378 - 381
President's Office, Great Salt Lake City
Dec. 6/64
Presidents Daniel H. Wells and Brigham Young, Jr.,
Dear Brethren:
Your welcome favors (Bro. Daniel's of Oct 22nd and Brigham, Jr's., of Oct 27th) have been received and Perused with much interest, and the business items have been duly noted. Your communications manifest a spirit of improvement which I am pleased to witness, and I hope that you will continue to cultivate this spirit in all your writings and teachings and in the management your business.
Your continued visits to the Conferences, and meeting with the Elders and Saints at their various fields and places of residence, is time well spent. By such visits the Mission will be more likely to be kept in a healthy condition, and the details of affairs throughout the conferences to be more thoroughly known by you. I have been very sorry to hear what you have written to me respecting David Gibson and his operations. Whenever his mysterious disappearance shall be accounted for I am of the opinion you will find that he has been prompted to take such a course by the loss of the Spirit and the shame arising from transgression. It is to be regretted that at this late day, after the Latter day Saints have had so much instruction upon the plan of salvation, men should fail to perceive that there is nothing that the adversary can offer as a temptation to seduce them from the path, of righteousness and truth which they cannot obtain by treading in that path undeviatingly. There is no good thing which is not comprehended in the Gospel of Jesus; every Gift and blessing that can enhance the happiness of man, or add in the least to his enjoyment and to the development of his Godlike nature, is promised unto man through his obedience to the truth, and he can receive all these things as fast as he prepares himself for them. Strange to say, however, not only are the people in the world blind to this great fact, but men and women, who call themselves Latter-day Saints, and who have been taught the principles of salvation, fail to recognize it, and desert the substantial pleasures which they could enjoy eternally, and go in pursuit of their shadows.
We have had a steady rain, mingled with some snow, now for two days. It is still raining. There is no frost in the ground, and as the rain falls gently, it is
Everything is moving on peaceably in the City and Territory. The holding of the Convention for the regulation of the price of grain has been attended with excellent effects. Flour and Grain have sold at remunerative prices, and the farmers have been able, by the sale of their produce, to furnish their families with many comforts which would have been beyond their reach had there not been a united effort to keep up the prices. This has not been the only advantage. Speculators and others in the adjacent Territories have exerted themselves to obtain flour and grain from other quarters, instead of depending wholly upon us, which they would have done had they thought that they could have obtained provisions at the old prices.
The Volunteers on the Bench are becoming more insignificant every day. They are becoming tired of their publishing business, and are anxious to sell out the Vedette Office. They do not attract the least notice from the citizens and we all <will> go about our business as though the redoubt able General and his command were not in existence.
A speciman of the silver ore which Connor has been digging in the West Mountains, and about which there has been so much noise made, was lately showed me. It is nothing but lead, and rather poor quality at that; it contains a much smaller per centage of silver than our Los Vegas lead did.
The line of the proposed Canal, between Big Kanyon Creek and the City is now being surveyed by Bro. Jesse W. Fox. By levelling from the point selected as the most suitable for the canal to cross that Creek, we find that the water can be brought to a point in the City nearly as high as the top of Eagle near my Beehive house, which will be sufficiently elevated to answer every desired purpose in navigation or irrigation. The digging will soon be commenced and it is the intention to push the work through as fast as practicable this
The hard times which the working classes in Lancashire, Warwickshire and other places are suffering, may cause some of the more honest and reflecting portion of the people, who have heard the testimony of the servants of the Lord, to pay some attention to the truth and to bow in submission to its requirements. We can tell the nations of Babylon that they have only began to experience, in a small degree, the calamities and judgments which will most assuredly fall upon them unless they repent of their sins and turn unto the Iord.
If there are any of the Saints who have means sufficient to carry them across this side and are desirous to come, the better way will be to take passage to New York, and then take rail from there to Buffalo, and cross from there to some points in Canada as will be most feasible and present the best facilities for obtaining <for obtaining> employment. If such persons could obtain suitable employment not far from Detroit, on the Canada side, it would be convenient for them to come from there West when they wish to emigrate; but in seeking a place to stop, they will have to be governed by circumstances. I mention New York as the port to which they should ship, because passages can be obtained more readily, and as a general thing at more reasonable rates, than to Canadian ports. If any should choose to come on West into the neighborhood of Wyoming, and seek for employment, there would be no objections. By the time they obtain their outfit, opportunities will very likely offer for them to come on here. But in all this you must be governed by the situation of the country and by circumstances. I indulge in the hope, however, that, before long, the way will be open for our emigration to come by the Colorado River, and that Steam ship owners will be willing to charter their vessels to carry our people to Aspinwall on the Atlantic side and from Panama on the Pacific side up the Coast to the point that will suit us best. The best months for the Saints to cross into Canada will be June, July and August; they then will have time to prepare for winter.
Ransohoff's store was robbed one night last week of a quantity of clothing. The police have been very diligent in their search after the thieves, and have finally, been successful in arresting them, and in finding the greater portion of the goods stolen from Ransohoff, as well as a quantity of Coffee and other articles which were stolen some weeks ago from Mr Shipp, the father of Bro. M. B. Shipp. The property was found on the premises of a so-called Saint by the name of Griffin, of Union Fort, and of another by the name of Geo. W. Kent of Session's Settlement. Three Gentiles have been arrested, who, with Griffin and Kent, are now undergoing a preliminary examination before Judge Smith; they will undoubtedly be committed, as there is no room for doubt as to their guilt.
I should like to continue to receive a Monthly Cash statement of the business of your Office; and that this may be fully reliable, it will be well to see that your books are kept well posted up, and your Cash account regularly balanced as often as once a month at least.
It will be well for you to make inquiries as to who would be the best type-founders to make matrices for our Deseret Alphabet, so that you may have an idea where to get fine, well-finished elegant type made for our books when we need it. Look around, and see where they can be got; and whether they can be got at all or not; and also ascertain whether we will be under the necessity of sending any person over to superintend the business of getting the type up. You have printers there, probably, who can tell what is needed, and who will know when the tupes are right in every respect for printing.
Both your families have been visited this morning (the 7th) and your wives and children are all well. Brigham's son, Howard, fell from the foundation in his lot, and hurt or sprained his ancle; this confined him to the house for a few days; but he is now able to wear his boot again and go to school with the other children.
Praying the Lord to bless you abundantly in your labors,
I remain your Brother in the Gospel
Brigham Young
P. S.
Draft no. 518 L 1.14.0 Christina E Mink; 519, L.2.0.0, S. M. Blair 520, 12.0.0, Lars Peters-- 521 2.0.0 Lars Pederson; no. 522, 3.6.0 Johannah Hansen; 523, 3.5.0 Ellen Jacobson; 524, 25.0.0, W. S. Godbe; 525, 6.0.0, Eleanor Jones Enclosed drafts No. 518,521,522,523,525.
Bro. Watt will make a full list of letters, of the Deseret Alphabet single and double, and forward them by mail, also the numbers of different sized fonts we shall need.
Draft No. 526 L 5.0.0 James A Cunningham
A draft has been received and paid which is signed by Brigham No B 7 in favor of Mary Ann Gough; there has been no advice from you of such a draft being drawn upon me; the draft is without stamp.