Great Salt Lake City
Novr. 30th 1854
Elder Parley P. Pratt,
San Francisco, California
Dear Brother Parley
I received your letter of Sept. 21st by the hands of Bro. Rich, who arrived on the 28th inst. with his company. They came through safe and well.
With regard to establishing a stake, I am willing to admit that land would be necessary for a location, and that people would be requisite for carrying on operations, and inasmuch as you are unable to find a location for gathering the Saints in your presidency, I will advise that you take steps, at the earliest practicable date, to pick out a good location in Carson Valley, and gather those saints to it who prefer tarrying for a period in the neighborhood of upper California. With little reflection, you will understand the policy, and object of making a location in that valley, and settleing with Saints gathered from the west rather than the east. This course will supply the three requisites which you state are lacking, viz. land, people, and facilities for raising children, and the settlements, if properly managed, will become of importance, be inside our boundaries, and mutually benificial.
As this movement will <at once> greatly enhance the value of the property owned by Col. Reese and other settlers in that region, I wish you to see Col. Reese and suggest to him the propriety, and benefit it will be to him to make liberal donations of land, and furnish other reasonable facilities for the accomplishment of the object.
I was pleased to hear so good a report of bro. Nash's conduct in Cala, and as he is a good workman, and you say "working diligently at blacksmithing", and as manifesting one's faith by their works is a good indication of a well grounded faith, it will be well for Bro. Nash to make early arrangements for paying sister Lewis for her expenditures in bringing him from Wales to this city, and also such other indebtedness as he may be liable for, before his brethren will be able to forgive him as freely and fully as he would probably desire.
Upon receipt of this letter I wish you to inform bros Chauncy W. West and B. F. Dewey that they are at liberty to come home as soon as they can make arrangements for doing so; and write to Bro. Burr Frost in Australia to come home by the first opportunity.
The building and machinery for the Sugar works are nearly completed, and in a good and durable manner, and I anticipate that we will soon manufacture good molasses from the present crop of beets, and probably be able next season to operate in sugar making, on a large scale.
The walls of the new endowment building, on the N.W. corner of the Temple Block, are up and the workmen are busy in their labors to finish it at an early date.
The public improvements are progressing as rapidly as is usual at this season of the year, and in fact more so, on account of the remarkably long continuance of unusually fine weather. My new office is nearly finished, and I shall soon have more room for easily concentrating the main channels of all Church business.
We are still blessed with peace in our midst, and with the natives, and abundantly prospered in our labors for the welfare of Israel.
My health is good, and as is also that of your family and of the people generally; though there has been some sickness during the fall, mostly from fevers, and diorrhoea.
You will learn the current items of interest in Utah in the Deseret News.
Ever remembering you, and praying for your success in the pathway of righteousness.
I Remain Your Brother in the Gospel
Brigham Young