28th A cold rainy morning the camp concluded not to start
untill it stop raining. so we started at 10 oclok & travled 131 1/2
miles & camped for the night on the bank of the river it was A damp
cold day we passed alongside of A clear strem of water with some
beaver dams & houses upon it at one place it raised the water about
two feet which was lined with fish A good share of which was
speckled trout so the brethren informed me this is the first strea-
m I have met with containing trout since I left the New
England states. Therefore I name it trout creek it was not more
than 3 miles long it arose from a large pure spring. it was but a little
above Scotts Bluffs[FIGURE] distance of the day 11 1/2
during the evening President Young called at my fire & seeing
several of the brethering playing dominoes in A waggon near
by began to teach by saying that the deveil was getting power over
the camp that for several days past nearly the whole camp had
drank into A spirit of card, checker, & domino playing & dancing
& the spirit of folley & if they did not spedily repent their
works, labours, & Journey would be in vain that we should
not accomplish the object for which we had come but should
be thwarted in it. He said the camp did not quarel any to be
shure for the devel would not set them to quarreling as long
as he could draw them away gradually from duty & fill them
with nonsens & folley, for the devil was vary cuning in dra-
wing away the people of God. I felt the force of his remarks
& thought them necessary. during the evening I went in to
the doctors waggon, read a chapter in the Book of Mormon
& prayed with them. After which B Young H. C. Kimball W RichardsE. T. Benson & W. Woodruff met in council
in Br Youngs waggon & Br Young wrote some of the
word of the Lord concerning the camp & expressed
his views & feelings concerning the camp that they must
spedily repent or they would be cursed, that they were
forgetting their mission & he had rather travel with
10 righteous men who would keep the commandments
of God than the whole camp while in a carless manner
& forgetting God. we stayed untill 10 oclok & retired to
rest
~ Saturday
29th A cold rainy morning. At 10 oclok the horn was blown
to gather up the Horses & cattle which took more than an hours
After which President Young called the camp together and
Required each captain to seperate or calle out his men & when
it was found all was present except two who had gone a
hunting He then Addressed them, sumthing in the following
language. I think I will take for my text to preach my sermon
from, I am about to revolt from travling with this camp
any further with the spirit they now possess, I had rather
risk myself among the savages with ten men that are men
of faith, men of mighty prayer men of God, than to be with
this whole camp when they forget God & turn there hearts
to folley & wickedness, yea I had rather be alone, & I am
now resolved not to go any further with the camp unless
you will covenant to humble yourselves before the Lord &
serve him & quit your folley & wickedness, for A week past
nearly the whole camp has been card playing, chequres
& dominnoes, have occupied the Attention of the brethren
~ Friday
28th A cold rainy morning the camp concluded not to start
untill it stop raining. so we started at 10 oclok & travled 11 1/2
miles & camped for the night on the bank of the river it was a damp
cold day we passed alongside of a clear strem of water with some
beaver dams & houses upon it at one place it raised the water about
two feet which was lined with fish a good share of which was
speckled trout so the brethren informed me this is the first stream I have met with containing trout since I left the New
England States. Therefore I name it trout creek it was not more
than 3 miles long it arose from a large pure spring. it was but a little
above Scotts Bluffs [FIGURE] distance of the day 11 1/2
during the evening President Young called at my fire & seeing
several of the brethering playing dominoes in a waggon near
by began to teach by saying that the devil was getting power over
the camp that for several days past nearly the whole camp had
drank into a spirit of card, checker, & domino playing & dancing
& the spirit of folley & if they did not spedily repent their
works, labours, & journey would be in vain that we should
not accomplish the object for which we had come but should
be thwarted in it. He said the Camp did not quarel any to be
shure for the devel would not set them to quarreling as long
as he could draw them away gradually from duty & fill them
with nonsens & folley, for the devil was vary cuning in drawing away the people of God. I felt the force of his remarks
& thought them necessary. during the evening I went in to
the doctors waggon, read a chapter in the Book of Mormon
& prayed with them. After which B Young H. C. KimballW RichardsE. T. Benson & W. Woodruff met in council
in Br Youngs waggon & Br Young wrote some of the
word of the Lord concerning the camp & expressed
his views & feelings concerning the camp that they must
spedily repent or they would be cursed, that they were
forgetting their mission & he had rather travel with
10 righteous men who would keep the commandments
of God than the whole camp while in a carless manner
& forgetting God, we stayed untill 10 oclok & retired to
rest
~ Saturday
29th A cold rainy morning. At 10 oclok the horn was blown
to gather up the horses & cattle which took more than an hours
after which President Young called the camp together and
required each Captain to seperate or calle out his men & when
it was found all was present except two who had gone a
hunting he then addressed them, sumthing in the following
language, I think I will take for my text to preach my sermon
from, I am about to revolt from travling with this camp
any further with the spirit they now possess, I had rather
risk myself among the savages with ten men that are men
of faith, men of mighty prayer men of God, than to be with
this whole camp when they forget God & turn there hearts
to folley & wickedness, yea I had rather be alone, & I am
now resolved not to go any further with the camp unless
you will covenant to humble yourselves before the Lord &
serve him & quit your folley & wickedness, for a week past
nearly the whole camp has been card playing, chequres
& dominnoes, have occupied the attention of the brethren
"Journal (January 1, 1847 – December 31, 1853)," May 28, 1847 - May 29, 1847, The Wilford Woodruff Papers, accessed December 30, 2024, https://wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/p/mZ9G