First Day-Morning Session

The Sixty-ninth Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints commenced in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, at 10 a. m. on Thursday, Oct. 6, 1898, President Lorenzo Snow presiding.

Of the general authorities present on the stand there were of the First Presidency Lorenzo Snow, George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith; of the quorum of the Twelve Apostles Franklin D. Richards, Brigham Young, Francis M. Lyman, John Henry Smith, George Teasdale, Heber J. Grant, John W. Taylor, Marriner W. Merrill, Anthon H. Lund, Matthias F. Cowley and Abraham Owen Woodruff; Patriarch, John Smith; of the First Seven Presidents of Seventies Seymour B. Young, B. H. Roberts, George Reynolds and Jonathan G. Kimball; of the Presiding Bishopric William B. Preston, Robert T. Burton and John R. Winder.

Conference was called to order by President George Q. Cannon.

The choir and congregation sang the hymn which begins:

Redeemer of Israel,
Our only delight,
On whom for a blessing we call;
Our shadow by day,
And our pillar by night,
Our King, our Deliverer, our all.

Opening prayer by Elder John Nicholson.

The hymn which begins as follows was sung by the choir:

Zion stands with hills surrounded
Zion, kept by power divine;
All her foes shall be confounded,
Though the world in arms combine;
Happy Zion,
What a favored lot is thine.