EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS.
Education Promoted.--Adventurers.--Endowment House.--President Young
Speaks of the Resurrection.--Death of Judge Schafer.--Provo.--Work
in Educational Societies.--In the Legislature at Fillmore.--Words of
Confidence from Kanosh, an Indian Chief.--Some Peculiarities of Wilford
Woodruff.--Poisoned.
The first day of the year 1855 was observed by a social entertainment
which the Governor and the Legislature of Utah gave in the new Social
Hall. "It was the most splendid party up to that date ever gotten up
in the Territory. The United States judges and military officers were
invited. Dancing commenced at 3 o'clock in the afternoon and closed
with a supper at mid-night."
These hardy pioneers had grand ambitions in their humble homes, amid
humble surroundings. They established a grammar school under the
direction of Orson Hyde. They also organized a Universal Scientific
Association for the study of science, the promotion of education,
and the accumulation of a library and museum. They already had their
Philosophical Society and later organized a Horticultural Association
for the purpose of encouraging the growth of fruit in the Territory.
On the 4th of February, at the Sunday meeting, some attention was given
to the attitude which the Saints had taken toward a host of new comers
who were not of their faith. Most of them belonged to an adventurous
class and were unscrupulous men. Against them the Saints were warned.
This warning created considerable excitement among them. The new comers
were angry, but the Saints were firm. In time excitement quieted down.
Some of the outsiders soon learned that there was a social barrier
which they could not break down. They were not here to establish homes,
and many were disappointed when they could not prey upon the homes of
the Latter-day Saints.
As spring approached new problems arose. The new country was a kind
of experiment station, and the people were anxious to get all kinds
of seeds that they might experiment with the soil and climate. Elder
Woodruff was among the first to introduce fruit {362} trees. He
obtained thirty-one different kinds of choice applegrafts. The future
began to look more hopeful. They had in mind a grand commonwealth,
which by their faithful industry they would establish. They were
spreading out over the Valleys of the Mountains and establishing homes.
They were a happy people, full of hope and grand expectations--if the
soil responded to their efforts.
The political situation became disappointing. At first Brigham Young
had been appointed Governor, and had given satisfaction. He was beloved
by his people; and respect for their local self-government and their
wishes would have continued him as such, but men were not slow in
circulating evil reports and in creating prejudice and hatred in the
hearts of those who leaned toward the Latter-day Saints. The word came
that another was to succeed Brigham Young as governor.
Announcement was made that on February the 18th President Young
would give the views of our people concerning the government of the
United States. On that date the Tabernacle was crowded, and there
were probably one thousand people on the outside who could not find
entrance; but President Young was sick and unable to attend. His
statement, however, to the people was read in which he expressed
loyalty to the Constitution and laws of the country, but disapprobation
towards those who were severe, and towards men in high places who
disregarded the rights of the people here. The address was published in
the _Deseret News_ and later on, in the _Journal of Discourses_.
On February 18th John Smith received his ordination to the office of
Patriarch of the Church, he having been previously called to that high
station on the 10th of March, 1853. Elder Woodruff records the death of
an old friend, Joseph Russell, who was faithful and true, and who had
given nearly all his means amounting to about $7,000.00 to the Church.
The conference of that year began on April 6th, with about 12,000
people in attendance. Times were somewhat exciting, and there was a
pronounced demonstration on the part of the Saints in the matter of
their adherence to the work of God. At that time about one hundred
missionaries were called. A little later on in the same month the
Deseret Theological Society was organized.
On May the 15th, the Endowment House was dedicated. To the older of
the present generation its sacred precincts, its rites, {363} and
ordinances are among the most cherished memories. Apostle Woodruff was
present at its dedication; and later in life when the Temple supplanted
it, he ordered it removed. On the day following its dedication, Geo,
Q. Cannon gave an interesting account of his mission to the Sandwich
Islands.
On the same date President Young in speaking of the resurrection, as
recorded by President Woodruff, said: "The identical particles of
matter in which we have honored our spirits, our tabernacles, in which
we have suffered, traveled, labored, and built up the Kingdom of God
would be the identical bodies resurrected, and no others. They will be
raised from the grave to immortality and eternal lives. Evil was placed
upon the earth that man might know the good from the evil, for without
an experience in those things, men could not know one from the other.
Upon the earth the devil sowed the seeds of death in everything, so
that as soon as Adam and Eve began to eat of the fruit of the earth
they received into their systems the seeds of mortality--death. Their
children thus became mortal and subject to pain, sorrow, and death.
By this means they were redeemed and partook of life, peace, and
happiness, and they would know how to prize them. Father Adam would
never cease his labors to redeem his posterity and exalt them to all
the glory they were capable of receiving. Yet man has his agency to act
for himself--choose good or evil, and to be rewarded according to his
works."
On May the 19th Elder Woodruff set out upon another visit to the
southern settlements in company with President Young. At Cedar City
they found the iron works in full blast. They were making good iron,
casting pipes and other necessary appliances needed by the people.
While there, they organized a stake of Zion comprising Iron County.
On reaching Lehi on their return they had an interesting visit from
Aropene, an Indian chief. This was the latter part of May, and by this
time the crops and gardens had almost entirely been destroyed by the
grasshoppers.
In his journal of June 30th of that year he records the funeral of
Judge Schafer, Chief Justice of the Territorial Supreme Court of
Utah. The funeral was held on that day. The Saints turned out in
large numbers and showed great honor to the judge whose justice and
uprightness were so greatly respected.
On July the 13th Elder Woodruff attended the conference {364} in Provo
with Presidents Young, Kimball, and Grant. During the conference, they
had a visit from an Indian chief whose English name was High Forehead.
He and others of his tribe addressed the congregation, expressing their
confidence in President Young and the people over whom he presided.
There was in those days a class of people in Provo whose conduct was
not entirely satisfactory. It was a gathering place for many uncouth
miners, whose habits of drinking and gambling did not give Provo a very
good name. Speaking of the town, Apostle Woodruff says in his journal:
"There was a strange spirit in Provo and many had not the spirit of
God." Many of the early inhabitants of the town will find in that
remark something of the spirit of charity.
On Elder Woodruff's return to Salt Lake City he speaks of the
excellent times they had in the Polysophical Society as well as in the
Universal Scientific Society. These social gatherings for intellectual
improvement afforded the progressive men of those days some opportunity
to satisfy their desires for education. Elder Woodruff rarely failed in
his journal to give an account of the doings of those societies, and
to express the great delight he had had over the information imparted
by the lectures. In his journal he says: "On September 13th we met in
the Social Hall under the organization of a Pomological Society. The
house was well filled and the subject discussed was the organization
of a Horticultural Society. A committee was appointed to draft the
constitution and by-laws to govern said society. I was chosen chairman
of this committee, and subsequently president of the society which did
much to promote the culture and growth of fruit in the Territory."
The spirit of Wilford Woodruff was pre-eminently missionary in every
aspect of his life. If he raised fruit, it was in fulfillment of a
mission to promote an industry. When he sat in the legislative halls,
he regarded his work as a grand mission for the establishment and
spread of the principles of civil government. It all made him an
enthusiastic worker. If he farmed, he did it as much to teach others
how to farm as to obtain a livelihood from it. With him, all life and
labor was a mission. It was all in the spirit of a teacher and he was
conscientious in the extreme about what and how he would teach. In
attending a {365} quarterly conference at Farmington in October, 1855,
he writes in his journal: "After retiring to bed I prayed to the Lord
to show me what we should teach the people, and this I received as an
answer. 'Let my servants obtain the Holy Ghost and keep My spirit with
them and that will instruct them what to teach the people continually.
Instruct the people to keep My spirit with them and they will be
enabled to understand the word of the Lord when it is taught unto
them.'"
It is quite natural, therefore, that he should keep a careful account
of missionary work both at home and abroad. He notes in the fall
of that year that Nathaniel V. Jones returned from his mission to
Hindoostan, also the appointment of Lorenzo Snow, Ezra T. Benson, and
Phineas Young to England.
Elder Woodruff was appointed as a missionary, in connection with Elders
Orson Pratt, and Parley P. Pratt, to travel throughout the Territory.
He speaks of this event as giving him much pleasure and adds: "It is
the first time since the organization of this Church and Quorum that
I have had the privilege of being associated with these two men on a
preaching mission. We have met but little except in conference from
time to time." He mentions about this time the death of Orson Spencer
who had died in St. Louis. Of him he says: "Many friends mourn his
loss. He was a firm pillar in the Church and Kingdom of God."
Having been again elected to the legislature, Elder Woodruff set out
for Fillmore which was then the capital of the Territory. He went in
company with Lorenzo Snow, Loren Farr, and Jonathan C. Wright. While
in Fillmore, in January, 1856, he reported and wrote in his journal
an account of an excellent discourse preached by President Young. The
following was taken from his journal: "It is our duty to make every
sacrifice (if it may be called a sacrifice) required of us by our
Father in Heaven, that He and His holy angels may know our integrity.
I see a thousand weaknesses in myself that I now regret, and it is
so with all those who have the spirit of God, and they will try to
overcome them. People may be guilty of various sins, and do you think
they can be forgiven in a moment. No, every Latter-day Saint knows
better. This would be sectarianism. The religion of the world is that
a man may commit murder, and when on the {366} gallows, he can repent
and be forgiven and go straightway to Abraham's bosom. It is a false
doctrine. It is not true. Some may say that they cannot overcome their
passions when they are tempted and tried, they cannot help scolding,
swearing, etc., but I tell you they can help it, and must overcome
it sooner or later or they cannot be saved. We should improve day by
day, be a better man or woman to-morrow than we are to-day. Mothers,
when you are cross and attempt to correct you children, conquer
yourselves first. Fathers, when you feel angry passions rise, then
you need the grace of God to bring yourselves into subjection to Him
that you may gain victory over your feelings. Live so that you may
have the revelations of God concerning you in all things--that you
cannot be deceived. When Sidney Rigdon claimed to be the leader of the
people, the people knew not his voice. Parents are under the greatest
obligation to live their religion, so also the young men and women,
that when they marry and have a posterity their children may be born in
holiness and righteousness, and it will then be hard to make anything
out of them but Latter-day Saints."
On January the 16th, Kanosh, an Indian chief, made an address to the
brethren, as follows: "I am just beginning to get my eyes opened. I
know that President Young's talk is good. What he says is so. He tells
us more good, and I am like the sun just rising in the East, and so
with my people. We have been in the night, I have had eyes but I could
not see, and ears, but I could not hear; and this has been the case
with my people. Our hearts could not understand, but now our eyes
see, our ears hear, and our hearts understand. All that Brigham and
Heber have said is straight; but when I talk with Col. Steptoe and
his men, he is not straight, I would not believe, for a tenth part of
their talk is not straight, and so it is with the Spaniards, and with
all the white men until I saw the Mormons. They are the first to tell
me the truth. You are here to make laws. I hope you will make good
laws to punish the guilty and spare the innocent. I wish to do right
and have my people do right. I do not want them to steal nor kill. I
want to plant and raise wheat, and to learn to plough, and do as the
white people do. I want to learn to read and to write, and to have my
children learn so that we may understand what you say to us." This is
beautiful manifestation {367} of the confidence which the better class
of Indians had in the Mormon people.
After the adjournment of the legislature, and on the 26th of January,
a large mass meeting was held in Salt Lake City to consider the
establishment of a mail and passenger service between the Western
States and California. Governor Young was chosen chairman. A committee
was appointed to draft resolutions regarding the project. About this
time the _First Reader_ published in the _Deseret Alphabet_ was gotten
up. To this work Elder Woodruff gave much of his time. During the month
of February he reports in his journal that three boys had been killed
by the Indians who had driven off a number of horses and cattle.
On the 3rd of March Elder Woodruff was called on a mission to the
East to secure type for the _Deseret Alphabet._ On the 7th of April,
during the spring conference of that year, he was appointed assistant
historian of the Church. In those days missionaries were usually called
at conference, and that occasion had in it surprises for many who were
called to go on a mission without a moment's notice. At this time
Elders Orson Pratt and Ezra T. Benson were called to England to preside
over the European mission.
There was, too, a humorous side to Wilford Woodruff's nature,
notwithstanding the seriousness which he possessed. It seems that
in one of the Sunday meetings President Jedediah M. Grant found it
necessary to refer to some thefts which had taken place a short time
before. Among other things stolen was some flour that had been taken
from Elder Woodruff's home. After concluding his rebuke for these
things President Woodruff arose and said: "If they have taken the flour
because of hunger and will ask the blessing upon the bread when it is
made, and send me home the bags, I will bring no accusation against
them." The bags were put in a sack and brought to his home next morning.
A circumstance somewhat of the same nature as that referred to,
occurred in which the writer was a witness. He and one of his
companions were chasing a flock of tame ducks up the street along Elder
Woodruff's fence. The latter saw them and came out. He being a nervous,
quick-spoken man, the boys expected a scolding. "Boys," he said, "if
you will let those ducks alone, I {368} will give you some apricots."
They hardly knew how to compose themselves--so great was their
surprise--but they went with him to the orchard, one of them filling
his hat and the other a bucket. Nothing further disagreeable was said,
but the boys never thereafter chased the ducks.
On the 22nd of April of that year, the missionaries who were called
on missions left the city for their fields of labor. It was a greater
effort in those days to take a mission. The sacrifice was greater for
all concerned. The dreary plains had to be crossed again, and the
expense was naturally very great. At this time George A. Smith and John
Taylor went to Washington to urge claims of Utah for admission into the
Union. A few days after the missionaries left, Apostle Woodruff was
poisoned in consequence of skinning an animal which had been killed by
poison. His system became so infected that his life was despaired of,
but his faith was so unceasing and so disassociated from all doubt that
through administration he was healed. Brother Woodruff records in his
journal the blessing which President Young pronounced upon his head, as
follows: "Brother Woodruff, I say to you in the name of Jesus Christ,
that you shall not die, but you shall live to finish your work which
was appointed you to do upon the earth. The adversary has sought many
times to destroy your life but the Lord has preserved you, and will
preserve you until your work is done."
On his recovery he makes record of a letter received from the chief
gardener of Queen Victoria, who desired to open a correspondence with
the Horticultural Society of Utah. Such matters were of course highly
interesting to the people here, because those were days of experiments.
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