S[unday] S[chool] Conference convened . . . Class exercise Anna Ivins. Bro. [Alonzo] Farnsworth report Garcia. Some of the teachers do not observe the Word of Wisdom.
Concert recitation. Word of Wisdom. Song [“]In Our Lovely Deseret.[“] (Anthony W. Ivins, Journal, March 15, 1902, in Cowboy Apostle: The Diaries of Anthony W. Ivins, 1875-1932, ed. Elizabeth Oberdick Anderson [Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2013], 293, 294)
Attended meeting of Council of 12. 10 A.M. Politics. Republicans sell out to whiskey interests. Bro. [Francis M.] Lyman spoke on the word of wisdom. Urged its observance. We should keep out of debt. (Ibid., January 14, 1909, 433)
9 A.M. Officers meeting. R.S.
10-30 regular services. Sacrament. Counselor [Albert] Barrus made opening remarks. Good. Elder Call. Returned Elder from England. Embarrassed but good. Remarks. I occupied the remaining time. Met with Primary officers. (See Sister [Louie B.] Felt about leaflets treating on the subject of record keeping & kindred subject of order & system.) Shall men who engage in the liquor business be excommunicated. Two saloons the liscenes being $1,500.00 pr year each.
2. p.m. Prest. Clarence Gardner after opening exercises. Presentation of Names of Authorities by Stake Clark [Joseph] Rackstraw. Rulon S. Wells 2-56 to 3-40. Amusement & liquor conditions bad. Mayor A. O. call stands in with liquor element, ^revenue^ for amusement hall poor. (Ibid., June 7, 1914, 530)
[Robert] Judd & B. F. Grant met us at Cedar [City] this A.M. We ate breakfast at the Escalante Hotel, drove across the mountain to Cedar Brakes [Breaks] and on to Kanab via Long Valley for lunch, after which we drove to Bright Angel point, on the Kaibab Mountain where we passed the night. Governor [George] Dern and party, and representatives of the Union Pacific Ry. and Natl. Parks Company joined us here and on the 14th we drove over to the bridge together.
The bridge across Marble Canyon is a marvel of engineering accomplishment. It is 750 feet in length and about 450 feet above the water. We arrived at the bridge at 1 o’clock. A large number of people had already assembled. The Gov[ernor]s of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah were present. After lunch the bridge was formally dedicated and opened by the three governors. A meeting was held at which addresses were made from an elevated platform. There was no protection from the sun, no seats. The sun beat down, wind blew and dust enveloped the camp. It was typical desert environment.
I had brought with me some packages of tea, sugar, tobacco, and some candy for the children which I distributed among the Indians, for which they appeared very gratified. (Ibid., June 13, 1929, 603)
7:30 p.m. General Priesthood Meeting. Opening exercises. President John R. Winder. Congratulated the brethren. Never since I have been connected with the Presiding Bps. Office has the business of the church been so well reported. The tithes of the people have bene fairly well paid. The presidency desire to get the church out of debt. Brethren do not go in debt. Debt is bondage. Do not mortgage your homes for any purposes where it can be avoided. (Anthony W. Ivins, Journal, April 4, 1902, in Cowboy Apostle: The Diaries of Anthony W. Ivins, 1875-1932, ed. Elizabeth Oberdick Anderson [Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2013], 296-97)
Semi-Annual Conference. Opening exercises.
Prest. [Joseph F.] Smith made preliminary remarks. Joseph E. Robinson reported the California Mission. Good.
Ben E. Rich. Prest. [Ephraim H.] Nye reported the Southern States Mission. Good
Ben. R. Rich reported the Middle States Mission, or rather he preached a sermon on the subject of blood atonement, taking for his text the recent murder committed at N.Y. had better talked on some other subject. (Anthony W. Ivins, Journal, October 4, 1902, in Cowboy Apostle: The Diaries of Anthony W. Ivins, 1875-1932, ed. Elizabeth Oberdick Anderson [Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2013], 310)
This A.M. I brought up ^with Prests [Heber J.] Grant & [Charles W.] Nibley^ the question of the obligations of the Utah Idaho Sugar Co. to the Church for money loaned to them for the purpose of meeting current expenses. The Church has loaned the Co. $750,000.00 Cas[h] for which the Church has accepted the unsecured notes of the Sugar Co. The President has agreed with the banks who are leaning money to the sugar Co. that he will carry this loan unsecured until the banks have been paid in full of amnts. due them. I do not regard this as a safe loan, or one that it is proper for the Church to make.
The Church loaned this money to the sugar Co. several years ago and have never been able to collect. In discussion of the subject this A.M. Prest Nibley said that unless the Church came to the rescue the Utah Idaho Sugar co. would go into the hands of a receiver. Since 1919 the Church has had the following transactions with the Nibley Co.
In 1919 the Nibley Co gave the Church a note for $80,000.00 for the interest of the Church in the Herald Republican. In 1925 the note was paid with 1000 shares of the Nibl[e]y Stoddard Lumber Co. this stock has no value at all today so far as I am able to determine. The Church had invested in the Herald republican $544.000.00 all they recd in return was the lumber stock referred to.
In 1921 the Church bought from Nibley 150,000 shares of Sugar stock from Nibley for which the Church paid $200,000.00 and $3000,000.00 worth of Utah Hotel bonds bearing 7% interest. The bonds today are worth more than par. The Sugar stock is quoted at 50¢ per share with no buyers. The loss to the Church on these transactions including interest is more than $900,000.00.
Besides this the Church has suffered a loss of nearly four million dollars in depreciation in sugar and other stocks which it has purchased the total loss sustained as loss making a total of at least six million dollars. It appears to me that no farther investments in sugar should be made, and that the sugar Co. should secure the Church for the loans already made. (Anthony W. Ivins, Journal, September 4, 1930, in Cowboy Apostle: The Diaries of Anthony W. Ivins, 1875-1932, ed. Elizabeth Oberdick Anderson [Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2013], 607; Anderson notes that “Ivins corrected the number five by writing four over it” [ibid., 607 n. 52)