It is with the greatest pleasure, brethren and sisters, that I have
the privilege of beholding your faces, and of hearing the voice,
testimony, and narrative of our worthy President, Brigham Young. It is
not easy for me to find language to describe my feelings and to
express my gratitude to my Heavenly Father, and to my brethren and
sisters, for the preservation of my life, and for the privilege I
enjoy among you on the present occasion.
I went abroad, and have been absent a little more than one year and
one month to perform a mission which was new to me, depending upon the
faith of the Saints and the blessings of the Almighty, that through
their faith and my own exertions I might accomplish the work I started
out to do; but it came out a good deal like the fishermen in the days
of our Savior who toiled all night and caught nothing; still it has
been to me a school of experience, as I have had a chance to behold
something of the manner, and have observed a little of the principles,
the honor, and the integrity which rule the actions of the Federal
Government of our great and glorious union.
It is generally considered in the world that truth bears away the
victory. It was in fact laid down by some of the ancient prophets that
such was really the case. Things have changed a little now-a-days, but
it is an age of improvement. If a man tells the truth, he stands no
earthly chance whatever; he has got to lie and mix so much lie with
the truth that it will hide it almost entirely, or he cannot receive
any credit whatever. So it is to a great extent, and instead of truth
governing the world at the present time, lies and falsehood govern it,
as far as I have observed.
It will be recollected, when I left the Valley, there was a great
scarcity of provisions; we were on half rations, and very frequently
not half. We were making the best estimate we could to stretch out
flour until harvest, and picking up everything we could to sustain
ourselves until the glorious day of harvest should come. Such was the
case with a great many of us; and those who had provisions were
dividing it out to those who had none, by the spoonful. If they had a
spoonful, they divided it; and if they had two, they were dividing
that; and this condition of affairs was proving to the world
that brotherly love and affection existed here, unheard of and unknown
in the history of mankind, except in Deseret, for a whole people to be
so straitened for provisions, and at the same time not a solitary
person perish of starvation or want—I say such a thing is unheard of
in the history of mankind. When this was fairly commencing, I went
away. It was understood in the States that we were all starving to
death. When I got down there, I told them I was as short of provisions
as anybody else, and consequently had come down where they had
something to eat.
I went away from here weighing 243 pounds at the Tithing Office, and
not being well fed at that, and falling off considerably during the
last year previous to going away.
When I got down to the States, where the climate did not agree with my
lungs, I spent a good share of the winter in doing some of the tallest
coughing of any man living. However, I fatted up considerably, and got
to be quite a decent looking "chap." When I left St. Louis, I weighed
260 pounds. I thought I was going home in fine order; but, behold, and
lo! All my Missouri and eastern beef I had gathered shook off on the
plains, and I found myself the poor, "lean," meager man you see before
you. When I got to the Tithing Office, the other day, I was about
seven pounds lighter than when I went away; and I expect I have made
that up since I have got home. My health has greatly improved since I
left the Missouri River, with my decreasing weight.
I am very thankful that the Lord has preserved me and returned me
again to your midst. The news which you probably have received is
unimportant, though you have received very little for the last six
months; for, you know, Uncle Sam is poor, and not able to carry his
mails; and the winter has been very hard and the circumstances have
been such that he could not even send out messages or anything. But
the rivers all run the same way they did when I was there before, and
they run in about the same direction. Railroad collisions, steamboat
accidents, fires, and freezing to death are just as common as before,
and a little more so. And another thing I suppose you will be glad to
learn—the devil is not dead. [Brigham Young: I feel thankful for
that.]
A great portion of the people have come to the conclusion, after
having been a great many years considering the subject over, that we
are a very desperate set of fellows out here. Politicians are a little
vexed, for they do not know what to do with us. They did not admit any
Territory into the Union during this session of Congress, though they
did grant a permission graciously to 250,000 inhabitants residing in
the Territory of Minnesota to make a constitution.
I have looked on and taken items, thought and reflected, saw how it
was going, waiting for an opportunity. You know it was a very modest
mission I went down on; I went to Washington to ask permission to
enter the Union; and I did not want to go in until I saw a fair
chance; I hated to ask, and be refused admission. I have rejoiced very
much at every particle of news that I could receive from the
mountains. I received letters from President Young and others, three,
four, and sometimes six months after they were written. When they did
arrive, they afforded me a great deal of pleasure, and were a source
of rejoicing, especially to learn that the Saints were waking up.
On my way here with the mail, I had the additional cause of rejoicing
in beholding that a great many sick persons—persons whose lives had
been dreadfully in danger—had been lucky enough to escape,
and by escaping the narrow chance of a hundred thousand deaths, have
been enabled to travel to some peaceable land where they expect to
enjoy themselves. But I must say, from the little observation I had of
them, they were a sickly crowd; and when they had an opportunity, they
vomited freely, and by that process would be able, probably, to keep
along until they got down to the Missouri River.
But we understand they are not agreed. A part of the party would
relate their narrow escape, their hair's breadth deliverance, and the
other part would pronounce it all a lie—not a word of truth in it. One
end of the party would contradict what the other end of it would
affirm. If I ever desired anything on the earth with all my heart,
since I came to these Valleys, it was that the Lord would gather out
of our midst all those that offend. Every time I met a party, I felt
like shouting "Glory, hallelujah." The work I saw was going on, and I
felt to rejoice.
I did not go to Washington putting my trust in man, neither do I come
home putting my trust in man. The Almighty God is at the helm; He
rules His people, He governs and controls all men, and He can restrain
the wicked at His pleasure; but let me tell you, if the designs of the
spirit of the devil that reigns in the hearts of the wicked against
us, prompting them to our destruction, could be executed, we would be
exterminated from the face of the earth; but God limits their power,
and as long as they cannot gratify their whole desires, just so long
they may rage and foam; but if you put any trust whatever in man, if
you rely on the arm of man to protect you, you will be disappointed.
What protection have we ever had from the day we commenced to preach
the Gospel to the present day? We expect nothing but the arm of the
Almighty to protect His people; let us, therefore, put our trust in
Him, and just let the devil howl.
I had a little serious conversation with Captain Smith at Fort
Kearney. The very gentlemanly commander of that fort, Major Wharton,
had nearly lost his eyesight, principally by watching for the hostile
Cheyenne Indians through the spyglass, and Captain Smith was acting
commander. I enquired what was the condition of the dragoons stationed
there? He replied, they had about fifty horses but their hoofs had
come off. How many have you that can do efficient service, if called
upon? He said they had about ten or twelve in good condition, but
fresh horses were expected.
The company of handcart Elders were an astonishment to everybody that
saw them. The traders on the road say that mules are nowhere by the
side of them. I never saw such a pretty sight in my life. We had a
meeting with them on Horseshoe Creek, and a better set of men I never
saw, and men that were old when I was a boy were as active as boys,
rolling on with their handcarts, singing and rejoicing.
Perhaps, when I get some other opportunity, I may feel free, without
intruding on the time of others, to speak more particularly on the
things that pertained to my mission. May the Lord bless us, and enable
us to live righteously and soberly, and rise with the Star of the
Morning, and enjoy eternal glory, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus
Christ. Amen.
- George A. Smith