The Brigham Young Center

Great Salt Lake City Oct 19/54

Elder Parley P. Pratt
San Francisco, California

Dear Brother Parley,

Yours of August 23d, was handed me on the 19th Inst., and I rejoiced that your health & spirits were good, notwithstanding you were making slow progress in baptizing, and forming a settlement.  You have had too much experience to be discouraged at adverse circumstances & prospects, even though long continued, and more especially when you reflect that the wicked grow worse and worse, and that the upright in heart are few, and require much searching after, even to the extent of the earth over, and in all patience, for when found one such will compensate for much labor, and pains, aside from this it is a work of no small time and patience to so proclaim the gospel as to prepare the tares for the burning.

As to tithing, you are at liberty to collect it from those you may baptize, and use small amounts if compelled so to do by the exigencies of the cause, exercising your best judgement in the matter, and keeping a strict, and correct account of all receipts and of such disbursements as you feel obliged to make, and forward the balance to me, and report your doings in this matter as often as may be necessary.  Of course you are aware that your family here have to eat, drink,,and wear, and if needy will have to be supplied from the tithing Office, and that this place is the point at which the tithing is most needed, and so here it can be most used to the best advantage, and the direction as to its application should be had <from> here, at least before amounts of much consequence are made use of, otherwise I cannot control those means, and would be seriously impeded in laying plans for the best interests of the whole.

Ferris' book is not worthy of any notice, for it is difficult, if not impossible, to touch pitch and not be defiled, and as, notarity is what the world are after the more his book should be noticed by us the greater would be its sale, and the more noted would be Ferris, which is what he is after, hence the let alone Policy is the one to be pursued in this matter both Publicly & Privately.

I have just returned from a trip to Manti, having left here on the l0th inst, in company with bros. Kimball, Grant, Hyde. G. A. Smith, Benson, L.  Snow, and a few others.  We were absent 8 days, and were quite busy preaching, counseling, and traveling, and enjoyed the journey much as the weather was very pleasant, and we found the brethren at the different settlements rejoicing in bounteous earthly blessings, and in a goodly portion of the spirit of union, peace, & truth.  Most of the Indians met with professed friendship, and the notorious Squawhead was quite penitent for his foolish conduct, saying he had been mad, and acted foolishly, but would now do better, and promised to conduct himself properly, and go out hunting if I would give him a blanket, which I did.

The walls of the building for our machinery for Sugar making are up and we expect the works will soon be ready for making molasses, and also sugar so soon as a man is here who understands its manufacture.  The building on the N. W. corner of the Temple block, designed for giving endowments until the Temple is ready, is nearly completed.

The sayings and doings at our last conference, and the general topics of interest you will find in the "Deseret News."

My health is tolerably good, and that of your family and of the Saints at large continues to be good, and all things are moving on harmoniously, and with reasonable prosperity.

Praying for your guidance by the holy Spirit
I remain ever your
Brother in the Gospel
 
Brigham Young