does not beat regular every sixth beat seems to be omitted shewing weakness in the muscles of the heart."
Wilford Woodruff writes in his diary: "I received a copy of the Pioneer Programme for the 50th anniversary celebration of the arrival of the pioneers and read some of it, from which I felt outraged in my feelings and in the evening expressed myself vigorously as to the manner I have been treated. I am one of the first and oldest pioneers which with my position in the church Should entitle me to some consideration. Not one of my sons or any of my family have been asked to take any part in the pioneer proceedings, whilst the Clawsons and their friends and associates are into everything."
Wilford Woodruff writes: "At 3.30 pm. my daughter Alice took some medicine that Dr Shipp prescribed for her, without water and it burned her mouth and throat being a strong acid. Gave her some strong coffee and she felt better but her mouth & throat pained her for some time."
A First Presidency statement encouraged Latter-day Saint youth to support the American effort in the Spanish-American War. This placed the Church firmly on the side of the war declarations of constituted governments and ended a policy of selective pacifism.
Arrival in British Mission of Amanda Inez Knight and Lucy Jane Brimhall, first unmarried women to serve as full-time missionaries. Previously lady missionaries were married women who were set apart as companions to their husbands, usually mission presidents. On Mar. 16, George Q. Cannon had said that through missionary service of unmarried women, "some kind of solution would be found to the problem so often discussed, 'What shall we do with our girls?'"
At a birthday celebration for Quorum-of-the-Twelve President Lorenzo Snow, First Counselor Geo. Q. Cannon and Apostle John Henry Smith testifiy "we had seen the Saviour at the Temple meeting this morning."
At a meeting of the Apostles, Heber J. Grant objects to Apostle Brigham Young Jr. being ahead of Joseph F. Smith in seniority. Young had been ordained an apostle by his father before Smith but had been admitted to the quorum after Smith. The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve meet to discuss the problem on 5 April 1900. They decide that an apostle's seniority dates from when he enters the quorum and that Smith outranks Young. Eighteen months later Joseph F. Smith becomes president of the Church
Australian mission is created
Death of Wilford Woodruff, only Utah church president to die outside Utah (in San Francisco, California, at the home of non-Mormon Isaac Trumbo); buried in Salt Lake City. Lorenzo Snow has a vision in the Salt Lake Temple where Jesus Christ instructs him to organize a First Presidency. A new First Presidency is organized eleven days later. Each of the previous three times a church president had died it had taken from twenty months to over three years to organize a new First Presidency. Apostle Brigham Young Jr. writes I his journal: "Pres Woodruff has passed away far from home and in the house of one I cannot believe to be an honest man."
First Presidency and apostles consider "alleged belief of some Elders in the doctrine of reincarnation. . . .the conclusion reached was that every Elder's right to believe what seemed right to him should be respected and that no action should be taken against him while he refrained from teaching his views to others and respected and upheld the authority vested in the Presiding Priesthood." This refers to local bishop Orson F. Whitney who becomes member of Twelve in 1906.
First Presidency statement supported the American Spanish-American War effort.
Inez Knight and Lucy Jane Brimhall are called to Britain as the first single women set apart for full-time proselytizing.
Four aged members of the Mormon Battalion took part in the 50th anniversary of the discovery of gold in California, which they had witnessed.
Four Mormon Battalion members participated in the gold discovery anniversary.
Married Louie E. Shurtliff (she died March 30, 1908).
George H. Hudson is first Mormon to die in combat during U.S. War. As private in Battery B of Utah Light Artillery, he is killed by Filipinos during Philippine Insurrection at conclusion of Spanish-American war of 1898. Filipinos want true independence, not to be new colony of the United States.
German mission is created
Heber J. Grant writes of a Quorum meeting of the Twelve: "There are men among us who would go in direct opposition to what the wishes of the Presidency were politically if they should learn their wishes, and yet these men claim to be in fellowship in the Church. I feel that such men are sure to lose the faith unless they repent and change their course of action. Apostle Marriner W. Merrill Expressed himself freely on political matters and said that while it might not be a wise thing to publicly say it yet, in his opinion it was the right of the Presidency of the Church to express their opinions on all matters, political as well as religious and what he wanted to know is what the Presidency desire and then he wanted to do it, and was only too willing to lay aside his own feelings if they were not in harmony with the feelings of the apostles."
In 1898 there were 943 missionaries called to serve.
Became President of the Church.
Kimball family moved to Thatcher, Arizona.
Lorenzo Snow announced the Church would issue bonds for debt.
Became faculty member of Weber Stake Academy.
Lorenzo Snow was sustained as the fifth Church president.
New Zealand mission is created
President Lorenzo Snow announced that the Church would issue bonds to lighten the burden of its indebtedness.
President Lorenzo Snow became fifth president of the Church. He chose Presidents George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith as counselors. Both had served as counselors to President Brigham Young, President John Taylor and President Wilford Woodruff.
President Wilford Woodruff died at age 91 in San Francisco, Calif., where he had gone to seek relief from his asthma problems.
Second Counselor Joseph F. Smith preaches: "It is the command of the Lord that we shall meet together to transact the business of the Church, an important part of which is to sustain the authorities of the Church, thus renewing our covenant to uphold God's authority which He has instituted in the earth for the government of His Church. . . .The moment a spirit enters into the heart of a member to refrain from sustaining the constituted authorities of the Church, that moment he becomes possessed of a spirit which inclines to rebellion or dissension; and if he permit that spirit to take a firm root in his mind, it will eventually lead him into darkness and apostasy."
Sisters Inez Knight and Lucy Brimhall were set apart to be missionaries in England, the first single, official, proselyting sister missionaries in the Church.
Southwestern States mission is created
Died in San Francisco, California.
Swiss mission is created
1898 Church Membership 267,251
The church sets apart its first-ever full-time sister missionaries.
The church's salary committee meets and decides to cut President Wilford Woodruff's salary by 40 percent.
The day after President McKinley had called for 125,000 volunteers for the Spanish American war Apostle Brigham Young Jr. gives a talk in the Tabernacle: "It is wrong for us to think of sending our young men to Cuba to fight in the present conflict. The fact that they would go from these lofty mountains into the malarial swamps of the South would make them much more liable to catch fevers and perish than volunteers from almost any other part of the country. There are other ways in which we can show our patriotism than by sending our sons to fight for our country at this crisis. The United States needs money with which to prosecute this war, and it will be far better for us to subscribe to this $50,000,000 bond issue than to send volunteers to perish miserably and uselessly in the swamps of the Southern coast." The next day Young is chastised by President Wilford Woodruff for speaking without authorization and told not to oppose the enlistment of Mormon volunteers.
The First Presidency and Twelve discussed the Word of Wisdom. One member reads from the twelfth volume of the Journal of Discourses a statement by Brigham Young that seems to support the notion that the Word of Wisdom was a commandment of God. Lorenzo Snow, then President of the Council of the Twelve agrees, saying that he believes the Word of Wisdom was a commandment and that it should be carried out to the letter. In doing so, he says, members should be taught to refrain from eating meat except in dire necessity, because Joseph Smith had taught that animals have spirits. Wilford Woodruff, then President of the Church, says he looks upon the Word of Wisdom as a commandment and that all members should observe it, but for the present, no definite action should be taken except that the members should be taught to refrain from meat. The minutes of the meeting record that "President Woodruff said he regarded the Word of Wisdom in its entirety as given of the Lord for the Latter-day Saints to observe, but he did not think that Bishops should withhold recommends from persons who did not adhere strictly to it."
The United States declares war against Spain--the Spanish-American War. On this day at a meeting of the First Presidency and Council of Twelve First Counselor George Q. Cannon remarks to Apostle Brigham Young Jr."Our young men might distinguish themselves in this war." Brigham Young Jr. replies "Yes, they would undoubtedly extinguish themselves. If I knew of any young men who wanted to go to this war, I would call them on a mission to preach the gospel of peace. Our mission is to preach and to save souls."
Three days after Wilford Woodruff's death the "Twelve and Counselors . . . decided to hold the funeral services for President Woodruff on Thursday, September 8th, at 10:30 a. m. in the Tabernacle." The body was being kept in ice at Woodruff's home where the next three days "were occupied in endeavoring to make the face so it could be looked upon, yet without satisfactory results."
Wilford Woodruff, fourth president of the Church, dies.
Wilford Woodruff's funeral is held in the Tabernacle after which "All of the Apostles went to Johnson's Art Galery and sat for a group picture."
Became second counselor to President Lorenzo Snow.
This edition was created in Salt Lake City, UT, USA and was compiled by an unknown person. There were 383 Hymns in this edition. At the time it was edition number 24.
A solemn assembly was held in the Salt Lake Temple, attended by the Church's 26 General Authorities, presidencies of the 40 stakes, and bishops of the 478 wards of the Church. The assembly accepted the resolution that tithing is the "word and will of the Lord unto us."
A special meeting of the First Presidency and Quorum of Twelve discusses selling the Saltair resort. Joseph. F. Smith explains the object for which the Saltair Beach Pavilion was built: "It was that we might be able to control in some degree the amusements and pleasures of the young. There was to be no traffic in liquor and no Sunday trains." These rules drove away business so it was "decided to rent bar privileges" to insure profitabity. The final vote is unanimous in favor of not selling.
At a meeting of the First Presidency and apostles it is agreed to no longer charge fee for giving blessings to departing full-time missionaries.. Formerly 50 cents was charged. At the same meeting "Pres. J. F. Smith stated that brethren going on missions who were over sixty years of age were instructed that, as the church did not require elders beyond that age to take missions, if they were released on account of sickness or physical disability, they would be obliged to bear their expenses home." It is also suggested and approved that "that the brethren in visiting the conferences should call the bishoprics of the wards together and give them some special instructions—especially in regard to visiting members of their wards who were slack in the payment of tithes or were non-tithepayers, and seek in a private way to convert them to the principle."
At meeting of First Presidency and Twelve Apostles "The question of colonization, in a general way, was discussed at some length. Apostle J. H. Smith thought Nevada ought to be colonized by our people, and it would be but a short time, in his opinion, when the saints would control that state. Pres. Snow expressed the view that we ought to colonize in places where the Church would acquire political power and influence, and thought Nevada was just such a place. Canada did not offer any opportunities to obtain political power and influence, and he was not, therefore, in favor of colonizing that country any more than was necessary, . . ."
At missionary meeting in Scotland, Charles Woolfenden sees two angels and proclaims that one is "guardian angel" of Elder John Young. Mission counselor James L. McMurrin says that second is guardian angel of missionary C.C. Eccles. Founding prophet Joseph Smith had referred matter-of-factly to "my guardian angel" in sermon of June 13, 1844.
At nine-and-one-half-hour solemn assembly in Salt Lake temple attended by "about six hundred of the presiding officers of the Church including "The First Presidency and all the Twelve Apostles . . . Nearly all the Presidents of the Stakes with their Counselors, and nearly all the Bishops of the Church . . . about 700 in all," President Lorenzo Snow says "Just as sure as we live, if we do not honor the law of tithing, we will never possess the land of Jackson County, except it be by the shedding of blood, but it will not be by the shedding of blood because you will listen to my voice and the voice of my brethren. We are the sons of the prophets and the sons of God. The Lord will not send hornets to drive the people out of Jackson County, as he promised to drive the people out of the land of promise before the children of Israel, but he will send cyclones, earthquakes, and pestilences." Snow says "Within ten, fifteen or twenty years perhaps sooner, we are going to Jackson County." First counselor George Q. Cannon tells men, "there are those in this audience who are descendants of the old 12 Apostles and, shall I say it, yes, descendants of the Savior himself. His seed is represented in this body of men."
Church resumes direct control of the Deseret News.
Served mission to England.
Served as clerk in Church Historian's Office.
First official General Conference Reports published.
Initiated tithing emphasis, beginning in southern Utah.
In 1899 there were 1,059 missionaries called to serve.
James E. Talmage publishes Articles of Faith.
Born in Clifton, Oneida County, Idaho, to Samuel Marion Lee and Louisa Bingham.
Lorenzo Snow announced a renewed emphasis on tithing payment.
Born in Whitney, Franklin County, Idaho, to George T. Benson and Sarah Dunkley.
Lorenzo Snow presides at Salt Lake temple monthly fast meeting: "Sister Maria Y Dougall bore her testimony and wound up by speaking in tongues which struck me as the finest expression of that beautiful gift to which I had ever listened and when Aunt Zina (H. Young) interpreted it. it was sweet in deed."
Lorenzo Snow's revelation at St. George on necessity for church members to pay full 10 percent tithing, which conference votes to accept on May 30. Tithing is now on annual income only. However, individual general authorities and local leaders continue to differ about whether tithing should be on gross or net income. Text of revelation is part of his published sermon but never canonized by addition to D&C.
Minutes of the weekly meeting of First Presidency and Apostles: "In view of the charge of adultery brought by our enemies against Apostle H. J. Grant, and the possibility of the Presidency and Twelve being called in as witnesses, there was some discussion as to what attitude it would be best for the brethren to assume. It was finally decided that the matter be left to each one to answer according to the whisperings of the Spirit of the time."
Payment of tithes is stressed at a St. George conference.
President Lorenzo Snow announced a renewed emphasis concerning the payment of tithing, which members had been neglecting for some time, at a conference in St. George, Utah.
President Lorenzo Snow recommends that converts no longer emigrate to Utah.
Reports that Apostle Franklin D. Richards "is losing his mind, which has been known for some time to his own family." First reported instance of mental instability in current general authority. He dies two months after this report.
Salt Lake County attorney declines to issue warrant for President Lorenzo Snow due to insufficient evidence of unlawful cohabitation.
Salt Lake temple fast meeting for general authorities: Apostle Rudger Clawson writes, "Pres. Jos. F. Smith was mouth in blessing the bread and wine, which was supplied in sufficient abundance to satisfy all present. A very enjoyable time was passed at the table. . . ."
1899 Church Membership 271,681
The SALT LAKE TRIBUNE reports that Heber J. Grant pleads guilty to a charge of unlawful cohabitation and is fined $100.
Utah volunteers from the Philippines returned to an enthusiastic reception.
Utah volunteers serving in the Philippines in the Spanish-American War returned to an enthusiastic reception from the citizens.