6^th All the mountains & vallies are covered with snow the snow
has fallen about 1 feet deep in this city. there is a good deal
said about the Govornor getting badly whiped at Ephraim Hanks
in the mountains by a set of Rowdies

[FIGURE] This is one of the most important days in the last dispensation
the inhabitants of this city met in a Mass meeting
for the purpose of appointing 9 men to meet in convention
with others from this Territory to frame a constitution
and organize a State Government to Elect our own Governor
Judges & peace officers and to ask Congress to be admitted
into the Union and if they will not admit us we will go
on independant of them as our Fathers did in the Begining &
God will sustain us in it. The Tabernacle was filled with men
the Bone & sinnew of these mountains it was the Highest
Tribunal among men upon Earth it was not ownly an
assembly of the people from whom Emanates all power, Law
authority and Government among freemen But it was an
assembly of Prophets Apostles Priests & Saints of the Most
High God who are inspired and Appointed to build up
the Kingdom of God upon the Earth. Bishop Edward
Hunter was called to the chair as President of the Meeting
W^m Clayton was secretary. A committee of five was
appointed to draft the sense of the Meeting the Following
person was appointed D. H. Wells John Taylor, W^m H Hooper
A. O. Smoot & G. A. Smith who retired to draft their
Resolutions while they were absent we had a vary important
speech from President Young I cannot write it in this
Journal. G. D. Watt reported it he was filled with the spirit
& power of God He said the time had come to organized a
state Government appoint our own officer & take care of our
selves. at the close of his speech the committee arived &
presented there resolutions before the assembly which was
read by the secretary and all was received as one universal
acclamation there was not a dissenting vote in the meeting
there was then 9 Nine men appointed to meet in conv
ention on the 20 day of Jan 1862. The following are the names
of the delegates to the convention Daniel. H. Wells, A. Carrington
John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, Abram. O. Smoot, James
Ferguson, Reuben Miller, Archibal Gardner Elias
Smith. After these were appointed Elder Orson Hyde

Read before the meeting a communication to the St Louise
Republicnan showing them How they are receiving there rew-
ard for there persecution of the Saints. All the people were
ripe for the organization of a State Government, the Heavens
the Earth, the Holy Spirit, & the people were all ready for
this work AOur Fathers who made the declaration of
independance and formed the American Constitution was
inspired to lay the foundation of a Free and independant Government
and the Lord protected them in it. But they did not know that
they were inspired to do it there was a veil over them that
they did not know what the purposes of the Lord were or that
he was protecting them it is not so with us we know that
God is leading us and is inspiring his people to Esstablish
his Kingdom & Government upon the Earth & we know it
This convention was dismissed by prayer By H. C. Kimball