The Brigham Young Center

President's Office
Great Salt Lake City,
Sept. 26th, 1866.

President Erastus Snow,
St. George, Washington Co.,

Dear Brother:

I have just received a letter from John G. Smith, of St. George, who was recently cut off from the Church for adultery, in which he pleads most humbly for forgiveness and the privilege of re-entering the Church. I think that it would be well for you to have him rebaptized (unless there be something to prevent that I know nothing about) and have his former blessings sealed upon him, and he be told to go his way and sin no more.

Is there a suitable house that could be secured for me in St. George, in which I can spend this next winter, in case I should conclude to go down there for a few months?

The companies that we sent down to bring up the poor Saints from the frontiers are coming in, one after another, now every few days. The people, as a general thing, are in good health, and are soon absorbed among our citizens. The companies yet behind, so far as heard from, are in good condition, though they have had a severe snow-storm a few days back-- sufficiently cold, in some instances, to freeze their cattle.

Myself, President Wells, the brethren of the Twelve in this neighborhood, Captain Hooper and other Elders, have recently returned from a preaching trip north. We held two days' meetings at both Ogden and Logan and meetings at Willard City & Brigham City and Wellsville. The trip was an exceedingly pleasant one. A good spirit prevailed in all the meetings, and the Saints rejoiced under the valuable instruction which they received. Sunday last myself, President Kimball and Elders John Taylor, W. Woodruff, George Q. Cannon and my brother Lorenzo attended meetings in Farmington.

There has been a disposition manifested of late by certain parties in this City to jump every spot of ground in the City that is vacant. The public squares, parade grounds, race course, &c., and even our fenced fields have been squatted upon by unscrupulous men, anxious to derive benefit from the labors of the people, utterly regardless of right. A raid was made upon some of the squatters the other night, by some persons unknown and they received a thorough fright. Of course, as usual I am charged as being the author of this transaction. Every man in this community who take the law in his own hands and redresses his own grievances, or even takes a legal course of any kind to check scoundrels in their career of wrong, must do it, according to our enemies' accusations, because I tell them to do so! You would imagine that no man, making any pretension to sense, would make such a preposterous statement with any expectation of it being believed. By such statements they unwittingly recognize the power and authority of the priesthood, which they, at other times, affect to despise and ignore.

With love, I remain Your Brother,
Brigham Young

P. S.
I have not fully concluded at present whether I will go to St. George to send the winter or not; if the wire
should be stretched between here and there <and in full operation,> it would be an inducement; but, if
not, I should not think of going there.

B. Y.