The Brigham Young Center

<152 - 153>
Great Salt Lake City
March 1st, 1866.

Mr. C. James Andrews,
Yale College, P. O. Box 1817. New Haven, Conn.

Dear Sir:

I have received a letter from you, under date of Jan. 9th, in which you state that, "there are several here at College who are favorably disposed towards you and your cause, and would like very much to learn if there are any, and what inducements for a young man to come to Utah who has had the advantage of an education at this college."

The circumstances which surround us are so peculiar. We came to this country, in the first place, because we could not stay where we where then residing, on account of the persecution and mobocracy to which we had to submit. If we could have had our choice, we should have preferred staying there, but an exodus to this, then unknown, land was the only alternative which presented itself before us. Nearly all of the citizens of this country have came here, prompted solely by religious convictions, and to associate themselves more closely with their co-religionists. These are the inducements which have influenced us to make this country our home, and they are the principle inducements which we could extend to others. We have a healthy country, and, though uninviting in many respects, by diligent labor and perseverance, with the blessing of the Lord, we have made it beautiful and fruitful; but it has been at the expense of great labor.

We have many educated men among us who have been compelled, through the nature of our circumstances, to turn their attention to manual labor, and they are employed in various parts of the Territory in agricutural and mechanical pursuits. The country is too recently settled to afford the advantages to men of education which older communities offer.

Accompanying this I send you a copy of the Deseret News, which contains a epitome of our faith.

Respectfully I remain

Brigham Young