Administration of Willard G. Smith In April 1877, when most of the general authorities and many of the Church members from all over the Territory were gathered in St. George for the dedication of the temple and the annual conference of the Church, President Brigham Young revealed a plan to reorganize the stakes of Zion. B. H. Roberts states, "In the last months of his life, President Young was led to set in order the existing stakes of Zion."1 The work commenced at St. George while the general authorities were present for conference, and then continued throughout the settlements. Before the summer was over, the general authorities had either organized or set in order twenty stakes under the direction of President Brigham Young.2 Morgan was eleventh on the list, and the date for the organization was set for 1 July 1877. Organisation of the Morgan Stake William Cluff, the presiding bishop of the area, notified the priesthood authorities in the Morgan Valley and asked them to assemble the Saints for the pending organization of the Morgan Stake. Elders Lorenzo Snow and Franklin D. Richards, members of the Quorum of Twelve, were assigned by President Young to attend the conference and effect the organization of the stake. They were officially welcomed to Morgan by many of the Saints who met them at the train station. The conference was held in a bowery one hundred feet square, which had been specially erected for the occasion. Sunday morning, 1 July 1877, the two Apostles together with Presiding Bishop William Cluff, Bishop Willard G. Smith, and other priesthood leaders of the Valley met in council at the home of William Eddington to discuss the organization of the stake. During the meeting the new stake presidency was chosen, as were the bishops of the new wards. Those officers chosen were all sustained by those present. The meeting was then adjourned to the bowery where the Saints had assembled from throughout the Valley.3The DeseretNewsgave the following account of the organization conference: "Elders Snow and Richards and Bishop Cluff occupied the forenoon and afternoon on Saturday June 30, giving excellent and appropriate instructions to the vast congregation assembled from all parts of the county. "Sunday July 1 was taken up with instructions from the Apostles and the election of the necessary officers to perfect the stake organization; who were ordained and set apart by the Apostles."4