The Brigham Young Center

Great Salt Lake City, March 4th 1854.

Bishop Allen Weeks, and
the Brethren at Cedar Fort

Dear Brethren, At your request, bro Joel Terry has called upon me, and asked sundry questions concerning your remaining at Cedar Fort. I have considered the subject, and forward you my views and counsel as follows. Let all who wish to dwell there, unite, and as speedily as possible put up a building from 60 to 80 feet square, with walls of stone, or adobies, from four to six feet thick and built up with clay mortar if you please. Let the first storey be started sufficiently far below the surface, and be carried up 8 feet above, with more or less portholes for use and ventilation, and admitting of beingstopped up when necessary; this storey will answer for storage; then place across strong timbers for a floor, and carry up the wall 3 feet thick to the height you choose, for dwelling in, and finish the upper storey with rooms suitable for the accommodation of your families make your windows in this so that they can be barricaded, and used for port holes, also make as many additional port holes as you please. Make out one outside door, and put that in the upper storey; with steps so arranged that they can be taken into the building, or drawn up when necessary. Let this work be prosecuted with diligence, and when sufficiently advanced, place your families and provisions in the building, with plenty of guns and ammunition, and never leave it with less than 3 men to defend it. When this is done, you can proceed with your cattle yards, arranging them around your new fort to be within rifle range of your port holes, and let good, firm pickets, closely set, and of sufficient height, be placed on the outer line of your yards, with the smallest convenient number of outside gates, properly made and secured. There should be a supply of provisions, and ammunition constantly in the building to last through an Indian seige or attack.

A compliance with these suggestions, is the only line of safety for your settlements, known to me at present. My counsel and order to those who do not wish to comply as above directed, is, for them to leave that Valley, and those who wish to remain or go there under these restrictions, are at liberty. In case an enlargement becomes necessary to accommodate the people, it must be made in the above plan.

You now have the present mind, and judgment of

Your brother in the Covenant,
Brigham Young