| 425 Kirtland, since the Saints left it so many years ago, has been the scene of a great many ventures in religion, and quite a number of the offshoots of Mormonism have made efforts at a lodgment there. It was here that the portion of worshipers [worshippers] known as the followers of Zadoc Brooks had for a time their headquarters; and after them the Miner portion; then the effort of I. VanDusen, and lastly the Reorganization. Bro. J. F. McDowell, perhaps as much as any other one elder, is entitled to credit for its occupancy for many years as a local missionary field; and we think it was by him that a branch was organized, holding their services in the Temple, which the little band partially reclaimed from vandalism.
But Bro. McDowell came further west, and but few of the old number were left, among them Sr. Rebecca Dayton, E. Stratton, Bro. and Sr. Fahnestock, M. Scribner, Sr. Harvey, Father Bond and wife, and a few others.
But for many years the church has had only a nominal standing there, the branch dwindled away, until the keys of the Temple were left in charge of Sr. Dayton, who for the love she had for the Master, remained a devoted and faithful witness to whoever might call to see the Temple.
The Temple was levied upon and sold at sheriff sale, at or during the existence of the Brooks faction at Kirtland, and was bought by Elder Russell Huntley, who repaired it to some extent to preserve it from the weather. After the decay of Brooksism, Elder R. Huntley deeded it to Elder Mark H. Forscutt and Joseph Smith, during whose ostensible ownership suit was brought by the church and the title found to be in the church. The custody of the building has since then been in their hands through the Bishop, who held it by local agency.
A few years ago the idea of holding the annual spring session of conference at Kirtland in the Temple was broached and advocated by Bro. T. W. Smith, who believed that such holding of conference was not only feasible, but would do an incalculable amount of good. But at the time scarcely any but himself thought as Bro. Smith did on the subject, and his suggestion was not acted upon; it may have been because the time was not come. In the spring of 1882 the church met in conference at Independence, Missouri; and at that session the idea of meeting at Kirtland met with some favor, and looked less formidable than before. It was talked of more or less among the Saints, and the project took shape at the session held at Lamoni last fall, when it was resolved to meet there. Considerable doubt about its entire feasibility was entertained by some still; and the only plausible way that presented itself was to ask the church to aid in the work by contributing to the repairing of the building; which the Bishopric reported could be done for a certain sum to the extent of putting it into a state to be preserved. But as to the conference a commissary committee consisting of Brn. W. H. Kelley and Z. H. Gurley, who with the Bishopric were to be also a "committee of ways and means," was appointed, to make the necessary arrangements for holding the conference on the old camping ground. The men appointed to this
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