| 483 and Western Iowa. John Moore, Southern Iowa and Northern Missouri. Hiram Rathbun, Michigan and Indiana. Hiram L. Holt, Northern Iowa, Southern Minnesota, Southeastern Dakota.
The Twelve also presented the following:
Resolved, That this quorum request of the body assembled the reasons why they have failed to sustain Brn. J. W. Briggs and Z. H. Gurley as members of this quorum, that the quorum may act on their cases advisedly.
Resolved, That we, the members of this quorum, request of the First Presidency what the result of the action of the body in regard to Brn. J. W. Briggs and Z. H. Gurley is, in this quorum. Does it remove them from the quorum?
Provision was made that Joseph Luff be sent to Utah Mission, when he was prepared to go, if thought wise.
The recommendation concerning I. N. Roberts was changed to read Southwestern Mission.
The resolution requesting reasons for not sustaining J. W. Briggs and Z. H. Gurley was disapproved by vote of the conference. After these amendments the report of the Twelve was adopted.
On this conference the editor of the Herald commented as follows:
The conference which has just passed, was in some respects the most important of any held by the Reorganization since 1852. A feeling of unrest, in some of downright dissatisfaction, and in others of annoyance and distress, had gone out into the different districts of the church, and affected the delegates when they came together, in regard to the affirmation of the belief of the church. The delegates to the conference, and the members by virtue of their office, came into the session with this feeling, and it was made apparent before the reading of the reports of the elders in the field had come to a close, that the church as a body was in no immediate danger of disintegration. A strong determination to stand by the standard books, as heretofore indorsed [endorsed], was manifested from first to last; and the idea that the church had not spoken with sufficient definiteness [definitiveness] to be understood by her representative men was not entertained by any. Great harmony of both sentiment and spirit prevailed from first to last, with scarcely an exception. By some it is thought that in this respect it was the beat session ever held in the Reorganization. . . .
The citizens of the city of Independence were friendly, and showed courtesy to the visitors from abroad; seemingly willing to give the Saints credit for the best of intentions.
The representation was large, and the best by far that the church has
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