The Brigham Young Center

Salt Lake City
Sept. 3. 1868.

Elder Heber Young
Swiss, Italian & German Mission

My dear Son,

Your letters of the insts: are received and it was very satisfactory to me to hear that your health was good and that you enjoy your Mission and like your new Field of labor; it is a source of great benefit to the Elders to travel in different countries and preach the Gospel; they become acquainted with the various habits and customs of the Nations and learning other languages gives them a more perfect knowledge of their own.
 

It is good to hear that the Spirit of inquiry is increasing among the people in that region and that some are embracing the Truth, for the time is near when judgments will overtake the wicked and they will have cause to mourn for the manner in which they have treated the message God has sent His Servants to declare unto the Nations. Since last I wrote you, Israel has endured the loss of one of her Chieftains; President Heber C. Kimball who passed away on the 22nd of June after an illness of ten days. We feel his loss and his memory is held dear among all the faithful Saints at home and, I trust, abroad. Capt. Wm. H. Hooper arrived lately from Washington he has had quite a contest with McWorty who made an absurd attempt to rob our Delegate of his Seat, but the effort proved as unsuccessful as it was illegal.

The railroad is progressing rapidly, a great portion of the work on my Contract is completed and considerable interest is manifested in the matter; it is not yet known on which side of the Lake the line will run, but it is probable we shall soon hear the snorting of the iron horse through our valleys, giving us the facilities, commercial and otherwise, which invariably accompany such a speedy mode of transit. Your brothers Joseph A. Brigham Jun. and John W. are actively engaged on the work as my agents.

The grasshoppers have done some damage to our crops. in Morgan, Summit and Wasatch Counties they have taken pretty much all the grain, but in Davis and Cache, the brethren have sown such a quantity that I think with prudence and economy we shall have sufficient to last us till another harvest. 

Bro. Albert Carrington left on the 17th ult for Liverpool to take the Presidency of the European Mission. 

Some of the trains loaded with immigrants have arrived, others are expected shortly; the Saints look well and appear to appreciate being gathered home. It is a great privilege to those coming from other Countries now, to be able to perform so much of their journey by rail, leaving but about 350 miles to travel with teams, the journey is far less tedious, besides the advantages gained in the saving of time.

Your mother is well and also the children. Earnest is my main man on the forest farm. 

I started on the 17th ult accompanied by Bros John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, Geo. A. Smith, Geo. Q. Cannon, Joseph F. Smith, A.M. Musser and others on a trip to Cache Valley, we held meetings in the principal Settlements and preached to the people on their various duties, urging upon them to keep their Covenants Sacred, take care of their grain and live uprightly before the Lord, We returned on the 25th in good health having held fifteen meetings and traveled 176 miles.

The brethren join me in kind love to you. 

I trust you will continue to enjoy the Spirit of your Mission and labor for the spread of the Gospel with that energy which shall rid your garments of the blood of the Nations to which you are sent.

Be faithful to your Religion, remember your Covenants eschew all impure thoughts and feelings and live humbly and prayerfully before the Lord; and that from the world, is the sincere and earnest prayer of

Your Father,
Brigham Young

P.S. I received both your letters referred to, but I handed them to your mother to read, and they have got misplaced.