Mr. Willard Young
West Point, M. A.
My dear Son,
Your interesting letter of the 5th inst. was gladly received. We are always pleased to hear from you and look forward with pleasure to the time -- now rapidly approaching-- when we can receive you in person, shake each other's hands, hear each other's voices, and interchange our feelings in a way that cannot be done in writing.
With this you will find a request for your furlough written in the form suggested. My health is excellent for which I feel very thankful, and also the health of the family. I attended every meeting of our late Conference and spoke very frequently and without any sensible injury to myself.
Everything is moving along in a prosperous and satisfactory manner, and I do not know a time that the Saints ever had greater reason to be thankful to our Heavenly Father, or more need to be humble and faithful than at the present. All the machinations of our enemies, every time, serve but to advance the Kingdom, while each effort they make they seem to become weaker.
Our commercial enterprises, such as the Mercantile Institution, Deseret National Bank, Railroads &c. besides Mining interests in which outsiders are immediately interested all through the Territory, have a powerful effect in heading off those who would introduce strife and discord in our midst, as it is so much to the interest of Capitalists wherever we deal to have business undistributed here.
The missionaries for Arizona are starting out from the various settlements and gathering at Winsor Castle, where they will be <organized &> sent forward to make settlements among the Moquis indians, and in time become accquainted with the Apaches, Pimas, Navajoes & other indians, for we believe that if we are prudent and diligent in the conduct of this mission, we can make a favorable impression among them, in accordance with Prest. Grant's peace policy, and induce them to abandon their thieving, murderous habits.
We have favorable reports from some of those indians, they are anxious to have us come among them, they save they dont want us to provide for them, but they are extremely anxious that we teach them how to labor and provide for themselves. If we have the blessing and approbation of our Heavenly Father, which I think we will have, and the brethren will do right, a good work will be accomplished.
I would like very much, my health permitting, to go and help the brethren found a City somewhere on the Colorado river on the line of the projected Southern Pacific Railroad.
Hitherto my immense business has rendered it difficult for me to leave home, but I have so arranged matters now that I will be left more at liberty, which is a great and satisfactory relief to me.
Spring is rather backward here, we have quite cold weather for the time of year.
We are looking for John W. home in a day or two as he left Philadelphia on the evening of the 11th Brigham Jr. is with me, assisting me in my private business for a short time; he desires to be affecionately remembered to you. Geo A. Smith Daniel H Wells, George Q. Cannon, Lorenzo Snow, Albert Carrington, Brigham and John W. have been added to my counsellors.
Geo. A. Smith succeeds me as T. in Trust and he has twelve assistants, whose names are on the next page.
Accept my warmest feelings of affection and rest assured that you have my constant prayer for your well being and every success in the prosecution of your studies.
Your Affecionate Father
Brigham Young
P. S. This letter was not mailed last night, and it is now the night of the 16th. I went up to our Granite quarry to-day with a party of brethren, and we had a very pleasant visit. We go to "Sandy" a station on the U. S. R. R. opposite Little Cottonwood Kanyon and then by a narrow guage road now building up to the mines in Little Cottonwood. By this means we are enabled to put the granite blocks right on the cars and haul them by rail on to the Temple Block. John W. has not got in, a storm on the U. P. delayed the train, we look for him to-night.
The names of the Asst. Trustees elected at Conference are John Sharp. Joseph F. Smith. Joseph W. Young. Moses Thatcher. A. M. Musser. E. F. Sheets. John Van Cott. John L. Smith. J. P. Freeze. Thomas Taylor. F. A. Mitchell and Le Grand Young.
B. Y.
(pr D McK)