Day in the Life

Jan 1, 1861

Journal Entry

January 01, 1861 ~ Tuesday

JAN 1st 1861
This is the commencement of another new Year and of a vary
important year. Joseph Smith the pProphet said whoever lived to
see 1860 would live to see the foundation laid for some most awful
bloody wars and whoever lived to see those two figgures come together
1866 would live to see a day when the Earth would be deluged in blood
in many places & wthere would be such awful distress & calamity that
it would be a vexation to hear the report of it. We may prepare
ourselves for an awful time in the United States The hand writing has
been seen upon the wall And our Nations is doomed to diestruction
the United States will be visited this year with much affliction
more than they have ever seen since they have been a Free Govern[men]t
and it will increase yearly untill they are destroyed. they are like
the ox going to the slaughter they know not the day of their visitation
The Judgments of God await them because of their wickedness and
while we are looking for the judgments of God to rest upon the
United States & Great Babylon at large let us turn our Eyes towards
Zion in these vallies of the Mountains and ask what state are the
people in are they righteous & keeping the commandments of God
and preparing themselves for the great things of God which await
them or are they lying, stealing, swareing, & mingling with the
drunken yes many of those who are calling themselves
Saints are doing these things and they have great need to repent
before the Lord, or they will dBe damned & the Judgments of
God will rest upon them

South Carolinia seceded from the Union Dec 20th 1860

^Missisippi Convention voted to csecede from the Union Jan 9, 1861 Yeas 84 Nays 15
Georgia seceded Jan 10th 1861, yeas 208 Nays 89
Florida sedceded Jan 10th [1861] signed 11th Yeas 62 Nays 7.
Alabama seceded Jan 101 [1861] Yeas 61, Nays 39
Louisaniana seceded Jan 26 [1861] Yeas 113 Nays 17
Texas seceded Feb 1, 1861 Yeas 156 Nays 7^


The Dedication of the New Hall in the 13th ward


The assembly began to gather at 10 oclok at 11 oclok the House
was full President Brigham Young & Heber C Kimball arived the
Meeting was opened by singing & President Young said we will now
have the Dedication Prayer offered By Wilford Woodruff the following
is the prayer offered up in the dedication of the House

O god the FaEternal Father we present ourselves before thee in the name
of Jesus Christ for the purpose of dedicating this house unto the Lord our
God we pray thee to grant unto us thy Holy Spirit that we may dedicate this
House unto thee in a manner which may be acceptable unto thee Lord
We dedicate the ground unto the Lord our God upon which the Foundation
of this building stands that it may be Holy. We dedecate the foundation
of this Hall, unto the Lord, the stone, the sand, clay, Lime & morter and every
thing appertaining thereto that it may be Holy. We dedicate the walls of this
building the Adobies & morter & evry thing appertaining thereto unto
the Lord that it may be Holy. We dedicate the windows the curtains, &
every thing conenected there with unto the Lord that they may be Holy. We dedic-
ate the cealing the cornish, with its ornamenting and all belonging thereto
that it may be Holy. We dedicate the roof with the shingles, nails, sheeting,
rafters, & everything connected therewith unto the Lord that it may be Holy
We dedicate the doors with the Hinges latches & locks and all belonging thereto
unto the Lord that they may be Holy. We dedicate the floor with all belong
the seats & all belonging thereto that it may be Holy. We dedicate
unto the Lord our God this pulpit & stand with the quishions & stand
seats & triming that it may be the most Holy place for the priests of the
Lord to administer in Holy things. We dedicate the chandeliers with
the Lamps that they may be Holy unto the Lord. We dedicate this Build-
ing as a whole from the foundation stone to the top thereoff with
every thing appertaining thereto that it may be Holy unto the Lord
and we ask thee O God the Eternal Father wein askthe thee inname of Jesus
Christ that thou wilt except of the Dedecation of this House at the
Hands of thy people that it may be Holy, and will thou cloth
ofll [all] of thy servants who shall administer in this House with the spirit
& power of God & the gift of the Holy Goshost that they may


Be Holy and may no unclean thing be permitted to dwell
in this House. whether the Priest of the Lord administer in
Holy things in this House or whether thy sons & daughters go
forth in the dance in this House, may the spirit of the Lord
rest upon thy people that they commit no evil within the
walls of this House. We ask thee O God the Eternal Father
that thou wilt except of the dedication of this House at the
Hands of thy People in the Name of Jesus Christ Amen

At the close of the dedication Prayer President Brigham
Young arose and addressed the assembly He said as concerning
thatis House "&cI know but vary little about it I do not know for what
purpose it was built if it was built for meetings alone I am satisfied
with it, but if it was built for school purposes it is not suitable I
have not been consulted concerning the building of this Hall. I did not
know that thery were building it untill the walls were Erected
I wonce gave a pattern for building schools houses in this city
for each ward but there has never been a school House built after
that pattern in this Territy My pattern was sumthing like the
following Build two wings 20 By 30 feet for common schools
then build a centre Building say 30 By 60 feet make a Basement for
seting furnices or stoves for heating the whole building but not for
school rooms on the first floor above the basement at the south
End build a room for a Library then let there be a door
from each wing into the Library. OnLet the north End of the
same room be appropriated for teaching the Higher Branches
and Let all scholars be classaified according to their ages
and qualifycations. Then let the 2nd story be formed into one room
for a lecture room similar to this whare one class or all classes
may assemble to hear lectures upon any subject what ever.
I wish to give a word of council to the people I shall not give
any to the Bishop but I wish to say to the people dont you send
your children to go to school in this basement story it is not Healthy
asConcerning the Education of children I will say that notwithstand-
ing the drivings of this people I do not believe that you can
go into any city in the world & pick up 100 children promiscusly


and put them by the side of our children that are as well educated
as the same number of our children gathered up promiscusly in the
Territory of Utah There are some people & counctryies who force
& whip their children into an Education but we should never
croud & force the minds of our children beyoung what they are able
to bear if we do we ruin them for life. I would rather my children
would spend their Early life sliding down Hill, skating, riding Horses
till they were 20 years old & not go to school one day than to clog
& force the mind while young with intricate studies it strains & cripples
the mind for life & ruins the man you never see a child that is confin-
ed while young to close rooms & hard study & followed up to manhood
that ever becomes a master spirit or qualifyed to transact difficult
business in after life. I do not think there is a man upon the face of
the whole Earth that has as great a complicated variety of subjects
& things to attend to to weigh upon the mind as I have. at the same
time, I do not think there is a man upon Earth who can accomplish
as much business in an hour, day, month, or year, with as much Ease
and as little trouble as I do. But should I do as most people do it would
soon ruin me. But I thoroughly train my mind so that I permit
nothing to trouble me upon the Earth. I strive to do my duty in all things
upon the Earth then leave the Event with the Lord when any subject or
thing comes before me I train my mind in such a way that I can bring
the whole force & strength of my mind to bear upon it and I keep it
there untill I have done with the subject I comprehend every truth
there is connected with the subject necessiary for the accomplish-
ment of whatever business is before me, & as soon as the business is
done I train my mind to instantly forget it & cast it away & should
never think of it again unless some circumstance should transpire
necessary to call it up I am now at the dedication of this Hall
my mind is here when I get through & go away I may never
think of this meeting again unless some person should call it to
my mind. when I have been crouded with business through the day
& I go to my bed to rest though I may not be any more sleepy than
I am now, the moment I lie down I throw evry thing out of my mind
untill it is like a peace of white blank paper I neither care for nothing
nor know nothing & in one minute I am asleep my wife has spoken


to me many times in one minute after I have lain down & awaik
me up. mMany other interesting remarks were made By President
Young which I have not written but it was reported by J. V. Long
Brother Kimball Followed President Young and gave a vary good
Exertation to the people which waf [was] reported By J. V. Long He was
Followed By Bishop Woolley who spoke of the Building of the House
the intention of it, & thanked the Lord for it & gave a good exerta
tion which was reported He was Followed by Elder Lorenzo Snow
who gave a good exertation & spoke of what we learn by experience &c
I followed Brother Lorenzo Snow & said we were in a great school &
the best ever esstablished upon Earth & that we had the best teacher
ever given to man in the flesh save Jesus ownly and when they taught
us principle we should learn them & apply them to our lives the same as
we expect our children to learn there lessons when they go to school
I was Followed by President Brigham Young who refered to what
I and others had said. he said we should never scease to learn
He spoke of Drunkenness & said if a man must drink to buy his liquor
& shut himself up and get drunk alone & not curse anybody or commit
sin when you are drunk always bless those around you & not curse them
but it is better not to get drunk at all

Brother Jeter Clinton spoke & gave a good Exertation

Meeting was dismissed by Bishop Edward Hunter There was a
large party in the Hall through the night danceing

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.

Young, Brigham
1 Jun 1801 - 29 Aug 1877
3440 mentions
Apostle, Family
277 mentions
Woolley, Edwin Dilworth
28 Jun 1807 - 14 Oct 1881
120 mentions
Missionary
Clinton, Fielding Jeter
17 Feb 1813 - 10 May 1892
27 mentions
Kimball, Heber Chase
14 Jun 1801 - 22 Jun 1868
1456 mentions
Apostle
67 mentions
Smith, Joseph (Jr.)
23 Dec 1805 - 27 Jun 1844
2369 mentions
Snow, Lorenzo
3 Apr 1814 - 10 Oct 1901
699 mentions
Apostle, Family

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.

Dec 1860 - Jan 1861
Seven Southern states secede from Union. (Confederacy includes 15 states and territories by 1862.)

Jan 1, 1861