Autobiography Volume 2 circa 1865
Sunday
The congregation assembled under the Bowery on the Temple Block
at 10 o'clock and the meeting was opened by singing and prayer. Brother Kimball
first addressed the congregation and then was followed by a discourse from Orson
Pratt upon the prophecies of Isaiah and their fulfilment in our present location and
the building up of Zion
When Elder Pratt concluded Willard Richards read a
letter from the commanding officer of the Battalion who went with it to the
Pacific and he spoke in the highest terms of praise of the members of the
Battalion in all their proceedings. A letter was also read from Capt Hunt; and
then Brother Kimball made some remarks upon our relations with the Indians
In the afternoon the revelation given at Winter
Quarters [Doctrine and Covenants 136] was read by Elder Willard Richards and received a unanimous vote and
then the congregation was addressed by Elder Amasa Lyman. A vote
was taken to cease entirely trading with the Indians, and it was decided
to form all the encampments into one.
In the evening the Twelve met and decided
for brother E. T. Benson to go back with 3 others with him to meet
the camp get the mail and bring word concerning the Saints who were
following the Pioneers
On the Monday Brother Benson started
and we commenced laying out the city begining with the Temple Block
In forming the Temple Block 40 acres appeared so large that we held a council
to determine if it would or not be wisdom to reduce it to one half. G. A. Smith
believed if we did it we should be sorry and would rather enlarge than diminish
Heber C. Kimball thought we should let it be as it was even if we set it
out to shrubery Amasa Lyman said George A. Smith had spoken his mind;
we all ran in the same channel and President Young said we could easier
