Order of Laying Corner Stones of Temples.
If the strict order of the Priesthood were carried out in the building of Temples, the first stone would be laid at the south-east corner, by the First Presidency of the Church. The south-west corner should be laid next. The third, or north-west corner next; and the fourth, or north-east corner last. The first Presidency should lay the south-east corner stone and dictate who are the proper persons to lay the other corner stones.
If a Temple is built at a distance, and the First Presidency are not present, then the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are the persons to dictate the order for that Temple; and in the absence of the Twelve Apostles, then the Presidency of the Stake will lay the south-east corner stone; the Melchisedec Priesthood laying the corner stones on the east side of the Temple, and the Lesser Priesthood those on the west side.
Conference at Philadelphia.
A Conference was held at Philadelphia; President Hyrum Smith presiding; many branches were represented and the branch at Philadelphia was organized by electing Benjamin Winchester, President, and Edson Whipple, and William Wharnot, his Counselors. Jacob Syphret was elected Bishop, and Jesse Prince and James Nicholson his Counselors.
Meeting of the Council of the Twelve in Manchester.
The Council of the Twelve assembled at Manchester, in Carpenter's Hall, on the 7th day of April, 1841, for the first time to transact business as a quorum in the presence of the Church, in a foreign land; being the first day of the 12th year of the rise of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Nine of the quorum were present; viz., Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Hyde, Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, Wilford Woodruff, Willard Richards, John Taylor and Geo. A. Smith, President Young having called the meeting to order, and organized, the conference then opened by prayer. Elder Thomas Ward was chosen Clerk. The President then made some introductory remarks relative to the organization of the Church in the House of the Lord in America, in reference to the different quorums in their respective orders and authorities in the Church.
The representation of the churches and conferences throughout the kingdom was then called for.
Location. By Whom Represented Members. Elders. Priests. Teachers. Deacons. Manchester Parley P. Pratt 443 7 15 9 0 Clitheroe Conference Heber C. Kimball 318 6 12 13 3 Presten Conference Peter Melling 675 11 15 13 3 Liverpool John Taylor 190 9 8 4 3 Isle of Man John Taylor 90 2 4 2 0 London Conference Lorenzo Snow 137 3 8 4 2 Birmingham Conference Alfred Cordon 110 4 13 4 1 Staffordshire Conference Alfred Cordon 574 19 49 28 16 Garway Conference Wilford Woodruff 134 5 6 4 1 Gadfield Elm Conference Wilford Woodruff 408 8 33 11 1 Froom's Hill Conference Wilford Woodruff 1008 27 67 27 8 Edingburgh Orson Pratt 203 6 9 6 2 Glasgow, Paisley, Johnstone, Bridge of Weir, and Thorney Bank Reuben Hedlock 368 12 15 13 11 Ireland Theodore Curtis 35 2 0 1 0 Wales James Burnham 170 2 5 3 3 Newcastle-upon-Tyne Amos Fielding 23 1 3 1 0 Alston John Sanders 26 1 0 1 0 Brampton John Sanders 46 0 1 0 0 Carlisle John Sanders 43 1 0 0 0 Bolton Robert Crooks 189 1 11 8 1 Dukinfield John Albertson 120 2 4 3 2 Northwich, Middlewich, &c Samuel Heath 112 2 6 6 6 Oldham William Black 86 1 4 1 2 Stockport Elder Magan 161 1 5 2 2 Eccles Elder Magan 24 1 3 1 0 Pendlebury Elder Magan 62 0 2 1 1 Whitefield Elder Magan 41 1 2 3 0 Radcliffe Bridge Elder Magan 18 1 3 0 0 Total 5814 136 304 169 68 Nearly eight hundred Saints have emigrated to America during the past season. These are not included in this representation.
Conference adjourned till 2 p. m.
Conference met pursuant to adjournment; opened by prayer.
Scattering members were then represented, consisting of nearly fifty, not included in any of the above branches.
President Young then proceeded to make some remarks on the office of Patriarch, and concluded by moving that Elder John Albertson[[1]] be ordained to that office. Seconded by Elder Kimball, and carried unanimously.
Resolved: That George D. Watt, George J. Adams, Amos Fielding, William Kay, John Sanders, Thomas Richardson, James Whitehead, Thomas Domville, James Galley and George Simpson be ordained High Priests.
Resolved: That the following persons be ordained Elders—William Miller, William Leach, John Sands, William Moon, William Hardman, William Black, John Goodfellow, Joseph Brotherton, Richard Benson, Theophilus Brotherton, John McIlwick, and William Green.
Resolved: That Manchester, Stockport, Dukinfield, Oldham, Bolton, and all the neighboring branches be organized into one conference, to be called the Manchester Conference.
That the Church in Brampton, Alston, and Carlisle be included in one conference.
That the churches of Liverpool, Isles of Man, Wales, viz., Overton, Harding and Ellsmere, be organized into one conference, to be called the Liverpool conference.
Resolved: That the Macclesfield Conference include Macclesfield, Northwich, Middlewich, and Lostock.
That Edinburgh Conference include Glasgow, Paisley, Bridge of Weir, Johnstone and Thorney Bank.
That George D. Watt preside over the Edinburgh Conference.
That John Greenhow preside over the Liverpool Conference.
That Thomas Ward preside over the Clitheroe Conference.
That Lorenzo Snow preside over the London Conference.
That James Galley preside over the Macclesfield Conference.
That Alfred Cordon preside over the Staffordshire Conference.
That James Riley be ordained a High Priest, and preside over the Birmingham Conference.
That James McAnley preside over the Glasgow Conference.
That Thomas Richardson preside over the Gadfield Elm Conference.
That William Kay preside over the Froom's Hill Conference.
That Levi Richards have the superintendence of the Garway Conference.
That Peter Melling preside over the Preston Conference.
That John Sanders preside over the Brampton Conference.
Adjourned till seven o'clock, p. m.
Met pursuant to adjournment; commenced by singing, "When shall we all meet again," and prayer.
The Patriarch Peter Melling, was then called upon to pronounce a patriarchal blessing upon the head of John Albertson, previous to his being ordained to the office of Patriarch. Laying his hands upon him he blessed him in the following words:
"John, I lay my hands upon thy head, in the name of Jesus Christ; and by the authority of the Holy Priesthood committed unto me, I pronounce upon thy head the blessings of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; and I say unto thee, that, inasmuch as it is in thy heart to do the will of the Lord, thou shalt be blessed, and the desires of thy heart shall be granted thee; and the Lord God will enlarge thy heart; and, inasmuch as thou wilt be humble and faithful before the Lord in thy calling, even that of a Patriarch, thou shalt be blessed, strengthened, and have great wisdom and understanding; thy bowels shall be filled with compassion for the widow and fatherless; and I pray that our Father in Heaven will take thee into His own care, and as He feels for thy welfare, thou shalt be made strong in faith, and the Lord shall bless thee and open thy understanding. Thou shalt know the doctrine of Jesus Christ, and the mysteries of heaven shall be opened to thy mind. Thou shalt also have the gift of prophecy and revelation, and thou shalt predict those things that shall take place to the latest generation. I pray that our Father in heaven may confer these blessings upon thy head; yea, thou shalt be a mighty man, if thou wilt be a faithful man, and a humble man, so that thou mayst be an ornament to thy calling, and a blessing to thy posterity; yea, thy posterity shall be blessed, and they shall become mighty upon the earth, and become blessed inasmuch as thou wilt be faithful in all things, and watch unto prayer. Thou shalt finally overcome, and be lifted up on high, and inherit the mansions prepared for thee in the kingdom of our God. Thou art of the blood of Ephraim; and I seal these blessings upon thy head in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen, and amen."
The Apostles then laid hands on John Albertson, and ordained him to the office of Patriarch.
The ordinations of the High Priests then took place; but, from the pressure of business, it was directed that the High Priests who were present should retire to the vestry, with those who were to be ordained Elders, and there ordain them at the same time that the ordinations of the High Priests were proceeding.
Several appropriate discourses were delivered by different members of the Twelve Apostles in relation to the duties of the officers in their respective callings, and the duties and privileges of the members; also of the prosperity of the work in general.
A very richly ornamented cake, a present from New York, from Elder George J. Adams' wife to the Twelve, was then exhibited to the meeting. This was blessed by them and distributed to all the officers and members, and the whole congregation, consisting, perhaps, of seven hundred people; a large fragment was still preserved for some who were not present. During the distribution several appropriate hymns were sung, and a powerful and general feeling of delight universally pervaded the meeting.
While this was proceeding, Elder Parley P. Pratt composed, and handed over to the clerk, the following lines, which the clerk then read to the meeting:
When in far distant regions,
As strangers we roam,
Far away from our country,
Our friends and our home:When sinking in sorrow,
Fresh courage we'll take,
As we think of our friends,
And remember the cake.Elder Orson Hyde appealed powerfully to the meeting, and covenanted with the Saints present, in a bond of mutual prayer, during his mission to Jerusalem and the East, which was sustained on the part of the hearers with a hearty amen.
Elder Fielding remarked respecting the rich cake of which they had been partaking, that he considered it a type of the good things of that land from whence it came, and from which they had received the fullness of the Gospel.
The number of official members present at this conference was then taken, viz., quorum of the Twelve Apostles, 9; Patriarchs, 2; High Priests, 16; quorum of the Seventies, 2; Elders, 31; Priests, 28; Teachers, 17; Deacons, 2.
Elders Brigham Young and William Miller then sang the hymn "Adieu, my dear brethren," &c., and President Young blessed the congregation and dismissed them.
Brigham Young, Chairman.
Thomas Ward, Clerk.
| Location. | By Whom Represented | Members. | Elders. | Priests. | Teachers. | Deacons. |
| Manchester | Parley P. Pratt | 443 | 7 | 15 | 9 | 0 |
| Clitheroe Conference | Heber C. Kimball | 318 | 6 | 12 | 13 | 3 |
| Presten Conference | Peter Melling | 675 | 11 | 15 | 13 | 3 |
| Liverpool | John Taylor | 190 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 3 |
| Isle of Man | John Taylor | 90 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| London Conference | Lorenzo Snow | 137 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 2 |
| Birmingham Conference | Alfred Cordon | 110 | 4 | 13 | 4 | 1 |
| Staffordshire Conference | Alfred Cordon | 574 | 19 | 49 | 28 | 16 |
| Garway Conference | Wilford Woodruff | 134 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 1 |
| Gadfield Elm Conference | Wilford Woodruff | 408 | 8 | 33 | 11 | 1 |
| Froom's Hill Conference | Wilford Woodruff | 1008 | 27 | 67 | 27 | 8 |
| Edingburgh | Orson Pratt | 203 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 2 |
| Glasgow, Paisley, Johnstone, Bridge of Weir, and Thorney Bank | Reuben Hedlock | 368 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 11 |
| Ireland | Theodore Curtis | 35 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Wales | James Burnham | 170 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| Newcastle-upon-Tyne | Amos Fielding | 23 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Alston | John Sanders | 26 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Brampton | John Sanders | 46 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Carlisle | John Sanders | 43 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bolton | Robert Crooks | 189 | 1 | 11 | 8 | 1 |
| Dukinfield | John Albertson | 120 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Northwich, Middlewich, &c | Samuel Heath | 112 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Oldham | William Black | 86 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Stockport | Elder Magan | 161 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| Eccles | Elder Magan | 24 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Pendlebury | Elder Magan | 62 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Whitefield | Elder Magan | 41 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Radcliffe Bridge | Elder Magan | 18 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 5814 | 136 | 304 | 169 | 68 |
When in far distant regions,
As strangers we roam,
Far away from our country,
Our friends and our home:When sinking in sorrow,
Fresh courage we'll take,
As we think of our friends,
And remember the cake.
Footnotes:
[1]. John Albertson was the second Patriarch ordained in England, Peter Melling being the first, he was ordained the 17th of April, 1840.