26^th We started this morning at 8 oclok & travled untill 1 ocl[ock]
& nooned again on the branch of the Sweet much larger tha[n]
original stream in consequence of the melting of the vast bod[y]
of snow on the wind river range, & the Hills that surround us
the watter run into many of our waggons; whare we camped
at noon there was A large quantity of strabury vines in bloo[m]
& white clover we travled in the forenoon 11 miles & in the
Afternoon 7 3/4 miles & camped Again upon the branch of the
Sweet water that we nooned upon, we camped opposit the
table rock & near the summit of the south pass or dividing
ridge And I was quite asstonished at the road & country
to day considering that we were crossing what is called the
south pass of the rocky mountains it was the best road we
had for many days & had it not have been for the wind
river range of mountains full in view on our right & the
tabl coverd with eternal snow, & some snow banks 10 fe[et]
deep by the side of the road as we passed along & the table
rock on the left I should have thought myself travel[in]g
over the beautiful prairies of Illinois & Missouri except the
country was coverd more with sage that prairie grass
the road for many miles & Also the valley of or plain of
beautiful grass lying North of table rock was perfectly
strewn with vary handsom cornelian stones I saw
more in one hour this evening than I ever saw during
my whole life either in the rude state or polished
& set in breast pins in all the Jewellers shops I ever saw
in my travels in the world from the sice of a goose
egg to A pea. distance of the day 18 3/4 [miles]

Elders Kimball Pratt G. A. Smith & Brown continued on to take an
observation with the Barrometer on the dividing ridge & they con-
tinued on to the waters of the green river 7 miles from us that
run into the pacific while we were on the Sweet water that runs
into [t]he Atlantic; they supposed we should come on to them And
as they did not return several of us mounted our Horses to go in
search of them soon After we started we met Br Kimball
on his return after us He informed us that the Brethren
were camped with about one dozen men from Oregon on
there way to the States & they would stay together over night
[FIGURE]

During our travels to day I walked most of the way with Profess-
ors Pratt, & Carrington And our conversation turned upon the
subject of the original formation of God, Angels, men, & Devils
the begetting of spirits in the eternal world, & who by, the beget-
ing of children on the earth, the Death of men & children & the
resurrection of All. Each one gave his views, opinions, & reasonings
& many interiesting remarks were truly made. And Any person
who should chance to read these lines I wish them to understand that
the Ideas given upon these points were not given as doctrin but opi-
nion untill sumthing better should present itself or be decided by
revelation. One of the most important Items If true was pre-
sented by Professor Pratt upon A subject that Heretofore has ben
entirely out of the reach of All mankind from the days of Adam
to the present time As far as is revealed to us. It was upon the subjec
of the original formation of the first God, we all admitted in the
first place that which we believed to be an important truth ie the eternal
duration of matter spirit, intelligence in some form or other we also
agreeed in the opinion that Neither God nor man Always had from
all eternity the same formation that they now have but did exhist in
some form for if we Admitted the fact that one being exhisted in
the present form all might have exhisted in the same form as well as
one, then the question arose how did God recieve his present formation
the Answer given by Professor Pratt was sumthing in the following
language. He sayes I t[h]row out my Ideas not as doctrin but for you
to look at. you know when A chemist goes to work to Analize or
try new experiments they often have to try many times before they
get a thing perfect & take certain processes which are unnecessary and are
afterward laid aside And persue the most perfect course that can be
obtained. It may reasonably have been the case with the first being
formed which may be called God. As eternity was filled as it were
with particles of intelligence who had there Agency, two of these
particles in process of time might have joined their interest together
exchanged ideas & found by persueing this course that they gained
double strength to what one particle of intelligence would have &
afterwards were joined by other particles & continued untill they
formed A combination or body though through a long process yet
they had power over other intelligences in consequence of their
combination, organization, & strength And in process of time this
being body or God seeing the Advantage of such an organization
desires company or A companion And Having some experiance
goes to work & organizes other beings by prevailing intelligences to
come togeth & may form sumthing better than at the first
And After trials of this kind & the moust perfect way sought
ought it was found to be the most expeditious & best way to recieve
there formations or bodies either spiritual or temporal through
the womb