Wilford Woodruff, Fourth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints: History of His Life and Labors, as Recorded in His Daily JournalsWoodruff, Wilford
Religion
Wilford Woodruff, Fourth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints: History of His Life and Labors, as Recorded in His Daily Journals
Woodruff, Wilford
Woodruff, Wilford, 1807-1898
This was the spirit and sentiment of President Young, Elder Woodruff,
and all those noble men, and it was generally shared throughout all the
camp of Israel. Indeed, it is the spirit of the Gospel of Christ.
On July 29th, about one hundred and forty of the Mormon Battalion came
into camp with one hundred Saints from Mississippi. Captains Brown,
Higgins, and Lieutenant Willis of the Battalion {318} were among the
number. They were met about four miles out by President Young and
party, and received from them a hearty welcome to the home of the
Saints.
They brought with them sixty wagons, one hundred head of horses and
mules, three hundred head of cattle, all of which served to strengthen
very materially the settlement of the Saints. While some were
exploring, others were plowing and planting so that in less than a week
from the 24th of July they had fields planted with potatoes, corn,
beans, peas, and buckwheat.
What a busy, hopeful, energetic scene the Pioneer Camp must have
presented at that time! They visited the warm and hot sulphur springs
on the north, and bathed in the latter.
A number of the Utah Indians visited the camp, and the subject of
the course to be pursued in dealing with them was discussed, and the
counsel to feed them and not fight them has been followed by the
Latter-day Saints from that day to the present. Had this policy been
pursued by all the whites, much blood and treasure would have been
saved to the nation; and it is safe to say that many lives and much
property have been saved the people by the course of peace and love
pursued by the Latter-day Saints toward their red brethren.
Sunday, August 1st, the Saints assembled for worship and were edified
by discourses from Elders Kimball, Pratt, Lyman, and others. Elder
Willard Richards read a letter from the commanding officers of the
Battalion highly commending the deportment of the Mormon volunteers in
the American service. The revelation given to President Young at Winter
Quarters was read to the assembly and accepted as the word of the Lord
by their unanimous vote.
In the evening the Twelve met in council and decided that Brother
Ezra T. Benson and three others should return east until they met the
company following the pioneers, ascertain their welfare, and bring on
the mail.
Elder Woodruff joined with Elder Geo. A. Smith in cutting and hauling
logs for their cabins while awaiting also the preparation of adobes for
their more permanent dwellings. Brother Woodruff reports his first day
at chopping logs as very fatiguing. Many of the horses belonging to the
pioneers were exposed to the {319} Indians, but none was stolen, "and
this," writes Elder Woodruff, "increased our confidence in the Indians."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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