May 1st The Eastern Mail came in this morning I received 5 Letters 3 from J M Bernhisel
2 from I. F. Carter & Mrs Woodruff 1 from
Ilus
I wrote 2 letters to I. F. Carter & J. M. Bernhisl
~ Thursday
3rd4th JOURNEY May 3rd Presidents Young & Kimbal
with a company Left the Salt Lake City to visit all
the southern settlements I left with them I had Trouman O Angel & Dr Sprague as my companions
I drove to Bishop Smoots at the sugar works the[n]
stoped untill Brother Angel could lay out a part
of the sugar works Mrs Woodruff & child rode
down there with me I parted with them at this
place & drove to Union ward & spent the night Silas
Richards is Bishop distance 12 mile
We held a meeting in the evening President Young
Addressed the People I was not in at the comm[encem]ent
& had no chance of reporting his discourse the following
is a key to his address which I have to write from memory
I do not wish to spend my time neither is it profitably
for any man to spend his time in telling the people
what was done in the days of Adam, Enoch & Noah
thousands of years ago or what will be done in
the malinum thousands of years hence but my business
is to tell the people what they should do to day in order
to be saved this is my doctrin all the time. What
can I do or this people do this day in any one thing in
order to help build up the kingdom of God or to advance
one step further towards ^the^ salvation of ourselves or our
brethren. Now hwhat has been the counsel to this people
throughout this Territory for several years it has
been to Fort 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 need hath the Lord of this thing. do you
think there is any danger of the Indians. do you think
that Brother Brigham really believes that it is necessary
to go to so much expens in building walls around our
cities Instead of going to work & doing what they are
told to do the people spend their time in talking about
it & trying to evade it.
Now I wish to ask a question. The Lord has appointed
me to lead this people the people has chosen me as their
leader & covenanted to sustain me & obey my counsel
Now if I tell the people what to do & they do not do
it, nor carry out my counsel, but turn from it
& go to work & do sumthing els & they continue this
year after year while at the same time I am
warning them of the danger of their course
~ Monday
May 1st The Eastern Mail came in this morning
[FIGURE] I received 5 Letters 3 from J M Bernhisel
2 from I. F. Carter & Mrs Woodruff 1 from
Ilus
[FIGURE] I wrote 2 letters to I. F. Carter & J. M. Bernhisel
~ Thursday
4th JOURNEY May 3rd Presidents Young & Salt Lake City to visit all
the southern settlements I left with them I had
Truman O Angel & Dr Sprague as my companions
I drove to Bishop Smoots at the sugar works then
stoped untill Brother Angel could lay out a part
of the sugar works Mrs Woodruff & child rode
down there with me I parted with them at this
place & drove to Union ward & spent the night Silas
Richards is Bishop distance 12 mile
We held a meeting in the evening. President Young
Addressed the People I was not in at the commencement
& had no chance of reporting his discourse the following
is a key to his address which I have to write from memory
I do not wish to spend my time neither is it profitably
for any man to spend his time in telling the people
what was done in the days of Adam, Enoch & Noah
thousands of years ago or what will be done in
the malinum thousands of years hence but my business
is to tell the people what they should do to day in order
to be saved this is my doctrin all the time. What
can I do or this people do this day in any one thing in
order to help build up the kingdom of God or to advance
one step further towards the salvation of ourselves or our
brethren. Now what has been the counsel to this people
throughout this Territory for several years it has
been to Fort 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 need hath the Lord of this thing, do you
think there is any danger of the Indians. do you think
that Brother Brigham really believes that it is necessary
to go to so much expens in building walls around our
cities. Instead of going to work & doing what they are
told to do the people spend their time in talking about
it & trying to evade it.
Now I wish to ask a question. The Lord has appointed
me to lead this people the people has chosen me as their
leader & covenanted to sustain me & obey my counsel
Now if I tell the people what to do & they do not do
it nor carry out my counsel, but turn from it
& go to work & do sumthing els & they continue this
year after year while at the same time I am
warning them of the danger of their Course
"Journal (January 1, 1854 – December 31, 1859)," May 1, 1854 - January 4, 1854, The Wilford Woodruff Papers, accessed November 23, 2024, https://wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/p/rzW