Autobiography Volume 3 circa 1865-1866

1854-1858

[Edward William Tullidge] January 1854

January the 1st 1854 came on a Sunday. I attended at the Tabernacle
The people were addressed in an interesting discourse by Orson Hyde. In the afternoon
by Elder Wilford Woodruff who was followed by President Brigham Young

Next day the new year was celebrated by the usual
social manner. I delivered an address to the inhabitants of the Fourteenth
Ward in the forepart of the day and was followed by several others

In the evening I attended a party at the Social Hall. The
time was mostly spent in music and dancing. We had however an
interesting address from President Brigham Young on

Dancing and Music

"I consider this a suitable place to give some instruction. We have
assembled here to have music and dancing. The world have had very strange
ideas concerning these things. They have supposed it was very wicked
for a Christian to dance or hear music. Many preachers of the day
have said that fidling and music came from hell; but I say there is
no fiddleing inor music in hell. There is not a fiddler in hell
nor any music of any kind. Music belongs to heaven to
cheer God angels and men. If we could hear the music there
is in heaven it would overwhelm mortal man

The Lord gave us that organ that makes
music so delightful to man and the Devil has stolen music and
many other things that was ordained of God for the benefit of man
and he has turned it to an evil use; but music and dancing
is for the benefit of the holy ones and if those who come here to
night are not holy and righteous and do not feel to worship and
praise God they have no business here

What strange ideas the world have of a Prophet
They would expect to see a man with finger nails a foot long
with his hair hanging to his hips his body covered with dirt and
filth his head bowed down ^in sorrow^ for the sins of the world and that

he would not have a house or lie in one nor in a bed but in the caves
of the rocks and on the ground and must never smile or appear happy.
And as to seeing an Apostle the people would expect to melt if one came
along. But all of these ideas are vain and foolish; for this company before
me to night does not begin to be adorned inside or out as they should be
in order to meet with the angels ofin heaven who are adorned in purity
power and glory clothed with clean white linen

I will say a word concerning dancing with the
Gentiles. As I have got up this party if I had felt disposed
to have invited some Gentiles here would they have contaminated
me or this company? No; because the Priesthood rules here
with the keys of power truth light and knowledge; and I would not
suffer anything that is wrong for I would control things and have them
my own way or break up the party. But if any Elder in this
Church was to follow after Gentile parties they would submit
themselves to their spirit partake of their evils and go to the
devil. Any Elder would fall who pursued this course

Why do not the Gentile merchants of this
City embrace this work? Because they have locked bolted and
bar[r]ed their minds against it with every lock they could put on. They
swore by every power they possess before they left home that they
would not embrace it. They came with but one object and that was
to gain money and they are determined not to be turned from
their purpose."

Many other excellent remarks were made by
President Young.

Sunday the 22nd I preached in the morning
from the text, Whatsoever ye sow that shall ye also reap. [Doctrine and Covenants 6:33] In the
afternoon President Young preached and I reported his sermon

At the close of the meeting I went in company
with President Young to see President Willard Richards who was very
sick with the palsy. He was in a dreatful spasm lying
upon the floor with seven men trying to hold him.

he suffered immensely and it seemed as though he was struggling in the agonies
of death. He had been sick several days. I spent the night with him
He suffered much during the night. The Presidency and Twelve administered
to him by the laying on of hands. We were almost fearful that he
would not recover from this sickness still we hoped.

I returned home in the morning, and Dr Richards
continued failing during the week

On the Sunday I attended with Dr Richards in
the forepart of the day. He suffered much. At the close of the
afternoon's meeting the Presidency and Twelve went to Dr Richards and
administered to him by the laying on iof hands and we had done it frequently
and had sometimes hopes of his recovery but all outward appearences had
been against he'is getting up again.

After the evening's Ward meeting I went to Dr
Richard's and spent two hours with him. He was very low and to
all appearence would not live until the morning, but the next
morning he was alive and appeared somewhat better.

Next day also Dr Richards still lived and continued
better and there were many reasons to desire his recovery and to expect
it principally because the Twelve had administered to him many times
and exercized their power and faith in his behalf

I attended the Bishops meeting in the evening
with Elder Thomas Kington. I addressed the Bishops and had
the Spirit of the Lord. We were now beginning to ordain our
young sons to the lesser Priesthood here in Zion

We were gathering all our young children from
eight years old and upward in the several Wards, one evening in each
^week^ Ward for the purpose of speaking and praying. I met with the children
in the Fourteenth Ward this evening and addressed them. I had
some fifty of them speak and it was an interesting time.

I will here record a matter that gave me great
pleasure. On the 2nd of February I united with the Bishop of the
14th Ward and his Council in ordaining 1 Priest 2 Teachers and 2 Deacons

and the Priest which I ordained was my son Wilford Woodruff Jr.. He
was 13 years of age and he was now beginning to officiate in the
Priest's office of the lesser Priesthood. I thanked the Lord that I had
lived to see this day when I had a son who received the Priesthood.
I prayed the blessings of the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob tro
rest upon him that he might honour his calling all the days of his
life and do much good in bringing many souls into the Kingdom of
God and always maintain the Kingdom of God with all its laws
and principles

Next morning Feb 3^rd my son Wilford was about
to commence to officiate in his office as Priest by going through the
Ward to visit the house of each member in company with brother ^D. J.^
Ross in the capacity of Teachers in the Ward. So I called my family
together for the purpose of prayer and dedicated my son unto the
Lord. His father and mother laid hands upon him and
blessed him and dedicated ^him^ unto the Lord. The following is the
blessing bestowed upon his head

Blessing Of Wilford Woodruff J^nrr

(Born in Montrose Iowa March 22^nd 1840)

His Blessing was given, under the hands of his father Wilford
Woodruff Sen, one of the Twelve Apostles, in the City of the
Great Salt Lake Feb 3^rd 1854 when young Wilford was thirteen
years and 323 days old. His mother assisted in the Blessing.

"Wilford: In the name of Jesus Christ and by virtue
of the Holy Priesthood I lay my hands upon your head and seal upon
your head a father's blessing and seal upon you the Priesthood of
Aaron which you have received and also to dedicate you unto God for
the purpose of the ministry

I seal upon your head all the blessings of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. I
seal you up unto eternal life, and no power shall take your crown; and you
shall live long upon the earth and do great good and bring many souls into
the Kingdom of God and you shall stand in defence of Zion and if you will
be faithfull in keeping the commandments of God you shall receive the
fulness of the Priesthood and the Apostleship and the keys thereof and shall
follow the footsteps of thy father wherein he has been faithful in the
Apostleship; and thou shalt live and not die. Thy body shall not be
laid in the grave but thou shalt live till the coming of Christ. Then
shall thy body be changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortality to
immortality [3 Nephi 28:8] and shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air when
he shall come in the clouds of heaven to meet with the Saints on the
earth. [1 Thessalonians 4:17]

Thou shalt be a great man on the earth. Thou shalt
have posterity and thy sons shall bear the Priesthood after thee

Thou shalt be a comfort and a consolation to thy
father and thy mother in their declining years. Thou shalt cause the
heart of thy mother to rejoice who has laboured hard to preserve thy
life from infancy up to this day

Thou shalt have power to teach the great things
of the Kingdom of God and do great miracles. Thou shalt heal
the sick and cast out devils in the name of Jesus Christ. Thou
shalt see visions and dream dreams and angels shall administer unto
thee and teach thee great things. Thou shalt see Zion established
in Great Power and Glory

I seal all these blessings upon you in
the name of Jesus Christ: Amen

This blessing was sealed upon the head of my son
Wilford and recorded under my hands on the third day of February
A.D. 1854.

I spent the most of this day in school with my
children. During the evening Sisters Whitney and Eliza Snow

called upon us and spent the evening. We talked over the days of Kirtland
and other times. I read over several of the old sermons of Joseph not
recorded anywhere only in my Journal. We spent a pleasant evening.
Before they left Sister Whitney sung in tongues in the pure language
which Adam and Eve made use of in the garden of Eden. This gift
was obtained while in Kirtland through the promise of Joseph. He
told her if she would rise upon her feet (while in a meeting) she should
have the pure language. She did so and immediately commenced
singing in tongues. It was as near heavenly music as anything
I ever heard

On the 6th I attended meeting with the
Perpetual Emigration Fund Company which adjourned till the first
Monday in March.

I took out of the Library the first Vol. of th[e]
Live of Benjamin Franklin read it through during the day was
highly interested and instructed by its perusal and extracted into
my Daily Journal from his rules of perfection which he endeavoured
to carry out in his life

Views of The Resurrection

Sunday the 19th E. D. Woolley was called upon to preach upon
the resurrection as some of the Saints had advanced some eronious
ideas. When he closed President Young followed and made
many good remarks among which he said:

We should have our same identical bodies which
our Spirits occupied in this life; our graves would literally be opened
and our bodies come forth. The question was asked if children
who died in their infancy lost anything. He said, "No; a person
would not lose anything which they had not got. Children who
died in infancy would be provided for in some way.

He also said, our God was Father Adam
He was the Father of the Saviour Jesus ^Christ^. Our God was

no more nor less than Adam, Michael the Archangel

On the 1st of March I was 47 years of age.

The California mail came in on the 3rd bringing news among which was that
Santa Anna was proclaimed Emperor of Mexico.

On the 10th I met in council with President Kimball and
the Twelve. I ordained three Elders. We had a good council and Elder
Kimball spoke powerfully for the space of three hours and warned the Elders
who were going out on mission against sin in all its forms and to keep
the commandments of God

Death of
President Willard Richards
Who died March the 11th 1854

After President Willard Richards was reduced to deaths door; by the
laying on of hands and the prayer of faith he was raised up so
that he walked about his room and appeared as though he was going
to get well; but he was taken by a relapse and had been failing
for several days. This morning he appeared worse and the Twelve
were sent for to come and administer to him; but before we could
get there he was dead. He drop[p]ed away almost without a groan
Thus closed the life of brother Willard Richards on the morning
of the 11th of March 1854 at about 30 minutes past 9 o'clock.

President Willard Richards was born at Hopkintown
Middlesex County Massachusetts June 24th 1804 and from early youth
was the subject of religious impressions though car[e]less and indifferent in
his external deportment. At the age of 10 he removed with his fathers
family into Richmond in the same State where he witnessed several
sectarian revivals and at the age of seventeen had passed the ordeal
of conviction and conversion. He sought admission into the Church
which being disregarded led him to a stricter investigation of religion

and he became convinced that God had no Church on earth and from
that time he kept aloof from sectarian influence.

In the Summer of 1835 while in the practice of
medecine near Boston the Book of Mormon which President Brigham Young
had left with his cousin Lucius Parker at Southborough providentially
fell in his way. He opened the book without regard to place and
totally ignorant of its design or contents and before reading half a
page said, "God or the devil ^has^ had a hand in that book, for
man never wrote." He read it twice through in about ten days
and became so convinced of the work of God that he resolved to close
his business and go to Kirtland to the Saints a distance of seven
hundred miles; but he was directly smitten with the pas^l^y [palsy] from
which he suffered greatly and which prevented the execution of his
design until October 1836 when he arrived in Kirtland in company
with his brother (Doctor Levi Richards who attended him as a
physician) where he was warmly received by his cousin Brigham
Young with whom he tarried and gave the work a thorough
investigation.

On the 31st of December 1836 at the setting of
the sun Doctor Willard Richards was baptized at Kirtland under
the hands of President Brigham Young in the presence of Heber C.
Kimball and others who had spent the afternoon in cutting the
ice to prepare for the baptism.

He was chosen by revelation through
the Prophet Joseph in July 1838 to be ordained one of the Twelve Apostles
and was ordained accordingly at Preston England, while on a mission
to that country under the hands of the Twelve in their first council
as a quorum among the nations at which were present Brigham Young
Heber C. Kimball Parley P. Pratt Orson Pratt Wilford Woodruff
John Taylor and George A Smith.

He was with the Prophet Joseph and Hyrum
the Patriarch at the time of their martyrdom in Charthage prison when
John Taylor was also wounded with several balls. He alone of

the Twelve was all whom Joseph wished to tarry with him at Nauvoo when he
sent the whole of the quorum besides on mission and in that dreadful day of martyrdom
the Lord preserved him scatheless and in the absence of the rest of the Twelve
the direction of the affairs of the Church in Hancock County fell upon him
in that dreadful hour and in the midst of the mob at Carthage with
the mangled bodies of the martyrs and the care of Elder John Taylor his letters
and counsells held in check and tempered the grief and wrath of the community
of his brethren in Nauvoo

In the Spring of 1847 he was enrolled in the
memorable Band of Pioneers under President Young and in the Spring
of 1848 he was unanimously elected by the voice of the Church as
Second Councillor in the Presidency of the Church.

He was secretary in the State Government of Deseret
and President of the Council of the Legislative Assembly after our
Territorial Organization, besides being Postmaster for Great Salt Lake
City up till his death and a member of the Perpetual Emigrating
Fund Company.

He was also the Editor and Proprietor of the Deseret
News from its origin and General Historian of the whole Church and
Church Recorder

I have travelled with brother Willard Richards both
in England and America many miles and we have been warm
associates many times. He was a great Counsellor in the
Church and I as well as the body of the Saints have received much
excellent Counsel from him. He was the first man who had
a natural death in the Church from the First Presidency or the
Twelve Apostles. All who had died of them before had been
martyred.

On the day after the death of President Richards
in company with his brother Levi Richards and George A. Smith
I called upon President Brigham Young at his room for
he was not able to get out. We conversed with him
conscerning the burial of Brother Willard and he advised us to

bury him at 2 o'clock.

We met according to advise at 2 oclock at the
house of our departed brother and President Heber C. Kimball took
charge of the ceremony. President Brigham Young was not
able to be present with us.

George A Smith made the prayer. He
prayed earnestly thatfor President Brigham Young Heber C. Kimball
and the person who should be chosen as Willard Richard's successor
also for the Twelve Apostles that they might prove true to their
integrity as brother Richards had done even unto the end. He
prayed for the wives and children of our lamented friend and brother
and that the Spirit of Willard might rest upon his oldest son
Heber John that he might stand at the head of his father's
house in dignity and honour. Elder Watt reported his prayer in
detail

At the close of the prayer the procession was formed.
Brother Kimball and Bishop Hunter walked in front of the corse
and the Twelve Apostles walked by the side of it while his wives
children relatives and friends followed and a procession formed
behind them and as he was borne to his grave two bands played
a solemn death march.

After our brother was lowered into his grave
Orson Hyde delivered a short appropriate address and while his
remarks were being made the times which I had spent with
brother Richards in a foreign country came to my mind and
I felt solemn and lonesome under the reflection

After the burial I called upon the
family and conversed with them and then attended prayer
meeting with the Twleve; and with Brother Kimball and
Franklin Richards returned to Willard Richards family
and spent the evening with them and brother Kimball conversed
with them till 9 o'clock and gave them much counsel. He

said that he believed the Saints the other side of the veil are gathered together
the same as they are in the life while the world are scattered over the earth after
death the same as they are now and in the same confussion and that there
would be head quarters of the gathering from which they would send out
missionaries to preach the Gospel to the Spirits in prison. Brother Kimball
advised the females to hold together and remain as they were on Brother Willards
inheritance and not marry again but to keep themselves for him and to be
united together and assist each other all they could.

The second day from this I spent in the Council House
with brother Kimball and the Twelve. Brother Kimball was speaking
upon principle and giving counsel for four hours.

On the 18th I rode to Grantsville and on the next day
which was Sunday I preached to them and gave them counsel to close up
their fort. There were many Indians there who were friendly.
After meeting I rode 12 miles to Toille City and preached to the
people in the evening

Next day with brother Maugn I rode to brother
Bates and from thence to the new city near Benson's Mill and held a
meeting with the people who all agreed to build in a fort. The day
following I returned to Salt Lake City

On the 27 the Twelve met at my house in the
evening to bless the missionaries who were going to England. We had
a good meeting. Elder Franklin Richards was to preside over the
British Mission. He received his blessing on the Sunday evening
which was the 26th. Those who received their blessings this
evening were George Grant Wm Kimball Edmund Elsworth James
A. Little ^Joseph A Young^ and another brother. We also blessed brother Kesler
and Hallaiday to go to the States.

Sunday April the 2^nd I attended meeting
in the Tabernacle. In the morning Elder Parley P. Pratt
spoke and Wilford Woodruff followed. In the afternoon
J. M. Grant addressed the congregation

1854

General Conference
Of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Held in the Tabernacle Great Salt Lake City
April 6th 1854

The Conference commenced at 10 A.M.

There were in the Stand Presidents Brigham Young
and Heber C. Kimball

Patriarch—Isaac Morley.
Of the Twelve Apostles—Orson Hyde, Parley P. Pratt
Wilford Woodruff John Taylor George A Smith E. T. Benson
Lorenzo Snow and Erastus Snow.

Presidents of Seventies Joseph Young H. Herriman
Zera Pulsipher A. P. Rockwood J. M. Grant Levi Hancock
and B. L. Clapp

Presiding Bishop—Edward Hunter.
Presidency of the Stake D. Fullmer Thomas Rhoads & P. H. Young
Clerk of the Conference—Thomas Bullock
Reporter—George D. Watt.

Conference was called to order by President Brigham Young
and after the singing President Kimball offered up a prayer

President Young then arose and spoke upon the
death of President Willard Richards and concerning filling his p[l]ace
in the Presidency. Upon this subject at the close of his discourse
the President said

"When the time comes to present before you the
quorums we shall probably supply the vacancy made by
the death of brother Willard Richards. Who will supply his

place in the First Presidency? is a question that has not yet been answered though
many have talked to me about it. I have asked the Twelve to dictate this
part of the business but they have thrown it back. Well I will say where
it ought to be. They said it was not their place to dictate the affair
but to confirm the conclusions of the President. If the Conference will
show the best method of knowing who is the best man to be my
Second Counsillor I will readily listen to their wisdom. The Twelve
would have nothing to do with it but said it was the privilege of
the President to choose his own Counsellor and for them to run the
risk of its being right or wrong. However if the Conference wish
to dictate this matter I will give them an opportunity. That is
my method of doing business; as long as we are of one heart
and of one mind there is no ground for discord or dissension."

The President also spoke upon the subject of
appointing new gathering places designing to establish three or four
new locations for this purpose East and West especially ^for^ the emigration
from Europe

In the afternoon Orson Hyde addressed the meeting
and was followed by George A Smith and President Young upon
the subject of the Indian war

I met in council with President Young and council
and the quorum of the Twelve and Parley P. Pratt was appointed
to go to Horner's Ranch in California to establish a Stake.
Erastus Snow was appointed to go to St Louis to take charge of
the Saints in that region and Orson Pratt to take charge of the
Stake in Cincinnatti

The subject of consecration came up the next
day. Touching the matter President Kimball said that
what President Young had presented to the people to carry out
was only what we had in our houses for years. All have to be
purchased. I want all I have to be secured in the Kingdom
of God. If the Presidency and Twelve enter into this order they

will swalllow up the whole cChurch in a little time and also the whole
world as Joseph did in Egypt. The plurality of wives was established
and many of you have fought it. You may fight it until you go into
your graves and it will still be the work of God and will continue
to be to all eternity."

President Young followed upon the subject of
consecration.

In the afternoon all took seats on the outside of the Tabernacle.
There were about 7000 persons present. Parley P. Pratt addressed them.

The following persons were called to go on missions:
Parley P. Pratt to San Jose, Orson Pratt and Orson Spencer to
Cincinnati to establish a gathering place and Erastus Snow to
St Louis for the same purpose.

Eli Bell William Clough, M. Devalsen Merrick
Joseph A Peck, John West and William King to the Pacific Islands

James M. Barlow James McGaw Franklin Worley,
Haden W. Church Charles Bassett, William Martindale, Albert
Crandell to the United States

Next day others were appointed for missions—
John Tome Wm C. Dunbar and Thomas Latyey to England and John
Murdock Patriarch to go to Iron County.

On the second day of the Conference there were appointed
to England—Franklin ^D^ Richards (to preside) James A Little George
D Grant, Joseph A Young, Wm. H. Kimball Wm. G. Young
Edmund Elslsworth Henry Lunt, Wm G. Walker Robert W. Walcott
Benjamin Waldron and Cyrus H Wheelock.

To the United States—Benjamin L. Clapp S. M. Blair, Oscar
Tyler and John Banks. Milo Andrus to stay in St Louis to preside
there under the direction of Erastus Snow

To the Pacific Coas[t] Orson Whitney John Young Washington
B. Rodgers Simpson M. Molen, George Spiers Joseph F. Smith
(son of Hyrum) Silas S. Smith (son of Silas) Sextus Johnson
Silas Smith (son of Asahel) John T. Caine Joseph C. Kingsbury

Henry P. Richards Smith Thurston Edward Patridge and Ward Pack

To British North America George P. Waugh.

To the United States George W Hickerson & William W. Rust were appointed in the
afternoon.

To Canada—James C. Sly Amos Gustin

To England—Samuel Powell Richard E Waddington Wm Benjamin
Hodgetts.

James Ferguson to Ireland

On the second day of the Conference the authorities were also presented and
sustained.

In place of Willard Richards deceased President Young nominated
George A Smith to be the Church Historian and General Church Recorder
which was unanimously sustained

President Young nominated Heber C. Kimball to continue
as his First Counsellor and Jedediah M. Grant as his Second Counsellor
to fill the place of Willard Richards

On the 9th of April the Conference was brought to
a close by President Young and adjourned until the 27 of the next June

The Seventies Apostles

After the close of the Conference I attended prayer meeting with the Presidency
and Twelve while remarking upon the offices of the Priesthood President Young
said that the Seventies held all the keys in the Church and Kingdom of
God on earth and if the Twelve were dead they would have to ordain all the
officers of the Church for they are all High Priests and Apostles. I told
Joseph Young to have the Seventies all ordained Apostles

On the evening of the 23rd I met with the Missionaries
in company with Orson Hyde Parley P. Pratt J. Taylor George A. Smith
and Erastus Snow of the Twleve and we blessed about forty Elders
who were set apart to go to the various nations of the earth. At
the close of the blessings they were addressed by Parley Pratt upon
their outfit &c and journey across the Plain: George A Smith

addressed them upon keeping journals and histories of their travels and the dealings
of God with them in their ministry

Elders John Taylor and Orson Hyde also addressed them
Several days previous to this we blessed 35 other missionaries

Sunday the 30th I visited Father John Smith the Patriarch who
laid at the point of death. His sons George A Smith and John L. Smith
were watching over him with the greatest care and attention. His mind
and memory were as clear and strong and his intellectual powers as operative
as in any day of his life.

Journey South

May the 3^rd Presidents Young and Kimball with a company
left the city to visit all the Southern settlements. I left with them
Truman O. Angel and Dr Sprague as my companions. I drove to
Bishop Smoots at the Sugar Works and stoped until brother Angel
layed out a part of the works. Mrs Woodruff and child rode down
with me and here I parted from them and we drove to Union Ward
over which Silas Richards was Bishop

We held a meeting in the evening: President Young
addressed the people. I was not in at the commencement and had
no chance of reporting his discourse. The following is a key to his
address which I have written from memory

Synopsis of a Discourse of President Young.

"I do not wish to spend my time neither is it profitable for
any man to spend his time in telling the people what was done in
the days of Adam Enoch and Noah thousands of years ago but my
business is to tell the people what they should do to day in order to
be saved. This is my doctrine all the time. What can I do
or this people do to-day in any one thing in order to build up the
kingdom of God or to advance any step farther towards the salvation

of ourselves or our brethren

Now what has been the councisel to this people for several years
past? It has been to ^build^ f^or^t^s^ up; to wall in your cities with strong walls
This has been the voice of the Lord unto them all the day long. Have the
people listened to this voice? Have they carried out this counsel? No
they have not? But what have they done? They have been ready to say
what nead hath the Lord of this thing? Do you realthink there is any danger
of the Indians? Do you think that brother Brigham really believes that
it is necessary to go to so much expence in building walls around our cities?
Instead of going to work and doing what they are told to do the people
spend their time in talking about it and trying to evade it.

Now I wish to ask a question. The Lord has appointed
me to lead this people. The people have chosen me as their leader
and covenanted to sustain me and obey my counsel. Now if I tell
the people what to do and they do not do it nor carry out my counsel
but turn from it and go to work and do something else and they continue
this year after year while at the same time I am warning them of
the danger of their course and telling them of the judgements which will
come upon them if they do not alter their course and go to work and
do as I have told them do you suppose they will escape the chastening
rod of the Almighty? No they will not.

If the people continue to pursue their present
course and the chastening rod does not fall upon their heads I should
become disregarded in the sight of God angels and men. This people
may rest assured that they are preparing a rod for their ^own^ backs if they
do not listen to my counsel and do what I tell them

But says one I would go to work and help build
a wall around the city if I knew it was a revelation from God and
that it was His will we should do it. I want to say to such that
it is my will that you should do it and that it is enough. I am
responsible for it and if you want to know any farther about
it do right. Pray unto the Lord and have faith before him that
you may have visions and revelations from God so that you

may understand the truth and know what lies before us as I do and then
you will not question the reasonableness of these things but go to
work and do them with all your might

My teaching is to tell the people what to do
to be saved to-day for if you get out of the path of salvation to day
you are in danger of being out of it to-morrow and the farther you
stray from it the more difficulty you will meet in ever finding
it again

It would be folly in my spending my time in telling the
people about the glories of the Millennium while I see them straying
from those paths that would lead to those glories

Now many of this people will say I have fine
farms horses cattle goods gold and riches. The possessor says I
look upon them; I say these are mine. At the same time
you do not once think that there is not one thing in your possession
that is yours. It all belongs to God; and even you yourselves
belong to God. All you have belong[s] to Him and He has
only loaned it to you and yet you do not acknowledge his hand
in anything while you should acknowledge his hand in all things

I know what the design of the Lord is in
leading the people to this place and his design concerning Israel
and it is none of your business what I counsel you to do. It is
your business to go to work and do it. Leave the event
with God.

I want this people to build their forts as I tell them
and when you have built this fort and made a wall six feet thick
and twelve feet high and get comfortable in your houses then go
to work and build one on the outside 12 feet thick and run them
both up together 25 feet high and keep building until I tell you
to stop and be in a situation that you may shut up your gates
and lie down and sleep in fsafety with your wives and children.

Many other interesting remarks were made
by the President which I was not able to record

May the 5th, we left Union Fort for Dry Creek Settlement, made
a short stay there and then drove on to American Fork where at night we
assembled the people for meeting. They were addresed by Wilford Woodruff
Heber C. Kimball and Brigham Young.

Saturday the 6th we drove to Battle Creek and assembled
the people for meeting.

Address By President Young

President Young arose and said:

"I am not in the habit of taking a
text but I will now take for my text the last lines that were sung: "God
is his own interpreter and he will make it plain."

But do the people understand those things which are
for our good? The Lord will not explain all things unto us. He
understands; but he will make his people walk by faith. He will
not explain all his mysteries to the people. We read in the New
Testament that faith is the assurance of things hoped for—the evidence
of things not seen.

Have we all got faith? It is our duty to have faith
in God and his word and promise. You have to trust in God.
He will not reveal all things unto us

Some men are tried with the counsel given and
will not obey. They will not have glory in the Kingdom of God
They are bastards and not sons. The Lord intends for the people
to be tried so as to prove the faithful. What God does reveal he
reveals for the purpose of leading men in the way of salvation

The people do not know the way of the Lord
They come here and say I am going to build myself up. I have to
work so hard I cannot get time to pray. But are you doing right
when you do this? We may labour to get all things about us yet
the Lord will control it as seemeth him good

If you get into the dark still hold on to
the work of God. No matter if I don't feel like praying I

will do it.

If the Lord should open the vision ^of the minds^ of the people who have
gone to California so that they could see things as they are they would
as soon cut their throats as to have done it. But they dont see it: they
have to go and suffer until they are satisfied

I will say the same to this people. If we do
not the things which God requires we shall be whiped until we are
sore. This is the only thing that will save us. I now tell you
that those who are gone and are going to California without counsel
will have it till they are sore

I know the truth but I cannot tell it all
to you until God permits me to do it. Now if you have not
confidence in me to follow me and believe that I am doing right drop
me and appoint another and I will follow in the wake

In the beginning of this work God tried to
get this people to be one but they would not be one. I will tell
you what to do. God intends to make you one. You must be
one and there must be a beginning to this. And you must begin
in small things like children making cob houses.

The people went to Missouri and there
they quarrelled about many small matters. Then God said I
will throw down their good houses; and God drove ^all the people^ out and then
they were knocked into pi. Did they do any better then? No
they did not. God tries his people both with riches and with poverty
If I will ^am^ be faithful in my poverty I will ^shall^ own all riches that is
neadful.

Now God wants us to be of one heart and one mind
He may have no other motive than to make us work together. He
will tell us to build fences and forts that our feelings and interests
may be united in something. Now will you do it? We are
required to become of one heart and mind and work together in these
little things that we do understand or else we could not be prepared
to work together and be one in those eternal things which we do not

understand. Therefore we could not enter into the Kingdom of God

It is nothing but the power of God that has preserved this
settlement. The Indians could have killed every man woman and child here and
not a man had a gun ready to defend himself

When you have become of one heart and mind God has treasures
for you and he has given us capacity to see if we will magnify our calling
with everything we have to do in our lives. We are approaching very swiftly
the time when Jesus will come to see if we are of one heart and mind which the
Prophet Joseph said would be in this generation and will manifest himself to the
Saints and take up his abode with them. This was said twenty one years
ago and in 26 years more if we are not prepared to meet Jesus and angels we
shall be wiped out and sent to hell. We are fast approaching the time.

I do not care what was done in the morning of creation
or the days of Noah. I want to know what this people will do. Will
you be Saints and live your religion and magnify your calling in the
Church[?]

I will now tell this people what they should do. I will
tell the Bishop in the presence of the people what to do. Bishop I tell
you, go and start this wall and build it 6 feet thick and 12 or 14 feet
high; Shut up every gate except two and then you can lie down
in safety and an enemy cannot come upon you. If this is not the
will of the Lord, I do know it is my will and you should not
question any farther. God wants it done and I want it done and dont
stop until you are secured and that is enough.

Your stacks have been so placed that one Indian
could fire all this place and others shoot you down while you are fighting
the fire

What if the people in Jackson Co. had been good and been
sacrificing? What would have been the situation of the people. Why
the liars and goats would have had their heads cut off but the wheat and
tares had to be transplanted together in the wilderness. It was not
the acts of Joseph that cassed the removal of this people. It is the
people that govern and control which is the democracy of heaven.

The democracy of earth is division; and mark it: there will be a division here before
long among this people.

Now if you will all do right and live a holy life angels will come
and visit us and stay with us all night and you will have many revelations and
be happy. We know we ought to pray and would not neglect it if we
loved the Lord.

You may do just as you have a mind to when I am gone but
I beg and beseach of you to do right. I want you to build a strong wall
and be safe so that what ever comes along you may be secure; and bar your
gates and be careful and dont let the devil reign in you and all will be right.
God bless you and I bless you. Let us be of one heart and mind in the
things that we do comprehend and then we shall be one in things we
shall hereafter know

Remarks By President Kimball.

It is not my place to get up to reveal anything for it is the head
to convey it to the body; but it is for me to carry out his designs
and do his will; for when I do the will of President Young I do the
will of God and no man can get salvation unless he keeps his counsel
It is his will that the city should be walled and fortified and that is
my will. When I do just as he tells me I do the will of my
father in heaven for he is the only man who holds the keys of salvation.
When I feel reluctant to do his will I feel bad and so do you all
When I do his will I can sleep in peace and my heart is consoled
all the day long. This is also the case with you when you
do as the Bishop tells you. Last year your improvements
were all scattered about but now you are got into a smashed
suckertash [succotash] pie. Now go to and save yourselves against all selfishness
I am going to put my property and all my wives into the Church—
and then nothing can be taken out of the Church. I am going
to dedicate all I have to God

When a man turns away from the Priesthood

he forfeits everything even his life for that is no longer his. My body is
only lent to me by the Lord and I forfeit everything when I go astray. If
righteousness was laid to the line it would take many heads from their shoulders
and the day will be when that will be done.

Now do as the Bishop tells you and not go to Salt
Lake to President Young to alter this or that. Pray that this people
may do right for when you dishonor the Priesthood you dishonor God. I
have been told that some have said I will honor the Priesthood but I will not
honor hism that holds the Priesthood; but I say you cannot honor one
without honoring the other

Bishop Walker is presiding here. Follow his counsel and
all will be right and the blessing of God will rest upon you. Even so. Amen

Benedition by Wilford Woodruff. We rode to Provo and spent
the night. Next day which was Sunday the people assembled in the meeting
house in two rooms. Wilford Woodruff addressed the people in one room
and was followed by President Young whose sermon I reported. H. C.
Kimball spoke to the people in the other room and T. Bullock reported
In the afternoon Joseph Young spoke and was followed by H C Kimball
and I reported and in the next room President Young addressed the
people and Thomas Bullock reported.

On Monday we rode to Springville and held
meetings with the people. President Young preached and myself and
T. Bullock reported and in the evening Joseph Young Parley P. Pratt and
Wilford Woodruff addressed the people.

Next day we rode a few miles and nooned. President
Young with some others went to appoint a location for a fort and we
then continued to Pason where President Young preached; and here
He got some oxen also in the settlements to take to Walker—the Indian
chief and he counselled the people in all the settlements to feed the
Indians and treat them kindly

On the following day we rode 15 miles and nooned
and here we organized. D. H. Wells was commander-in-chief
Robert Burton captain of Guard, Wilford Woodruff historian P. P. Pratt

and John Taylor Chaplains; Edward Hunter Chief Bishop and Doctor
Sprague surgeon and physician

We rode to Nephi City and spent the night and
held meeting; President Young addressed the people and I reported it

Interview with Walker the Indian Chief

Next day which was Tuesday the 11th we rode to Chicken Creek
and stoped and spent the night near Walker and his band. I

President Young and his Council tried to have
a talk with Walker. At first he appeared dogish and was not
disposed to talk. When we first formed our corrall within 40
rods of his camp he gathered all his warriors and made quite a display
but we did not go out to meet them at the time and they turned their
horses out and went into their tents.

When we called upon Walker he laid down
in the dirt and did not feel disposed to talk; but Brother
Young manifested great patience with him even after the patience
of most men would have been exhausted. He went to him and
lifted him out of the dirt and finally got him to talk some. The
following is a Synopsis of the conversation with Walker

He said he had no spirit. He had no heart. Did
not feel as though he could talk. "And when I heard that President
Young was coming I felt that I had no heart. I do not want to
talk. I want to hear President Young talk and then sit still
and hear others talk.

President Young gave him some tobacoco. he
said when he had plenty of tobacco than all his friends would
come in and smoke with him but when he was out of tobacco
they would not come to see him

Governor Young said I have brought some beef
cattle for you. I want one killed so that you can have

a feast while we are here

Walker wanted to have the Mormons sing before the parties
took a smoke. He said E. T. Benson came and his heart was good
but D. Huntington came and his heart was running

We then sung and when we had this was done Walker
again spoke and said I have not got the Spirit of the Lord and if
there is any one here that can give me the Spirit of the Lord I wish
they would do it. He said white people in heaven were happy.

Tulpidge next spoke amid much crying and tears
He was the Indian who had his wife-squaw killed. He said D. Huntington
had been good to him and he had not seen him since his child died. He
said they had not got good hearts and the Mormons' hearts were now
good who were here. We have now good peace and can all lie down
in peace without fear and I want to live in friendship with this people

We left the Indian Camp and returned to our waggons
But President Young had another talk with Walker this day. I was
not present and Thomas Bullock reported

On the following day we again visited Walker at
his tent. He was still in the same unpleasant mood and
did not wish to talk and he left his tent and went into the
willows, and others talked. The Indians had a sick child and
they wished the Elders to lay hands up it. Then President Kimball Benson
and Wells laid hands upon it and administered to it. Dr Sprague
also left some medicine for it and for others who were sick

The Indian said if the child died he should
have to kill an Indian child or a Mormon child to go with it. (This
is their tradition). The interpreter told him he must not do it—that
it was wrong; that when Mormon children died we did not
kill any child to go with them and they must not do it for
it was not right. The Indian said his heart was not
so. He wanted to kill some one to go with him. He said
he wanted his child to get well and then he would go with us

but he did not want to go till his child was well. He said Walker
was a great chief and President Young was a great chief and that wahat
he said was true and that he could not say anything wrong

Petetnet spoke and said they would be good and
not kill anybody mand not steal and that one could go alone and not
be killed and that there would be not blood in their path

Walker wished President Young to write a letter so
that he could show it to the people and let them know that we
were at peace so that there would be no difficulties with the people
President Young wrote one and Dr Sprague gave medicine to the
sick child and gave Walker directions how to deal with it and with
the others who were sick.

On parting with Walker and his tent he said
we now understood each other. That they were now to have all peace
so all could go on the road in peace and not be afraid; they
could not put in wheat and corn and one alone without somebody
killing them. He now wanted to have the road clear without
any blood in it. He wished for peace all the time.
President Young and Walker shook hands and then all the
company shook hands and the pipe of peace was smoked

Walker received his presents and killed a beef
for the Indians to have a feast. They also traded,—swaped
blankets for horses and bought two children who were prisoners

After we had made peace and got through
trading We left Walker's camp and rode to the Severe
Walker Gruspephene Squash-head with many others went with us
and we spent the night at the Severe. We made a raft
and crossed all our waggons over in one hour and 30 minutes
I spent all my leasure moments daily with Thomas Bullock
in keeping a history of the journey

Next day we reached Filmore City
a distance of 35 miles from the Severe and we had hail and
rain storms all day.

The following day was Sunday and we held meeting at Filmore
Parley P. Pratt addressed the people and was followed by President Young
Wilford Woodruff reported and the reports were transcribed by Thomas Bullock
and are now in the Historian's office

In the afternoon and evening there were meetings
at which John Taylor Heber C. Kimball Wilford Woodruff and E. T. Benson
preached but their remarks were not reported.

Next day we travelled 33 miles to coal creek. During
the evening Walker the Indian Chief D. Huntington Brigham Young
and myself went into the hill among the Ceders and through a spy glass
viewed the country around. I also went on to the ceder heights
with T. Bullock and Phineas Young and viewed the country. We
had prayers together

Phineas Young said that he was ^the first^ chosen in the
organization of the first quorum of the Twelve Apostles but brother
Joseph said he wished I would let Wm Smith have that place so I
gave way to him. This is not true

On our next day's journey we met brother Enoch
Reese from California who gave us all the news up till the date
he left.

We camped for the night on Bever Creek. I caught a
fine trout and gave it to President Young; but he said he
would not take it unless I came and took breakfast with him
which I agreed to do

We reached Parowan next evening and the
Presidency and company divided among the people and during
the evening the Presidency and Twelve and authorities of the place
held a council while John Taylor preached to the people in
the Tabernacle below while we were in the upper room. The
minutes of the council were reported by Wilford Woodruff and
Thomas Bullock and are in the Historian's Office

Next day in company with John F Steel

and F T. Whitney I rode horseback to Cedar City 20 miles and on
our arrival I went to the Iron Works and examined all the premises
and saw several pigs of native iron. Erastus Snow explained to
me the difficulties they had to encounter in making iron which I
found to be many. We held a meeting in the ^evening^ President
Young preached and I reported his discourse. It is in the
Historian's Office

Next day again in company with brothers Steel
and Whitney I rode 6 miles to Summit Creek. The previous
Summer there were 12 houses here which were removed during
the Indian war but the fort was standing. From thence
we rode 6 miles farther to the Summit of the Great Basin and
then 7 miles farther to Battle Creek.

Here we had splendid mountain senery
of red rocks standing like pyramids 1000 feet high. Opposite
this cite was a fFort Harmony to be located 6 miles from the
base of the mountain on the East, the fort on the West. We
then rode to the present location of Fort Harmony which by the
rodeometer was 287 miles from Salt Lake City

This was a good grazing country and
splendid mountain Scenery. The brethren were trying
to take out the stream of water called Ash Creek to water
their farming land. They had carried it 6 miles and
had to carry it 62 miles farther to carry it on to their new
field which they were making. The missionaries who
were sent out the last Winter from Salt Lake had done
this. Rufus Allen was their captain. John D. Lee
had the charge of their old fort.

Fort Harmony was 15 miles from
the Rio Virgin

I went fishing but caught nothing though
it was said there were some small trout in the Creek

I then went on to the top of the Kanyon through which runs Ash Creek.
Thomas Bullock and Samuel Atwood were with me. In about 2 hours
we rolled into the Kanyon about 1000 feet below about 50 tons of
rock. We rolled off one which would weigh about 5 tons. It fell
about 200 feet and struck a shaft of rock and took it with it and
falling into the Creek 800 feet below sent a sheet of water about fifty
feet into the air. We made a good deal of thunder for awhile
After wearying ourselves of this we returned to the fort

On our return we found the people assembled
in meeting. President Young had spoken and also Parley P. Pratt
neither of which I heard. President Kimball was speaking when
I came in and Lorenzo Young followed and the Spirit of God
was upon him and he prophesied many things

There was no report of any part of the meeting
only T. D. Brown's minutes of President Young's speech which he
gave me and it is with our reports in the Historian's Office
Thomas Bullock and myself reported all the President's sermons
when we were present as we were appointed Historian and
clerk of the Camp.

Next day we rode back on the bench on our
return home 3 miles and the company stoped and President Young
located the new fort groungd to be called Fort Harmony
Thomas Bullock took an account of it in his Journal. The
location was good and there was a great quantity of grass and
good soil. We rode to the Creek and nooned and thence
to Cedear City

About 20 miles south of the Rio Virgin ^Fort Harmony^
we descend rapidly a long distance into another climate on the
Rio Virgin. There was a kind of fruit there covering
thousands of acres which was very choice. Its flavor was
between a strawbury and cranbury. William C. Stains
had some of it growing in his garden

A Ceder City Next day ^which^ was Sunday. E. T. Benson and Parley P. Pratt
preached and I reported and afterwards we rode to Parowan and held
meeting with the Saints there in the Council House. President
Young preached and I reported it

We left Parowan next day on our return to
Great Salt Lake City.

We were at Salt Creek on the 26th and held
meeting as we had also at other places on the way and at night I attended
the trial of Bishop Haywood which lasted till midnight. T. Bullock
and Wilford Woodruff reported and our reports are in the Historians
Office

We started in the morning from Salt Creek and rode
West across the mountains and made a new road. After 20
miles travel we nooned at the Fort at the foot of the mountain
The mountain was quite steep and stoneny over which we had come
and we nooned in sight of Utah Lake. In the afternoon
we drove to the bottom of the mountain beside the Utah Lake
on the West side and camped for the night. We had twenty five
men from Nephi City with us to help us make a road.

May 30th we left Lehi and drove to
Unionville where we made a short hault. Bishop Richards had
prepared a good dinner for us but the company did not wish
to stop so near home: So President Young told them to eat
what they wanted and give the rest to the poor

We then rode on to Great Salt Lake
City having travelled in 26 days 594 miles being 287 to
Harmony and the same back

On the 10th of June I rode to Fort Herriman
with Mrs Woodruff Emma and Bulah and soon after our arrival
George A. Smith and E. T. Benson came. We none
of us had ever visited the place before. I thought
this the last location in the Territory for a herd ground

The following day was Sunday and George A Smith E. T. Benson
and myself preached to the people upon the subject of walling in their city
and schooling their children; and at the close of the meeting we returned to
Great Salt Lake City

On the next day President Young gave a party at the
Social Hall to the company who went South with him and it continued
till midnight

On the 14th we had a hard rain storm and a great deal
of heavy hail fell. One child was drowned and another nearly killed
A cloud broke and the water came down in torrents. It washed away
much of the city wall and much damage was done to houses and
gardens. On little Cottonwood the hail cut everything down
Gardens corn and wheat were destroyed. It was also the same
at North Cottonwood. Nearly all the glass was broken out
of the windows

With Mrs Woodruff and most of my family the
next day I drove my waggon to South Weber Fort and we spent
the night at brother Kington's with whom I spent the following
day and preached to the people upon the subject of walling in
their city and educating their children; and to the sisters I spoke
about forming a female society to make clothing to clothe
the Indian woman and children

Returning to Great Salt Lake City next day
we nooned at brother Ezra Clark's and I saw his carriage (top
and sides) was cut to pieces with the hail. Hail there fell
as large as a small hen's egg. We rode through one hail
drift two feet deep washed by the water down the creek

On the Sunday Orson Spencer and Orson
Hyde preached in the forenoon and in the afternoon
Elder Thomas Bullock gave an account of his mission to the
Shushonees

On the Monday President Young and company

started to explore and make a road through Touille and around
the West Mountain

I spent the following week in the Historian's
Office with George A Smith and T. Bullock in drawing off the
sermons and teachings of the Presidency and Twelve

Anniversary of the Death
of
Joseph and Hyrum Smith
June the 27, 1854

Ten years ago this day Joseph and Hyrum Smith was ^were^ martyred
in Carthage jail; and on this day the Church held a special
Conference in Great Salt Lake City according to the adjournment
at the General April Conference

The Conference opened at 10 o'clock and there were
present the Presidency the Twelve the various quorums of the Church and
a large congregation.

In the morning President Young preached one of
the most interesting discourses and in the afternoon Elder John Taylor
gave an interesting and very minute description of the martyrdom
of Joseph and Hyrum and all the circumstances leading to that
solemn event in our history.

Conference continued during the next day
and President Heber C. Kimball delivered a long address.

The following persons received missions abroad:
John Taylor of the Twelve to New York and with him N. H. Felt
A Robins R Clinton M. H. Peck and Abel Lamb; John Young
to the U. S.; Leman Brown to Michigan; Preston Thomas
to Texas Elder Tripp to the same place; Elder White to Ohio
and Joseph Cregg to Ireland.

A very important nomination was also made

by President Young in filling up the Church organization.

John Smith Eldest Son of Hyrum Appointed Patriarch
June the 28, 1854

His great uncle John Smith father of George A. Smith who was the
Third Presiding Patriarch of the Church was now dead and this day John
Smith eldest son of Hyrum was appointed to the office first held by
his grandfather Joseph Smith Sen. next by his father and then
by his great uncle John Smith. Hyrum Smith's eldest son was
the Fourth Presiding Patriarch who had succeeded to that office since the
organization of the Church April 6, 1830.

Conference closed on the 28th after addresses from J. M. Grant
Lorenzo Snow John Taylor Orson Hyde W W. Phelps and President Young.

The Fourth of July was spent in celebrating the day
of Indipendance and an account of it is contained in the Deseret News
of that time

The Twenty Fourth of July

The celebration of the arrival of the Pioneers into the Valley of the
Great Salt Lake was kept by the citizens with the greatest
display ever got up by this people up to that date. The proceedings
are published in the Deseret News of July 27th.

Sunday August the 27th Orson Pratt Arriveded from
his Eastern Mission

While the Presidency and Twelve were holding
their prayer circle Elder Orson Pratt came into the room with us
long enough for us to shake his hand. He had walked some 30 miles

that day. We were all glad to meet with him; but he was too
weary to stay long with us.

Sunday the 3rd of September Orson Pratt spoke
to the people upon his mission to the States; and on the following Sunday
he spoke upon the Law of Consecration; and on the Sunday after
President Young preached upon the Law of Consecration

In our Prayer Circle on Sunday the 17th the
subject came up in conversation concerning Orson Pratt publishing
the "Seer" and the doctrines in it

President Young said brother Orson ought not to
have published the marriage ceremony. It was sacred and one
of the last ceremonies attended to in the endowments and ought not to
have been given to the world

Brother Pratt said he thought it was no harm as
the plurality of wives and its doctrines were to be published to the world
and he should not have done it had he thought there had been the
least harm in it.

President Young said he was satisfied that brother
Pratt intended no wrong in it. He also said that the doctrine
taught in the Seer that God had arrived at that state where he could
not advance any farther in knowledge power and glory was a false
doctrine and that there never will be a time to all eternity when
all the Gods of eternity will ceacse to advance in power knowledge
experience and glory for if this was the case eternity would cease
to be and the glory of God would come to an end. Celestial beings
will continue to advance in knowledge and power worlds without end
Joseph would always be ahead of us. We should never catch up
with him in all eternity nor he with his leaders.

Brother Pratt also thought that Adam was
made out of the dust of the earth and he could not believe that Adam
was our God and the Father of Jesus Christ

President Young said that he was and that he

came from another world and made this brought Eve with him partook of the
fruits of the earth begat children and they were earthly and had ^mortal^ bodies
and if we were faithful we should become Gods as he was. President
Young told brother Pratt to lay asside his philosophical reasoning and
get revelation from God to govern him and enlighten his mind more
and it would be a great blessing to him. He also told him to lay
aside his books and go into the Kanyons as some of the rest of us
and it would be better for him; and he said that Brother Pratt's
philosophy injured him in a measure.

The President made many more remarks worthy
of note. He said that we all should grow up in revelation so that
principle would govern every act of our lives. He had never found
any difficulty in leading the people since Joseph's death

General Conference
of
The Church held in the Tabernacle G. S. L. City
Oct 6th 1854.

The Presidency were present and of the Twelve Apostles Orson
Hyde Parley P. ^Orson^ Pratt Wilford Woodruff George A. Smith
E. T. Benson and Lorenzo Snow. The rest of the quorums
of the Church was present as usual.

[9 blank lines]

I raised this year 369 bushels of wheat and 400
bushels of potatoes and 200 bushels of corn

My Mission to The Saints in the North

On the 27th of November I started on a mission to the Saints
in the North of the Territory

The first place I visited was Session's Settlement
but I did not preach to the people for they were holding Court
in the School house to settle a difficulty with a gGentile. Bishop
Stoker was the Bishiop of Sessions

Next day I was at Farmington and held a
good meeting with the people. They were making many
improvements. They had a Court House built and many
good buildings going up. Bishop Brownel presided over
Farmington.

On the following day I rode to Bishop Kay's
settlement and found the people doing ^well^ and on the next I
visited South Weber over which Elder Kington was Bishop
This was the last day of November

I was at North Weber Dec. 1st where
I preached to the people and and spent the night with Bishop
Abiah Wadsworth who presided there

On the 2nd I was at Ogdan. This was the first time
I had ever visited the place. I found it a large settlement. I preached
to the people principally upon the tithing the Poor Fund the establishing
of schools and building their wall

On the Sunday I was at Bingham's Fort. I preached
in the morning and dined with Bishop Bingham. I found this to be
a flourishing place and well calculated for a city. The farming
land was good and abundant. The population at the time was
one hundred families. Much wheat was raised but I did not
learn the amount. The Bishop only had 30 bushels of tithing
wheat and 15 tons of hay: the remainder was in the hands of
the people. They had two schools ready to commence
their fort walls were 110 rods long ^and the fort 64 rods wide^. Three quarters of it was in
the process of erection. A part of "Little Soldier's" band of Indians
were distributed among the people to support and learn to work
They did not like it and seemed very mad and some were leaving
their wickeups and going to Weber river. Bingham fort is three
miles from Ogdon.

I left this fort and rode to Ogdon Hole and preached
in the eveing to a full house. Thomas Dunn was Bishop
Ogdon Hole was one of the most flourishing settlements North
of Salt Lake City. Their soil was very rich and the water
abundant. There were 47 families and a school of fifty
scholars. Their Fort was laid out 140 rods long and 74 wide to be
surrounded with a wall which was to be built of stone 4 feet
thick and ten feet high and laid in mortar. Much of the stone
was on the ground but not yet laid up. They had raised
there sixteen thousand bushels of wheat. The Bishop had in
hand six hundred bushels of tithing wheat and two tons of hay
They had also 13 head of tithing cattle. The wall of the
city was commenced

On the 4th I was at Willow Creek. There

were 35 families at this place and Charles Hubbard was its
Bishop. Their Fort was laid out half a mile long 70 rods
wide with a wall to be built around it, 70 rods of which was then 6 feet high
They had raised 12,000 bushels of wheat. They were very
deficient in Schools and had not but 3 months good schooling
for three years. The Bishop was very anxious to obtain
a good teacher

Next day I went to Box Elder and preached
in the evening at the School House. This place contained
60 families and brother Davis was their Bishop. The
majority of the people were mostly Welsh and Danish
and mostly poor. There was but little wheat raised
by them this year. The Bishop had on hand 20
tons of tithing hay and 15 bushels of wheat. They had
no school that Winter. Their fort wall was laid
out 200 rods long enclosing a fort 100 rods wide
The wall was to be built of stone 3 1/2 feet thick at the
bottom and 2 feet at the top and 8 feet high. It was
in the progress of erection

I returned revisited the settlements on my
way home and reached Great Salt Lake City December the 9th.

Next day was Sunday. Charles C Rich
addressed the assembly in the Tabernac[l]e and gave an account
of the rise and progress of the settlement of San Barnadino.

The Legislature of Utah.

The Legislature of the Territory of Utah met on the morning
of December the 11th. The following were the members of the
Council.

The President appointed the following standing Committee

On Printing Orson Pratt and Albert Carrington

On Elections George A Smith and Daniel H. Wells

On Claims Aaron Johnson and Thomas S. Smith

On Judiciary George A. Smith Daniel H. Wells and
Albert Carrington

On Public Works Aaron Johnson and John A. Ray

On Incorporations L. E Harrington and L. Farr

On Appropriations and expendaiture Orson Pratt and E. Bingham

On Militia Daniel H. Wells and Thomas S Smith

On Roads Bridges and Ferries Wilford Woodruff and Isaac Morely

On Schools and Education Orson Pratt Wilford Woodruff and L. Farr

On Library Wilford Woodruff and George A Smith

On Engrosing Orson Pratt and John A Ray

On Petitions T. S. Smith L E. Harrington and E. Bingham

On Agriculture Trade and Manufacture George A Smith
Albert Carrington Daniel H. Wells and Aaron Johnson

On Revenue Wilford Woodruff Isaac Morely and Lorenzo Farr

On Counties Thomas S. Smith John A Ray and L. E. Harrington

After organizing we waited upon the Governor by a
committee and he met with the two houses in joint sessoion and
delivered his message.

On Sunday the 17th J. M. Grant bore
testimony to the marvellous healing of the sick multitude at Montrose
by Joseph which I recorded at the time and which will be found in
my history of that date. Heber C. Kimball joined in the same
testimony.

After the close of the afternoon meeting I met with
the Presidency and Twelve in President Young's Office in the upper
room which was dedicated for prayer that day by us, the sick
prayed for and oil consecrated

In the evening I preached to a full house upon
the subject of education in the Seventeenth Ward

After spending the 19th in the Legislature I
delivered ^a lecture^ at night to some 60 young men who had assembled at the
Sixteenth Ward for the purpose of forming a Philosophical Society
I spoke upon the subject of education. They appointed a
Committee of five to draw up a Constitution and to appoint
a President.

An Affray Between The Soldiers and Citizens
on
Christmas Day

There was a great excitement through our city during the
forepart of the day. Some of the soldiers who were quartered
in the heart of the city became intoxicated and began to fight
among themselves and soon some of the citizens became mixed
with them. The soldiers fired upon the people and the people
fired stones upon them in return. Some were wounded on
both sides but none killed. The military officers drove the

soldiers into the barracks and the Mayor and marshal of the city cleared
the streets of the citizens which ended the fray

On this Christmas day also I met with the inhabitants of the
Fourtheenth Ward and delivered an Address to the people Isaac Morley
Bishop Hoagland and others addressed them as well and then they were
dismissed for two hours when they came together again and spent
the afternoon and evening in festivities and the dance.

A Ball Given By Col. Steptoe and Judge Kinney

December the 26th

The Presidency and Twelve and many others were invited by these military
and civil representatives of the United States. It was a splendid
party and held at the City Hotel kept by Wilkie. We had a good
supper and a pleasant dance

On the evening of the 29th I attended the Polisophical
Assembly at the house of Lorenzo Snow and spent the evening in
a very agreeable manner. The time was spent in the performance
of music delivery of speeches reading of poems & singing of songs. The
room was beautifully decorated with flags and emblems of the
different arts and sciences. Variety was in the scene.

On the last day of the year I looked over my Journal
and found the following to be a synopsis of my doings of the past year

Synopsis Of 1854

Travels: I travelled eighteen hundred and eighty nine miles

Meetings: I attended 47 meetings

Discourses: I preached 44 discourses

Conferences: I attended two General Conferences and spent nine
days at them being the time which they lasted

Legislature: I spent 20 days with the Legislature

Endowments: I spent 5 day[s] in the Endowment Room.

Children's Meetings I attended 10 children's meetings

Confirmations and Ordinations

I confirmed 10 persons ordained two Seventies 2 Elders 2 Priests
2 Teachers and two Deacons

Blessing Missionaries Etc

I blessed 107 Missionaries and administered to five sick persons

Council of the Twelve

I attended one council of the Twelve

Letters and Reports

I wrote 33 letters received 28 and Reported eleven Sermons

Events of the Year

I the beginning of February my Son Wilford Woodruff was
ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood at the age of 13 years by
his father and blessed the next day when he commenced to officiate
under the hands of his father and mother.

President Willard Richards Died March the Eleventh

Jedediah M. Grant was chosen Second Counsellor of
President Young on the 7th of April 1854

George A Smith was chosen to be the Historian and
General Recorder of the Church in the place
of the late President Willard Richards April the 7th 1854.

[Edward William Tullidge] January 1855

Chapter

Dedication of the Endowment House. Views of
President Young on the Fall and Resurrection. Visit South.
Description of the Growth of Settlements. Funeral of
Judge Shaver. President Young's Prophecy about
the Lamanites. Ordination of John Smith
to the office of Patriarch of the Church. First Session of
the Legislature at Filmore
Death of Orson Spencer

The Governor and Legislative Assembly of the Territory
of Utah on the 1st of January made the most splendid party
ever got up in these mountains to that date as far as feast and
decorations were concerned

The United States Judges and military
officers were invited. Dancing commenced at 3 o'clock
dinner at 9 and supper at 12

On the last day of the month the Southern
mail came in. The papers contained an account of the
European war and the storming of Sebastopol with a loss
of thirteen thousand men five thousand of the allied forces
and eight thousands of the Russians

I attended a Gramm School taught by Elder
Hyde three nights a week he had about thirty schoolars

From the opening of the new year up to this
date the interval had been spent in the Legislature and in the daily
affairs of life

Universal Scientific Association

Organized February the 2nd 1855

I attended the organization of this society on the evening of the
2nd. The following persons were appointed the board of the
Universal Scientific Association

Wilford Woodruff President; John Taylor
Orson Spencer Ezra T. Benson Albert Carrington Lorenzo
Snow and Samuel Richard's Vice Presidents

George A. Smith Wm. W. Phelps corresponding
Secretaries.

Robert Lang Campbell Clerk and George D. Watt assistant
Clerk and reporter.

The object of this society was to promote every good
science establish a Museum and Library and lay a foundation for
useful knowledge

Sunday the 4th we had some of the strongest
preaching ever delivered in Great Salt Lake City. Orson Pratt
preached in the morning upon the subject of Zion in the last
days and the Kingdom of God to be built upon the mountains
of Israel. He was filled with the Spirit of God

In the afternoon D. H Wells spoke of his faith
and first acquaintance with Joseph Smith. Then Jedediah
M. Grant arose and large guns were fired with red hot balls
and the Gentiles were told of their wickedness corruptions and
abominations and strongly warned against attempting any farther
to traduce and corrupt the wives and daughters of the Latter-day
Saints and the Saints were strongly warned ^against^ associating with
the Gentiles in an unholy manner

President Kimball followed and said, he

would withdraw fellowship from any sister who would run after the
Gentiles and from any mother who would give her consent to her daughters
doing so or from the father ^who^ would give it. If he caught any man
committing adultry with one of his daughters he would kill them both
but he said let no one kill another for committing adultry who had been
guilty of the crime himself.

The Indian Chief Walker Dead

We met at the President's House for Prayers. Report came
that Walker the Indian Chief was dead. He died in his
tent with consumption. This drew out some remarks upon the
subject from President Young. He said that he was thankful
we had got along as well with the Indians since we had
been here. He thought they had improved in their condition
considering their limited advantages as much as the Saints had
done in comparison.

There was quite an exitement on the Monday
amongover the Gentiles over the preaching in the Tabernacle
on the Sunday.

The Eastern mail came in and brought me
from my brother Thompson Woodruff 31 different kinds of apple
grafts, the choicest fruit he had

Appointment of a New Governor

This mail brought news of the appointment of a new
Governor. It iswas said that Col. Steptoe was our
Governor which afterwards proved to be true and the Colonel
refused to accept the appointment

There was a great deal of excitement in the
City upon the subject of the appointment of a new Governor

It was also reported theat Secretary Harris was to be sent back
to us as our Secretary. The paper mail was left out at Laramie
The Indians did not disturb them on the way but many were
gathering east of Laramie. The papers reported a war in the
Nebraska Territory between the Missourians and Settlers

On the 10th I attended the meeting of the
Universal Scientific Association. The Constitution
was again read and the Committee reported that all the
officers chosen had received their appointments. Speeches
were made by several members and by the President and
Vice Presidents

On the 15th the Society again met at the
Historian's Office. We spent several hours together in laying
plans for the instruction and edification of the people. The
Board wished me to deliver an opening address.

I spent part of the next day at the
Historian's Office examining my Journal containing
Joseph's sermons preparatory for publication in the
Church History.

Our Views Concerning the Government

It had been given out a week previous that President Young
would preach to the people on Sunday February the 18th upon
our views concerning the Government of the United States
and all the strangers were invited to attend. aAt an early hour
the Tabernacle was full and a thousand people who could not get
into the house. A large congregation out of doors who could
not get into the Tabernacle was called together by Elder Orson
Pratt and he preached to them.

A good many strangers were gathered together

in the Tabernacle. After singing, and prayer by Wilford Woodruff
President Young arose and said that as he did not expect to be able to
speak to the people he had prepared an address to be read before the
assembly and when that is read, he said, I will say a few words.
Thomas Bullock then read the address before the congregation

President Young in his written address sustained
the Constitution of the United States also its laws but he used a
sharp two edged swoard against wickedness and wicked men in high
places and when it was finished ^he followed^ with a lengthy cutting oral address
which was sharper and more pointed than his written one. This
speach was fully reported and may be found in the Deseret News of that
date and also in the Journal of Discourses

Ordination of the Son of Hyrum Smith
To the Office of
First Patriarch of the Church
Feb 18, 1856^5^

After the meetings at the Tabernacle on the day President Young
delivered his speech on the Government of the United States I had
the satisfaction of seeing John Smith the eldest son of our martyred
Patriarch Hyrum Smith set in the middle of our prayer circle
and Presidents Young Kimball and Grant and Orson Pratt Wilford
Woodruff George A Smith and Lorenzo Snow of the
Twelve Apostles laid hands upon his head and ordained
him unto the office of the first Patriarch in the Church and
Kingdom of God. This blessing was sealed upon him
as it belonged to him by right through the linage of his fathers
It was recorded in the Historian's Office taken from a report of
Thomas Bullock

At the close of this meeting I returned home and took

most of my family to the Ward meeting. The house was full
to overflowing. I went into the stand with the Bishop
The Spirit of God was upon me. I felt full of ^the spirit of God^ the Spirit of God
and fire that had eminated from President Young that day
and I spoke to the people with power and sharp reproof of
sin and against becoming corrupted by the Gentiles

On the 1st of March I was 48 years of age.
I found time rapidly hurrying me through life.

Brothe Joseph Russell died on the morning
of the 10 of March 20 minutes past two o'clock. He was
about 70 years of age, was from Merimichi. He had been
a faithful Latter-day Saint and was a High Priest. He had
given nearly all his means to the Church amounting in all
to about seventy thousand dollars. I attended his funeral next day.

In the afternoon of the 22nd I attended
the Mayor's Court. The military officers had entered
complaint against some boys for running horses by them
and insulting them in the streets. The suit was
dismissed on account of their being no law against running
horses and the officers had the costs to pay

I went to Toille on the 31st a distance
of 40 miles from Great Salt Lake City. I spent the
night with Brother Maugh^n^ and attended a conference
of Elders in the evening

April the 1st was Sunday and
Ezra T. Benson and myself met with the Elders and Saints
who had assembled in Toille Valley from the different
settlements around for a General Meeting. I preached
to them in the forenoon. We had a great shower
of rain during the afternoon and evening yet Ezra T
Benson preached to them in the afternoon and we
had a good meeting notwithstanding the rain.

1855

General Conference
of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
held
In the Tabernacle ^Bowery^ Great Salt Lake City
April the 6, 1855.

The Conference conveined at 10 o'clock in the morning.
Presidents Brigham Young Heber C. Kimball and Jedediah
M. Grant were in the Stand of the First Presidency. Of the
Twelve Apostles Orson Hyde Orson Pratt Wilford Woodruff
George A Smith E. T. Benson Charles C Rich and Lorenzo
Snow

The Tabernacle could not hold the people so they
met in the Bowery. There were 12000 people supposed to be
present. The whole proceedings of this General Conference
are published in the 5th No of Vol V of the Deseret News; but
I will give a synopsis of the Conference here.

[blank space]

[blank space]

April the 14th was spent with the Presidency Twelve
and Missionaries who met at the Seventies Hall. We had an addresses
from President Young and others. In the evening I met with
the Universal Scientific Society in their annual meeting

Next Sunday I met with the quorum
of the Twelve and missionaries in the Seventies Hall and
ordained men to the ministry. There were over 100 set
apart by the laying on of hands to their various missions
among the Lamanites. This was done by the Twelve
and Seventies. I blessed about 40 missionaries and ordained
10 to the office of the Seventies in company with Joseph
Young ^and A. P. Rockwood^ Presidents of the Seventies. The missionaries were
addressed by Orson Hyde and E. T. Benson

Our meeting with the missionaries closed
at 3 o'clock. We then went to the Prayer Circle and arrangements
were made for us to go South with President Young

On the evening of the 25th I attended the first
meeting of the Deseret Theological Society. The Presidency
Twelve and a large number of the Saints were present. We had an
^interesting address from President Young which theology which was reported.^

Sunday the 29th I spent at home writing
an account of Joseph's interview with the Pottawatamie chiefs
(See Appendix).

Orson Hyde preached that day and Orson Pratt

preached a very interesting discourse at the Tabernacle on the resurrection
of the dead.

The grashshoppers were destroying this year nearly all the crops.

Dedication of the Endowment House
May the 5th 1855

I met with the Presidency and Twelve in the House of the Lord
built upon the Temple Block and we dedicated it before the Lord. Brother
Ezra T. Benson opened by prayer and after the usual ceremonies Heber
C. Kimball proceeded to dedicate the house by prayer. He named in
his dedication prayer every room from top to botton; every wall and
the materials adobies sand clay stone lime, from the foundation to the
top and prayed that the Spirit of God might enter into it that it might
be clean sweet and holy and that no unclean thing might enter itnto
it so that holy men women God and angels might visit this house
dedicated unto the Lord.

President Young said he would name it
the House of God and when the Temple is built he would call
it the Temple of our God.

This house was dedicated by Brigham Young
Heber C. Kimball Jedediah M. Grant Orson Hydee Orson Pratt
Wilford Woodruff Daniel H. Wells E. D. Wooley Dr Sprague
and James Cummings.

After we closed the dedication several
missionaries received their endowments.

On Sunday the 6th George Q. Cannon preached
or gave a narative of his mission to the Sandwich Islands the
customs of the natives and the special manifestation of the work
of God among them.

After meeting I attended the prayer circle where we

had some important and interesting teachings which was ^were^ not reported.
The follow is a key to his remarks brought out in social conversation

Views of President Young on the Fall and Resurrection

He referred to the preaching of Orson Hyde and Orson Pratt
the Sabbath before upon the subject of the resurrection. He said
the identicals particles of matter in which we had honored our spirits
i.e. our tabernacles in which we had suffered travelled labored and
built up the Kingdom of God they would be the identical bodies and
no other. They would be raised from the grave to immortality
and eternal lives

He said Adam and Eve had lived upon another
earth and were immortal when they came here. Adam assisted
in forming this earth and agreed to fall when he came here and he
fell that man might be; and the opposite principle to good—
the Devil the Serpaent the Evil was placed upon the earth that
man might know the good from the evil for without an
experience in those things men could not know one from the
other.

As soon as the Devil was upon the earth he sowed
the seeds of death in everything; so that as soon as Adam
and Eve began to eat of the fruit of the earth they received
into their systems the seeds of mortality and of death. So
their children were mortal and subject to death sorrow and pain
who then when they partook of life joy ease and happiness
would know how to prise it. Father Adam would never
cease his labors to redeem his posterity and exalt them to all
the glory they were capable of receiving. He did not doubt
that Father Adam knew in the beginning how many
of his posterity would receive a celestial glory and who
they were and also of a terrestial and a telestial; yet man had

his agency to act chose and refuse good or evil as pleased him and he would
be rewarded according to his works.

Orson Pratt asked, "Will ^Adam^ or any God continue to make
worlds people them and taste of death to redeem them?

Answer: I have no doubt that it is his privilege but
whether he will do it is a question in my mind

Question: How then can his seed increase to all eternity?
Answer: Through the increase of his posterity.

Many other remarks were made by the President

Visit South

The Presidency and his company started on the 8th to visit the southern
Settlements as far as Iron County. I was not in the city when
they started but returning from Toille. I followed on the 9th and
overtook the company next day

In jouring on the 12th we visited a splendid
coal mine. The vein was about 6 feet thick. It dipped to the
West about 20 degrees. The coal was of excellent quality and
we brought some of it along with us. This coal bed was in
sight on both sides of the Kanyon and was about 10 miles
N.N.W. from Fort Ephraim.

We reached Fort Ephraim that night and held
a meeting. Presidents Heber C. Kimball and Jedediah M. Grant
preached to the people

Description of Fort Ephraim
in 1855

Fort Ephraim was laid out with an inner fort 12 1/2 by 15
rods wide built with a stone wall 2 feet thick 10 feet high

and finished. Besides this there was an outside wall built of
splendid white limestone 4 feet thick at the bottom 2 feet at the top
18 feet high 60 rods in length and 44 rods wideth from side to side
of the fort.

The city contained 400 inhabitants two thirds of whom
were Danish. They haved a school taught by a man in the
Winter and a woman in the Summer. This city had been
established about one year yet the inside wall was built

The intention of the inhabitants was to build

Next day was Sunday. Meeting commenced at 10 o'clock
The Danish brethren sang. President J. M Grant preached and
was followed by President Heber C Kimball and President Brigham
Young. Wilford Woodruff reported.

At the close of the meeting the company rode to
Manti and held a meeting. Brother Cherry lost his horses and as I
rode with him I did not get to Manti until near dark so that I
could not attend meeting

On my arrival President Young requested me
to get the brethren together who were appointed to go to the Elk
Mountain and set them apart for their mission

Accordingly we met the missionaries andt the house
of brother Billings and President Grant and myself set apart 12 persons
to the Elk Mountain and 2 to Las Vegas. We ordained
6 to the quorums of Seventies. The whole number appointed
and set apart to the Elk Mountain was 40. President Grant
addressed them in the Spirit and power of God and was followed by
Truman O Angel and Wilford Woodruff. I reported the address
of President J. M. Grant.

The City of Manti

At this date the City of Manti contained a population of
of 140 families and about 560 souls. They had 2 shchools and 100 scholars
in the Winter and 50 in the Summer. The city contained an inside
fort built of stone 10 rods square 2 feet thick and 10 feet high. Their outside
wall was 102 f rods square 3 feet thick at the bottom 18 inches at the top and
12 feet high. This wall was finished 8 feet high and 40 rods of it was
completed to the 12 feet height

We left Manti on the Monday rode to the severe
Bridge crossed it and continued 2 miles and camped for the night by the cedars
We met with brothers Charles C Rich and George Q. Cannon at the severe
Bridge and they camped with us at night

After a disagreeable day's journey through a cloud of
dust blown in our faces by a high wind we reached Filmore and held
meeting with the people of the city at 5 o'clock. Presidents Young
Kimball and J. M. Grant preached and Wilford Woodruff reported
At the close of the meeting in company with J. M Grant I visited
the wing of the State House. It was a noble edifice

Filmore City: Filmore City contained 100 families numbering
500 souls at that date. The enclosure was 1/4 of a mile square 10 feet
high and 20 inches thick. Of half was adobies and the other half
pickets. The enclosure was all built. The city was designed
to include 200 lots 1 1/4 acres per lot making 24 blocks. They had quite
a commodious meeting house finished and had 2 schools and seventy
five scholars. The wing of the State House was 61 feet
8 inches long and 40 feet 4 inches wide on the ground. The
basement story is 10 feet high the 2^nd story 12 feet and the
third or upper story 19 feet making the side walls including the width
of joist 43 feet 6 inches in height. The battlement end was about
10 feet higher thean the sides. The basement had an alley running
length ways through the building 7 feet wide. Each side was divided

into 4 rooms each. The second story had the same width alley running
through the building and the sides were divided into three rooms each, the
upper story was to be finished into one room or hall. The basement
story wall was three feet thick and the remainder of the building 2 feet
thick. At this time the cornish was on and a part of the roof
shingled.

All the way from Great Salt Lake City on our journey
to Fillmore we found nearly all the crops of wheat eaten up
by the grasshopers

We stayed at Filmore one night and on the morrow
we journeyed to Corn Creek which contained a settlement of Indians
of the Parvaosts ^Parvants^. David Kaanosh Tashobets was their
principal Chief

We stoped a short time with the Indians and
about a dozen of them with their chiefs mounted their horses and
rode with us on our journey. The Indians shot prarie dogs
and rabbits for their supper. They roasted the dogs a little and then
eat them entrails young ones and all. We camped at Cove^rn^ Creek
after a distance of 40 miles travel during the day.

Two days later we reached Parowan. Here
we met George A. Smith and visited his flouring mill which
was a good establishment

In the evening we held a meeting with the
people. President Young preached upon the law of consecration
and Wilford Woodruff reported it

The mail from California came in the
day previous and brought me a letter from Edward Partridge and
2 numbers of the "Mormon" published by John Taylor at
New York.

Next day we reached Cedar. I stoped with
brother Jonathan Pugmire and after dinner visited the ironworks
I was rejoiced to find them in full blast making good iron

and casting pipes cranks and what they needed about the works. They had
tried for several years to make iron but could not accomplish it until ^of^ late
The Presidency and most of the company were present to see them cast and
was much pleased. We examined the works, coak coal and ore of
different kinds and took specimens with us, and then returned to the
city from which the ironworks were situated about one mile

Cedar City contained one hundred and forty five
families with 725 souls. Their fort was surrounded with a wall
half a mile square 8 feet high and 18 inches thick built of adobies and
stones. They had 145 buildings and very good ones for the time the
place had been settled. There was also a tithing office 43 by
25 feet two stories a good cellar and the upper room finished. It
cost 25 hundred dollars. The main portion of the building was
not finished. They had a meeting house 60 by 25 feet and
had three schools during the Winter two men schools and one
female; and there were two schools during the Summer
The Settlement much needed men and teems to carry on their ironworks

We held a council in the evening. The Presidency
and Twelve were present. The time was spent in chit chat upon the
consecration and other things

In the afternoon of Sunday the 20th of
May at the commencement of the meeting President Young said "We
have some Church business to attend to and I remove that we resolve
ourselves into a Special Conference." It was seconded and carried
unanimously

It was then moved and carried that Isaac Haight
be appointed the President of this stake of Zion which embraces
the ^ceder^ city of Harmony and Johnson's Fort; and that he choose his
two counsellors.

It was moved and carried that Jonathan Pugmire Sen
Robert Willey Samuel White Richard Harrison Perry Liston
Iria Allen Samuel Lee Laban Morrel Rufus C Allen

Thomas D Brown Joshua T. Willis and Charles Hopkins be
chosen and ordained as the Twelve High Councillors for this stake
of Zion.

At the close of the meeting William ^R.^ Davis was ordained a
Bishop for Fort Harmony under the hands of the first Presidency,
President Young being mouth. They also ordained Isaac
Haight to the Presidency of the Stake President Young being mouth.
The Twelve High Councillors were then set apart by Presidents Kimball
and Grant.

The following is a description of Fort Harmony at that
date. It was given me by Elder J D. Lee

Fort Harmony was two hundred rods ^feet^ square the wall
eight feet high, and when finished it was designed to be 22 feet
high forming one wall for two story buildings. The foundation
was stone and the remainder adobies. The first story was
three feet thick and the 2nd story to be two feet. The fort contained
42 rooms on the ground 15 by 16. There were 40 families and
260 persons. They had one meeting house 26 by 16 a atithing house
20 by 15 and a guard House 12 by 16. One female school was
kept; there was one public well in the Fort 86 feet deep
stoned-up and good water. They had a field of 500 acres
one half of it fenced and sown with wheat. They had but
one gate to their Fort which was to be 10 by 12 feet and one foot
thick strongly hung and could not be opened from the outside
One woman on the inside could shut it but it takes several men
to open it. They had made a farm for the Indians of
fifty acres and 25 was then in wheat. They had made a good
road from Fort Harmony to Fort Walker. One straight line of
of 12 miles was made by a machine drawn by eight yoke
^of oxen.^ We left Cedar City ^on the 21^st^ and rode to Parawan
I stoped at brother Samuel West's.

We had a meeting at four o'clock and ^to^ a

full house. President Young addressed the people at the close of which
John P. Hall Charles Hall Predgly Meeks Horace M Alexander, Samuel
Gool and Elijah Elmer were called to fill up the vacancy in the High
Council. We then repared to the upper room of George A Smith and
we ordained the High Council and set them apart to their offices. Four
of them were also ordained High Priests. They were set apart and ordained
under the hands of Jededhiah M. Grant Wilford Woodruff and ^J. C. L^
Smith. J. M. Grant Wilford Woodruff and George A Smith
also set apart John Steel and W^m C Mitchel to their mission to
Loss Vegas

Parawan.

at this date contained 400 inhabitants. Their wall was 108 rods
square 12 feet high seven feet ^height^ of which was built. It was 6 feet
thick at the bottom and two and a half feet thick at the top with four
gates. The wall was made of earth. Parawan contained
eighty dwellings some of which were two stories high and the houses
good ones. Their meeting house was 48 by 22 feet with two
^Ells^ 16 feet square 2 stories high 3 rooms above and one finished
for prayer circle. There was a school-house 22 by 18 feet
one grist mill 35 by 30 on the ground three stories high. The
mill was at work and belonged to George A. Smith ^and J C L Smith.^ Their were
a shash and chair factory machine shop and three ^two^ blacksmiths
shops. Their public square was 10 acres; a liberty pole
87 feet. There was one man school with 120 scholars
Their big field contained 1120 acres enclosed with a good fence
John C L. Smith was President and Tarlton Lewis Bishop

We left Parawan on the 22nd and reached
Filmore on the morning of the 24th where we held meeting and
then rode 24 miles to Lake Valley. The missionaries destined
to the White Mountains under the Presidency of Bishop Evans
arrived in our camp

We reached Salt Creek Fort on the 25. It was 104
rods square. The wall 6 feet thick at the bottom 2 1/2 at the top and
it had reached 6 feet in height. This fort contained 80 families and
three hundred and fifty persons.

Provo City in 1855

At this date the city of Provo
was one mile square with a wall the same which was 6 feet thick
at the bottom 2 at the top and 12 feet high. One half of the wall was
finished. Its population was 2500, five hundred families and
houses some of which were good and many improvements were visible
There was one Seminary containing 4 school rooms four schools
were kept containing 100 scholars. There were 2 grist mills
2 saw mills 1 carding machine clothdressing &c and a thi
Tithing office.

Springville in 1855

Springville Fort was 3/4 of a mile square with a wall
12 feet high 6 feet thick at the bottom 2 1/2 at the top. Forty rods
of it was completed and 2 sides 6 feet high. Springville
contained one thousand inhabitants 200 able bodied men 3 schools
one male and 2 female schools

Pason in 1855

Pason was 96 rods square with a wall the same. The wall
was to be 12 feet high 6 feet thick at the bottom and 2 feet at
the top, six feet heaght of which was already built. This
Fort contained 90 families 450 inhabitants 110 able-bodied men
and 3 schools containing 100 scholars.

From Salt Creek Fort on the morning of the 26th we started
rode to Summit and thence to Pason where we took breakfast. We then
continued to Palmyira but did not stop so I did not get the statistics of
the place. At Springville we dined and then continued to Provo
where we tarried but a few minutes and thence we drove to Pleasant
Grove and took supper. Thence to Lake City where we did not
^stop^ and on through Lehi and then to the point of the mountain where
we camped, making the distance of our day's travel 55 miles.

Pleasant Grove in 1855.

Pleasant Grove was 80 rods square with a wall the same. The
wall was 8 feet high built of stone three feet thick at the bottom and
18 inches at the top. It was finished 4 feet high. The
place contained 60 families with three hundred persons. There
was one adobie school house 18 by 30 feet and 60 dwellings erected

Lake City

contained seventy five families and 375 persons.

Lehi in 1855

At this date the city of Lehi was surrounded with a wall
120 rods square which formed the limits of the place. The
wall was designed to be 12 feet high 6 feet thick at the bottom
and three feet at the top: It was finished to the height of five
feet. Lehi contained 640 persons 3 schools 75 scholars and
a tithing office 33 by 24 feet and two stories high.

Next day was Sunday the 27th. The camp
was called at 3 o'clock in the morning. Arropene with his
band had been camped upon the bank of Jordan for a day or two

waiting to have an interview with the Governor and as we began to
leave the ground at the break of day they descovered our camp
moving and set up a hoop for us to stop. Brother Huntington the
Interpreter waited until they came up and they enquired if we were
mad (angry). The Interpreter answered no, and that the
Governor had presents for them for giving up the murderers of
Gunnison but it was Sunday and he wished to reach the city to
attend meeting

We left the point of the mountain and drove
to Great Salt Lake City a distance of 25 miles by 9 o'clock
Thus we had made a journey to Cedar City via Sanpete and back
a distance of 600 miles in less than three weeks

I found my family well on my return
I received letters from my brother-in-law Ilus and many
books and papers from Dr J M Bernhisal by the Eastern
mail.

Nearly all the wheat crops and other vegitables
where^ere^ eaten b ^up^ by the grasshopers throughout the Territory
as far as we went; and most of the crops and vegitables in the gardens
of Great Salt Lake were destroyed

On our arrival in the city we seperated to
our several homes and attended meeting in the Tabneracle
in the afternoon and found the place full. J. M Grant
Heber C. Kimball and Brigham Young spoke and the Spirit
of the Lord rested upon the people

After they had closed Arro^w^pene the chief
who had been appointed in Walker's place arose and asked the
privilege of speaking and President Young introduced him to
the people.

Arropwpene addresses the Congregation.

The Indian Chief made a short but spirited address which was
interpreted by brother Huntington. The purport of his address was an
exhortation to the people to give heed to the counsel of President Young
If they would do this and keep the Spirit of the Lord he said they
would not be sick and die as the wicked do but they would be healthy
The Lord is giving you great blessings in food and rament oxen cows
and horses and you should be faithful and thankful.

At the prayer circle I heard several interesting
letters read from our missionaries; one from Joseph F. Smith from
the Sandwich Islands and others from Joseph A Young Wm Kimball
and George M. Grant from England

Funeral of Judge Shaver

On the 30th of June the funeral of Judge Shaver Chief
Justice of United States Supreme Court of Utah was with
great honour and respect shown him by the citizens and Saints

July the 4th was celebrated with great display
by the citizens of Great Salt Lake City. The account of
it is given in the Deseret News date July 11th.

On the 11th I left the city in company
of George A Smith and Samuel Richards to go to Provo to
hold a three days meeting with the Presidency and Twelve

Conference at Provo
July 13th

The Conference opened at Provo in the morning and the people
were addressed by President Young in the forepart of the day
and he was followed by Heber C Kimball; in the afternoon
J M Grant and Samuel Richards

Conference continued next day and also
on the following which was Sunday the 15th. Many

of the Lamanites or Indians were present.

President Young preached upon the subject
of the Lamanites and told the Latter day Saints plainly their
duty towards them.

An Indian Chief called High for^e^head
followed President Young and spoke in a very interesting manner
Others also preached during the day

At the close of the afternoon's meeting
President Snow at the close of the afternoon's meeting
nominated his two Counsellors. Dominicus Carter was
his first Counsellor: all the people did not vote together but
2 voted against him. There was a strange Spirit in
Provo and many had not the Spirit of God.

We reached home on the 16th.

On the 24 and 25 of July I attended the Polosophical
Society in the Social Hall and heard till midnight the
most thrilling speeches essays addresses songs music &c that
I ever heard. It was truly interesting to enjoy such
a feast of the intellect of the city. We was also addressed
on Saturday evening at the Universal Scientific Society
on the subject of Phrenology ^by [blank] followed^ by Orson Pratt ^and W. Woodruff^

On Saturday August the 4th
The Universal Scientific society met in the Music Hall
and heard an interesting lecture from Professor Orson Pratt
upon his descovery of the law governing the planetary
rotation.

At the prayer circle on Sunday the 5th
several missionaries were chosen to go to Texas and some
German Swiss and Norwegan Elders to go to those of their
several nations in the States

In conversing upon various principles
President Young thought none would inherit this earth when

it became celestialized and translated into the presence of God excepting
those who would be crowned as Gods and be able to endure the fulness
of the presence of God excepting that they might take with them some
servants for whom they would be held responsible. All others would
have to inherit another kingdom even that kingdom agreeing to the laws
which they had kept. Yet he thought these also would have the
privilege of proving themselves worthy and advancing to a celestial glory
but it would be a slow process.

I attended the Universal Scientific Society at
the Social Hall. Brother Frederick Mitchel addressed the Assembly
and was followed by David Candalme^land^. Brother Mitchel's address
on Utah as she was is and is to be was an excellent one. Orson
Pratt addressed us on the Saturday evening upon the organization
of worlds.

On the second Sunday ^the 19th^ from this Orson Pratt preached
upon the origin and organization of our plurality system

Parley P. Pratt arrived from his mission ^from
California^ on the night previous which was Saturday the 18th
of August and he made some remarks in the Tabernacle on the Sunday
to the assembled Saints.

September the 1st I attended the Universal
Scientific Society at night and after a short address from myself
Parley P. Pratt delivered a lecture much to our edifycation.

^On the 13th^ I^i^n the evening we met at the Social Hall in
the capacity of a Pomological society: we had a full house. The subject
of raising fruit was warmly discussed and the formation of horticultral
society was recommended and a committee appointed to draft a
constitution and by laws for the said society.

On the 18th the committee met at 7 oclock in the
evening at the Library Room to draft the constitution and by laws
for the Horticultral Society. The committee present were
Wilford Woodruff President and J. C. Little William Staines

Edward Hunter Samuel W. Richards O. H. Oliphant and L. D Young
Vice Presidents. We formed a constitution and bye laws

On the 20th at the Social Hall in a public
meeting of the Horticultural Society our constitution and bye laws
were unanimously adopted upon their reading and a sample of fruit
from the best Orchards of the city was exhibited and then distributed
to the Assembly. We adjourned till the 27th.

On Sunday the 23rd George A Smith preached
a very interesting discourse upon the History of the rise and progress
of Mahometanism and he was followed by Parley P. Pratt: both
sermons are published

The Horticultral Society met per adjournment
Speeches were made about the^ree^ bushels of choice peaches distributed
to the assembly and 20 new members enrolled.

General Conference

Of The Church of Jesus Christ of L. D. Saints
held
In the Bowery Great Salt Lake City
October the 6th 1855.

On the Stand Presidents Brigham Young Heber C Kimball
and Jedediah M. Grant

Of the Twelve Apostles: Parley P. Pratt
Orson Pratt Wilford Woodruff George A Smith E. T. Benson Lorenzo
Snow and Erastus Snow.

Others of the authorities of the Church were also
on the Stand.

Thomas Bullock clerk of the Conference and George
D Watt reporter.

After the choir had sang "The Morning breaks, the

shadows flee," President Young delivered a very powerful and appropriate
prayer touching the Kingdom and work of God throughout the earth. It is
published in the Deseret News.

President Young preached in the morning and was followed
by President Kimball; and in the afternoon Elder Nathaniel V Jones from
the Presidency of the Hindostan and Burman empire mission related
his travels in those lands. He said that the Elders of the Church had
travelled from the Himalaya Mountains to near the Southern limits of the
Peninsula and that a Mr Wilson Episcopalian Bishop of Calcutta wrote
to the clergy in all the military cantonments to forbid the Elders preaching
there and the clergy faithfully obeyed their Bishop

Orson Pratt next day occupied the afternoon in addressing
the immense congregation upon the Divine Authenticity of the Latter-day Work
the Book of Mormon and the inspiration of Joseph Smith. Parley P.
Pratt preached in the morning upon the literal fulfilment of prophecy

On the 3rd and last day of the Conference the
authorities of the Church were sustained: Brigham Young as the
President of the Church and Prophet Seer and Revelator Heber
C Kimball as his First Counsellor and Prophet Seer and Revelator
and Jedediah M. Grant as Second Counselor

Orson Hyde President of the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles Parley P. Pratt Orson Pratt Wilford Woodruff John Taylor
George A. Smith Amasa Lyman Ezra T. Benson LCharles
C. Rich Lorenzo Snow Erastus Snow and Franklin D. Richards
as members of that quorum

John Smith (son of Hyrum) presiding Patriarch
George A Smith General Recorder and Church Historian
Brigham Young Trustee in Trust, Edward Hunter Presiding Bishop
of the Church and all the rest of the authorities and quorums of the
Church were also sustained.

Missionaries: Parley P. Pratt Orson Pratt Wilford
Woodruff Erastus Snow Joseph Young Zera Pulsipher Henry

Herriman Joseph Hovey Joseph L. Heywood Jacob F. Hutchinson
Horace S Eldridge George B. Wallace Joseph W. Johnson Thomas
D. Brown, John Lyon Jacob Gates and William Snow Richard
Cook Gilbert Clements Levi Richards Aaron F. Farr William
Gibson Thomas Grover Joseph Bates Nobles George Woodard Dominicus
Carter and Daniel D. Hunt were voted to go on mission to the
Saints in Utah Territory

Lorenzo Snow Ezra T. Benson and Phineas
H. Young were voted to go on mission to Europe in the Spring

Addresses were also made and various
items of business brought before the meeting and the Conference
closed by a public meeting of the Priesthood in the Tabernacle in the
evening of the third day.

The Lamanites. President Young's Prophecy.

At the Prayer Circle President Young prophesied that the Lamanites
would not conquer their enemies nor get much advantage over them
in their battles but they would continue to be destroyed and distressed
until they sought unto the Lord and his servants and embraced
the Gospel and became a righteous people. Then they would begin
to prosper but not before.

On the 15 in the evening Parley P. Pratt
Wilford Woodruff George A Smith and Erastus Snow of the Twelve
and also Joseph Young ^Lorenzo D Young H. S. Eldridge and Jacob Gates,^ met at the house of Parley P. Pratt to organize the
Territory of Utah into missionary Districts and to appoint the
missionaries to their various fields of labour. The following
were the divisions of the Territory:

Six Divisions: Utah County 1st
Juab Sanpete and Millard Countyies 2^nd Iron and Washington
Counties 3^rd Davis Co 4th Weber County 5th Salt Lake and
Tooele Counties the 6th District

The missionaries were appointed to their respective Districts and
the Conferences arranged: Conference at Provo on the 26th of October for the
First District. In the Second District first quarterly Conference on the
3rd of November at Manti City. Third District Conference on the 9th
of Nov at Parowan. Fourth District Conference at Farmington on
the 20th of October Fifth; Conference at Ogden City on the 2nd Nov
Sixth District; 1st quarterly Conference 10th Nov. at Tooele City.

Wilford Woodruff was appointed to draft the minutes of
the meeting and present them to the Editor of the Deseret News. They
will be found in full in ^the^ No. for October 17th th.

About this date the Indians began to be hostile again
At the Elk Mountain Mission they had shot three of the brethren
namely Wiseman Hunt Wm Beahhnin ^Behannan^ and Edward Edw^ards^
and they had broken up the mission. They were als^o^ making
disturbances at Green River Mission

In company with Elder T. Kington I rode
to Farmington Davis County to attend the quarterly Conference
of that District to commence on the 20th

After retiring to bed I prayed to the Lord
to show me what we should teach the people and I received
for an answer, "Let my servants obtain the Holy Ghost and keep
my Spirit with them and that will instruct them what to teach
the people continually. Instruct the people to keep my Spirit
with them and they will be enabled to understand the word of the
Lord when it is taught them

Quarterly Conference

At Farmington
October the 20th 1855.

Saturday morning at 10 o'clock the people in the 1st District

assembled in quarterly Conference at Farmington. There were
present of the Twelve Apostles Parley P. Pratt Orson Pratt
and Wilford Woodruff; and of other missionaries Lorenzo D Young
Gilbert Clements T. D. Brown and Richard Cook

All the missionaries present had a cold
and a sore throat and they were all hoarse. It had come
on during the last 24 hours and it was a complaint that was
quite general among the people. Many hundreds men women
and children were atctact^k^ed in the same way. There was
no change in the weather nor anything on the outward appearance
of the elements to cause this general complaint

Elder Parley P. Pratt was quite unwell
He said he had not intended to preach this forenoon; but
he had to preach or go to bed. So he delivered a very
interesting discourse to the Conference for the space of
two hours and a half upon the birth life death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ. He took for his text
the 10th and 11th verses of the II Chapter of St Luke
"And the angel said unto them fear not for behold I
bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be
unto all people for unto you is born this day in the
city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord."

Parley P. Pratt in opening his discourse
gave some practical lessens upon the training of our children
in the history and knowledge of the Bible. He said
that one cause why he had taken that text was that a school
teacher in Great Salt Lake City had asked her whole school
where Jesus was born and not one of them could tell her. He
observed however that the children were small; but he urged
upon the Saints the importance of instructing even the smallest
children capable of understanding the history of the Prophets and
Apostles. He said by way of illustr[a]tion that every

child in these valleys knew at 8 years of age that it was necessary
that it should be baptized at that period of its life, because it had
been taught it by their parents and others. But, he said, was it not
for the name of Jesus Christ all our ordinances and administrations
would be of non effect and therefore our children should be thoroughly
taught concerning Jesus and his history.

In the afternoon Gilbert Clements preached
and in the evening T. D Brown.

On the Sunday Orson Pratt delivered an able
discourse upon the coming of Christ and read a revelation, from
the Doctrine and Covenants, given through Joseph the Prophet to
Parley P. Pratt and others:

"Jesus Christ will not come in the form of
a woman, nor like a man walking upon the face of the earth
but look forth for the heavens to be shaken and the mountains
to be laid low &c"

Orson Pratt after reading this revelation to
us then spoke of the work to be done previous to the coming
of Christ; also the first delivery of the Priesthood to Joseph Smith
by the Angel John the Baptist, the building up of the New
Jerusalem the Angels flying through the midst of the heavens
and the sounding of the trumpets as spoken of by John the
Revelator and the great day of the Lord's coming.

I have recorded a synopsis of this Discourse in my
Journal.

In the evening Elder Wilford Woodruff addressed
the congregation. Among other things he said:

"I am truly thankful that I have a mission
appointed me and in connection with Parley Pratt and Orson
Pratt two of the Twelve Apostles for it is the first time since
the organization of this Church and quorum that I have had
this privilege of being associated together with these two men

on a preaching mission only as we have met in Conferences from
time to time to transact business as a quorum"

I returned home and spent the week. A
Quarterly Conference was held at Provo on the 27th and 28th by
Parley P. and Orson Pratt and others

In company with Parley and Orson Pratt on the
1st of November I rode to South Weber and we did not
arrive till a late hour. It was very dark. We got lost
in the bluffs and came very near running our carriage off a
steep bluff. I went to the fort got a pilot and lantern
and we arrived in safety. The people were assembled
for a meeting. I spoke to them for a short time and
spent the night with Orson Pratt at brother Kington's.

Next day we rode to Ogden City and met
with the people in the capacity of a quarterly Conference.

We had a strong wind through the day
and night. It was the strongest gale we ever experienced
in these valleys. Much damage was done and many
adobie houses were blown down some unrofofed fences laid
prosterate carriages and waggons mashed to pieces hay and
straw stacks blown over and many chimneys blown off

Next morning the people were gloomy in
consequence of the destruction by the wind which also continued
strong through that day and until the next which was Sunday

I reported all the discourses of the Elders
at the Ogden Conference. I left Parley Pratt preaching in
the afternoon of Sunday and rode to South Weber where I
preached in the evening to the people

In company with Joseph Young Horace
Eldridge and Henry Herriman I rode to Tooele City to
hold conference. There were others of the missionaries
attening this Conference which continued several days

On the Sunday during this Conference the missionaries
met at 8 o'clock A.M. and passed resolutions concerning other quarterly
Conferences in the District

I returned to Great Salt Lake City and on the 17th
again left with Orson and Parley Pratt to attend a quarterly Conference
at the city of Bloomfield; and thus the missionaries continued from
place to place holding Conferences throughout the Territory

On the 27th of November the mail brought us news from
the last of the fall of Sebastopol

On the 29th I attended a Missionary party got
up by the Presidency of the Church. They made a feast and invited
all the missionaries in the place. There were about 70 men with their
wives. They danced till eleven o'clock; took supper during the time
at 7 o'clock and they were addressed during the evening by Presidents Grant
and the quorum of the Twelve. President Young was sick and President
Kimball was also unwell so that neither were in attendance though they
made the feast

Death of Orson Spencer.

I heard during the evening of the death of Elder Orson Spencer
Many friends mourn his loss. He was a firm pillar in the
Church and Kingdom of God

Sunday December the 2nd Brother Hugh Findly
in the morning gave an account of his travels [blank space]
and the customs of the people.

On the 3rd I started for Filmore to attend the
Legislature. I took passage with brother Loran Farr. We were
4 in number—L Farr Lorenzo Snow J. C Wright and W. Woodruff
We reached Lehi that night and held meeting. I preached and
was followed by Orson Pratt and E. T. Benson. Parley P. Pratt
was kicked by a mule and could not attend meeting

We reached Filmore the capitol of the Territory on
the 7th of December

On the Sunday at the City Hall Parley P. Pratt
preached. He gave an account of his travels through this country
in the dead of Winter in deep snows to Iron County before there
was any settlement; and then he took up the comming forth
of the Book of Mormon. I met in council with the Presidency
and Twelve on the welfare of the Territory

The Legislative Assembly

Its first Session at Filmore
December the 10th 1855

On this day the Legislative Assembly met for the first
time in the State House at Filmore. Both hHouses
organized and adjourned

Next day I met with the Council at
one o'clock and at 2 o'clock we met in joint session. The
Governor appeared and delivered his Message. One
thousand copies of it was ordered to be printed and it
was resolved that one hundred copies of the Minutes of each
day should be printed for the benefit of the two houses
The Secretary Almon W. Babbit arose and insulted the
Assembly to a great degree by threatening that their bills
should not be paid if they printed that number, and
he wished to dictate to the Assembly what they should
do which was out of his province

The Governor arose and gave
the Sectretary a severe lashing with his tongue and said
he ought to be kicked out of the house as a poor miserable
dog.

Babbit followed and said he had as good a right to occupy
the Governor's seat as the Governor himself and made use of much
insulting language.

The Assembly then resolved that the freedom of the
house should be withheld from Secretary Almon W. Babbit. The
Secretary threatened to take all the money and return to Salt Lake City
and pay no more expences of the Legislature. He was under
the influence of liquor

Babbit started for the city next morning. He
felt better however and did not take away the funds belonging to
the Legislature as he threatedned. I sent letters by him to my
wife son Wilford and daughter Phebe.

The Legislature continued its sessions

Synopsis
of
A Discourse Delivered by President Brigham Young
In Filmore
Sunday December the 16th 1855.

His test [text] was

"Arise and shine O Zion for thy light is come
and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee." [Isaiah 60:1]

I have always felt since I have been
called to preach to speak of the practical things of every day
life instead of some great mysteries along way ahead in
eternity which the people do not know and never will as the
things taught do not exist.

I felt in the beginning of my ministry
that I had no right to preach unless I was filled with the
Spirit of revelation and prophecy as the ancients; and I
feel the same to-day

In order to be quallified to preach we should
be filled with revelation. I do not consider that any man
is qualified to preach the Gospel and sayings of the Prophets
unless he is filled with the Spirit of the Prophets

We are commanded to arise and shine
but for us to sit down and say we believe in this work, we
believe that Joseph was a Prophet and still not carry
out the work which we are commanded to do; not to build
up and beautify Zion we shall find that we shall miss
our aim, we shall not enter into the celestial Kingdom
we shall not enter through through the gates

We must show to the Lord that
we are willing to fulfil what he requires of us and this
we shall not do unless we are willing to arise and
shine. But how are we to do it? We have
got to build up Zion, we have got to make Zion
the most holy and polished refined and beautiful
place upon the face of the whole earth

Some may expect to see Zion
in all that beauty majesty and glory which God has
spoken of; but the people do not understand the things
of God. I will prophesy that unless this people will
arise and build up Zion as God has commanded them
they will be removed out of their place and another people
will be raised up in their stead who will perform the work
and this I will say in the name of God. I also say in
the name of the Lord that the descendants of Ephraim who
are among the Gentiles are the first born and they are the
first ones to receive the fulness of the Gospel in this
Dispensation; they are the first to be gathered together
and this work was not to be given to any other. In
the beginning of the Kingdom of God this has been done

The Ephraimites are before me tohere to day. Now if I
was ^were^ to ask you if you are willing to do as you are told you would say
"Yes." But let me tell you there is not one of you who is
willing to do as you are told.

I have given the people counsel for years pass
how to build their forts walls cities houses and to begin to beautify
and adorn Zion; but have the people done as I have told them
in these things. You may say these are of minor consequences
but let me tell you that if you are not willing to do the small
things that are necessary on earth then you are not willing
to do as you are told in heaven and you will lose your
glory and exaltation

Now do you not remember that I told
you years ago to go to and build up a beautiful city in
this place but there has been but little done towards it. We
have many who have been in the Church for quite a
number of years and yet we have not a builder or architect
who knows enough to build the meanest house not even
a kitchen in the New Jerusalem. Then how can
we build up the New Jerusalem? I have told the
people all the day long to be prepared to build up this
city; and I will say that if we could take all the knowledge
that exist among every nation upon the face of the whole
earth and boil it down into an essence and put it all into
one man he would not know enough to lay the first stone ^in the
wall^ around the New Jerusalem to say nothing about building
the city and Temple

We have got to improve continually and
build up good cities and adorn and beautify Zion and
let me tell you that if you do not come to that
place where you will not set your heart on any
riches or gold you are not worthy to do the work of

God; and if this people will not build up Zion they will be
removed out of their place

Every time we build a house or a city
we should better it. Everything around us should be
neat and clean.

Now look at this building for a school-house
The ground around this building should be prepared for
a play ground and should be kept neat and clean and
be prepared so as to make the children happy. Children
should be in a clean place. But how is it here. The
moment the children step out of door they see nothing
but filth all the day long. The minds of our children
while young are pure and they should not spend their time
in filthy places for it affects their minds and feelings
They should be in a clean place for they are visited
by the angels of God; but parents do not realize this although
it is true

You may say I do not have time to keep
my dwellings school-houses door yards &c clean. No nor you
never will have till you die upon the same principle but you
should take time. Now it should not take a week till
I would clean out my door yard; but the people in this city
have not had time to clean out their door yards or to make
anything else that they ought to do

I will show you that I will set an
example for my children to follow

I will teach those things which we ought
to do to day. I have preached this doctrine from the
beginning. The first time I ever preached was to tell
the people their duties of to-day

Now if you had all the gold in the
world what would you do with it? Would you go to

California? No but go to and build up Zion. You may say there
is no California here; we have no gold. But it is not gold that is
going to build up Zion though we shall use a good deal of it, but
we have to do it with our hands.

You can make a beginning and do something
You can set an example. You can clean out your house and yard
and make that clean and you can stop the bed bugs from running
around you.

I do not see the first fruit or shade tree in this
city. Come up to the Salt Lake City and get some fruit-
trees and set out and have some fruit growing

Now this is Zion and the light has come
and is shining upon you and you are called upon to build
up Zion. How? By going to California? No; for
there are millions of gold here and the Lord will send it into
sight when he thinks it is best for us to have it as he did in
California.

If you think it is not best to come here go
back to Missouri. Old Father Harris said that he would
stay at Kanesville so that when the Church got ready
to go back to Jackson County he would have but a short way
to go to what the people here would. Brother George A
Smith told him he might happen to find it much the
nearest way there by way of the Rocky Mountains and
many will find that to be the case. The longest way
round will be the shortest way there

We have been called get speculators
and misers. I have told the people I was the greatest
miser and speculator in the world; for I am laying
plans to try to obtain everything there is on earth and
in heaven that is good. That is what I am after
all the time. I have told the people I would possess

heaven while they would become servants to the next world. My
speculations are not confined to this world alone

Now I say go to and make a fine
house in this place. yYou may say I have not the capital
very well. Look at Salt Lake City. We have built
up that city without capital. That was built up with
the strength of our hands which is our capital

Now I want to ask the people here
what do you say to going out on to your lots to build your
houses and set out fruit trees? Your wall around this fort
is not much protection. You might as well stick up
a row of willows to scare and stop the Indians as anything
there is here.

Now go to and build up some good houses
in this place. I want to join some 16 of the brethren
to come and build up some houses and a wall around them
but I shall build humble here; I shall not build large
but I want you to launch out; and then come and see Salt
Lake City and if I have not beat you I will try again
I am determined to improve in all the buildings I do while
I live

If we get our Temple built I mean to go to
work and build another one as much better than the one
we are now building as this is better than the one that
we built in Kirtland; and this wing of the State House
here is a better building in its finish and structure than
that Temple was

Now go to and do what God requires of
you and whatever you want to get, get lawfully and then
it will be a blessing to you always and you will enjoy it
but steal it and it will be a curse to you and cause you
sorrow and misery. Whenever I get so that I set my

heart upon houses lands gold or anything else on earth so as to begin to
turn my heart away from the Lord the day before that comes
I want the Lord to take me away

May God bless you: Amen.

Remarks by President Kimball

President Kimball followed and said:

I felt quite well in the forenoon but
I do not feel well this afternoon

I know what President Young has said is true
We have come here and we have dedicated this people and this
place to God.

Now do the people realize why we are here. No
they do not. We are here for the benefit of all Israel. We
have not come here for a salary. We have come here to do
the will of God and I will say that the yoke is off from our
necks, and it never shall be put on again, not on the necks
of this people; for if we do not do as the Lord wants us to do
he will raise up a people who will do it. I tell you that
God will smite any people who undertake to stop this work
and I say that what President Young has said is true

You know that our children have to
learn the Alphabet first. So it is with this people. The
things which God teaches us are small and simple in
many respects but they are just as necessary for us to
learn and practise as it is for the child to learn his
letters in order to understand the arts and sciences for
we have to learn and practise small things before we can
obtain and carry out the greater things of God

Now we are required to begin to build
up and adorn Zion. We should set out fruit trees

and shade trees. I have not done as much as I would like
to have done but I have raised some 15 bushels of peaches
President Young has a large orchard. He has raised a good
many peaches and apples and some thousand pounds of good
grapes as good as I ever tasted; and Great Salt Lake City is
as hard a place to live in as there is in these mountains
My wood for one fire cost me some 175 dollars

These Kanyons are full of good fruit which
you can get and set out. I have several kinds of good currents
which I got from the Kaynyons which bear large and fine
fruit. These things all help to adorn the earth

Now go to and build up this place and
make a beautiful city. You have a good place around
the State House for a city and gardens and orchards. The
soil is sandy and you have plenty of manure to make it rich

The people must learn and practise
cleanliness in this life. Some people think they can live all
their days in filth and dirt never even washing their bodies, then
die and go to heaven and be clean. But if you do not
learn and practise cleanliness in this life you will have to learn
and practise it in the next before you are received into the
society of those who are clean pure and holy.

You have got to be passive in
the hands of God. As the Prophet has said if we
are not passive in the hands of God as clay is in the hands
of the potter we shall have to be cut off from the wheael and
flung into the batch and ground over again before we can
be made vessels of honour. What can we be made vessels of
honour after we have been mared in the hands of the potter
and ground over again? Yes this will be the case with
many but it is far better to be passive in the hands of
God and be made vessels of honour the first time than

to wait till we have to be ground over again. This is a figure
that the Prophet Jerehmiah made use of. Now President Young
is the master Potter here on earth and we should be subject to
him in all things. We should all remember that we have to
render up our Stewardship to God; therefore we should be faithful
in all things and I pray that the Spirt of God may rest upon
you that you may do right and be saved with a full salvation
and I ask it in the name of Jesus Christ: Amen.

I wrote a long letter to Col. Thomas L. Kane and
requested him to write to me

Quarterly Conference at Filmore
Dec. 29th 1855.

A quarterly Conference commenced this day Sunday
the 30th

[blank space]

"The last day of the year 1855 was spent in the Legislature
Thus time rapidly flies with us. Every year grows big with
events both with Mount Zion and Great Babylon. What the
future year would bring to pass time must determine but judgements
will continue to increase upon the Gentile nations and great
calamity awaits the wicked"

I looked over my Journal on the last day

of the year and as usual made up the summary of my labours
travels and the events of the year which I deamed worthy of note
in connection with the work of God

Synopsis for 1855

Travels: I traveled one thousand five hundred and
five miles.

Meetings Etc

I attended 80 meetings and preached 31 Discourses
and attended Prayer Circles with the Presidency and Twelve
thirty five meetings.

Conferences.

I attended ten General and Quarterly Conferences.

Ordinations and Blessings

I assisted in ordaining John Smith First Patriarch
of the Church. I ordained 6 High Priests 16 Seventies
6 High Council blessed 58 Missionaries to the Lamenites
and administered to fifteen sick persons

Legislatu[r]e

I met with the Legislature forty days

Universal Scientific Society

I was appointed President of this society and met with them
twenty five times

Horticultural Society

I was appointed President of the Horticultural Society
and met with them 6 times

School

I attended a grammar School thirty seven evenings

Sermons Etc.

I reported twenty four ^five^ sermons wrote 44 letters and
received 17 letters

Events of the Year

Ordination of John Smith son of Hyrum Smith
to the office of First Patriarch May 5th 1855.

Dedication of the Endowment House
May the 5th 1855

Orson Spencer died [blank space] 1855

The First Session of the Legislature at
Filmore the Capitol of the Territory convened in
the State House December the 10th 1855.

Our Yearly journey South was made.

Home Missionaries and Quarterly Conferences
throughout the Territory were appointed.

January 1856

Chapter

The Reformation. The Arrival of
the Handcart Companies.

George A. Smith goes to the States on
a Political Mission.

My Appointment as Assistant Historian
of the Church.

Death of President J. M. Grant.

The business of the Legislature occupied us in
the beginning of the year

On the 5th The Judges Secretary Babbit
Marshal Heywood Captain Hardy with all their attendant
train came in this evening. There was a mystery hanging
over the company part of whom were prisoners among whom
was Babbitt. He wore chains part of the way half in
earnest and half in jest.

President Young spoke on the Sunday
upon the subject of mens judging each other. He
said he reproved men for their acts, but he was not
prepared to cast men down into hell for their imperfections
and acts until he knew the hearts of men and the principles
by which they were governed. He also said that a
person always had to experience the opposite and pass
through sorrow pain and affliction before he could
be exalted to glory; and if a man had the exact

glory that Jesus had he would have to die in the same way and
if a man passed through this world without passing through the
dregs of poverty he would have to pass through it before he could
be exalted to eternal riches in their fulness

There is no other way for men to get exaltation
but to follow their file leader. The Twelve have no right to
ask the Presidency why they do this or that or why they tell
the Twelve to do this or that. They only go and do as they
are told and the same principle should go through every quorum
in the Church and Kingdom of God on the earth and when this rule
is observed then the Kingdom will be ours.

He reproved the people for selling their land
warrents and said the wicked would put those very land
warrents upon our possessions and then there would be a fuss
with the Mormons and that was what the people of the world
wanted.

On the afternoon of the 9th I attended court on
the trial of Judge Drummond for murder or upon an
accusation of it. It was first brought before the Probate
Court. Then Judge Drummond got out a writ of
Habeus Corpus given by Judge Kinney. The case of
the right of writ was tried before Judge Kenney the day
before, and Mr Miner and Mr Ketting took a strong
stand against the Legislature and the laws of Utah. As
soon as the Court opened to day Judge Drummond
informed the Court that he wished to withdraw the whole
suit and Judge Kinney informed him that he would
have to be remanded back to the Probate Court. He said
he knew that but he wished to withdraw the suit without
mallace. It was withdrawn and the Court closed

In the evening of the same day the
Legislature and the citizens of Filmore met in the

School House to take into consideration the propriety of establishing
a weekly or daily line of stages and mail from the Missouri
River.

Secretary Almon W. Babbit spoke first. He
was followed by Judge Stiles Potter Rockwell Orson Pratt
Enoch Reese John S. Fulmer and then Governor Young
closed. They brought to light many interesting things. I
reported all their speeches and had them in reserve. The
meeting was adjourned to the Tabernacle in Great Salt Lake
City Saterday the 26th of Jan. 1856

On Sunday the 13th President Young
delivered one of his greatest Sermons. I was not at the
meeting but collected the following synopsis mostly from
Thomas Bullock's report.

Sermon
Delivered
By President Brigham Young
At Filmore
Jan 13th 1856

By our acts we have said to the world we
are Christ's and we have exhibited it more than any others
of the Christian world. Every thread and tie that
binds man to man has been broken assunder, in consequence
of receiving the fulness of the Gospel of Christ. Men
have left their wives; wives their husbands; children their
parents and parents their children; brothers their sisters, and
sisters their brothers in order to be gathered with the Saints
of God that they might partake of salvation. Our ^This people have
proven to the world by their acts that they have a knowledge of the way of life and salvation^

This people have proven to all men
that they can sacrifice every endearment in this life for

eternity life and salvation and we prove that we bear this principle
through every difficulty which we are called to pass through

It is our duty to make every sacrifice that is
required of us so that our Father in heaven, the holy angels and
all just men who sit enthroned in glory and power and dominion
may look upon us in the character; that is that they may see in their
kingdoms that we are willing to make every sacrifice (if I may
call it a sacrifice) and not looking to man in order that we may
secure a seat with them in eternal light and glory. But
notwithstanding all the light and knowledge we have of life and
salvation do you not see how easy it is for us to turn away
to the right and to the left and say and do many things which
we afterwards regret and wish we had not done. Is it not
the scase with us all more or less? It is

I see a thousand weaknesses in myself that
I now regret and it is so with all those who have the light
of the Spirit of God. They can see their weaknesses and
regret them and they will try to overcome them. I cannot
only see these things in myself but I can see them in my brethren
for when I learn myself and Brigham I learn my brethren
By this rule I know all of you

We give way to temptation and angry
feelings against our brother and whant to be revenged on him
I ask is this a righteous feeling? No it is not and yet
we live day by day and week after week and year after
year in this way

The people will be guilty of a little lying
a little swearing a little deceiving and a little stealing. Do
you think you can be forgiven of all your sins and be forgiven
in a moment? No you cannot every Latter-day Saint
knows better. This would be sectarianism. The
religion of the world is that a man may commit murder

and when on the gallows he can repent and be forgiven and go
right straight into Abraham's bosom. But this is false doctrine
It is not true.

Some may say I cannot overcome my passions
when I am tempted and tried: I cannot help giving way to my
feelings; I must give vent to them and scold and sometimes
sware and I cannot help it. But I can tell you, you can
help it. You have got to help it some time or other or you
cannot be saved. You have got to begin to learn to
learn to overcome. You should begin to improve day
by day; shun the errors as you see them and improve
upon them. Be a better man and woman to-morrow
than you are to day. Continue to improve. There
is not a man or woman here but what can do better than
they do.

But says one "Brother Brigham says hard
words. So I do use harsh words. I am death and
hell on the wicked; but you never hear me speak evil of
by brethren. But I will reprove wickedness among the
human family

As your leader I will say let us try to
improve our lives. Let us overcome every temper and
evil passion that arises within you. You can shut your
mouth and keep your tongue still and quiet; and the next
time you are tempted you can overcome it easier. Keep
silence and it will give you a great victory

Mothers when you are cross and
attempt to correct your children, conquer yourselves first.
Fathers when you feel any of the evil passions of your nature
arise then you need the grace of God to help bring yourselves
into subjection that you may go in the Spirit of meekness
until you get the victory over your feelings

We are liable to get out of the way. We should not
do wrong knowingly for if we say or do things which are wrong we
are under obligation to confess our faults. It would be a hard
matter for me to confess that I had done a wrong knowingly

You should be goverened by righteousness.
Let every Elder in Israel look upon his brethren and sisters like
little children. When a person does wrong in his foolish weakness
look upon it as such.

We see the children of men laboring hard to obtain
wealth. They labor night and day to obtain this object. But wealth
will not give you wisdom; but if you will shun evil and extend the
hand of charity to every living being and do good to all as far as
you have an opportunity. This will grow in you and you will
increase in wisdom and knowledge

We should live so as to enjoy the Spirit of
revelation that we may know the will of God concerning us in
all things. You should not live for yourselves alone for
if your affections are not placed on the Lord Jesus Christ and you
do not possess charity you will miss the gate and not enter into
the glory of God yourselves; for you will not receive the Spirit
of the Gospel.

You ^hearts^ should be empty^ied^ of everything that ^but^ the
Spirit of the Gospel that you may be filled with the spirit
of revelation that you may know the voice of the Good Shepherd;
^for if this people were to lose the Spirit of revelation and turn from righteousness they would be liable to be
led down to hell but while the people keep the spirit of God and of revelation with them they would know the
voice of the Good Shepherd.^

If I was to get out of the way would not all
who had the Spirit of God see it as they did Sidney and Strang
and William Smith? ^Yes they would^ When Sidney Rigdon claimed to be
the Shepherd and leader of this people the people knew not his
voice; but when the true Shepherd spoke they knew his
voice and they followed him

It is the duty of this people and their
privilege to live in such a manner that they cannot be deceived

by any deceiver.

It is your duty to live your religion. No man can
magnify the Priesthood and his calling unless he lives his religion and unless
he is filled with the Spirit of revelation of the holy Ghost and of the
Holy Priesthood: then he can magnify his calling and do his duty
to his neighbor and all men; then there would be an end to
Bishop's trials and High Council trials

Parents are under the greatest obligations to
live their religion. So also are the young men and women
that when they get married their children may be begotten in holiness
born in holiness and brought forth into the world in righteousness
and then you cannot make anything but Saints of them

Begin your work right; carry it on
right; bring up your children right: then when they are
old they will not depart from it

This is the commandment which God
made with Abraham that to his seed there should be no
end and this promise was made to him when he was childless
He received this covenant from the Lord and desired to see
it fulfilled upon the earth [Genesis 15:4-5]

Abraham was driven from his father's
house after he had received the Priesthood. [Genesis 12:1] ^The Lord bestowed his Priesthood upon him by a man whose name was Melchesideck. [Doctrine and Covenants 84:14] When Abraham
received the Priesthood^ The people were
so wicked that no man would receive him; but the Lord
promised him a Seed through whom the Holy Priesthood should
be perpetuated forever and that to the increase of his seed
there should be no end. The Lord promised to Abraham
this great blessing. A man can have no greater blessing
than was promised to him; that he should have children
who should have the Priesthood. I would not ask for
any greater blessing than this for myself

The Lord promised Abraham that
the various ordinances of his kingdom should be administered

[Edward William Tullidge] through his posterity forever wherever the kingdom of God existed. Then
let every child for the future be begotten in holiness and remember
this one thing—live your religion

I now want to speak of another thing. A small
portion of our time was spent in the Temple at Nauvoo where we
began to administer the ordinances according to the words of Malachi
in the 4 chapter 5th and 6th verses—"Behold I will send you Elijah
the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the
Lord; and he shall turn the hearts of the Fathers to the children
and the hearts of the children to the Fathers lest I come and smite
the earth with with a curse"

Abraham received a promise from the Lord
that his seed should be saved and all the seed of Abraham
among the Gentile nations or among the uncontaminated of
the house of Israel will be gathered. They have sinned
they have changed the ordinances and broken their covenants
or you would not see the children of these mountains in
the degredation in which we now find them

The Lamanites upon this continent are
Manassahites almost excluseively. There is but little of
the seed of Ephraim among them. They are accounted
as thee Seed of Abraham ^and they must be saved^ or they would not have become
so loathsome as they are. They are punished in the
flesh to make an atonement in the flesh for their sins
and transgressions and when they pass through the veil the
enemy will leave no power over them

In the day of the Lord Jesus Christ all
the particles of the blood of Abraham will be gathered together
The seed of Abraham has not been counted for many years
and never will be again. If an angel was to commence now to
number them all, when he had got the numbers together, before
they could be computed there would be a great number more

born during the time of their numeration so they could not be
numbered and this is the reason why his seed cannot be numbered

Brethren and Sisters you are of the
seed of Abraham and you should live your religion that you may
claim the promises of Abraham

This Priesthood will turn the hearts of
the children to the Ancient Fathers and the Fathers to the children
now, and those which are to come will be made perfect. This
chain must not be broken for mankind cannot be saved
any other way. The Priesthood must be linked together
so that all the children may be linked to Father Adam

It may be asked "When will this
work be done? It will be done in temples in our day
and in the days of our children. We shall go into the
Temples and be pillars therein and go no more out; and we shall
plant trees and vineyards and eat the fruit thereof. I wall call
it the Millennium. I carry it in my heart. I say it has
begun. Every Saint carries carries it with him

Then let us increase in every good thing
and we shall extend this influence from Zion until it roots
out every evil and brings all in subjection to the Kingdom
of our God.

We will administer in the Temple which we
have now begun and that is one point gained and we will
seal man to man by the keys of the Holy Priesthood. This
is the highest ordinance. It is the last ordinance of the
Kingdom of God on the earth and above all the endowments that
can be given you. It is a final sealing—an eternal principle
and when once made cannot be broken by the Devil

When we return to Zion and build
the great Temple which Joseph Saw, and the centre of
Zion is established the glory of God will rest upon it by

day and by night and those who are prepared will see the face of the Son
of Man and they will see Joseph and Hyrum in the flesh in their
resurrected bodies. Then will the armies of Israel be terrible to all
nations; then will ^one^ chase a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight [Deuteronomy 32:30]

Who will resurrect Joseph's body? It will
be Peter James John Moroni or some one who has or who will receive
the keys of the resurrection. It will probably be one of those
who holds the keys of this dispensation and has delivered them to
Joseph. And you will see Jesus and he will eat peaches and
apples with you but the world will not see it or know it for
wickedness will increase. Joseph and Jesus will be there. They
will walk and talk with them at times and no man mistrust who
they are.

Joseph will lead the armies of Israel whether he is
seen or not, whether visible or invisible as seemeth him good. Joseph
has got to receive the keys of the resurrection for you and I.
After he is resurrected he will go and resurrect brother Brigham
Brother Heber and brother Carlos, and when that is done he will say
now go brother Brigham and resurrect your wives and children
and gather them together. While this is done the wicked will
know nothing of it though they will be in our midst and they
will be struck with fear. This is the way the resurrection
will be. All will not be raised at once; but it will
continue in this way until all the righteous are resurrected

After Joseph comes to us in his resurrected
body he will more fully instruct us concerning the baptism
for the dead and sealing ordinances. He will say be
baptized for this man and that man; and that man be sealed to that
man and such a man to such a man and connect the Priesthood
together.

I tell you there will not be much of this done
until Joseph comes. He is our Spiritual Father: our hearts

are already turned to him and his to us

This is the order of the Holy Priesthood
and we shall continue to administer in the ordinances of the
kingdom of God here on earth. Joseph will not officiate in
this low capacity any more: neither did Jesus, A^a^fter his
resurrection. If so he would have baptized Saul; but
he was exalted above the earth and he told Saul to go to
a certain man in a certain street and he would administer to
him the ordinances upon the earth [Acts 9:11]

I say to you dont hurry in the
ordinances. Dont do what you ought not. It is not
the time to hurry. We should not undertake to do now
what we ought to do fifty years hence. What have we
to do to day^?^ Purify your hearts that you may
receive the manifestation of the Spirit of God

When you sow your wheat you
prepare the ground and then sow your wheat and watch
it till the harvest. It is just so in the Priesthood
You will be just as busy as you can be to do the things
which are to be done to day

Now dont be in a hurry. I say
we are going to have time enough. I say I will be here
on earth to do all I can; and after I die and get my body
again (my resurrected body) I mean to come back to the earth
again and fight the devils and be here at the winding-up
scene. I want to see righteousness prevail and the
Saints have peace on the earth.

I wish now to speak upon another
subject. I am here as the Governor of this Territory
and I wish to comme^e^nd^ce^ my remarks upon this subject with
the President of the United States. Is he the Master
of the United States? No he is not. He is selected

to sit there as one of our servants to act for us and to do what we wish
to have done. So it is with the Congress and the Governors of the
several States and I am here as one of them as the Servant of the
people

Congress has p^repared^ a Constitution for this Territory which
they call the organic act and have granted certain rights to this people
as a community. They have said this Territory should be
organized thus and so with a Governor and Legislative Assembly
and the right is given to the people to elect twenty six Representatives
and thirteen councillors ann[u]ally. This body may enact laws
to control each of us and all the inhabitants of this Territory
including the Governor the Judges the Secretary the Supreme
Court the District Court and the Probate Court. They have said
they shall have all the power given to them by the Legislative
Assembly.

We have a Legilaslative Assembly and Majestrates
courts. Congress will send certain men to hold Supreme
Courts and send other men as officers to the Territory of Utah
to transact business for the Territory of Utah so as to make it as
easy as possible.

The United States Judges are not here as Kings
or Monarchs but as servants of the people and when you see a
Judge putting a city under "martial law" he manifests boyism
and you should pity him and give him a piece of cake

If a man wants to be what he is not it is
certain that he wants to get out of his sphere. When some
men know a hundred words they think they know all of Webster
Some will try to study a hundred sciences of the day and
then know no more than a child. When a man studies
Divinity five years he is only fit to be put down upon
the ground as a block to stand upon to get upon your
horses.

I see some here who have come fifty or
one hundred miles at the squaling of a goose crow and dont you
know that if you want a court held there that the Judges should
go there and hold it? aAnd if a Judge dont know that it is because
he is very ignorant and he ought to learn his duty

I am perfectly astonished at these, my
brethren, to think that if a man takes a pumpkin and says
it is an apple you must acknowledge it is an apple and
swallow it as such or if they take a rotton potatoe and say it
is a peach and cram it down your throat as a peach. When
you see a rotton potatoe why dont you acknowledge it to be a
rotton potatoe

Now I say to you jurimen and witnesses
pack up your deeds and go home and stay there till you have
business. If I come here and act the tyrant instead of
a Governor you ought to kick me out and all officers ought
to be served in the same way when they get out of their
place and act the fool or else let the people swallow the
rotton potatoe and call it a peach

I know the meaning the marrow
and the pith of the laws and the very principle upon which
they are built much better than the Judges do. I know
the meaning of them and the duty of all the officers in this
Territory. I say this for your instruction

To see men come here at the call
of a foolish boy fre[e]zing your toes and killing your horses
in the cold month of December is foolishness. When you
want him send for him and pay your respects to him.

They do not understand the law. When
I see Lawyers and Judges rise up here and saying that our laws
are not right and we should not be governed by them
it puts me in mind it puts me in mind of the anecdote

of the fox that went to the hencoop to catch some chickens. The owner
had put a cord from the platform to a bell overhead so that as soon
as the platform was touched the bell would ring. As soon as the
fox jumped on to the platform the bell rang and away the fox ran
with all his might but on looking behind him he saw nothing so he
went back to the coop and examined to see what the matter was
He touched the cord with his foot and the bell rang but did not
hurt so he jumped into the coop and got his chickens. He looked
up and saw that the bell was hollow and had a long tongue and
the fox exclaimed "You are a poor miserable hollow-headed devil."

Lawyers and Judges should be made to
keep the laws of this Territory as well as other citizens and if they
wont do it put them in the way that they will be made to; and
if I say to every man who has no business here pack up your goods
and go home: let the Judges honor me and our laws and the officers
of this Territory or they will not receive any honor from me

I see one man on my right who will go
straight and tell the Judges what I have said. He is a kind
of perpetual telegraph and if any man comes to me and says
Brother Brigham do you mean me^?^ I will say you are the man.
(alluding to Elisha Hoopes)

Speech of Kn^a^osh the Indian Chief ^of the Parvans^

On the 16th in the afternoon K^a^nosh delivered to us a speech
The following are some of his remarks

"I am just beginning to get my eyes open
I know that President Young's talk is good. What he says
is so. He tells us more good. I am like the sun just
rising in the East and so with my people. We have been
in the night. I have had eyes but I could not see and
ears but I could not hear; and this has been the case with

my people: our hearts could not understand; but now our eyes
see our ears hear and our hearts understand. All that
Brigham and Heber has said is straight; but when I talked
to Col. Steptoe and his men their talk was not straight. I
could not believe for a tenth part of their talk is not true
and so with the Spaniards and all white men till I saw the
Mormons. They are the first to tell ^me the^ truth

You are here to make laws. I hope
you will make good laws to punish the guilty and spare the
innocent.

I wish to do right and have my people do right
I do not whant them to steel nor kill. I want to plant and
raise wheat and learn to plough and do as the white people
This I am going to do in the Spring. I want to learn to
read and write and have my children; so that we can understand
what you say to us that is good"

On the 18th the Legislature met at
the State House and adjourned till ^the 2^nd^ Monday ^in^ December the
After adjournment the Governor and all the Northern
members and Judges started for home and arrived in Great
Salt Lake City on the 21st

Mass Meeting

In Great Salt Lake City
January the 26th 1856

According to the adjournment at Filmore a mass meeting
of the people conveined in the Tabernacle for the purpose of
taking into consideration the propriety of establishing
a daily express and passenger communication ^between^ the Western
States and California. The meeting was organized

by choosing Governor Young President; Chief Justice J. F. Kinney
Heber C. Kimball J. M. Grant Almon W. Babbit J. P. Stiles
D. H. Burr D. H. Wells G. Hurt W. Bell W. Garrish and
Parley P. Pratt were chosen Vice Presidents and Wilford Woodruff
Orson Pratt and Wm H. Hooper Secretaries and George D. Watt
reporter.

The President stated the object of the meeting and
made a few remarks; after which Almon W. Babbit delivered
an address and was followed by Judge Stiles Dr Hurt T. S.
Williams J. C. Little Enoch Reese O. P. Rockwell S. M. Blair
and W. H. Hooper. Mr Thomas Bullock read several
resolutions upon which the Governor offered some suggestions.
Whereupon a Committee was appointed to draft resolutions to
be presented at the next meeting to be held at the same
place Feb. the 2nd at 1 o'clock P.M.

The adjourned Mass Meeting conveined per
adjournment and was addressed by Enoch Reese Jedediah M. Grant
Judge Kenney Leonard W. Hardy O. P. Rockwell and closed
with a lengthy good speech from Governor Young.

The 6, 7, 8 and 9th I spent mostly up till 10
o'clock at night in President Young's Office in company withe
Brothers Watt and Samuel Richards in making the manuscript
for the First Reader to be published in the Deseret Alphabet
I spent some time in scearching other books for matter but my
mind was ledd to choose finally our own experience travels incidents
history doctrines and our location and we commenced to write
upon these subjects.

Sunday followed and on the Monday we
resumed our work upon this matter of the Reader and the
Deseret Alphabet. In the evening the committee met with
the Regency at the President's upper room and the work of the
committee was read and accepted. Another Committee

of Revision was appointed to ^assist^ us the first Committee. They were Albert
Carrington Daniel H. Wells and W. Willis

In a prayer circle on Sunday the 17th President
Young asked Orson Pratt what he thought of his preaching that
intelligent beings would continue to learn to all eternity.

Orson Pratt replied that he believed the Gods had
a knowledge at the present time of everything that did or will exist to
the endless ages of all eternity. He believed it as much as any truth
he had ever learned in or out of the Church

President Young remarked that he had never learned
that principle in the Church; for it was not true: it was false
doctrine; for the Gods and all intelligent beings would never cease
to learn except it were the Sons of Perdition: they would continue
to decrease until they became dissolved back into their native
element and lose their identity

On the evening of the same day Parley P.
Pratt preached a good discourse in the 14th Ward. He told the
Bishop to cut off all the liars thieves adulterers and profane swearers
from the Church for they would rot the body if they continued
on it. He said many wicked men would stick by the
Church but they would never repent of their sins. There was
a time when man could repent but when that time was past
men might pray till their knees where [were] callaced and they could
not get the Spirit of God. How long did the people who
were destroyed in the flood have to wait before they could
have the offer of the Srpirit of God or the Gospel? They
had to wait more than two thousand years, till after Christ
came and was crucified. He then went and preached to the
"Spirits in Prison." The Gospel was then offered unto them.
And how has it been with the Jews. They once saw the
day when the Gospel was offered unto them but when
they put to death their King and Saviour the Gospel

was taken from them and given to the Gentiles. It was also given
to the Lamanites and the Ten Tribes of Israel. The first were
to be last and the last first. It will now come to the Gentiles
first then to the ten tribes of Israel and the Lamanites before it
will go to the Jews: they will be the last to receive it. Who has
ever heard of the Jews having the Spirit of God or the Gospel or Kingdom
of God offered to the Jews since they put to death Jesus Chirist and
the Kingdom went to the Gentiles? No one for it has never been
done. They will go home in unbelief and wickedness and
rebuild Jerusalem in that state and they will be so far from the
Gospel that when the Gentiles come against them to battle rifle
their houses ravish their women and carry half of their city into
captivity and Jesus Christ comes and delivers them in the midst
of this hour of peril and trouble they will not know him nor
even imagine who he is till they ask him about his wounds
and he tells them. Then the Gospel has to be preached to
them and they will repent be baptized and receive the first
principles of the Gospel

Parley also said there was a promise
that the Three Nephites and angels should visit the Lamanites
but they could not be sent to them to receive with messages to
receive and obey the Mormons until all the Mormon Missionaries
were righteous men and would not steal lie sware or commit
adultary for if the angels were to tell them to obey the
Mormons and and they found the Mormons to do wickedly
they would lose confidence in both the angels and the
Mormons

On Sunday the 24 President Brigham Young
took up the subject of the Courts as held in Great Salt Lake
City and also the ungodly course of the lawyers. He cursed them
in the name of the Lord with a great curse and all Israel
said Amen. He called Zerubable Snow by name and he

he cursed him and all that he had.

The Indians again commenced their depredations
and killed 3 boys and drove off horses and cattle. Several of the
Indians had been killed and wounded.

I was 49 years old on the 1st of March 1856

The Indian war continued three more of the brethren
had been killed. Squash^ead^ of the War Chiefs was put in prison
and the report was that he had cut his own throat. He was dead

I received a mission from President Young
on the 3rd to prepare to go East in the Spring to get the Deseret
Alphabet type made and some books printed in it

I met with the Regency on the 11th. The
subject was brought up concerning Adam being made of the
dust of the earth. Orson Pratt pursued a course of stubborness
and unbelief in what President Young said

Baptism of my Family over 8 Years

March the 16th

On this day I baptized all my family who were over
eight years of age and on the 18th Mrs Phebe Woodruff and
myself took our two oldest children Wilford and Phebe to the
house of the Lord to receive their endowments. I washed
and anointed my son Wilford and ordained him to the office
of an Elder and sealed upon him all the blessings of his
ordination anointing and my birthright in compliance with
the counsel of President Kimball.

Thus was fulfilled the blessing of
Father Joseph Smith the first Patriarch who sealed upon
my head before I had any children that I should have
posterity who should receive the Priesthood and my oldest
son received it this day under my hands

The usual temporal duties of life and the Sabbath
meetings and services filled up the interval to the April Conference

General Conference
of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
held
In the Bowery Great Salt Lake City
April the 6th 1856

The Conference commenced at 10 o'clock. There were on the Stand
Presidents Young Kimball and Grant and of the Twelve Orson Hyde
Parley P. Pratt Orson Pratt Wilford Woodruff George A Smith Ezra T.
Benson Lorenzo Snow and Erastus Snow with the usual presiding
members and quorums of the Church. The absent members of the
quorum of the Church were John Taylor in New York presiding
over the Churches in the States Franklin Richards in Liverpool presiding
ofver the European Mission and Amasa Lyman and Charles C.
Rich in San Barnadino

At five oclock P.M. of the first day of the
Conference Elders Parley P. Pratt Wilford Woodruff Lorenzo Snow
and Erastus Snow blessed 115 missionaries who were appointed to go
on missions to the Lamanites and to the nations. This first
day was occupied by President Young George A Smith and Orson
Pratt.

The forepart of the next day was occupied by Parley P.
Pratt ^and^ Lorenzo Snow and in the afternoon Wilford Woodruff delivered
and address upon the Deseret Agricultural and Manufacturing
Society. The authorities were presented and sustained and

Wilford Woodruff appointed Assistant Historian.
^April the 7th 1856^

On the second day of the Conference the Twelve
met at 5 o'clock P.M. and blessed and set apart 88 missionaries
and during the Conference they blessed and set apart 255 persons

Wilford Woodruff in company with others
of the Twelve ordained to the office of the Seventies Wilford
Woodruff Brandon and blessed him. He was named
after me was 18 years of age; and I baptized his father ^and
mother^ twenty two years before in Tennessee. His father had
been dead several years. I took him home gave him
a dollar and good counsel and let him go his way.

The Conference at the end of the 3rd
day adjourned till October the 6th.

Among the number of missionaries called
during the Conference wasere Orson Pratt and E. T. Benson
to England to preside over the European mission George
A. Smith on a political mission to Washington and
Erastus Snow to the States upon the business specially of
the emigration of the Saints. Elder Lorenzo Snow
not to go to England as first designed and previously named

Incidents in the Time of our Famine

J. M Grant on the Sunday afternoon spoke of Golighty's
shop being broken open and 150 lbs of flour taken from it
and that Wilford Woodruff lost 35 lbs from his buckery.

Wilford Woodruff followed and said that
those who took his flour if they took it because they were
suffering with hunger and would ask a blessing upon the bread
when it was made and send him home the bags he would
not bring an accusation against them. At the close
of the meeting the bags were put in sight and brought
me next morning.

I met in the prayer circle in the

evening and the following named persons received their blessings and
where [were] set apart for their missions: Elders Orson Pratt George A Smith
Ezra T. Benson Erastus Snow Truman O. Angel and Phineas Young
Wilford Woodruff wrote them all from memory three days afterwards
and had them copied into the Historian's Book of Events. George
A. Smith's blessing was written at his dictation by T. Bullock; but
the remainder Wilford Woodruff wrote.

On the 15th I met with President Young at his office
with George A. Smith and Thomas Bullock and read Church History
to him. I was getting initiated into my office as Assistant Church
Historian to take charge of the Historian's office and business in
the absence of George A. Smith

In reading the revelation upon Patriarchal marriage
and while upon the paragraph relating to the sheding of innocent blood
President Young remarked that it was a very nice point to distinguish
between i^n^nocent blood and that which is not innocent. Were we now
commanded to go and avenge the blood of the Prophets where it would
reach infants from the cradle to the third and fourth generation
should we know what to do in such case? We should not. But
there is one thing that is a consolation to me and that is that I am
satisfied that the Lord will not require it of this people until they
become sanctified and are led by the Spirit of God so as not to
shed innocent blood

Again what does the saying mean that all
shall be damned who do not keep this law unto whom it is
revealled? Does it mean that they shall take more wives than
one? I think that it includes the whole law with its
covenants. I think that many who come into this world will
be damned or disorganized and I think that this is the ^second^ death
which is referred to that ^as^ the broad road leads to ^death^ while few will
enter through the straight gate into the fulness of eternal life

President Young had brother Cannon take

[sideways text]
^revise diction^
[end of sideways text]

a daguarreaotype of the temple draft for Truman O Angel to take
with him to England. President Young wrote the words to be
put upon one of the stones of the Temple:

"Holliness to the Lord. The Temple of our God
built by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints commenced
on the 6th day of April A.D. 1853

On the next day I met again with President Young
and George A Smith and Thomas Bullock read manuscript of the
Church History up to Joseph and Hyrum's martyrdom in jail. It
brought fresh to mind the scenes of those sorrowful days.

This was the last day George A Smith
spent with President Young reading History before starting to
Washington as a Delegate from the Deseret State Convention
We dined with President Young. I paid 75 dollars in cash
as a donation to the poor fund into the hands of brother McIntosh

On the 18th in the Historian's Office George
A Smith and myself laid our hands upon the head of Samuel
Harrison Baliley Smith the son of Samuel Smith one of the
"Witnesses to the Book of Mormon" and ordained him one of the
Seventies and set him apart to go on mission to ^England^
George A Smith was mouth.

About this time Parley Pratt was very
sick. On the 17th Oson his brother myself and George A
Smith laid hands upon him. He had been insensible for two
days. On Sunday the 20th J. M. Grant Bishop Hoagland
Joseph Horn and myself laid hands upon him again and as his
family was out of bread we 4 gave each 50 lbs of flour making
200 lbs.

I met with the Presidency and Twelve on this
Sunday in Prayer Circle. After prayers President Young
asked those who were going away on missions if they
were satisfied with him and felt satisfied that he was

keeping up with the Spirit of the times? They all said they were
and asked him if he was satisfied with them. He said he was. The
President advised Elder George A Smith not to indulge in arguing
any point question or principle which he did not believe for the sake
of argument or to draw something out of others as it was a dangerous
ground. George A. thanked him for his advise and promised
to follow it. Brother Smith also spoke in plainness his feelings
concerning some of the principles of Elder Orson Pratt wherein he
differed from ^the^ President concerning the creation of Adam out of the
dust of the earth and the final consummation of knowledge
and many other things. Orson Pratt promised he would not publish anything in opposition
to President Young's views

On the Monday the Historian's Office was crowded
with clerks taking a copy of the census: 291 was the highest number
at any one time

The missionaries left the city on the morning of
the 22nd and met at the mouth of the Kanyon. I took my family
in a carriage and drove there to visit them and take minutes of their
organization. President Young arrived at half past 10 o'clock
and organized the company by appointing A. O. Smoot captain
William Miller captain of the guard Elder Benson Chaplain
and James Ure clerk. He gave them some instruction
concerning their journey and also gave them his parting blessing
Brother J. V. Long reported his speech and Wilford Woodruff took
a list of the names of those going East on mission and found them
to be 36 in number. Professor Orson Pratt was going to Liverpool
to take the place of Franklin D. Richards. He was accompanied
by Elder E. T. Benson also of the Twelve Apostles and other missionaries
to England. The Hon. George A Smith was going to Washington
as a delegate from our State Convention to urge in connection
with the Hon. John Taylor the claims of Utah to be numbered
with the States. Elder Erastus Snow of the Twelve was going
to St Louis to preside and publish the Luminary and Marshal

Heywood and others wher on an official trip to Washington

I returned to the city and found the clerks
busy making out the papers for the Hon. George A Smith. I
stoped till midnight in the Office and most of the clerks remained
all night making out the census papers which was forwarded the
next morning to George A Smith express by John Sharp.

Another Attempt of the Destroyer on My Life.

I have been marked as a victem for the attacks of the Destroyer
from my infancy up to the present time. I have faced accidents
misfortunes and apparently death so many times that it had become
a proverb with me to say that there has seemed to be two powers
constantly watching me and at work with me one to kill and
the other to save me. Thus far the power to save me
and preserve my life had prevailed. How long I should be blessed
with this preserving power and care time must determine

I had never until now been called
upon to war with poison and mortification in my system. But
such was now the case. I extract the following verbatum
from my daily Journal written at the time

"26th: I am unwell this morning. I am
breaking out all over my body. My family think it is
the measels but I had the measels when I was a boy. During
the evening I broke out all over something resembling the "hives"
I just begin to understand what it is that is making me sick
I had an ox die on the 21st. It was supposed that he died with
poison. He was mortified. While assisting in skinning him
I scratched my hwrist sufficient to innoculate myself with the
poison which is now beginning to work.

Sunday the 27th I was quite unwell
and did not attend meeting. The cut upon my wrist began

to gather poison and turn black

28th I became satisfied on Monday that I had this enemy poison
and mortification to meet and that to in the worse form. There is but
a small chance for a man to live who is innoculated with poison and
mortification by dissecting the body of either man or beast. It is much
worse than drinking poison or being bit by poisonous serpants for
it is in a much more deadly form. Several have died this Spring
by skining cattle which have died. All should be more cautious
than what I have been in this matter, and not run the risk of loosing
their lives to save the skins of animals who die of disease. The
following account will show the opperation of this disease with
me from day to day and how near I came loosing my life: in
fact I was only saved through the power and mercy of God

This morning the affected spot upon my
wrist had grown to about the size of a dime and had risen above
the arm and main ^flesh^ about half an inch and turned black
as ink. My arm began to swell and pain me and
I felt the poison and mortification working through my system
I called upon President Young and showed him my arm and asked
his advice and he counselled me to go to immediately and clense
my stomach and bowels and poultice my arm with onions
earth or anything that would draw it from my system
He also advised me to show it to Dr Sprague. I did so
and he in addition to what President Young had recommended
dug me up some dock ^elecampane^ blazing star roots, and advised
me to make a tea of it also to make a poultice of it and
put in on my arm. I went immediately home and put these
things into execution for I saw that I had a strong warefare in
order to save my life

29th: This was a trying day in my life. The
poison had so circulated through my system that it was afflicting
my whole body seriously. I became so weak that I could not stand

upon my feet. It took two persons to lead me from the fire
to my bed. I could not talk no more than if I had been
drunk; my stomach and bowels ceased to act and judging
from outward appearence it seemed as though I should not live
twenty four hours. My wife and friends laboured
with me throughout the day faithfully and with emetics and
injections and with raw onion poultices upon my arm I
got my whole system in opperation before night. President
Young in company with Dr Sprague called upon me at about
evening. I was better than I had been through the day
Brothers Young and Sprague laid hands upon me and blessed
me. The following is a synopsis of the blessing which the
President pronounced upon my head which I wrote from
memory after my recovery:

"Brother Wilford; in the name of
Jesus Christ and by virtue of the Holy Priesthood I lay my
hands upon your head to bless you; and I ask my Father
in Heaven to stay the disease which is resting upon you
and to cleanse your blood and to heal you: and I
say in the name of Jesus Christ that you shall not die
but shall live to finish your work which is appointed you
to do upon the earth. The adversary has sought many
times to destroy your life from the earth but the Lord
has preserved you and will preserve you until your work
is done. I feel to say that all is right here. I feel
to ask the Lord to bless all the means you make use of
for your recovery. You shall be healed up from this
disease and live to enjoy the society of your family and
your children shall grow up around you and you shall
be a blessing to them. Let your heart be comforted;
all shall be well with you: and I seal these blessings
upon you in the name of Jesus Christ: Amen.

30th. I spent a sick day. I poulticed my arm. It
continued to swell to a great degree and as the poison was drawn into
it from my system it inflamed and mortified and looked as though my
whole body would soon be mortified. I continued to poultice my
arm with raw onions earth and powdered roots which drew the impurities
of my body into it. The poison that was ^ran^ out of my arm would
blister my flesh like a hot iron wherever it touched and the flesh
would turn black and dead. As the onion and earth poultices
were not strong enough to draw the poison and mortification out
sufficiently I pounded up some charcoal fine and made it wet
with the juice of wormwood ragwood^weed^ and wild sage and put it on
my arm as a poultice and it began to take the mortification
poison and swelling out of it. I was very sick and having a
hard warefare between life and death but President Young promised
me that I should live and I act in faith upon that promise in
all that I do. I feel that I shall live and not die

May 1st. This was also an exceeding sick day
I took a course of medicine to clense my system and continued
the charcoal poultices on my arm which had a good effect

2nd. I felt some better to day yet very sick
but I was enabled to sit up a little. I was quite excited in
the evening. Wilford and Moroni was ploughing in the
big field four miles from home and at about 4 o'clock in the
afternoon one of the horses came home upon a run with a part of
the harness on. We did not know but the boys were killed
until we sent a man down into the field with the horse. He
found the boys not hurt. The horses had run away with
the plough. In jumping over the bars they left the plough
sticking into the post with the doubletrees. They broke the
whippletrees and harness to peaces but I felt thankful the boys
escaped unhurt. One was my own son and the other my
Indian boy.

I continued very sick during the next four days ^week^
The charcoal poultices were constantly applied with much effect and
another course of medicine taken and I suffered much from the
Lobelia in my stomach. A good deal of dead flesh had
gathered in my arm. Dr. Sprague cut out a portion of it with
a penknife but did not get it all out.

The Eastern Mail came in on the 9th
and brought most of the mail since last November. Many
thousands of letters were received in the city

Correspondance From the Chief Gardener of Queen Victoria

Among the rest was a letter from the Chief Gardener of her
Majesty Queen Victoria who wished to open correspondence
with the Horticultural Society of this Valley and make an
exchange of seeds &c.

On Sunday the 11th in the evening I
attended Prayer circle and sat 2 hours and heard letters
read from correspondents in New York Washington Liverpool
London and various parts of the earth

I found that I could not get rid of the
dead flesh in my ^arm^ without using something to eat it out;
so on the 12th I took 20 grains of lunar costic or nitred of
silver and disolved it in two tablespoons of water and washed
the edges where the dead and living flesh met and it began
slowly to seperate

I was feeling a little better the next day
but still very weak and feeble. The dead flesh was parting in my
arm.

Next day I was able to walk to the Historian's
Office; and at 1 o'clock in the morning I was called upon to
administer to Sister Orson Pratt. I promised her that

both she and her child should do well and in about fifteen minutes she
had a daughter born that weighed 12 lbs, both mother and child doing
well

On the following day I got all the dead flesh out of my
arm so that it was now fast healing up

Wilford Nearly Killed

I had another shock of excitement to day. Wilford took the horses
to carry posts and poles to my pasture with the running gears
While coming home my new horse started suddenly into a run
Wilford could not hold them. They ran three blocks with him
and in turning the corner they turned the hind wheels three times
over with Wilford setting upon the exeltree. The horses continued
to run with the forewheels until they ran against the fence. My
son was stunned and picked up for dead but he soon came to
and finally led one of the horses home and a man rode home
the other. Wilford was hurt in one leg and badly jarred in
the head but he had a comfortable night's rest and I felt
thankful that he was not killed

Sunday the 18th was the first time I attended
meeting in the Tabernacle since the attack upon my life by poison and
mortification

On the 30th I read to President Young the letter that
the Horticultural Society had received from Sir William Jackson
Hooper Director of the Royal Gardens Kensington London. The
day previous to this in the Historian's Office I wrote a letter to him
in answer to his requesting us to open correspondence with him

President Young Fifty Five Years of ^age^ on the 1st of June 1856

The President's birthday this year came on a Sunday. We met

in the Bowery. Leonard I Smith returned missionary
from South Africa preached in the morning and was followed
by brother Kimball

In the afternoon President Young wished all the
able bodied men to go immediately to work and finish the canal
to bring Big Cottonwood Creek to water the five acre lots
He requested all the Bishops to stand up and all the men
of the Wards who could go and dig on it. 333 names were
obtained. The 14th Ward gave the most names. They
obtained at their evening's meeting 45 names.

President Young's Dream of the War.

At our prayer circle in the evening the subject of the
Kansas question was spoken of. Wilford Woodruff
asked President Young if he remembered the dream that
he had several years ago and President Young said
he did not recolect it. The following is the substance
of his dream.

He dreamt that he saw two armies meet
one came from the South and the other from the East ^North^ and
they met and fought and as fast as they were killed they
continued to have new recruits from the East and South.
I testify that I heard President Young relate this dream
several ^some^ years before this ^at Nauvoo^ but cannot state the date

On Sunday the 22nd of June President
Young preached a great discourse. Among other things he
said that the Devils were cast out of heaven to the earth and
they are still around us. Their condemnation is that
they can never have a tabernacle but they seek to get
into the tabernacles of men. All, both good and bad,
when they die remain here upon the earth the same

as the living and are mixed up the same as the living are in a great
measure. Joseph and Hyrum and all the faithful Elders are actively
at work preaching the Gospel to the Spirits in Prison and preparing
them for the coming of Christ. The wicked spirits will gather
together against Joseph there the same as here but neither the
Devil nor the wicked have any power over him there but he
can dispaerse them at his will. Those who have shed innocent
blood or consented thereto will be angels to the Devil until they
are disorganized. Our dead children and friends are all with
us or near us. We are now in eternity as much as ever we
shall be. This great Sermon of President Young was fully
reported and published both in the Deseret News and the Journal
of Discourses.

We found a great difficulty in writing the latter
part of the History of Joseph expecially the last few days of his
life as no one had kept a Journal of the same excepting Dr
Richards now dead, and during the last days of Joseph's life
nearly all the Twelve were away on mission. This made me
very desireous to have President Youngs daily History written
so that all things might be plain to the future Historian.
The President told me that George A Smith in speaking of
the Church History in future said that it would be the History
of the Church and not of a man. I said very well; we could
not write the History of the Church without writing the History
of the Prophet and President of the Church. Brother Young
conversed freely upon the subject. I enquired of the clerks
of the President's office what they had written concerning him
daily. They read some to me and I did not think it sufficiently
full.

On the 25th Presidents Young and Kimball went
to the Island in their new boat built at Jordan Bridge. I attended
a meeting of the Agricultral Society in the Bowery. President

Edward Hunter two Directors and some twenty five of the
Awading Committee were present including five ladies
The fruit committee examined the fruit in the gardens of
Wilford Woodruff Albert Carrington and others

J. M. Grant went North and Parley P. Pratt
returned from his journey South. He had been as far as
Washington County.

Presidents Young and Kimball returned
hom^e^ from the Island on the 28th. I had an interview
with President Grant and invited him to call upon us at the
office and give us any items he wished us to record in the
History. I called upon President Young and he gave
me an account of his journey to the Island.

While I was at the Office brethren from
Sanpete arrived with 311 tithing sheep. Bishop Warren
L Snow reported that Arrowpeen was living 12 miles
south of Manti and feeling well but he had a hard
time to keep his people right. While trying to get some
of them to give up stolen horses and cattle they made an
attack upon him and injured his breast which had made
him sick for two weeks. Arrowpeen had delivered
up 17 head of horses which Tintick^'s^ ^band^ who had stolen.
Tinotick who had stolen so many horses ^&c^ ^and cattle^ and killed so
many men had sent word that he wanted to come in
and would give up what he had left and wanted to
know if we were mad. President Young would
make him no presents ^promises^ but thought he deserved to die

The Law of Tithing Reaches Every Man.

Parley P. Pratt on the 2^nd of July asked President Young
what he should do with regard to tithing and said he

had been travelling and preaching a good deal and had not paid any
tithing. President Young said the law of tithing reached
every man. He should pay his tithing if he had to have five
times as much from the tithing office in order to live and that all he
had from the Tithing Office should be charged to him and that he
should consecrate what he had to the Church. The President said
he should consecrate what he had to the Church that his children
when he was dead should not squander his property and go to
hell.

Indipendance Day

There was quite a military display in Great Salt Lake City
this day. The firing of cannon the ringing of bells display of
flags an oration from Governor Young toasts a ball in the
Social Hall and balls through the various Wards in the evening
celebrated the Anniversary of American Indipendance. An
account of this day's celebration in full may be found in the
Deseret News July 9th.

On the 6th I was called upon in company
with Amasa Lyman to administer to sister Mary Pratt
who had been in labour all day. I was mouth and I
promised her that all should be well and in fifteen minutes
she had a fine boy born.

During the interval to the 24th I spent
the time in the Historian's Office, a portion of it in reading
History to president Young and made a journey as far as
Rush Valley and back

On the 23rd and 24th of July Presidents
Young Kimball and Grant and a large company of Saints
went to the Lake in Big Cottonwood Kanyon to
celebrate the Twenty Fourth of July in commemoration

of the enterance of the Pioneers into the Valley. The account thereof
is published in the Deseret News July 30th. I was quite lame with
the rheumatism and had been for several weeks.

On the 4th of August I learned that one of
our clerks in the Historian's Office namely Jonathan Grimshaw
was about to leave us for England. He could not stand the
hard times and did not know whether Mormonism was true or not
so he was going house; but he had taken a very honourable course
in all his business and dealings

Death of Strang.

I learned from the New York Herald of the death of
James J. Strang who had broke off from the Church and
lead away a party. He was shot by two men who had
been his own followers. One ball lodged in the head went
in near the nose and the other in the spine of the back

There was a row in our street on the 4th
and one of the Surveyor's were nearly killed

President Young was with us on the 6th
in the Historian's Office three hours and a half in hearing history
read. He asked if there had been any note made
of his meeting in Nauvoo at Joseph's house at the time
Hyrum preached the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and
Covenants as the Standards while "I took the ground that
they were of no account to us without a living Prophet and
revelation." I told President Young that I would examine
and see. I afterwards found that it was recorded in my
Daily Journal.

Next day I was reading History and President
Kimball called. He said he told brother George A Smith
to give me credit in the Church History for what he prints

from my Journals. President Kimball wished the History to be continued
as the History of Brigham Young and that would show the History
of those who were with him

In looking over the Congressional Reports I made
an index of part 1, 2 and 3 of Messages and Documents and of Financial
Reports concerning Utah and put it into the front of each book for a
referrence

President Young spent the forepart of the day on the
9th hearing History a good deal of it was taken from my Journals. President
Young said I knew while in England by revelation that as we now are God
has been and as he is we shall be if faithful

Sunday the 10th a company of men were called to go
on mission some to Europe and some with brother Blair West on an
exploring tour. Elder Thomas Bullock our chief clerk in the Historian's
Office was among the number bound for Europe.

The First Presidency—Brigham Young Heber C.
Kimball and Jedediah M Grant spent the afternoon of the next day
in hearing the Minutes of the April Conference of 1844 read which
was the last Conference the Twelve spent with the Prophet Joseph
before his death

The next two days the Presidency and Daniel H. Wells
were in the Office hearing History read. On the second day we
finished up to the death of Joseph in Carthage ^Jail^ The brethren
felt full and that they had heard enough for one day. We all
dined at Brother Kimball's namely the Presidency Daniel H Wells
and myself.

On the same day I attended a meeting, in the
Fourteenth Ward, of the Agricultural Society and organized an auxilary
Branch of the Agricultural and Manufacturing Society and appointed
Bishop Hoagland President and Charles H. Basset John R Winder
David Candland and Gilbert Clements Directors

Next day I met in council with Jesse C Little

James Cummings and Luke Johnson concerning matters in Rush Valley
We concluded to survey it and control matters there according to the Charter
given us.

On Monday the 18th Presidents Young and Kimball
called upon us in the Historian's Office in the afternoon and we finished
up the History of Joseph Smith and took down an account of Brigham
Young father and family and his grandfather and grandmother

I procured a Utah Mountain Spider
or Tarantula which I preserved in a tin box to send with other insects
to Dr Fitch of New York.

On the 21st I had an interview with Dr
J Clinton just arrived from the States. He gave me an account
of his travels &c. He was with Orson Spencer when he died
Orson was resigned and composed and fell asleep in peace.

I also visited the New Historian's Office
opposite President Young's Office.

I was still suffering from rheumatism. I took
a slack lime sweet but it did not seem to do me any good

Revelation to President Young of the Eternal Progress of Man

In the Historian's Office on the 23rd while conversing upon
eternal progress President Young again stated what he had
said on the 9th which I have already recorded. To-day
he spoke more fully upon the matter. He said he knew
by revelation while in England that there would be an eternal
increase in knowledge and that as we now are God once was and that
as he now is we shall be if we continue faithful. "I told this
to brother Lorenzo Snow. While conversing with brother
Willard Richards upon the things of God it came to me that
the Priesthood is a perfect system of Government.

Elder Amasa Lyman spent a short time

with us in the Office in conversing upon the things of the Kingdom

In our prayer circle on Sunday evening President
Young spoke upon good manners good breeding and setting a better example
before the world than they do before us

The mail came in on the 28th and among the letters
received by President Young was one from William Smith. Others were
from George A Smith John Taylor and several other correspondants
We found a strong feeling prevailing in the States against Utah. Our
Delegates had not presented our Memoriel to Congress and the
probability was that they would not during that session

Brigham Still Governor

President Young on Sunday the 31st preached and phrophesied concering
the opposition of the Gentiles. He said he was still Governor of
Utah and should be until the Lord saw fit to remove him. It
was a remarkable discourse and may be found both in the Deseret
News and the Journal of Discourses. This prophescy of President
Young has often been quoted by our enemies at the time of
the Utah Expedition as a proof that the Mormons would
reject the Governor sent which they did not and since it has
been often referred to and better understood by those who have
exclaimed Brigham is Governor of the People still.

On the 2nd of September Heber C. Kimball
and myself laid hands upon Amasa Lyman and blessed him. Brother
Heber was mouth

On the 6th I met with Parley P. Pratt and a
company of Missionaries in the Seventies' Hall. Parley P. Pratt
W. Woodruff Joseph Young Zera Pulsipher A. P. Rockwood and
Horace S. Eldridge blessed 24 missionaries 20 of whom were
going to England and 4 to the States. We also ordained 2
Elders and one Seventy.

Wilford Woodruff spoke to the Missionaries
for a short time and exhorted them to keep a Journal of their
ministry every day of their lives. He said I would advise
you to get all of your blessings written and preserve them

In writing your Journal I dont care of your
keeping an account of what you eat and drink or where you
sleep unless you should be in a desert or in a wilderness or on
a mountain and have nothing and then if the beast of the
field or the fowles of heaven come and feed you as the ravens
did Elijah^sha^ then I would have you record that but I do not
feel to enjoyn it upon you to make a record of every official
act of your lives. [1 Kings 17:2-16] If you baptize confirm ordain or
bless any person or administer to the sick write an account
of it. If you will do this the Church can obtain a
full and correct account

We are not apt to think of the importance
of events as they transpire with us but we feel the importance
of them afterwards. We are living in one of the most
important generations that man ever lived on the earth
and we should write an account of those important events
and transactions which are taking place before our eyes
in fulfilment of the prophecies and revelations of God
There are a great volume of revelations fulfilling in our
day and as they transpire before our eyes we want a
record made of them. If the power and blessings of
God are made manifest in your preservation from danger
and death you should make a record of it and keep an
account of the dealings of God with you daily

I have written all the blessings I
have received and would not take gold for them.

I am in the Historians Office and I
find it very difficult to get or find a record of events

as they pass along so complete as we want to make the History. But if
the Elders will take pains to write their official acts so that the Historian
can get hold of them it will be a benefit to the Church. The History
of this Church will remain through time and in eternity

Elder Parley P. Pratt followed and confirmed what I
had said. He observed that he had reflected upon this subject for
years to know what a man should write and I have come to the conclusion
that a man should write his official acts in the Priesthood. I am
sorry that I have not kept more of a Journal than I have. I wish
I had written every man's name that I had ever baptized or
administered unto. It is necessary for us to keep a Journal

W
Mother Lucy Smith

On the afternoon of Sunday the 7th Elder Tripp spoke. He
said he had called upon Mother Smith and she clasped him
in her arms. (They were formerly acquainted) and she said my
son Enoch I am glad to again see you: I am glad to see a man
again from Salt Lake. She cried for joy and said she
had desired for two years to be with the Saints in the valleys
of the mountains but others had hindered her meaning Emma
The aged mother of the Prophet Joseph said give my love to Brigham
and Heber and all the faithful Saints for my heart is with
them.

In the evening after the Prayer Circle Brigham
Young J. M. Grant Wilford Woodruff and all at our circle
laid our hands upon Parley P. Pratt and blessed him: President
Young was mouth. I never heard a better blessing given
to man. It was not written at the time but afterwards
an outline was written by Elder Pratt and filed in the
Historians oOffice. This blessing was given previous to
his going to the States where he was assassinated as he

was on his way home by ^M^cLane^

At the close of the blessing President Young
remarked: "I am going to take a mission I will name it here
I want to go through this Territory with Heber C Kimball and
J M Grant and I want the Twelve to go. (Brother Parley observed
Brother Woodruff the Historian is all of the Twelve here). Brigham
said I want to go through among this people and preach the
Gospel to them if I can get rid of some of the care of my
temporal business. I do not feel that I am in the path of
my duty to spend so much of my time in attending to temporal
matters. I think more of one soul than I do all that
I have scraped together. I feel that with the assistance
of my brethren I could make a great wake by going through
this Territory and preaching the Gospel to the people. I feel
that some men ought never to be called upon to do a day's
work but they should spend their time in pereaching the
Gospel. They should have a man to take care of
their families. This should be the case with Parley
P. Pratt. He should spend his time preaching. We
should devote our time to the ministry as far as possible

When I returned home I found sister
Sayers and sister Cobb at my house. Sister Sayers wished
me to bless her as she was going to the States on a mission
I laid my hands upon her and blessed her and said that
all should be right with her and that she should be prospered
on her journey and return in peace.

Next day I wrote a letter to Dr
Asa Fitch of New York and sent him a tin box of insects
from Utah including one Tarantula 2 bugs called Scorpian's
Miller 1 Tobacco-worm miller one small spider and
several grasshoppers ^&c^

On the following day I wrote a letter

to Sir William Jackson Hooper Director of the Royal Gardens Kew
London. I sent him a tin box soldered up tight containing the black
and yellow Mountain currant of Mr. Hemways, some service-berries
one paper of Muskeet Seed and one paper of Mus^kcrew^. The
latter I could not describe. The Muskeet grows from ten to 20
feet high is a desert shrub grows in dry places has the appearence
of the black locus and has thorns on it resembling the prickly Ash

I called upon President Young and asked if we should
send out Circulars to the Bishops for the cencus. He said once
a year would do. He told me also that we might move into
our new office on the morrow

The New Historian's Office Opened

Sep. the 10th 1856

On this day we moved the contents of the old Historian's
Office ^which was a part of the Tithing Office^ into the New one
opposite President Youngs house. We had three large
Secretaries filled with books and papers: they were 6 feet
wide 8 feet high and 18 inches deep besides about 20 other
Secretaries desks tables &c and about 1 cord of papers which
Dr Richards and George A Smith had gathered together

On the same day Thomas Bullock took
his leave of us and started on his mission to England. Bro
Leo Hawkins went with him over the Mountains and spent
the night.

Next day President Young went up City Creek and
saw two bears: brother Kesler killed one of them

On the 12th Presidents Young Kimball
and grant visited us at the New Historian's Office.
Brother Kimball said may the blessing of God rest upon

this place from this time henceforth and forever

Dedication of the Historian's Office.

September the 15^th 1856

I met the brethren connected with the Historian's Office
and told them my feelings was to dedicate the place unto
the Lord and so we all knelt down excepting J V Long
who was scribe and I offored up the prayer of which the
following is a synopsis

"O God our Eternal Father we bow
before thee this morning beneath this roof for the purpose
of dedicating the Historian's Office unto the Lord our God
We feel this to be our duty; as we consider this to be a
blessing unto us that we have the privilege of being located
in these Valleys where we can worship thee and build
Temples Tabernacles and cities unto thy Holy name and
have none to molest us or make us affraid

We rejoice in the power of the Priesthood
which thoue hast given unto thy servants through the
power of which and the mercy of God we are protected and
preserved from the wickedness and abominations of the world
We thank thee O Lord that the power of the Priesthood and
righteousness governs and controls us and predominates in these
Valleys of the Mountains. For these things we fell to
offer up our prayers with thanksgiving.

And inasmuch as we have the privelege
of having an Office built for thy servants to occupy while
writing and keeping a history of the Church and kingdom
of God upon the earth in these last days we fell it a
privelege to bow before thee and dedicate this house unto

the Lord our God even our Father in heaven. And by virtue of the
Holy Priesthood vested in us and in the name of Jesus Christ we do
dedicate and consecrate it unto the Lord our God and we set it apart
that it may contain the holy records of the Church and Kingdom of God
and we ask in the name of Jesus Christ that it may be sanctified
and holy unto thy name and we pray that we may be inspired by the
gift and power of the Holy Ghost while acting as historians or clerks
for the Church. May we keep a true and faithful record
and history of thy Church and Kingdom and of thy servants and may
it be kept in that way and manner that it may be acceptable unto
thee O Lord and unto thy servants the Presidency of thy Church

We dedicate this house unto thee from the
foundation to the top thereof and we pray that the spirit and
power of the Devil may never have dominion over any man who
labours in this office, or place in his mind

We pray that thou wilt bless us O Lord with
thy Holy Spirit that we may never profane thy name in this
house or dishonour the Holy Priesthood or bring reproach upon
thy cause or grieve thy Holy Spirit in any way. And
we ask thee to bless us and prepare us in all things and bring
to our remembaerance all things neccessary to be written of this
history and that papers and documents and all ^that is^ necessary may
be brought to us to enable us to compile a right, useful
and proper history

I pray thee my Father in heaven that thou
wilt bless these my brethren who are my companions in this Office that
our hearts may be united in the bonds of the Holy Priesthood according
to the anointing and endowments given unto us that we may be
one in spirit in heart in faith and works as touching the cause
and kingdom in which we are engaged and we ask thee to bless
all things that pertain to this Office that when thy servants
Brigham Heber and Jedediah may come to visit us that they may

feel the Spirit of God and the spirit of peace resting upon them
while they are beneath this roof; and may we understand our duty
towards them in all things

We pray thee to hear us and to accept of
this dedication

We pray thee also to bless the quorum of the
Twelve Apostles the Seventies and all the authorities and quorums
of the Church and bless those of thy Servants who are among
the nations of the earth and grant that they may be inspired
to send us accounts of their works that we may be enabled to
keep a true and faithful record so that when we have gone
into the world of Spirits the Saints may read be blessed in
reading our record which we have kept.

We ask thee O God Lord to grant these
our requests and every other blessing which thou see^st^ we
need and in the end of our probation may we be saved
in thy Kingdom and the glory of our salvation we will
ascribe to God the Father through JChrist our Redeemer: Even
so, Amen.

Arrival Of The First Hand Cart Companies

September the 26^th 1856

Word was brought in the evening before that two of the Hand-
Cart Companies were camped between the two mountains and
would be in to-day. So President Young called together
a body of Lanceers "Ballo's Brass Band" and the "Nauvoo
Brass Band" and with President Kimball General Wells
Professor Carrington and many other citizens hein carriages
he went out to meet them and to escort them into
the city

They met the companies at the foot of the Little Mountain
on the west side of it. Elder Edmund Elsworth son-in-law to Brigham
Young was the captain of the first company and Daniel D. M^cArthur
was the captain of the second company. Both companies consisted
of 96 Hand-carts 8 waggons and 486 souls

It was a very affecting meeting. Presidents Young
and Kimball walked up the Mountain through the company and saluted
the Saints and then organized the company for travelling into the city
One half of the company of Lancers went in front followed by the
Presidency and citizens; then the Marshal of the city Jesse C Little;
then the bands of music. After the escort came Captain Edmund
Elsworth with his Hand-cart Company and then Daniel D McArthur
followed with the second Hand-cart Company and the remainder
of the company of Lancers brought up the rear. In this way
they started for the city

Captain Leonard Hardy took Bishop Hunter
and myself into a buggy and we met the company as they entered
the borders of the city and we fell into the ranks behind the Presidency

The people of the city gathered on each side
of the road and the streets. It was affecting to see such a
strange sight of about five hundred people enter the city of the
Great Salt Lake who had travelled on foot one thousand five
hundred miles drawing their handcarts all the way. Women
children and old men had drawn their bedding clothing and food
all the way and this company of the poor Saints from England
had travelled the whole distance in nine weeks. They were
covered with dust and somewhat worn down but cheerful. They
had beaten any horse or ox teams during the time

The Handcart companies passed up on
South Temple Street, the Deseret Store, by Wilford Woodruff's
house down to the Grove and then down to the public square
and there formed into two lines and camped for the night.

As soon as they were camped President Young
stood up in his carriage and called upon the Bishops and
multitude who had gathered together to see the Handcart Companies
to bring them provisions and feed them to night to morrow
morning and noon and night again and while they stop here
I wish you all to tarry here until you are dismissed and I bless
you all in doing good and keeping the commandments of God

We then returned to our homes and
the Bishops and people brought the Hand Cart companies
all the provisions necessary

Captain Edmund Elsworth saluted his wives and
children as he passed his house but did not stop for anything
until his company was camped. He led the First Handcart
company by drawing the front handcart with three other^s^
breathren drawing their handcarts with him in the frontrank

Next day I call upon President Young
upon Church business. Among other things he said he
thought these hand cart companyi^es^ had a better time than the
teams had. "They have not had as hard a time as
we had in going to Missouri in 1833^4^. Then I went
to Missouri stayed in the cholera 15 days then returned to
Kirtland within three months making over 3000 miles which
^and^ I walked all the way and lay ^laid^ on the ground every night; but
if I had to fit out a company I would have fitted out the
carts different to what they were."

During the moring Presidents Young Kimball
Albert Carrington Edmund Elsworth and myself rode down
to the Public Square to visit the Handcart Companies. The
emigrant Saints generally looked well and cheerful. They
shook our hands warmly. There was a great quantity
of provisions on hand in the camp brought in by the citizens
I laid hands upon one of the bretheren who was taken sick

during the night. President Young said the people might have
their handcarts

Brother Elsworth pointed out a mule which he rode
after a Buffalo which he had wounded. The mule took right
after the buffalo and the mad wounded animal turned and
took after the mule. They almost met together when the
^mule^ turned and ran back so suddenly that he threw Elsworth to the
ground. The buffalo plunged at him and Elsworth
punched the aminal with the mugzgle of his gun in the
eye so hard a blow that the buffalo fell to his knees but got
up again and ran away. It broke the rifle. Brother Elsworth
was a very strong man. His mule ran five miles to camp
and he had to walk

Next day was Sunday and several of the
returned missionaries spoke to the congregation

The Place Where Adam Offered His First Sacrifice

President Kimball said I have told the people to day
far greater things than drawing hand carts to Zion Joseph
Smith took President Brigham Young and myself to the very
spot in Adam-Ondi-Aman where Adam offered up his first
sacrifice on a spot now called Hogback

Dream of Daniel H Wells

Daniel H Wells said I had a dream last night and I saw a
butcher's cleaver in the heavens in the East and I tried to ^show it to^ Bishop
Pettigrew and he could not see it. I felt that there was a struggle
near and a great slaughter and much nearer than the people
are aware of

President Kimball said it would be better

for one half of the people to be cut off than for the rest to suffer
as they had done

Dedication Of The Baptisimal Font

October the 2nd 1856

I met with Presidents Brigham Young Heber C. Kimball
and Jediediah M. Grant at the House of the Lord for the purpose
of dedicating the Baptisimal Font built on the East side of the
House of the Lord.

There were also present besides the Presidency and
Wilford Woodruff Bishop Edward Hunter Joseph Young President
of the Seventies Daniel H. Wells Albert Carrington, Leonard
W. Hardy Jesse C Little and Gilbert Clements.

Dedication Prayer By Heber C Kimball

President Young called upon Heber C Kimball to be
mouth in the Dedication Prayer. The following is a
Synopsis of it reported by Wilford Woodruff

"O, God the Eternal Father, we bow down
before thee on this Font which has been made by thy servants
to baptize thy people in, for the purpose of dedicating it unto
the Lord our God.

We dedicate ourselves before thee O Lord
and we ask thee in the name of Jesus Christ to forgive us all
our sins, that we may have thy Holy Spirit to guide us in
all things that we may be guided in the ways of the Lord and
that we may never do wrong. Look upon us O God who
have now bowed before thee around this Font and help us to
do thy will in all things, acknowledge thee in all things
and honour thee and worship thee at all times. Help

us to honour our tabernacles that we may never disgrace ourselves in
anything. Grant unto us thy Holy Spirit that it may quicken
our understanding and bring to our rememberance all things which are
necessary for us in the discharge of our duties.

We now dedicate this Font to thee O, God. We
consecrate it unto thee in the name of Jesus Christ. Let thyine
angel O Lord touch this water and this Font with his finger that
it may be holy unto the Lord. May no unclean thing ever
enter into this font to polute it. We dedicate ourselves our
wives children and all that we have unto thee O Lord our God
May we be thine for ever and all that we have

Now O Lord accept of this dedication at
our hands and as we go into this water may our sins be forgiven
and not be remembered against us any more. May we feel
the power of God and have power to work a great reformation
among this people; and may this people triumph over our
enemies; and may not our enemies hever again have power
over us. But willt thou cause thine indignation to burn
against them that they shall not have any power to do thy
people harm.

Now O Lord look down upon thy servant
Brigham and clothe him with thy power that he may know the
workings of the power of the Devil in the Church and among
this people; and may he have power to stretch forth his
hand unto thy people and do thy work.

We now dedicate this font to baptize the
living and the living for the dead and for every purpose which
is necessary to perform the work of the Lord our God even that
the generations which are dead and passed away may be saved
and that the sins of the living may be washed away and
that the sick may be healed of every infirmity that we
may be renewed in body and spirit in all things.

Accept of this dedication at our hands O Lord
and hear our prayers and we will give all the glory to God
our Heavenly Father; and we ask it in the name of Jesus
Christ: Amen.

After the dedication of the Font President Brigham
Young went down into the water in the Font and baptized Presidents
Heber Chase Kimball and Jedediah M Grant

Re-Confirmation and Baptism of the First Presidency and Others

at the Dedication of the Font Oct 2, 1856, at the time of the Reformation

Confirmation of Heber C Kimball

After the President had baptized his Counsellors Heber C
Kimball and J. M. Grant he confirmed and blessed Heber as
follows:

Brother Heber Chase; In the name of Jesus Christ
I lay my hands upon your head and I confirm you to be
a member in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
and I seal upon you the gift of the Holy Ghost and Eternal
Life and I ordain and seal upon your head to be a
Prophet Seer and Revelator in the Church and Kingdom of
God and every blessing which has been sealed upon you and
we seal upon you the Gift of the Holy Ghost and we seal you
up unto Eternal Life in the name of Jesus Christ: Amen.

[sideways text] ^correct^ [end of sideways text]

Confirmation of Jedediah M. Grant.

Heber C Kimball then said;

"Brother Jedediah, In the name of Jesus
Christ we lay our hands upon your head and we confirm

you to be a member in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and we
seal upon you all the keys of the Holy Priesthood even to be a Prophet Seer
and Revelator in the Church and Kingdom of God and every blessing which
has ever been sealed upon you and we seal upon you the gift of the Holy
Ghost; and we seal you up unto Eternal Life in the name of Jesus
Christ: Amen

Baptisim and Confirmation of Brigham Young by H. C Kimball

Heber C Kimball then baptized President Brigham Young and
assisted by Jedediah M. Grant he confirmed and blessed him as
follows:

Brother Brigham Young we lay our hands upon your
head and confirm you to be a member in the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, and we seal upon your head the
Holy Ghost Priesthood with all the keys powers and blessings
appertaining thereunto even to be a Prophet Seer and Revelator
in the Church and Kingdom of God and over the house of Israel
and we seal upon your head all the blessings which were
sealed upon you by the Prophet Joseph. And we say unto you
that you shall have power over your enemies and you shall
not be slain by them but you shall live to see them overthrown
and to see the Saints come off victorious over their enemies
And I seal these blessings upon your in the name of Jesus
Christ: Amen

Baptism and Confirmation of Wilford Woodruff.

President Brigham Young then baptized me and all the
Presidency laid their hands upon me and confirmed and
blessed me. President Jedediah M. Grant was mouth.

"Brother Wilford Woodruff in the name of Jesus

Christ we lay our hands upon your head and we confirm you to be
a member in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and
we seal upon your head all the gifts and blessings of the Apostleship
and Priesthood and every blessing which ahas ever been sealed upon
you in any temple or place—we seeal and confirm upon you
in the name of Jesus Christ: And we bless you for your
infirmities and ill health and pray that you may be healed and
have the gift of writing the truth as an historian and we
ask our Father in heaven to grant unto us ^you^ these blessings in
the name of Jesus Christ: Amen.

Baptisim and Confirmation of Bishop Edward Hunter.

President Brigham Young then baptized Edward Hunter presiding
Bishop of the Church and confirmed him. President Young
was mouth and said:

Brother Edward Hunter we lay our hands
upon your head in the name of Jesus Christ and we confirm
you to be an member in the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints and we seal upon you the gift of the Holy
Ghost and Priesthood and Bishoprick and the keys thereof
and we seal upon your head all the gifts blessings priesthood
and power which has ever been sealed upon you by the Prophet
Joseph or any of the servants of God: and we say that you
shall have power to magnify your calling as the Chief Bishop
in the Church and Kingdom of God on earth. The Spirit
and power of the Holy Ghost and revelation shall rest upon
you in power and we seal you up unto Eternal Life and
we seal upon your head every blessing your heart can
desire in the name of Jesus Christ: Amen."

President Young then baptized
the following persons:

Joseph Young Daniel H. Wells Albert Carrington
Leonard W. Hardy Jesse C Little and Gilbert Clements and
he was mouth in confirming them all excepting Daniel H. Wells
whom Heber C Kimball spoke over

Return of Franklin Richards and other Missionaries from Europe.

October the 4th 1856

On this day missionaries from Europe arrived home. They
arrived in the city at half past three oclock. The company
consisted of Franklin D. Richards Daniel Spencer Joseph A
Young William H. Kimball James Ferguson George D.
Grant N. H. Felt James M^cGaw John Van Cott
C. H. Wheelock Wm C Dunbar and John D. T. M^cAllister
When Presidents Young and Kimball met their sons and
friends with a hearty wealcome theere were tears of joy shed

Next day was Sunday and the day was
occupied by the returned Missionaries

At the close of the meeting President Brigham
Young went down into the Font and baptized men women and
children of his own family about 75 in number

Then President Heber C. Kimball went
down into the water and baptized about 75 mostly of his own
family but some were of my family and the families of
others of the Twelve and afterwards Lorenzo Young went into
the water and baptized 25 persons making 175 souls all
of whom were confirmed under the hands of Heber C Kimblall
J. M. Grant Wilford Woodruff and Joseph Young; but
a few of the last Daniel H. Wells and John Van Cott
assisted in confirming

In the meeting this day President Young

made a call for sixty teams twelve tons of flour and 40 extra
teamsters to go into the mountains to help in the back emigration
of Hand-cart companies.

General Conference of the Church
held
In the Bowery Great Salt Lake City
October the 6th 1856

The Conference commenced at 10 o'clock AM

There were present on the Stand of
the
Presidency: Brigham Young Heber C. Kimball and
Jedediah M. Grant.

Of the Twelve: Wilford Woodruff Lorenzo
Snow and Franklin D. Richards who had just returned
from the Presidency of the European mission

The other quorums of the Church were also numerously
represented on the Stand with the Returned Missionaries
and there was convened together a vast congregation

After singing and prayer President Young
said our Conference is now open and the first business is to
gather together the clothing shoes flour and the teams and
man them and start them back into the mountains
after the Handcart and other companies who are back on
the Plains. They were below Laramie some of them

The following articles were brought
in to send back to feed clothe and help the poor Saints

Twenty sidx thousand six hundred and eighty
pounds of flour thirty one bushels of onions ^1211 pounds of meat^
five bushels of oats eight ^188^ dollars in cash one hundred and six
blankets fifty three coats fifty vests twenty nine shawls

72 shirts 174 pairs of stockings 9 pairs of mitts 1 buffalo robe 2 overshirts
3 boys suits 14 jackets 7 shirts 1 rug 5 yards of Linsey 1 pair of gloves
34 teams 6 horses 7 ^4^ wagons 51 teamsters 8 cloaks 57 pair of pants 134
pairs of boots and shoes 51 dresses 67 hoods 72 pairs of socks 40 bundles
of cloalthing 14 sacks 2 Chemises 13 hats and caps 8 pairs of drawers 12
bonnetts 4 hankerchiefs 1 Victorine and 2 aprons.

This offer was made for the poor at the request of
Brigham Young

President Kimball moved that President Young himself
and J. M. Grant should go into the mountains and to meet the
companies and bring them in. The vote was put to the people and
but few voted for it but the great majority against it

President Young spoke of the necessary of a
reformation among the people

President Kimball called upon the blacksmiths
in the congregation to return home to mend the wagons and
shoe the horses of the people so that they might start back
upon their expedition to help in the companies.

The authorities of the Church were then presented
by President Kimball and sustained

The 18th Ward was divided and John Sharp
was appointed Bishop to preside over the Twentieth Ward

Presidents Grant and Kimball addressed the
congregation and President Young then said

"I wish to fulfil the promise which I made
two weeks ago. I then told the people or the females that
I would release them at Conference. I will do so on certain
conditions and that is that you will appear forthwith at my
Office and give good and sufficient reasons and then marry
men who will not have but one wife.

In the afternoon the returned Elders Cyrus
H. Waheelock James Ferguson Wm C Dunbar Elder Bunker

and Charles ^acy^ G. Webb.

President Young said he had never heard any
missionaries speak on returning from missions that he was more
satisfied with than with those who had just returned home; though
he was as well satisfied with the Twelve on their mission to
England in 1840

Next day I spoke to the people upon the Handcart
companies; John Banks followed upon his mission East and President
Grant delivered a brief but powerful address on reformation

Repaptism of F. D Richards and Others.

At the close of the meeting I went to the Font and the House
of the Lord to assist in baptism and confirmation.

Elder Franklin D Richards went into the
Font and baptized his brethren the missionaries who had been
with him and their families and Elder Lorenzo Snow and
myself confirmed them. ^About 65.^

On the 7th Conference was called to order by
President Kimball who rebuked those who were in the habit
of leaving during service or talking at meeting and he said

"You may say I am severe. I am not
half as severe as the Lord wants me to be. I have seen
Joseph when men were in Council meetings with him and
rose to leave cut them off from the Church before they got
out of the door. You tramel the Spirit and it is grieved
with the confusion and interuption. If you do not believe
this get the Spirit of God and come on this stand and
attempt to talk to the people

During the day a number of the
Returned Missionaries spoke and it was resolved that
the Returned Missionaries should stay with their families

[Edward William Tullidge] a few days and then go through the Territory and strengthen their
brethren in the settlements.

John Wolley was voted to be Bishop of the 9th Ward
J. M. Grant told the Bishops and all men when they
got home to live their religion. He exhorted them in the Spirit
and power of God and President Young exhorted the people to lay
it to heart and put into practice what J. M. Grant had told them
and he blessed the congregation of Saints.

Elder Dunbar sung and the Assembly was
dismissed.

Conference was adjourned till the 6th day of April
1857.

In the evening the Seventies and Elders ^met^ in the Tabernacle.
The House was full. The first seven Presidents were present with
Joseph Young presiding.

President ^Joseph^ Young occupied the forep^art^ of the meeting
by transacting the business of the quorums. Seventy Quorums
were called upon and found to be mostly full. He then called
for a subscription from the Seventies but he got but little

Jedediah M. Grant then arose and said
"There are some things that grieve me. President Young was
asked if it would not be well to send the Presidents of the Seventies
out. He said no. They would preach the people to sleep
and then to hell. Now this shows me that there Presidents
of the Seventies are asleaep and that there is something wrong with
them. If this is the case that they would preach the people
to sleep and then to hell then this body of counsellors are guilty
of sins either of omission or commission and I would advise
Joseph Young to cut off his counsecil and drop them and
appoint men in their stead who are full of the Holy Ghost and
who will act with him and assist him."

President Grant continued in a similar ^manner^ to wake

up the Presidents and the Seventies just as he been of late preaching
repentance and reformation to all Israel.

-[He took up President Joseph Youngs council
and said

"Look at them. Now here is brother Levi Hancock
Why he will fiddle diddle di fiddle diddle do and fiddle diddle
diddle dum and tweedle diddle ta. Now he may preach
a month and there would be no more Spirit of God in it than
there would be in a cabbage leaf. Now if you would
preach the people ^to sleep and^ to hell you are guilty of some great ^henious^
sins either of omission or commission. You have either
committed adultery or some other sins and you ought to be
dropped

Here is brother Herriman. Now if you will
preach the people to sleep and to hell you are guilty of some
great sins either of commission or omission ahave committed
adultery or some great sins and you ought to be dropped
Brother Herriman might preach a month; then you might
put it all into the eye of a cambric needle and there would be
as much room in it as there would be for a bull frog in the
Atlantic Ocean

Albert P. Rockwood if you would preach the
people to sleep and to hell, you are asleep dead and guilty
of committing adultery or some great sins. There is no
sap in you. You are as dry as an old musk rat skin
and you ought to be dropped

And Zerah Pulsipher if he would preach
the people to sleep and to hell you are guilty of some abominable
sins of commission or ommission of committing adultery or
some great sins and ought to be dropped

And I would say the same of
Benjamen Clapp and Horace S Eldridge according to

the President's words they are alsleep and ought to be dropped

I think that Brother Joseph ought to cut them off
and prune the trees around him.

How can the body be kept alive and healthy
when the head is asleep and dead? It has been with great
reluctance that I have voted for the Presidents of the Seventies
for a long time and I will say to those Seventies if your presidents
have gone to sleep dont you go to sleep but keep awake. If
your Presidency have committed adultery and done wrong
and committed great sins that will damn them dont you
do it but wake up

Is there any man ^who is^ in that council who has
been ordained a counsellor to Joseph Young? If so I do not
know it; but each man was ordained a President and is under
as much obligation as Joseph Young is to magnify his calling
and do his duty. But they never think of such a thing of
taking any burden upon their shoulders, but leave it all
for Joseph Young to do; and he has to drag them along

When I vote for Rockwood Pulsipher Herriman
and Levi Hancock I do it very reluctantly and I have done
so for years.

Now I want to have you to wake up and do
your duty.]-

On the 9th Elder Franklin D. Richards and his
company called upon President Young to settle all their matters as
agents afar the Church abroad.

Some remarks were made last Sunday night
relative to the children of Joseph Smith. President Young
said I have no rega fears with regard to the family of Joseph
God will take care of them and all will be right

We had just pastsed through another General
Conference and such an one I never saw before. The Spirit

of God is like a flame among the leaders of this people and
they were throwing the arrows of the Almighty. Jedediah M.
Grant was as a sharp two-edged sword and he was calling
upon the people to wake up and repent of their sins. The Elders also
who had returned from their missions to Europe were full of the
Holy Ghost and the accounts which they gave of their missions
and the dealings of God with them had been very interesting

I spent the 11th in the Historian's
Office making a ^commencement^ upon the History of Brigham Young
Presidents Brigham Young and Heber C Kimball and Joseph and
John Young came into the Office and heard read what was written
and corrected what was wrong

The Texan Company arrived in the City
this day at 4 o'clock P.M.

In the prayer ^circle^ on Sunday Elder Leonard
Wilford Hardy was called forward and Presidents Brigham Young
Heber C Kimball and Jedediah and M ^M^ Granat and Franklin D
Richards and Wilford Woodruff laid hands upon his head
and ordained him to the office of an High Priest and a Bishop
and also as the First Counsellor to Bishop Edward Hunter
The following is a synopsis of

The Ordination and Blessing of Leonard Wilford Hardy
As Bishop and First Counsellor to Bishop Edward Hunter
Given Sunday the 12th of October 1856. President Young being mouth

Brother Leonard Wilford Hardy, In the name
of Jesus Christ and by virtue of the Holy Priesthood we lay
our hands onupon your head and ordain you to be a High
Priest and a Bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. And we also ordain you to be the First Counsellor
to Bishop Edward Hunter who is the Chief Bishop in the

Church and we seal upon your head all the power and authority of this
priesthood and Bishoprick and we seal upon you the Spirit of counsel
and revelation that you may counsel the people to pay their tithing and
we bless you with the gift of descernment that you may have power
to magnify your calling and you shall have the Spirit of prophecy and
revelation visions and dreams and the administersihng of angels and
you shall be filled with wisdom and shall assist in building up the
Kingdom of God on the earth, and shall be an active assistant
unto Bishop Hunter in gathering the tithing of the people that
the temples of our God may be built and his works carried on. Let
your heart be comforted you shall be blessed with every good thing
your heart shall desire and your words shall be like a two edged
sword among the people and we seal you up unto Eternal Life and
no man shall take your crown. We seal all these blessings
upon your head in the name of Jesus Christ: Amen.

Jesse C. Little was then ordained unto the office
of Bishop and the Second Counsellor to Bishop Hunter. The
following is a synopsis of the

Ordination and Blessing of Jesse C. Little as Bishop
and Second Counsellor of Edward Hunter Chief Bishop.
Given Sunday October the 12th 1856. President Young being mouth.

"Brother Jesse C Little; In the name of Jesus Christ we
lay our hands upon your head and we ordain you to be a Bishop
and the Second Counsellor unto Bishop Edward Hunter in the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and we seal upon your head
all the blessings appertaining to the Bishoprick and we pray God
to let the Holy Ghost rest upon you and we say it shall rest upon
you at this time and you shall live long upon the earth and stand
by thy brethren until death even thy brethren whose hands are
upon thy head and be with them both in time and eternity

You shall have visions dreams and the spirit of prophecy; and
thou shalt have the gift of discernment to know the hearts of the
children of men: And we seal these blessings upon your head
and seal you up unto Eternal Life in the name of Jesus Christ:
Amen.

The Gospel in the English Language the Most Effective

At the 14 Ward meeting Elder Franklin D. Richards testified that
he had found the people more ready to carry out the principles
of this Kingdom who had been taught it in the English language
than those who only understood the Welsh and other languages
It had seemed like speaking through the quill to the Welsh
Churches all the time.

Presidents Brigham Young ^Heber C Kimball
J. M. Grant on the 14th^ went out to meet the emigration but they had
to return to the city on the 15th in consequence of President Young
being very sick

Next day in company with Heber C. Kimball
I visited President Young. We found him feeble but
much recovered. The sickness had mostly left him as soon
as he had returned over the CBig Mountain towards the city
There had seemed something very mysterious about his sickness
He was taken very severely on the evening of the 14th with
pain in the kidneys and bowels and he nearly fainted away
Presidents Kimball and Grant administered unto him and prayed
for him and he began to recover. The Brethren felt that
the valley in which they were was ful^l^ of devils. They had
to go on to the mountain before they could get the spirit of
prayer. They felt that there was a legion of devils congregated
around them in the valley where the^y^ were and trying to destroy
them. They also felt that there was evil intended against
them on the road and that they should leave that valley and

return home. So they hitched up their horses in the morning and started
for home and the nearer they drew to the city the better they felt.

Ordination of Frederick Kesler to the Bishoprick.
Sunday Oct. the 19th 1856

President Young at the close of prayers called upon Bishop Hunter
and his council to ordain Frederick Kesler to be a Bishop in the
Sixteenth Ward. They laid hands upon him and the following
is a synopsis of his ordination:

Brother Frederick Kesler, In the name of Jesus
Christ we lay our hands upon your head and we ordain you a
High Priest and a Bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints and we seal upon your head all the blessings
which have been sealed upon you by any of the Servants of God
in days which are past and gone and we seal upon you all the
power blessing and keys of the High Priesthood and Bishoprick
and you shall have power to sustain and comfort the drooping
spirits of the people and we seal upon you all blessings which
are needful to sustain you in your calling and every blessings
which your heart can desire in righteousness before ^the^ Godlord. We
seal these blessings upon your ^head^ in the name of Jesus Christ:
Amen.

On the 23rd when I called upon President Young
I found him in company with Bishop Taylor John Sharp
and others making a contract about digging the tunnel to take
out Weber River into Davis County. The following conversation
took place:

President Young said, he would not undertake this
job unless the Bishops would bind themselves to pay as fast
as we get the lumber for them; and I want $1000 pay
kept in advance and the people must back this matter
up. Brother Taylor said they would do it. The

people are expecting to back it up. This tunnel will be one
mile and a quarter long

President Young asked Brother Taylor ofif
he wanted us to commence this job and go on with it?

Brother Taylor said I do

President Young said to John Sharp are you
prepared to take hold and boss this job, as I cannot attend
to it.

Brother Sharp said he would

"Now Brother Taylor you go and get your hands and
go to that dam and build that and do it well. Do not
trust any man to boss that job who is not well acquainted with
the buisness. Now I want to give you some instruction
about this job. Get you a gang of hands and say to them
Now I will give you so much interest for doing so much on
this land. ^canal^ Let the Bishops take their men and go with
them and have the Canal staked off and say to the companies
that those who get their job done first they shall have a
silver medal.

Brother Taylor asked, "Shall we enlarge Kay's
Settlement" and was answered "No; until the people the
people build up and improve what they have got

"What shall those do who are there and have
no place to build upon"

"Let the people who have more land than theiry
can improve to a good advantage devide with them. Now
you will want some shanties but I don't want anything built
but dug outs. Dig your holes in the bank and cover over
with slabs as they will be temporary buildings"

Wm. Eddington Hugh Findley and
Wm G. Mills called upon President Young to consult his
feelings upon the continuation of the entertainments of the

Literary and Musical Society. They came as a committee from
that society

President Young said, "I do not like some things that
have been there. Most of the sisters and brethren have written
very good essays; but some have been vulgar. But I have no
objection to their being continued if they can be conducted in righteousness
I would like you to get a globe revolving there and give lectures
upon gelography history and science. They all belong to our religion
and there are but few who can retain in their memory the geography
of the world. So lectures would be interesting to many upon
this subject. I do not want to hear baldadash; but I want
to hear that which is right and tends to good

A man arrived from Laramie from whom we
learned that A. O. Smoot was at Green River and that the last
company whom the Indians killed the same number as the soldiers
had killed of the Indians they in turn killed of the whites and
then they were satisfied and gave themselves up and they also surrendered
Mrs Margetts whom they had taken prisioner.

Snow on the Big Mountain was eight inches
deep.

Elder Dan Jones arrived on the 24th quite unwell and on Sunday
the 26th he was called up to speak but could only do so for a short
time. He looked nearly worn out

At the close of President Kimball's remarks which
followed he called upon all the horse teams in the city and county
to go into the Mountains and pick up the companies who were
coming with hand-carts and bring them into the city. One hundred
and fifteen were raised in a few minutes and all were prepared to
start in the morning. They were to take grain to feed them
with. President Young was unwell and not at the Tabernacle.

At the prayer circle the subject came up concerning the
emigration starting so late that it had cost the Territory more

than it would to have bought oxen and brought them through for we
have had to send some two hundred and fifty teams out to meet
them emigration and to send some twenty tons of flour and many
thousands of dollars of shoes and clothing.

President Young asked why they were so late
Brother Franklin Richards said that Elder Taylor wanted to control
the emigration and means and would not take hold and assist in
the work without

President Young said that Brother Taylor was a good
man in many respects but he was not fit to handle means any
more than a child. "I am going to inform all the churches
people and agents next season who do not take my counsel
that they shall be suspended from the Church

Elder Taylor said that the Handcart companies
could not be forwarded short of £12 (pounds) which would
not do at all.

President Young observed to Franklin Richards
"You had your possitive instructions what to do but
John Taylor but stood in your way and you did not do
as you were told and the people were sent to^o^ ^so^ late that it
cost us many thousand dollars to get them in. Now what
do you think of such things

Elder Franklin Richards said the only
excuse I have to offer is that Orson Spencer was dead
and John Taylor took charge of all things in the States and
informed me that he had instructions from President Young to
attend to it which it appears was not correct. Elder Taylor
wanted to handle the money himself which was wrong.

I met with President Grant and all the
Missionaries at the house of Franklin D. Richards

President Grant said Elders Woodruff
and Franklin D Richards would preside over the missionaries

The following is a synopsis of the directions of President Grant
to the Missionaries

"I want you to go through the Territory and do what
God wants you to do. Go prepared for battle. When it is necessary
jerk men up by their mains ^names^. Wake up the Bishops and all presiding
officers and then the people.

"Now we want to know what all men are doing throughout
this Territory. The people are dirty: we want them to reform in this
thing. Many do not treat their children right but use them roughly
Now if a man has the Spirit of God he will use his children well and
treat them kindly. I can tell you that children are very sensative
and the treatment which they meet has a great effect upon them

We want to see to that the people are employed
The reason why we prosper in this city more than in any other is that
we labour.

I went to ^Taylorsville^ with Joseph Young and the people
was so dead and bad that brother Joseph wanted to go home
and not stop. I told him I would not go until I converted
that people and I stayed until I ^had done it and they had^ got the Spirit of God. Then
I conqurerd the people. So at the city Bountiful. I preached
there until the Spirit stoped there for days but at first the
Bishop was asleaep

When you go to a place treat the people right
Get the Spirit of God and then you will know what is going on
When you go to a place preach to the people. Dont get into
Noah's ark nor into the city of Jerusalem but just tell that
people what you want them to do.

More was also said and then F. D. Richards spoke
^and^ Daniel Spencer James Ferguson Dan Jones Edmund Ellsworth
brother Smith John Van Cott and George D Grant all spoke
in turn

President Grant wished the missionaries to meet on

the following Friday night

Robert Scholes started on the morning of the 28th
with my horses and waggon to go into the Mountains to assist the Saints

I met President Grant on the 31st and he said
there had come an express from the First Handcart company and that
they brought bad news. They were caught in a snow storm and
dying very fast. The people became chilled. They would draw
all day and die at night and those who dug the graves for the brethren
would themselves die the same day.

This I learned from the messengers themselves
They said the night before they met the company there were
five deaths. There had been some 25 deaths twenty of whom
were men

They had not heard from the 2^nd Hand cart company
Joseph Young and Cyrus H. Wheelock went ahead with the
news that help was coming and George D. Grant followed with
ten of the best teams.

There had been about fifty five deaths in
the first company in consequence of cold. The captain of
the company had dealt out all the provisions to the people the
night before any help came and they did not know that
any help was coming. They dealt out 11 oz. to a man
9 to a woman and 6 to a child. There was but little snow
on the road till they got to the Rocky Ridge

At the Prayer Circle on Sunday
November the 2^nd President Young wished me to write
out a list of the "Commandments" which he wished to make
use of in the Reformation

Brigham H. Young arrived on the
3rd. He had been with A. O. Smoot to St. Louis
Keokuk and Nauvoo. Nauvoo looked desolate
weeds growing up in the streets. He went to Emma

Smith's mansion but could ^not^ see any of the family. He said that
Emma had instilled into the minds of her children that it was President
Young who had caused the death of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. -[An
idea more false never entered the human soul). President Brigham
Young said that he thought Joseph would have as hard work to dig
her out of hell in the next world as he did in this.

The Gospel Scales of the Reformation

On the 4th the Presidency the Twelve the Seventies the High
Priests and the Bishops with their councils all met at the Social
Hall and President Young weighed the whole of them in the
scales of the celestial law of God and there were but very few
that weighed clear in every point. President Young taught
the people good doctrine and in a fatherly spirit.

The Presidency and Twelve and others met in council
at the Historian's Office on the 8th and the subject came up of
reading the sermon of President Young concerning the late emigration
and what cause^d^ so much suffering. It was concluded to
strike out the reflections cast upon F. D Richards, and ^but^ more upon
John Taylor for hindering the brethren from doing business for
several weeks.

President Young said Bishoph Hunter when the
Handcart companies come in I want to have the Bishops take the
people to some empty houses and appoint an overseer over them
so that they may not eat themselves to death for they would killl
themselves with eating if they had an opportunity.

On the 10th Elder A. O. Smoot brought in
the Church train goods &c and brother Willie the Handcart
company. There had been 60 deaths in that company
They were nearly chilled to death by the snows and cold
in the mountains

Promise of the Remission of the Sins of the People
Given by President Young November the 10th 1856

I attended meeting of the Presidents of the Seventies in the
Seventies Hall

While I was speaking President Young came in when
I closed and was followede by Herriman Hancock and Pulsifepher
and then President Young

The President promised the people in the name
of Jesus Christ that if they would repent and turn from their sins
from that hour all their sins should be forgiven them and not
remembered against them any more for ever either on earth or
in heaven.

^On the 11th^ An Express came in from the teams saying that
the teams had gone to the Sweet Water and hearing nothing
from the companies they turned back. President Young
immediately took measures to raise an Express to go directly
and turn the teamsters back again to continue back until
they met the company and several horsemen were to go with
them

I heard early on the morning of the 13th that an
Express had come in from the Handcart company and I went
to the President's and met with all the Presidency. The following
is a synopsis of what I learned

Brother Joseph A. Young and George D. Grant
parted. They agreed that they should not go any farther
than the Devil's Gate until George came up. He did not
find the company so Joseph A. then went on to the Platte
and found them at the Upper cCrossing of the Platte. They
were in camp and had been nine days waiting for the
snow to go off. Soon brother George D. Grant
arrived and prepared the camp for moving. He asked