I contemplate the scenes before me with great satisfaction, and feel
gratified with the privilege of seeing so many in this far-off land
assembled to worship the King of kings and Lord of hosts.
Some of us first heard the Gospel in England, Wales, Scotland,
Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, &c., &c.; and it is very interesting
to see people gathered from so many of the nations of the earth, with
their different customs and traditions, associating with a kind,
filial feeling, nowhere else to be found. This is a people that begins
to bring forth the fruits the Lord designed in the creation of man.
This mixed people dwell together on the most friendly terms and with
brotherly feelings; still we need and expect to have more of this
brotherly feeling. The seed is sown, and the plant is growing. The
kingdom the Lord has commenced will continue to increase, and no power
on the earth can hinder it.
It is highly interesting to see people from so many nations joining
hearts and hands to build cities, gather the poor, preach the Gospel,
cultivate the earth, and do whatsoever is necessary to be done
to accomplish what the Lord designed in the beginning of this
creation. What is the cause of this? Is it because brother Joseph
Smith, the Prophet, had influence superior to any other man to call
the people together in his day, and unite their feelings and
affections? He had no more power than any other man, only as it was
given to him. Is there a man now living who has power over the
feelings and affections of the nations of the earth, to call any
portion of them together and make them of one heart and mind? No, only
as he receives power from the same source from which the Prophet
received it.
Into whatever neighborhood you go throughout these valleys in the
mountains, amid the great variety of nationalities, with all their
different habits and traditions, you find the warmest affection
pervading the people to be found upon the earth. With all our
weaknesses and imperfections, there is more brotherly kindness here
than in any other country. What power produces this result? It is the
work of the invisible hand of that Being we call our Father and God,
who frames the worlds, holds them in existence, and places his
intelligent beings upon them, giving those beings their agency, and
placing good and evil, light and darkness, bitter and sweet,
righteousness and sin before them, that they may have an opportunity
to exhibit the intelligence he has bestowed upon them. He preserves
them in existence, and governs and controls the planetary systems. His
power fills the immensity of space, without bounds, without beginning,
and without end. The principle of eternal life brought us here.
Many ideas are presented to my mind; among them, What are the wants of
the people in this place? As yet you have no houses, no fences, and no
saw- and gristmills; for which reason I will take the liberty of
giving you a little information and instruction in regard to your
temporal affairs. While at Franklin, we ordained brother Preston
Thomas, agreeable to the wish of the people, Bishop of that place; and
I think that each settlement in this valley now has a Bishop. You have
brother Benson, one of the Twelve, residing here to encourage,
dictate, counsel, and instruct you. You also have brother Peter
Maughan, who is an experienced man for your presiding Bishop. We have
been acquainted with Brother Maughan for many years, and I will say a
few words about him. If he has enough vanity to cause my remarks to
make any difference in his feelings or actions, I shall learn
something about him that I have not yet learned. In 1840, we commenced
our systematic emigration from England, in which brother Maughan
assisted: that was my first acquaintance with him. He visited us in
Liverpool for instructions, and from my first acquaintance with him
till now I have found him as straight and correct in his business
transactions as any man that I have ever known to assist in any branch
of business in this Church. He is a man that I think much of in regard
to his integrity, honesty, and judgment in counseling. He has always
been as willing to receive counsel as any man I have ever known in
this Church, and to obey that counsel with as few words. We wish to
have him take the supervision of all the Bishops in this valley. Let
them be under his dictation, and we will settle with him at the
General Tithing Office.
Brother Maughan has brother Benson for one of his Counselors, and
probably he will choose me for the other; and if we all do right, I
think the brethren will be pretty well satisfied with their
presiding officers.
I have not discovered in this valley any soil fit for making adobies.
What are you going to build with? Log buildings do not make a sightly
city. We should like to see buildings that are ornamental and pleasing
to the eye, as well as convenient and commodious. We wish to see
cities that are an ornament to the country. In Great Salt Lake
City nearly all the buildings are made of adobies, and I do not fancy
their appearance, unless they are neatly finished. They are the driest
and healthiest houses that can be built, unless it is a frame house. I
have an objection to frame houses in this country; and always have
had, on account of our very dry weather's rendering wood so very
inflammable (I consider them dangerous), whereas an adobie, stone, or
brick house may have a room or part of a room burnt, with far less
danger of setting the whole house on fire.
I remember, when I was quite young, painting a commodious frame house
built for a tavern. It was nearly completed when it took fire from a
little oil a workman was boiling in the cellar kitchen to use in
finishing the inside work. Two or three women rescued their bonnets
and shawls, and an old clock was removed, which were all the articles
that were saved. Had that been a properly-built adobie house, it would
not have been burned. Still I am going to recommend that you use
timber in building in this valley. It costs as much in Great Salt Lake
City to make the foundation for a good adobie house as it would to
build a comfortable house, of the same size, of lumber.
I recommend the brethren in this Valley to erect sawmills and prepare
to build with lumber. They are the cheapest and best houses I can
think of, under your circumstances. I do not wish the brethren to cut
all the timber to put it into log houses. Erect sawmills and make
lumber, which will be far better than building log houses. We have no
timber to waste. We should save our timber, and make buildings that
will look better than log houses, and at the same time be easier and
quicker built.
You will be obliged to make pole fences for the present, which can be
made to answer until you can make post and board fences. And, as soon
as possible, if you can find good rock, build stone fences. When we
get to making iron, we can have wire fences which are very durable and
cheap.
As this is the county seat, complete, as soon as you can, a house that
will answer, for the present, for a meetinghouse, schoolhouse, and
for the transaction of county business.
We know that you labor diligently; and we only regret, in the working
department, that you cannot make loafers and horse thieves work as
hard as you do. Have you neighbors who harbor horse thieves—whose
sons are horse thieves? You are here commencing anew? The soil, the
air, the water are all pure and healthy. Do not suffer them to become
polluted with wickedness. Strive to preserve the elements from being
contaminated by the filthy, wicked conduct and sayings of those who
pervert the intelligence God has bestowed upon the human family.
Does the Lord rule and reign on the earth? He controls the results of
the acts of all the nations of the earth; but does he rule supreme in
the hearts of all people? He does not. Where can he reign on the
earth? If you can find a place where wicked men are not, there is a
place where the Lord can reign. Man was appointed to rule and
have dominion over the earth under his Creator; but where the
wickedness of man is, the Lord does not reign by the power of his
Spirit. He partially reigns in the hearts of his Saints. He brings
forth the results of the acts of all nations, but does not dictate
them in their acts.
Keep your valley pure, keep your towns as pure as you possibly can,
keep your hearts pure, and labor what you can consistently, but not
so as to injure yourselves. Be faithful in your religion. Be full of
love and kindness towards each other.
Secure yourselves against depredations and attacks by Indians. Raise
stock and take care of it, and keep it from being stolen either by
Indians or whites, that you may do good with it. Be at all times
prepared to successfully resist Indian hostility. Keep minutemen
ready, that they can be in the saddle and off on short notice,
enough to protect your settlement.
Hearken continually to the whispering of the Spirit of the Lord, and
you will hearken to those who are appointed to guide and direct you in
all your duties.
May God bless the Saints here and everywhere! Peace be with you! Amen.