Having spent now
already upwards of one year traveling
among the Saints in the different
Stakes of Zion in the interest of Church
history, since receiving my special
appointment in April, 1891, I feel
impressed to present you with a
brief summary of my labors:
During the past twelve or thirteen
months—from April 22, 1891, to May 16,
1892—I have visited every settlement
and branch of the Church in eleven
Stakes of Zion, namely the Box Elder,
Sevier, Panquitch, Summit, Morgan
Bear Lake, Cache, Kanab, St. George,
Parowan and Beaver Stakes, which together
embrace 177 organized wards and branches.
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To reach these settlements, I have traveled
4684 miles, namely 942 miles by rail,
3737 by team and 5 on foot. I have
preached 189 times, mostly in special
meetings appointed for the purpose; besides
meeting with the old settlers and others (in all
the settlements visited) in small gatherings
to which such parties who were wanted
were specially invited. By this means
I have been enabled to gather ^successful in obtaining^ the histori-
cal information that will enable me
to write histories of all the Stakes and
settlements I have visited so far.
Previous to receiving my special
appointment, in May, 1891, I had visited
already for the same purpose as above stated,
the Cassia, Bannock, Oneida, Sanpete and
Emery Stakes, containing 71 settlements, which
added to the eleven Stakes visited during the
last year, make 616 Stakes visited so far,
embracing altogether 248 settlements of
the Saints, or just one half of all the
Stakes organized at the present time.
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In visiting the Stakes I have generally
proceeded in the following manner: First
I would go directly to the headquarters of
the Stake to consult with the members of
the Stake Presidency, in connection with
whom I would arrange a regular traveling
programme and a string of appointments
for visiting the several wards and branches.
According to this I would generally hold
an evening meeting for the general public
in which I would give general instructions,
and then appoint a special meeting of the
old settlers, ward clerk and secretaries of
the different associations, with their records,
to meet with me the next morning to
impart such information as would be re-
quired. These historical meetings would
last from three to six hours as a rule;
and after getting through I would imme-
diately proceed to the next settlement
to go through the same routine there.
Almost universally the leading brethren
and people generally have responded
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cheerfully when called upon to give infor-
mation; and I have also been treated
with kindness and hospitality wherever
I have been, with one or two exceptions.
I have paid my own railway fare, and
borne all my traveling expenses, including
the purchasing of a new buggy; and in
most of the Stakes I have traveled
with my own conveyances.
After my experience so far ^up to the present^, and
after getting thoroughly acquainted with
the condition of affairs in all the places
I have visited so far, I am sorry to
report that in most places I have found
the different kinds of records in a
very deplorable, neglected condition; in
many instances no regular records are
being kept at all, and those few who
are kept are as a rule kept without
system or order. Nearly all the early
records kept in the several wards and
branches have long ago been lost,
misplaced or destroyed entirely, and con-
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sequently about half the members of
the Church are in perfect ignorance
to-day as regards the date of their
blessings, baptisms, confirmations, ordi-
nations, etc., as most of them have
relied on the records that are lost
for this information
In all my travels I have,
both in my private and public in-
structions, endeavored to empress upon
the members of the Church the
necessity of keeping track of their
own baptisms, ordinations, etc., and
have recommended that each family
keep a family record of some kind,
in which to record all important
matters pertaining to the family and
every individual member thereof. These
instructions have generally been well
received, and the necessity of doing
this acknowledged generally, although
many, including men filling prominent
positions in the Church, have said that
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they never thought of the matter
before in the light in which I presented
it, and never understood, till their
attention was drawn to it, that any
such thing was required of them.
I have endeavored to follow
strictly the instructions I have received
from Apostle Richards, the Church historian,
but as the memories of most people are
in such a condition that only a small
portion of what is listened to or
learned can be retained for any
length of time, I fear that my labors
in many instances will only have a
temporary effect. And therefore I take
the liberty to suggest, that a circulary
letter issued by the First Presedency, ^or^ the
Church historian, or both, setting forth in
plainness what is required by the
Stake, ward and branch clerks, as well
as heads of families and individual
members, in regard to keeping records,
would make a deeper impression, and
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have a more lasting effect, besides
being the means of introducing uni-
formity and system in record keeping
throughout all the Stakes of Zion.
Should you desire a more
detailed report of my labors, I am
prepared to give such, either verbally
or by further communication.
In the meantime I remain
your earnest co-laborer and
brother in the Gospel of Christ,