The Brigham Young Center

Salt Lake City,
July 15, /68.

Elder Warren N. Dusenberry,
Du Quoin, Illinois.

Dear Brother:

Your very welcome favor of June 27 came safely to hand, and I was much pleased with the good spirit in which it was written, and to learn that your zealous labors are so signally blest.

While the Elders abroad are laboring for the conversion and ingathering of the honest and upright, the Elders and faithful at home are zealous of good works and laboring diligently for the upbuilding of Zion. The more pressing labor, since seeding time, has been the war against the grasshoppers; but they are a difficult foe to war with, and have done much damage. However, the hoppers have now left many places and are leaving others, and the prospects are good for crops of grain and other products being sufficient for our wants and the supply for all who may gather this season to endeavor, with us, to serve the Lord our God.

The loss by grasshoppers has left many at leisure to work on the contract I have taken to grade the railroad track from near the head of Echo Canon to Salt Lake, and they are moving the rocks and earth in lively style, doing excellent work and making good wages. The rails are now laid to the North Platte, some 370 miles from here, and large numbers of men are busily at work at numerous points along the line between the Platte and this valley; they intend to have the rails laid to the mouth of Weber Canon early next spring, if the winter continues open, which, much to our gratification, will preclude the necessity of sending any more trains from here to assist our immigration.

The 500 teams sent from here this season for our immigration are now at the terminus of the railroad, and br. H. B. Clawson, our immigration agent, telegraphs that 500 emigrants left New York on the 14th and 700 on the 15th, inst. by rail, so that some of our trains will soon be loaded and on the way back the back the balance of the immigration will probably reach New York the latter part of this month.

Bro John Brown was at Omaha, when I last heard from him, assisting in the business of Emigration.

On the 22nd of June, Pres. Heber C. Kimball ceased his labors in this probation, and a faithful, upright, noble spirit, passed away to his labors behind the vail; the funeral services were held in the New Tabernacle on the 24th, and the numbers assembled to honor the occasion were too great to be convened in that large building.

The health of the people generally is good, as is also that of your family, so far as I learn; and increasing efforts to live their religion are producing that peace, joy and realization of the rich blessings of Heaven that follow upon doing good,

Praying that you may be abundantly blest and prospered in your labors in the great cause of human regeneration,

I remain,
Your brother in the Gospel,

Brigham Young