& destroyed it its much easier to keep your hands out of the
fire than to cure them after they are burned. I would
far prefer to bury any wife or child I have than to
have them live to dishonor my name & disgrace themselves
by commiting sin with the gentiles. If the Bishop sees
any member of my family children or wives come here
to meeting & take a seat in the back part of the House &
spend the time in play instead of attending to the preaching
I wish him to call them by name & let them be reprooved
openly if they will take that course for they all know that
that to be against my council & I wish the Bishop would
persue that course with all persons who come here & do not
do right. we should not be ashamed or afraid to rebuke
wickedness sin & abominations whence ever we know of their its
existance in our midst, for by doing right we will ever be supported
by the right hand of the Lord. there is not the least trembling
in my boydy or spirit because of the results that myay arise from
resisting & rebuking sin for I would rather die wifeless &
childless & see my dwellings laid in ruins & my own body fall
in the gap than to permit whordoms, wickedness & abominations
to exhist in our families wards & cities unrebuked & unchecked
for we as a people have to sanctify ourselves before the Lord
in order to sanctify have the blessings & approbation of the
Lord upon us. It will be far better for us to restrain our
children from Evil than to suffer them to go headlong to ruin
& they will thank God to all Eternity that there parents have
given them good council & restrained them from Evil rather
than to be permitted to plunge into misery sin sorrow & woe
we should treat our wives & children with kindness &
affection & give them good council & when we have done all we
can for them then if they will do ^w^rong & go to ruin our gar-
ments are clear & I hope from this time forth that we
may not look upon sin with any degree of allowance of
approbation which may God grant for Christ Amen
19th I spent a part of the day in the Historians office & the
evening in the Grammar school.
~ Tuesday
20th I spent the day at home studying English Grammar we
had a snow storm
~ Wednesday
21st I spent most of the day studying & the evening in Grammar school
~ Thursday
22nd I spent part of the day studying. I was called upon & went
& laid hands upon Father RJoseph Russel who was taken vary sick
I met in the evening with a part of the board of the Universal
cientific society. we did but little business & returned home
~ Friday
23rd I called to see brother Russel to day He was sum better
I attended the Grammar school at night
& destroyed it is much easier to keep your hands out of the
fire than to cure them after they are burned. I would
far prefer to bury any wife or child I have than to
have them live to dishonor my name & disgrace themselves
by commiting sin with the gentiles. If the Bishop sees
any member of my family children or wives come here
to meeting & take a seat in the back part of the House &
spend the time in play instead of attending to the preaching
I wish him to call them by name & let them be reproved
openly if they will take that course for they all know that
that to be against my council & I wish the Bishop would
pursue that course with all persons who come here & do not
do right. we should not be ashamed or afraid to rebuke
wickedness sin & abominations whence ever we know of its
existance in our midst. for by doing right we will ever be supported
by the right hand of the Lord. there is not the least trembling
in my body or spirit because of the results that may arise from
resisting & rebuking sin for I would rather die wifeless &
childless & see my dwellings laid in ruins & my own body fall
in the gap than to permit whordoms, wickedness & abominations
to exhist in our families wards & cities unrebuked & unchecked
for we as a people have to sanctify ourselves before the Lord
in order to have the blessings & approbation of the
Lord upon us. It will be far better for us to restrain our
children from Evil than to suffer them to go headlong to ruin
& they will thank God to all Eternity that there parents have
given them good council & restrained them from Evil rather
than to be permitted to plunge into misery sin sorrow & woe
we should treat our wives & children with kindness &
affection & give them good council & when we have done all we
can for them then if they will do wrong & go to ruin our garments are clear & I hope from this time forth that we
may not look upon sin with any degree of allowance of
approbation which may God grant for Christ Amen
19th I spent a part of the day in the Historians office & the
evening in the Grammar school.
~ Tuesday
20th I spent the day at home studying English Grammar we
had a snow storm
~ Wednesday
21st I spent most of the day studying & the evening in Grammar school
~ Thursday
22nd I spent part of the day studying. I was called upon & went
& laid hands upon Father Joseph Russel who was taken vary sick
I met in the evening with a part of the board of the Universal
Cientific society. we did but little business & returned home
~ Friday
23rd I called to see brother Russel to day He was sum better
I attended the Grammar school at night
"Journal (January 1, 1854 – December 31, 1859)," February 18, 1855 - February 23, 1855, The Wilford Woodruff Papers, accessed September 1, 2024, https://wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/p/kpK