Day in the Life

May 6, 1854

Journal Entry

May 06, 1854 ~ Saturday

Saturday 6th Rode to ^Battle Creek 3 mils^ provo 12 mils spent the
Sabbath and held a meeting with the people
Sunda President Young arose & said that I am
not in the habit of taking a text but I will now take
for my text the last line that was sung "God is his
own interpetor" He will make all things plain but do the
people understand those things which are for usour good
the Lord will not explain all things unto us whe under
stands but he will make his people walk by faith He
will not explain all his mistaries to the people we read in the
New Testament that faith is the assurance of things hoped
for & the evidence of things not seen [Hebrews 11:1] have we all got
faith it is our duty to have itfaith in God & his word & promises
you have to trust in God. He will not reveal all things u[n]to
us some men are tried will the counsel given & will
not obey they will not have glory in the kingdom of
God they are bastards & not sons [Hebrews 12:8] the Lord intends
for the people to be tried so as to prove the faithful
What God does reveal He reveals for the purpose of
leading men in the way of salvation the people do not
know the way of the Lord they come here and
say I am going to build myself up I have to work so hard
I cannot get time to pray but are you doing right when
you do this we may labour to get all things abot us yet
the Lord will controll it as seemeth him good. If you
get into the dark still hold on to the work of God no matter
if I dont fell like praying I will do it if the Lord should
open the visions of the minds of the people that have gone
to Calafornia so that they could see things as they are they
would as soon cut their throats as to have done it but they
dont see it they have to go and suffer untill they are
satisfied I will say the same to this people if we do not

do the things which god requires of us we shall be whiped till we
are sore this is the ownly thing that will save us I now
tell you that those that are gone & going to Calafornia without
counsel will kettch it till they are sore I know the truth but I cann-
ot tell it all to you untill God permits me to do it now if you have
not confidence in me to follow me & believe that I am doing right
drop me and appoint another & I will follow in the wake.

In the begining of this work God tried to get this people to be
one but they would not be one. {shorthand} will now tell you what to do
God intends to make you one you must be one & their must be a
begining to this and you must begin in small things like child[re]n
making cob Houses the people went to Missouri & there they
quarrelled about many small matters then God said I will throw
dow[n] their good houses & God pdroved all the people out & they thought
they were knocked into pi[eces] did they do any better then. no they did not.
God tries the people both in riches & with poverty. if I will be faithful in my poverty I will
own all riches that is needful. now if God wants us to be of one heart & one mind now he
may have no ^other^ motive in view than to make us work together he will tell us to build fences &
forts that our feelings & interest may be united in something now will you do it? we are required
to become of one heart & mind & work together in those little things that we do understand
or else we could not be prepared to work together and be one in those eternal things which we
do not understand therefore we could not enter into the kingdom of God. it is nothing but the
power of God that has preserved this settlement. the Indians could have killed every man
woman & child here, & not a man had a gun ready to defend himself. when you have
become of one heart & mind he has treasures for you & has given us capacity to see if we
will magnify our calling with every thing we have to do in our lives. we are approaching
very swiftly the time when Jesus will come to see if we are of one heart & mind which the
Prophet Joseph said would be in this generation & will manifest himself to the Saints & take
up his abode with him. this was said 24 years ago & in 26 years more if we r not prepared
to meet Jesus & angels we shall be wiped out & sent to hell. we r fast approaching the time
I do not care what was done in the morning of creation or the days of Noah. I want to know
what this people will do. will you be Saints & live your religion & magnify your callings in the Church
I will now tell this people what they should do. I will tell the Bishop in the presence of the people
what to do. Bishop I tell you, go & start this wall & build it 6 feet thick & 12 or 14 feet high
shut up every gate except two & then you can lay down in safety & an enemy cannot come
upon you. if this is not the will of the Lord I do know it is my will & you should not question any
further. God wants it done & I want it done & dont stop until you are secured & that is enough
your stacks have been so placed that one Indian could fire all this place & others shoot you down
while you are fighting the fire. what if the people in Jackson Co had been good & been sanctified
what would have been the situation of the people. why, the liars & goats would have had their heads
cut off but the wheat & tares had to be transplanted together in the wilderness. it was not the act
of Joseph that caused the removal of this people. it is the people that govern & control which is the
democracy of heaven. the democracy of earth is division and mark it, there will be a division
here before long among this people. now if you will all do right & live a holy life angels will come
& visit us & sta[y] with us all night & you will have many revelations & be happy. we know we ought
to pra[y] & would not neglect it, if we loved the Lord. you may do just as you have a mind to
when I am gone but I beg & beseech of you to do right. I want you to build a strong wall & be
safe so that whatever comes along you may be secure & bar your gates & be careful & dont let the
devil reign in you & all will be right & God bless you & I bless you. let us be ^of^ one heart & mind
in the things that we do comprehend & then we shall be one in things we shall hereafter know.

Pres[ident] H C Kimball it is not my place to get up to reveal any thing for it is the head to convey
it to the body but it is for me to carry out his designs & do his will for when I do the will of
Pres[ident] young I do the will of God & no man can get salvation unless he keeps his council

it is his will that the city should be walled & fortified & that is my will. when I do just

as he tells me I do the will of my Father in Heaven for he is the only man that holds
the keys of salvation. when I feel reluctant to do his will I feel bad & so do you all. when
I do his will I can sleep in peace & my heart is consoled all the day long. this is also
the case with you when you do not do as your Bishop tells you. last year your improvements
were all scattered about but now you are got into a smashed suckertash pie. now go to &
save yourselves against all selfishness. I am going to put my property & all my wives
into the Church & then nothing can be taken out of the Church. I am going to dedicate all
I have to God. when a man turns away from the Priesthood he forfeits every thing
even his life for that is no longer his. my body is only lent to me by the Lord
and I forfeit every thing when I go astray. if righteousness was laid to the line
it would take many heads from their shoulders & the day will be when that will be done

now do as your bishop tells you & not go to salt
Lake
to President Young to alter this or that I
pray that this people may do right for when you dishon[o]r
the priesthood you dishonor God I have been told
that some have said that I will honor the priesthood
but I will not honor him that holds the priesthood
but I say that you cannot honor one without honoring
the other. Bishop Walker is presiding here follow
his council & all will be right and the blessing of
God will rest upon you even so Amen

Benediction wby W Woodruff

we rode to Provo & spent the night

People

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Young, Brigham
1 Jun 1801 - 29 Aug 1877
3425 mentions
Apostle, Family
Kimball, Heber Chase
14 Jun 1801 - 22 Jun 1868
1455 mentions
Apostle
Smith, Joseph (Jr.)
23 Dec 1805 - 27 Jun 1844
103 mentions
Scriptural Figure

Places

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Quotes

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If the Latter Day Saints cannot become one hart & mind & work in their temporal things which they do understand they cannot become one in Eternal things which they cannot understand.
~ Brigham Young
we read in the New Testament that faith is the assurance of things hoped for & the evidence of things not seen have we all got faith it is our duty to have faith in God & his word & promises you have to trust in God. He will not reveal all things u[n]to us
~ Brigham Young
we are required to become of one heart & mind & work together in those little things that we do understand or else we could not be prepared to work together and be one in those eternal things which we do not understand therefore we could not enter into the kingdom of God. it is nothing but the power of God that has preserved this settlement.
~ Brigham Young
when you have become of one heart & mind he has treasures for you & has given us capacity to see if we will magnify our calling with every thing we have to do in our lives. we are approaching very swiftly the time when Jesus will come to see if we are of one heart & mind which the Prophet Joseph said would be in this generation & will manifest himself to the Saints & take up his abode with him.
~ Brigham Young
now if you will all do right & live a holy life angels will come & visit us & sta[y] with us all night & you will have many revelations & be happy. we know we ought to pra[y] & would not neglect it, if we loved the Lord.
~ Brigham Young

Related Documents

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Autobiography Volume 3 circa 1865-1866
we drove to Battle Creek and assembled the people for meeting. Address By President Young President Young arose and said: "I am not in the habit of taking a text but I will now take for my text the last lines that were sung: "God is his own interpreter and he will make it plain." But do the people understand those things which are for our good? The Lord will not explain all things unto us. He understands; but he will make his people walk by faith. He will not explain all his mysteries to the people. We read in the New Testament that faith is the assurance of things hoped for—the evidence of things not seen. Have we all got faith? It is our duty to have faith in God and his word and promise. You have to trust in God. He will not reveal all things unto us Some men are tried with the counsel given and will not obey. They will not have glory in the Kingdom of God They are bastards and not sons. The Lord intends for the people to be tried so as to prove the faithful. What God does reveal he reveals for the purpose of leading men in the way of salvation The people do not know the way of the Lord They come here and say I am going to build myself up. I have to work so hard I cannot get time to pray. But are you doing right when you do this? We may labour to get all things about us yet the Lord will control it as seemeth him good If you get into the dark still hold on to the work of God. No matter if I don't feel like praying I

Events

View selected events in the two months surrounding this date in Wilford Woodruff's life. Click on the dates to jump to that day in Wilford Woodruff's journal.

May 6, 1854