President's Office Gt S. L. City
May 4th 1866.
Mrs E. McMahon,
Dear Sister:-
Your letter of the 3rd instant and the accompanying letters from Bro. Meik, have been received.
There may be an opportunity of sending to Tooele for your things, and when one offers, I will have them brought over. I have thought of three or four places where you might reside; but, from what I can understand, your habits and mode of doing things are such that I have feared that such an arrangement could not be carried out agreeably to the parties with whom I thought of having you stop nor to yourself. I really do not know what to do with you. It would not be convenient for me to take you into any of my families. My own folks have to work, carry water, wash, build their own fires, cook, &c., and mostly wait upon themselves.
As I understand the circumstances of your coming hear, you did not have sufficient means to purchase your outfit for the plains, and Bro. Taylor had to advance money to help you complete it; and, when your arrived here, he took the wagon on the account and allowed you the same price that was paid for it on the frontiers.
The Saints who gather here we are glad to see, and we feel to do all that we can to aid, comfort and counsel them; but it is as absolutely necessary for every man, woman and child who embraces this work and gathers to Zion to do all that he or she can to forward the work of God to build up Zion, and to aid in the redemption thereof. We, all of us, have has much as we can do to discharge the duties which devolve upon us. Our Zeal in this labor, and the earnestness with which we pursue it, causes us sometimes to appear, in the eyes of the inexperienced, indifferent to the situation of new-comers. Still, this has a tendency to develop energy and self-reliance in the Saints that they could not otherwise have, were they not to be thrown on their resources.
I should advise you to get acquainted with the people around, and see if you can get situated to suit yourself; and then if you are not able to provide yourself as you need we will render you assistance.
Praying the Lord to bless you and give you wisdom to guide you
I remain Your Brother,
Brigham Young