Great Salt Lake City, June 3, 1863
Brigham Young Jr.,
42 Islington, Liverpool, England.
My Dear Son Brigham:-
Your very welcome letter of April 22 came to hand on the 25th ult., and you may rest assured that we were all much gratified in again hearing from you, and interested in perusing your account of your travels, doings, spirit and feelings up to that date.
I last wrote to you on the 18th of April, which letter I trust you received about the time yours of the 22nd reached here, and in that letter I informed you that I purposed soon starting on a visit to our southern settlements, accordingly on the 20th of April, in company with Pres. Kimball, several of the Twelve and others, I started on my visit and returned on the 19th of May, having been absent 29 nights and 30 days. During that time we traveled nearly 850 miles, and held 39 meetings, at which I addressed the congregations 37 times. The brethren in all the settlements we visited greeted us with much gratification, and paid strict attention to our counsels and instructions; and in nearly all places there was visible a commendable increase of energy and taste in improvement in buildings, fields, orchards, vineyards, spirits, feelings, &c.
On the 11th ult. I received a right good letter from your brother John W., written in New York City, April 21.He was well, and enjoying himself much amid new sights and scenes; and from all sources I learn that his conduct is very commendable, and that his trip will doubtless be very beneficial, at least to himself. He mentions that he wrote to you, as I had requested him, on his arrival in New York City, and that he expected to soon start for New Hampshire and Boston, in company with br Horace S. Eldredge.
Gov. Harding has been removed, and his clique and plans have all fizzled out. He said the other day, I am told, that he expected to leave Utah in two or three weeks. His departure will probably be soon followed by that of two or more of his more immediate official aiders and abettors, but wheather or not, it is certain that the back-bone of opposition and strife-stirring slander at home is broken, and there is no apparent prospect of their being able to create any disburbance here at an earlier date than next year at the soonest, so that I think you need have no uneasiness about trouble or affairs at home while on your continental tour, nor within the time previously mentioned for your return home. They are too bus with their own affairs to molest us at present though their feelings are doubtless bitterer and bitterer.
Br. George Q. Cannon's letter containing particulars of W. G. Mills' trial has not yet come to hand, but the result of that trial caused me no surprise.
The spring just past and thus much of June have been unusually dry and warm, but gardens and fields are luxuriant and promise abundant harvests, strawberries being already plentiful in market, and green peas appearing on many tables. In the meanwhile all the varied in and out-door avocations are being vigorously prosecuted, huge granite blocks being hauled for the Temple and cut and laid, and the work on our new Tabernacle being vigorously prosecuted.
The trains for Florence are making excellent progress, with prospects that our immigration will not have so long to wait on the Missouri as they did last year, but rather that some of the trains may have to wait a little for arrivals.
Your course, conduct, travels spirit, feelings and views, so far as communicated, are highly satisfactory to me, and I have great confidence that you will perform all duties and so shun or overcome all evil and allurements there as to perform a mission beneficial to yourself and others, and return to your home with greatly increased faith, profitable experience gained, and none but good works accomplished.
Since writing the foregoing I have received another letter from John W., dated May 17, N. Y. City. He had been to Boston, had visited James and Charlotte, and viewed the notable buildings and place of that city. He was in excellent health and spirits, and expected to soon visit Washington in company with br. T. B. H. Stenhouse.
On your return I would be much pleased to have you visit Col. Kane, if reasonably convenient; at any rate you may have opportunity to make a call upon some portion of his family, which, if you can do, will be very agreeable to them, to the Colonel, and to me.
All is well and prosperous at home, with good prospects for abundant harvests. My health, your mothers, that of my family in general, and of your wives and children, is good. That all needed blessings may ever attend you upon your continental tour, upon your return home on or about the time you are already advised of, and thereafter through your probation and to an abundant admission to the Celestial Kingdom of our God is the prayer of,
Your Father
Brigham Young