| 453 On May 3 a conference was held at Kirtland, at which time action was taken on the name of the church. Previous to this no official action had been taken, and no uniformity of practice had obtained, hence to insure uniformity in records it was necessary to have some official action. The church had been called the "Church of Christ," "The Church of Jesus Christ," "Church of God," "Church of the Firstborn," or whatever appellation suited the write or speaker best. The minutes of this conference are as follows:-
"KIRTLAND, Ohio, May 3, 1834.
"Minutes of a conference of the elders of the Church of Christ, which church was organized in the township of Fayette, Seneca County, New York, on the 6th of April, A. D.1830.
"The conference come to order, and Joseph Smith, Jr.,
need of this to help me in my stewardship; if it be five talents, or if it be ten talents, or twenty, or fifty, or an hundred, the treasurer shall give unto him the sum which he requires, to help him in his stewardship, until he be found a transgressor, and it is manifest before the council of the order plainly, that he is an unfaithful and an unwise steward; but so long as he is in full fellowship, and is faithful, and wise in his stewardship, this shall be his token unto the treasurer that the treasurer shall not withhold. But in case of transgression the treasurer shall be subject unto the council and voice of the order. And in case the treasurer is found an unfaithful, and an unwise steward, he shall be subject to the counsel and voice of the order, and shall be removed out of his place, and another shall be appointed in his stead.
13. And again, verily I say unto you, concerning your debts, Behold, it is my will that you should pay all your debts; and it is my will that you should humble yourselves before me, and obtain this blessing by your diligence and humility, and the prayer of faith; and inasmuch as you are diligent and humble, and exercise the prayer of faith behold I will soften the hearts of those to whom you are in debt, until I shall send means unto you for your deliverance. Therefore write speedily unto Cainhannoch, and write according to that which shall be dictated by my Spirit, and I will soften the hearts of those to whom you are in debt, that it shall be taken away out of their minds to bring affliction upon you. And inasmuch as ye are humble and faithful and call on my name behold, I will give you the victory. I give unto you a promise that you shall be delivered this once out of your bondage; inasmuch as you obtain a chance to loan money by hundreds, or thousands, even until you shall loan enough to deliver yourselves from bondage, it is your privilege, and pledge the properties which I have put into your hands, this once, by giving your names, by common consent, or otherwise, as it shall seem good unto you. I give unto you this privilege, this once, and, behold, if you proceed to do the things which I have laid before you, according to my commandments, all these things are mine, and ye are my stewards , and the master will not suffer his house to be broken up. Even so. Amen.
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