September 1969 having, however, been a source of joy to his family for eleven years.5 After attending stake conference in March 1959, Bishop Joseph LWirthlin paid the following tribute as well as giving an exhortation in a letter directed to the stake president: "President Larson, I am very grateful for the accomplishments of you and your two counselors in guiding and directing the membership of your stake. While it is one ofthe oldest stakes ofthe Church, yet with reference to the matter of various activities it is far above Church average except the matter of attendance at Sacrament Meeting, and no doubt, that problem, too, will be solved."6 While attending the conference sessions in September I960 along with Elder Hugh B. Brown, Preston Nibley, an Assistant Church Historian, paid tribute to Roy E. Francis for his forty two years of service as stake clerk. He commended him for his faithful and accurate work and explained to the congregation that Roy was now the senior stake clerk out of the three hundred and three organized stakes of the Church.7 Three years later, Roy was featured in an editorial ofthe ChurcbNewsfor forty-five years of service as a stake clerk which was "an all church record for clerks now serving." It was acknowledged that he had served under five stake presidents including Daniel Heiner, M. Howard Randall, George Sylvester Heiner, Clarence Rich, and currently Raymond P. Larson. During that time he had served with seventy-two high councilors, fifty-nine bishops and two presiding elders.8 At the September conference in 1961, the members ofthe Church were edified by the teachings of three visiting authorities. Elder Joseph Fielding Smith, of the Quorum of Twelve, Eldred G. Smith, Patriarch, and LaMont Richards (son of Elder LeGrand Richards), who was the stake mission supervisor, all spoke and participated in the conference. At the Sunday session Jessie Evans Smith, wife of Joseph Fielding Smith, spoke and entertained the Saints with her beautiful voice. Sister Smith was then a member ofthe Tabernacle Choir.9 After Elder EzraTaft Benson had attended the Morgan stake conference in September 1967, he wrote a letter to the stake presidency expressing his thanks for the kindnesses extended to him. The letter also contained helpful instruction to bless the lives ofthe members. I have just one or two suggestions that may be of some help to you. Many stakes are finding it useful to have song sheets available with the words of the songs on. I found a number of the people were not singing and seemed to be groping for the words on some of the songs. In order to make our services as reverent as possible and avoid confusion, you may find it advisable to rope off a few seats near the exits for mothers with small children. You may want to consider, if you have not already done so, designating a certain night in the week for home evening and announcing that there will be no meetings of any kind on that night, that all fathers are expected to be in their own homes with their families. Iamsureyouwillendeavortostepupyourmissionaryworkinthehope