Salt Lake City, U.T.
February 16. 1871.
Prest. H.S. Eldredge.
Dear Bro:
Your welcome news letter of the 21st. Jan. has come to hand. We are rejoiced to hear from you and wish you distinctly to understand that you should draw no such inference from what you term my long silence, as that your letters are troublesome, on the contrary, we hail them with pleasure, and any news pertaining to the interests of the Church in the British Isles, Scandinavia & Europe generally or from any spot on Mother Earth where our Elders are laboring is of the first importance to all who have the progress of the Kingdom of God at heart.
As you are aware, my duties called me to the southern part of the Territory this winter where I have travelled some 700 miles, accompanied by Prest. Geo. A. Smith, B. Young. Jr. & other brethren, our chief point of location being at St. George, at which place we intend to erect a Temple; our visit & travels have proved of great mutual advantage so far as I can judge from the expressions of the brethren, and it is cheering to see the progress made by the Saints in the South, notwithstanding the very many drawbacks they have to contend with. We started on this trip on the 24th Nov. & returned on the 10th Feb. following, teaching, counselling, & exhorting the Saints in the various Settlements, doing all the good, & the very least portion of harm we possibly could.
As you are also aware we started for the Kanab County on the 27th Augt. & returned on the 24th Sept. & these 2 visits to our Dixie with so short a lapse of time between may evince our interest in affairs at the south, while at the same time we contemplate at no distant day to throw a force into the Soda Spring Country in addition to what has already been done & so increase, extend, build up & improve trusting that with the blessings of high heaven upon our labors, righteousness may increase as the Saints increase & that our settlements, buildings & improvements may be made with an eye single to the glory of God.
My health continues good for which I feel very thankful, exposure to the weather brought on a renewal of the old attack of rheumatism but I trust that with a little nursing and attention now that I am home again the attack will soon be defeated. Prest. Smith is also well & the brethren generally with whom we associate.
We are pleased to hear of the steady progress of the work in the British Isles & particularly in the Scandinavian Mission, & we trust that by continued diligence on the part of the Elders & the blessing of Heaven upon their labors, numbers will yet be gathered from among the nations who will love and serve God & keep His Commandments. But whatever be the result, it is nevertheless our duty to bear a faithful testimony & relax not in our diligence. We are also pleased to hear of your improved health as we feared from report that you were suffering, should you find yourself likely to relapse, try what the air in the south of England where it is more genial & less oppressive will do for you, as much as business will permit, and should you relapse into ill health, we wish you to notify us without delay, so that we can send some one to release you; and with regard to your proposed short tour on the Continent we have not the least objection, but advise you to be careful to avoid unneccessary exposure.
Your idea of consolidating the Conferences is commendatory as it will give a larger scope for the talents & energies of men calculated to preside while it will release young men for the duties of travelling elders to open up a new fields & disseminate the first principles of the Gospel to the people at large.
A letter from Bro. Marcus Halling to his wife was handed me to read which was immediately answered. We assured him we appreciated his labors in Holland & expected him home this spring & that you would provide him means for this purpose; his present address is Post restante at Dinslaken, near Wesel, Prussia. We would really like to see Bro Halling return home to his family & be one with us, & we think it probable he may be of some service in the University.
We think some about releasing Bro Cluff & sending 1 or 2 Elders to Scandinavia, but they have not been chosen yet.
With regard to the Books nearly out of print viz:-- The "Hymn Book", "Voice of Warning," "Key to Theology" & "Pearl of great price" we think an edition of each should be reprinted, also "O. Spencer's Letters" such a one as would seem to be necessary for the wants of the people without having an overstock. We instructed Bro. Carrington when getting up the new Hymn Book to make no changes from the former edition, but, if any new Hymns Books were to be added to place them at the end of the book, in order that the Saints might still be so far able to use their old books as not to compel them to purchase the new one. This rule should be adhered to.
Our winter is passing away without the extra severity that many predicted. Milling & mining have been carried on more or less through the winter & lately the weather has been quite mild.
We hear from all quarters of the great excitement about Utah,--her mineral wealth. &c. & it is probable that a large emigration & a consequent increase of business will be the direct result. There is need of money to pay Government for our lands -- to stock and improve our farms &c. & if in the providences of the Almighty these mines should for 3 or 4 years create an active, circulating medium & thus enable the brethren to secure and improve their homesteads we will have reason to be thankful.
The brethren contemplate extending the U.C.R.R. south, on a narrow guage, with branches for the shipment of ore. How far it will be extended is not yet decided, but with our limited resources prudence would dictate that we build only as far as present business will warrant.
Our enemies are unremitting in their labors & vigilance & with a zeal worthy of a better cause; it is interesting to watch the fruitlessness of their labors, for then we realize that while man proposes, God disposes & that he makes even the wrath of the wicked to praise him. Our Federal Judiciary clique have recently had a Bombshell thrown into their midst & from a quarter perhaps the least expected. The policy of the present judiciary here has been to ignore our Territorial Courts & Officers & to substitute U.S. Courts & Officers in their stead, which not only made the action of their courts illegal & inquisitorial but it created quite a bill of expenses, which was forwarded to Washington, when, lo! the Department refuses to recognize the accounts, declaring that they will only pay the expenses on bona fide U.S. Cases, which is but a moiety of the bill. The effect of this refusal is, that the Department overrules the action of the Courts in every case where Territorial business has been called U.S. Business, thus leaving them in a complete mess. They do not know what to do.
Truly the Saints have reason to praise the Lord for his goodness constantly manifested towards his people. May we ever seek to live to his praise that his blessings may crown our labors for the welfare of Israel.
Kind regards to Sister Eldredge, Bro. Carlsen & Bro. Jaques, say to Bro. Jaques we highly appreciate his labors & regret to have to detain him so long from his family, but it seems unavoidable at the present.
May God and bless you & all who are laboring with you that you may faithfully perform the Mission assigned you & be preserved to return in peace and safety.
Your Bro. in the Gospel
Brigham Young
P.S. As there are some corrections to be made in the "Pearl of Great Price" better not print it before we revise it.
B.Y.
per D McKenzie