Wilford Woodruff Papers Wilford Woodruff Papers
About About Wilford Woodruff Volunteer Meet the Team Partners Impact Editorial Method
2023 Conference Articles Photos Podcasts Updates Videos Newsroom

Day in the Life

Feb 2, 1857

Journal Entry

February 02, 1857 ~ Monday

2nd I spent the day in the office writing letters I attended the
Seventies meeting & had a good time the spirit of the Lord was
with us the meeting was addressed by Elders Rockwood & Hancock a short
time then followed by Elder Lorenzo Snow & W. Woodruff. Elder Snows
mind run in a vary interesting channel the spiritual atmosphere seemed
to be heavy when he ^a^rose but the spirit of God came upon him & he
spoke in a vary edefying & interesting manner the following remarks wer
Elder snow was written from memery

Brethren I rise to occupy a short time. I realize that there is a feeling
with nearly all of this people that there is sumthing of great importance
awateing this people some think that we will be beset by a great mob
from the states others that we would have an insurrection in our mids[t]
& others sumthing Els now of [if] the people really knew that we would be met
by a mob & that our lives depended upon our being well armed you would
see this people sell their coat or shirt to buy revolvers & weapons so
as to defend their wives children & their own lives but I am satisfyed
that there are scenes awaiting this people that will require all the grace &
wisdom which we can muster to pass through in safety. now for instance
this people are makeing a great rush to Presidents Youngs office to get wives
sealed to them on sunday night. President Young sealed men & women
till it was time for the prayer circle to meet then He had to turn a room
full out of Doors to wait another time this spirit is increasing throughout
this Territory now do those who are taking so many wives realize that
it will want a great Deal more power with God the Holy Ghost & wisdom
to preside over that Houshold than it does to go to the nations & preach
the gospel, build up churches & organize them & preside over & controll
them, if they do not realize it it is true, now here is this great body
of seventies & every other Quorum of this Church should labour hard
to arm yourselves with all the power of God you can get in order to save
your familyies if you do not if you do not you will soon find a
stamped[e] with your wives you cannot hold them they will break
from you you th need the wisdom of the Gods to rest upon you to save
your families for if you do not have great wisdom you will
meet with trouble. you have many wives & children this woman

wants a gown that one a Bonnet the next one shoes & their children
clothing & one thinks she Has to do more than her part & this one will
not do what she should &c & the man has got to stand in the midst
of his family like a God in order to calm the troubled waters & safe
them. A man may Go to a ward meeting & preach & the power of God
is upon him he comes home he finds one woman scolding & freting
another one in tearess, another one complaining & the children
fighting & by the time he gets well in the midst of it hith [his] faith
courage & patience almost fails him, & he has to rise up in the majesty
of a God as it were & have Great wisdom faith & patience & exercise
much Generalship & show himself a master spirit & a savior & a
Fatherly care & kind ness in order to save his wives & children. Here
is a mission for you ye Elders of Israel. Look for instance at the example
of president Young go into his house & take lessons see him with his
great family of wives & children & se the God like character & exam-
ple of that man & the order which he manifests in his family I
tell you if it was not so you would see a stampede suddenly in that
House but He is a great master spirit & manifests great wisdom
in the perfect order of Government with his numerous family of
wives & children. they all respect him & obey his law for the wisdom
of God is with him. Now brethren strive to bring yourselves to the same
standard become a patriarch over your own Household & seek to
save them connected with order you have to become a financere
& you have to support your wives & children & you want to live
so that you can call upon God to increase your flock heards &
crops this brethren is the greater work which you have to prepare
your minds for almost any fool can go & preach the gospel but
it requires a vary wise man to be a patriarch & save his own
household. Many other interesting remarks were made which I
have not room here to record

W Woodruff followed & said I have been much instructed with the word
of Elder Snow his words are true as the gospel & I bear testimony of its truth
I am watching the spirits of men we come & meet with the seventies and
with all other Quorums of the Church from the 12 down & watch the spirits &
give instruction as the spirit dictates this is not ownly our right &but duty
Here is before me a vast body of 70sSeventies the minds of this body of men
must be fed your presidents should be filled with the spirit & power of God
so that they can attend all the meetings & feed them & give unto them the
mind & will of God if they do not do this they will die & cannot stand
for the minds of these Seventies must be fed but many of them who
have been ordained into these Quorums have not prized the priesthood
which they have had sealed upon them. many times they have been so
anxious to go & attend to some trifling thing that they could not stop
long enough to be ordained at least as soon as the hands were off
they would run & not stop to give their genealogy many of the Elders
of this Church have trifled with the priesthood. there is now a
call made to gather up all the Elders priests Teachers & Deacons that are
^not^ esspecially ingaged as teachers with the Bishops to come forward & be
ordained into the seventies now it does appear to me that the Lesser
priesthood is necessary in the Church otherwise the Lord would not have
esstablished it. the Head cannot say to the feet we have no need of you
no more than the feet can say to the head we have no need of you. [1 Corinthians 12:21] almost
all the Lesser priesthood are striveing to become ordained into the seventies
while the bishops wish them to officiate in the Lesser priesthood. * see the star on the other page

People

Browse people Wilford Woodruff mentioned on this day in his journal. Click on the person's name to view a short bio and other pages they are mentioned on or click on "View in Family Search" to view their FamilySearch profile.

Rockwood, Albert Perry
9 Jun 1805 - 26 Nov 1879
130 mentions
Young, Brigham
1 Jun 1801 - 29 Aug 1877
3425 mentions
Apostle, Family
Hancock, Levi Ward
7 Apr 1803 - 10 Jun 1882
35 mentions
Zion's Camp
Snow, Lorenzo
3 Apr 1814 - 10 Oct 1901
692 mentions
Apostle, Family

Places

Browse places mentioned in Wilford Woodruff's journal entry on this day. Click on the place names to view other pages where they are mentioned.

Historian's Office, Great Salt Lake City, Great Salt Lake County, Utah Territory
President's Office, Great Salt Lake City, Great Salt Lake County, Utah Territory
Utah Territory

Quotes

View selected quotes from this page in Wilford Woodruff's journal.

it requires a vary wise man to be a patriarch & save his own household.
~ Erastus Snow

Related Documents

Browse other documents with this same date. These could include pages from Wilford Woodruff's autobiographies, daybooks, letters, histories, and personal papers. Click on the document titles to view the full document.

Letter to the Editor of the Western Standard, 4 February 1857

G. S. L. City . Editor of the Western Standard Dear brother, After so much of a hard and snowy winter, un- equalled since we settled in these mountains, the past few days of sunny weather almost make us believe Spring has commenced; over 8 feet of snow has fallen this winter in our city. The snow has been 2 & 3 feet deep in our streets during the month of January; Northward it has been deeper: In Utah valley South there has not been so much. The cattle and sheep have been brought from the island where snow is about 3 feet deep, and many have been driven into the city from the ranges North Few have died in comparison to last year. The abundance of snow in the mountains will be of much benefit the coming year for irrigation, and with such a gradual warm thaw as is going on at present, the land must receive a thorough soaking, which is cheering prospects to a community whose primary & chief dependence is Agricultural. The Eastern mail for January made an attempt at crossing the mountains for the East, but only got up the first mountain where on finding the snow so very deep it was considered impracticable to proceed further. They returned finding one carrier froze to death in the snow. Elder Dan Jones has been employed while the weather would permit in fitting up a craft with which to explore Salt Lake, and the mouths of Bear river and the Jordan, and to find what navigation is practicable on the Lake and its tributaries, he is at present making arrangements to boat fire wood from Stansbury Island to Black rock, from which point it can easily be drawn into the city. The Blacksmiths

Letter to Orson Pratt, 2 February 1857

G. S. L. city Elder Orson Pratt Dear Bro, The Eastern mail for Jan. last started, and went about 11 miles to the top of the first mountain, and returned, one of the party (not a mormon) having been froze to death in the snow, we have not yet received any Eastern mail for the past months. Judge Phelps reports the entire fall of snow in the city up to the 24th. inst, has been over eight feet. We have more snow in the mountains than we have ever known since our arrival in the vallies. It has lain for several weeks in this valley between 2 & 3 feet deep. Many have brought their cattle from the ranges Northward, also all the stock of horses, cattle and sheep have been brought from the Island—as snow is reported as being nearly 3 feet deep there—and fed them at home, & large herds have been driven South into Utah valley, some cattle have died, but as yet few in comparison to what died last Winter. The work of the Reformation is progressing throughout this city & Territory. President Young has given much valuable information during this Winter to the Twelve and the people, the Spirit and power of God has rested upon him, and his whole soul has been filled with charity, mercy, long suffering, kindness, and a fatherly feeling towards his brethren and the whole of this people, and he has greatly desired their salvation, and his spirit has been cheered, and his heart made glad in seeing the people in a measure beginning to awake to a realizing sense of their duties, and begin- ning to feel the importance of magnifying their calling in the Priesthood and of building up the kingdom of God. The Tabernacle on Sunday, is now crowded to overflowing in almost any stage of the weather, and hundreds go away that cannot get in either to sit or stand. For several

Letter to George Albert Smith, 2 February 1857

G. S. L. City Hon. Geo. A. Smith Dear Sir, We have not yet received any mail from the East for the last [blank] months. Mr. Gerrish arrived on the 19th, inst. from the States, reports that an Eastern mail was at the last crossing of the Platte on the way here, but when it would be here he did not know, he was some 15 days from Bridger, there is more snow in the mountains than we have ever known since we settled these vallies. Judge Phelps reports 8 feet of snow fallen in this city up to the 24th Jan. and it has lain in our streets between 2 & 3 feet deep for weeks, the snow is reported 3 feet on the Island, and all the Horses cattle and sheep have been brought to this city, also from the West of Jordan, and taken South, some fed in yards, some taken to Rush valley, where they have wintered well, the great amount of snow in the mountains & vallies will thoroughly soak the earth this Spring, there was but little fall wheat put in, in consequence of the earth being a heap of dry dust, and all the strength of teams employed in the mountains after the Emigration, but what was put in has sprouted and grown two or three inches under the snow. Our Mail for the Eastern States for Jan. was sent out, and the party got to the top of the first mountain, one of them (not a Mormon) was froze to death, and they returned. We get the California mail monthly, although the last mail, they had to go through a great deal of snow. Fillmore was nearly snowed under, quite a number of the roofs of houses have fallen in with the weight of snow. Mr. Gerrish brought a letter from Washington directed to Judge Drummond, which it is supposed contains commissions to Mr. Dotson as Marshal, and perhaps to some man as post master, but Drummond is in California and the letter will have to go

Letter to John Milton Bernhisel, 2 February 1857

Hon. J. M. Bernhisel G. S. L. city . Dear Sir, We have not received an Eastern mail for some three months, we sent out the Jan. mail for the East, they got to the top of the first mountain and found much snow, and one of the company froze to death (not a mormon) and the company returned, we have received the California mail regularly up to this time, but the last mail had to come through much snow. we are not looking for another Southern mail daily, we have never seen as much snow in these mountains and vallies in any season since we have been here, over eight feet has fallen in theis city, and the mountains are full, the snow has been for weeks between 2 & 3 feet deep in this city, about 3 feet on the Island, all the stock has been brought from there and taken south and fed at home and some sent to Rush valley where the stock have done well, there has been but little stock lost this season. business is very dull this season not much money in circulation, most all goods that are sold among the merchants have to be sold for stock or grain. I have not taken either, and have sold but few goods, your family are all well and doing well as far as I know, It is a general time of health, we adjourned the Legislature to this city as you have heard, we have had the best season we have ever had in this Territory. Our reformation has continued with great interest throughout this city and Territory, the Twelve have been at the head of the Missionaries and I have attended some meeting about every night for the last 3 months, F. D. Richards & myself have been the only ones of the Twelve here, except O. Hyde & L. Snow who have been with us during the Legislature. O. Hyde has gone South, & L. Snow to Box Elder. I forwarded to you last Fall a letter to assist me getting some grafts from Wm. R. Prince & Co[mpan]y. Flushing New York. I never heard from you whether you received it or

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.

December 30, 1856
Members of Territorial Legislature rebaptized (Wilford for the fifth time).
1857
Church membership is 55,236.

Feb 2, 1857