Salt Lake City, U. T.
July 25. 1871.
Mr. Willard Young,
West Point U. S. M. A.
My dear Son,
When your last letter to me reached this City, I had started for Soda Springs, accompanied by a small party of brethren and sisters from this city. We started on the 26th June & returned on the 24th July; staying at Ogden City to celebrate the Pioneer Anniversary & got home in the evening.
A synopsis of your letter was telegraphed to me at Franklin which I was pleased to receive. I wrote to you on the 17th June, which I suppose you have received. On the 16th I signed & forwarded your acceptance to the Department. In case my letter failed to reach you I will briefly repeat the substance of a portion of it. Bro. Cannon has been instructed to mail the "Deseret News" to you regularly & anything you may require from time to time such as books, or anything else, let us know and we will endeavor to supply you. We would like to learn in detail the routine of your daily life; what your duties and exercises consist of; what the regulations are about visitors; whether ladies have access to the cadets & under what restrictions, if any; this last is a matter I am quite concerned to know about, as I understand you cadets are exceedingly popular with the fair sex, & some of them are very, very dangerous when so disposed, just for the sake of having a laugh at their victims; shun such as you would the very gates of hell! they are the enemy's strongest tools, & should be resisted as strongly. Beware of them!
I think that such a description of the rules and routine of the Academy as I have mentioned would form an interesting article for the "Deseret News" and would be read with great interest, not only by your relatives & friends but by our citizens at large.
Since your letter, Bro. Dusenbury wrote to me concerning your progress and with verbal reports from John W. and Bishop Sharp. we hear considerable about you. The Bishop tells me, you are kept so busy, that you have barely time to attend to your correspondence. All who have written to, or spoken with me are well satisfied with your course, so far, and the Bishop assures me whatever may have been the feelings of the Cadets towards you at the first, you are now looked upon by them as "a pretty good fellow." I will go still further with this, and say, that we hope yet to see you a pattern for all of them. By exhibiting your character, & the principles you profess, in your daily walk and conversation, and by refraining from every appearance of evil, you will not only be admired by the good and the upright, but you will command that respect, that even the most unvirtuous are willing to accord to those who truly deserve it. There is no question but you can do a great deal of good among your fellow students and we hope to see you accomplish it. No matter what
the world at large believe, or say about the Latter-day Saints, if we do our duty, and live for it, we will be found, among the children of men, at the head, & not at the tail.
With regard to your attending Protestant Episcopal service, I have no objections whatever, on the contrary, I would like to have you attend, and see what they can teach you about God and Godliness more than you have already been taught. When the Methodist big tent was here I advised old and young to attend their meetings, for that very reason, but I was well satisfied it would not take our people long to learn what <the> Methodists could teach them, more than they had already been taught.
Our celebration at Ogden was a spirited affair, as was also the celebration of the 4th in this city. You have doubtless heard and read a great deal about the latter, but the facts are that the brethren had one of the best, if not the very best ever had in the mountains; as to what some term the backing down of the Lieut. Gen. the only backing down was done by the self- styled "Acting governor and commander-in-chief of the Nauvoo Militia," for, according to his own statement he had orders to suppress the procession if the militia marched in it; and on the 3rd inst. he voluntarily assured Gens. DeTrobriand and Morrow that he would not only not attempt to suppress the procession, but he would make no arrests on the 4th. With this concession Gens. De Trobriand & Morrow. with U. S. Marshall Patrick & Attorney Hempstead waited upon Prest. Wells & upon the urgent solicitation of De Trobriand, it was finally decided after consulting with our committee that the militia would not carry arms while in the procession.
My health is good & I feel first rate with the exception of being a little tired which is rapidly wearing off.
I will write you again as soon as I hear from you; may God preserve you from every evil, and bestow upon you every requisite blessing.
Your affectionate Father
Brigham Young