THE YEARS 1866, '67, '68.
New Year's Greetings.--Evil Spirits Rebuked.--Love for Little
Ones.--Drawings in His Journal.--Mrs. Godbe's Dream.--Brigham Young's
Remarks on the Atonement.--Sept. 5, 1867, Joseph F. Smith Selected
as One of the Twelve.--Amasa Lyman Dropped from Twelve.--School of
the Prophets.--Move to Provo.--Grass-hopper War.--Advent of the
Railroad.--Remarkable Prophetic Utterances at Logan.--Visit to
Sanpete.--Call to First Presidency of Geo. A. Smith.--Accident to His
Son Ashael--Summary of 1868.
New Year's Day, 1866, found nine of the Twelve Apostles at home. Elder
Woodruff says they met at ten o'clock in the Historian's Office in a
body and went across the street to the home of President Young where
they greeted him with the compliments of the season, and in return
received his best wishes and blessings. They then called upon Heber
C. Kimball and paid him their compliments. He, in turn, blessed them
and prophesied respecting the future blessings which awaited them. To
Orson Hyde he said: "You shall overcome all things, conquer in the
end, without a spot or blemish, and shall be crowned with glory in the
presence of God, as Joseph saw you thirty years ago." "Brother Franklin
has passed through trials and will also be vindicated in the end." "I
will say concerning Schuyler Colfax, who aspires to the Presidential
chair to the downfall of the Latter-day Saints, that he shall go down
as Douglas did and shall be a disappointed man." They then called on
President Wells, to whom they extended a like greeting. After this they
called upon Apostles George A. Smith and John Taylor. Apostle Taylor
provided three sleighs and they all drove to Orson Pratt's home, where
they greeted his family, he being on a mission at that time. They paid
their respects to Mayor Smoot and Governor Durkee. These New Year calls
having been made, they made their way to the home of John Taylor, who
provided the company with a New Year's dinner.
After giving an account of his labors in the Historian's Office for
the months of January and February, Apostle Woodruff's journal of
March 17th contains the narration of a peculiar circumstance {445}
which transpired at the City Hall. The police had in their custody a
man possessed of evil spirits. He was a raving maniac. Elder Woodruff
called to see him, and being alone with him, he laid his hands upon the
man's head and commanded the devils to leave him. They obeyed; and the
man became instantly sane and begged Elder Woodruff to take him to his
home. The latter complied, and the man remained in a sane condition
of mind until about one o'clock the following morning, when he again
became possessed. Again Elder Woodruff rebuked the evil spirit. The
man was relieved and remained quiet until morning. There were some
subsequent attacks upon this unfortunate, but through the power of
faith, he was healed.
Elder Woodruff's journal is devoted to a narration of family life as
well as to those of public services. His heart is full of love for his
wives and children, and he felt especially tender toward the little
ones. On May 4th he said: "My grandson, four years old, brought wood to
me nearly all day. I told him I would record it in my journal so that
he could read it when he became a man." This was a little thing, but
that is one of those little things that showed the appreciation and
gratitude of Apostle Woodruff toward the humblest and most child-like
of those who administered to his wants. There is something remarkable
about the appreciation of Elder Woodruff for what was good and true and
beautiful in life. Good sermons always delighted him for they were food
to a hungry soul.
June 3rd, 1866, Elder Woodruff recorded a synopsis of a sermon
delivered by President Young, who took as a text, "If I am lifted up,
I will draw all men unto me." "I considered it in some respects the
greatest sermon I ever heard in this dispensation." He also referred
to the sermons of Orson and Parley P. Pratt and of President Joseph F.
Smith, who was then a young man. Elder Woodruff was free from envy and
was not swayed by ambitious motives. In his journal of June 24th he
says: "Joseph F. Smith spoke an hour and fifteen minutes, and the power
of God was upon him. He manifested the same spirit that was upon his
uncle, Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and upon his father, Hyrum Smith."
On the first of July following, he makes this record, respecting the
words of President Young at the close of a prayer circle {446} which
had just been held by the Presidency and some of the brethren. As they
were about to leave, President Young spoke up: "'Hold on. Shall I do as
I feel led to do? I always feel well when I follow the promptings of
the spirit. It has come to my mind to ordain Brother Joseph F. Smith
to the Apostleship, and to be one of my counselors.' He then called
upon each one of us for an expression of our feelings and we responded
with our hearty approval. Joseph F. Smith was then ordained under the
hands of Brigham Young and the brethren present to be an Apostle in the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and to be a special witness
to the nations of the earth. He was further ordained to be a counselor
in the First Presidency of the Church."
As the summer days opened, and travel was facilitated by the warm
weather, frequent tours were made to the various towns and stakes of
the Church. On these visits of President Young, Wilford Woodruff's
presence was almost always noticeable. He did not delve much into
the mysteries of the kingdom, but was a safe counselor in matters of
every-day life. His own example afforded excellent encouragement to the
Saints in the development of every industry required in those times.
His spiritual nature was fed by the ordinances in which he officiated
in the house of God. When ever possible he went there to officiate and
to take part with his brethren in administering both to the living and
to the dead.
Wilford Woodruff had a curious practice in keeping his journal of
making some peculiar or appropriate drawing at the head of some
particular event of which he wished to take notice. These drawings, no
doubt, helped him in after years to find the record of these events
in lieu of an index. For example, there may be seen at one place the
drawing of a number of coffins. The drawing suggests Baptiste, the
grave-robber. The drawings are more significant than artistic; however,
they were no doubt helpful in locating certain events to which at some
future time he might wish to refer.
Under date of March 29th Elder Woodruff said: "My attention was called
to a dream of Mrs. William Godbe published in the _Deseret News_ of
1867. The dream related to life in the spirit world, and gave the
experience of herself and others there. It awakened much interest
among the people and was the subject of general conversation. Elder
George Davis, who drove {447} an express wagon, asked his wife if she
thought the dream was true; and when she replied that she believed it
was, Elder Davis said that he felt like going into the spirit world
to see for himself. Elder Davis read the dream over to his wife three
times, and finally said to her: 'If I should die to-night or to-morrow
it would be alright.' Early in the morning he went with another man to
get a load of gravel. He had thrown into the wagon only a shovelful
when the bank caved in upon him and he was buried about three feet. His
companion dug him out as quickly as possible, but he was dead."
Elder Woodruff preached the funeral sermon, and regarded the man's
death as an evidence that there are times set for our departure from
this life. Such circumstances as that always made a deep and lasting
impression on Elder Woodruff, and his thoughts, feelings, and desires
seemed close to the world beyond.
Soon after the April conference of that year, President Young set
out upon one of his tours through the southern settlements of the
Territory. It was a sort of triumphal procession. Everywhere the
Church leaders were received with manifestations of a heart-felt
welcome. Sunday school children lined the road sides and helped make
the occasion in the different settlements one that would be long
remembered. Efforts had been made among many non-Mormons to cast
discredit upon the character of Brigham Young and lessen his influence
over the people. It was that influence that was bitterly contested.
The people, however, knew the voice of their shepherd and gave him the
strongest assurance of their love and fellowship.
At Fillmore, on the return trip, May 12th, the speakers, in their
turn, emphasized the subject, "The Necessity of the Atonement." It was
the home of Amasa Lyman, who was breaking away from his moorings and
advocating a strange doctrine respecting the atonement of Jesus Christ.
In his remarks at that time President Young said: "There never was, and
never will be, a world created and redeemed except by the shedding of
the blood of the Savior of that world. I know why the blood of Jesus
was shed, and I know why the blood of Joseph and Hyrum was shed, and
why the blood of others will be shed in the future. It is all to answer
a purpose. Adam subjected himself to the conditions of this world as
did our Lord and Master, that redemption and exaltation {448} might
come to man. Without descending below all things, we cannot rise above
all things. The gospel of salvation will never change. It is the same
in all ages of the world and will be through all ages of eternity."
It was not long after their return to Salt Lake that a trip of the
leaders was made to Provo, where a new meeting-house had been erected
and was to be dedicated. Elder Woodruff made the following description
of it: "It is built after the Presbyterian order. It has a pulpit in
it, a very narrow one, that gives but little room to stand in, and
there is barely room for three or four on the stand behind it. The
house has been twelve years in building." In his discourse to the
people from the pulpit he said: "I thank God with every sentiment of my
heart that I have lived to see a Presbyterian meeting-house filled with
the Saints of God, and the pulpit occupied by the Apostles of the Lamb,
who have dedicated this house unto the Lord." This meeting-house still
stands in Provo, but is now superseded by one much larger and more
commodiously arranged.
The leaders on their return from Provo made a visit to Logan. Here,
President Young is quoted as saying that the ten tribes of Israel are
on a portion of the earth,--a portion separated from the main land.
This view is also expressed in one of the sacrificial hymns written by
Eliza R. Snow:
"And when the Lord saw fit to hide
The ten lost tribes away,
Thou, earth, was severed to provide
The orb on which they stay."
It was here on the 5th of September, 1867, Elder Joseph F. Smith was
selected to be one of the Twelve Apostles, he having been ordained
sometime before as an Apostle without having been made a member of
the Quorum of the Twelve. He was sustained at the general semi-annual
conference which took place between the 6th and 9th of October.
That conference was one of unusual interest to the Saints. The new
Tabernacle was then completed and between eight and ten thousand people
met to honor the occasion and attend conference. The organ was not
quite completed. It was designed to have {449} two thousand pipes, but
then had only seven hundred and fifty.
At this conference one of the brethren spoke upon the God-head. The
discourse met, in the main, the views of President Young. The latter,
however, said: "When any man publishes or preaches his peculiar views
he should not say they are the views of the Church." At the close of
the meeting President Young talked very plainly with him about saying
that such and such were the doctrines of the Church; about telling
what would have been if Christ had not died; if Adam had not fallen;
or if there had been no Savior prepared, the world would not have been
created.
The conference was further characterized by the call to Dixie of a
hundred young men. Instructions were also given on the laws of life
and health. A simple life was urged upon the people. President Young
further impressed upon young ladies the necessity of some sort of
business education. He thought they should study telegraphy, learn to
keep books, and prepare themselves for the lighter vocations of life.
The conference had its shadows. Much that was taught was no doubt a
result of peculiar views which Amasa Lyman preached. This Apostle was
dropped from his position in the Quorum of the Twelve.
Elder Woodruff recorded the marriage on October 12th of his son Wilford
to Emily Jane Smith. To the father, the ordinance was in keeping with
man's express duty to his God and his obligation to the Church. He
thought it was a circumstance in a young man's life which called forth
a prayerful desire to serve the Lord. Indeed, such sacred obligations
as marriage should never be undertaken without resorting to prayer for
God's guidance.
The organization of the School of the Prophets was again taken up and
effected on the 16th day of December, 1867. Its members met in the
City Hall. It had been organized in earlier days of the Church by the
Prophet Joseph through revelation, and was designed for the spiritual
growth and development of the Saints of God. Of this school Elder
Woodruff was a devoted and active member.
The winter of 1866 and '67 was an open one. Up to January 1st the
ground was bare. The weather was warm and there had {450} been a
considerable fall of rain. The winter months of that spring were
occupied by Elder Woodruff in legislative work.
He had with him at that time two Indian boys whom he undertook to
educate. One was called Moroni, the other Sarrowkeets. The latter, he
sent to a private school taught by Elizabeth Cowley in her home in the
Fourteenth Ward. These Indian boys, in one way or another, caused him
considerable trouble, yet he bore with them patiently and sought to
educate them and provide for them a father's care. Moroni died as a
boy. Sarrowkeets or "Keets," as he was familiarly called, yielded to
the wandering spirit of his ancestors and left home. It is supposed
that he was run over and killed by a Short Line train four miles north
of Salt Lake City.
In his journal of January 21st he recorded some instructions given to
a body of the priesthood. "Who was Michael, the Archangel?" "He is
Adam, who was Michael in the creation of the world. It will take all
the ordinances of the gospel to save one soul as much as it will take
to save another,--the dead as well as the living. Jesus Christ Himself
obeyed all the ordinances of the gospel that He might fulfill all
righteousness. Therefore, those who have died without the gospel will
have to receive it in the spirit world from those who preach it to the
spirits in prison. Those who dwell in the flesh will have to attend to
all the ordinances of the gospel for and in behalf of the dead."
Continuing, he remarked: "There are some keys which the Prophet Joseph
held which no other man held while he lived. So it is with Brigham
Young. The keys of the sealing power are held by the President alone,
although he permits others to administer in this ordinance.
"When I was baptized into this Church, I was observing the seventh day
as the Sabbath of the Lord, and not the first day of the week; but I
knew that the Latter-day Saints were the people of God, and had the
true Church of Christ; and if I had had a hundred traditions I would
have laid them all aside."
Elder Woodruff observed that in the School of the Prophets the brethren
were instructed not to dabble in astrology, or any system which
might contain a mixture of truth and error. Not one ray of light had
ever been thrown upon the principle of salvation in the practice of
clairvoyance and spiritualism. These {451} subjects are not such as men
can act upon with the ordinary intelligence God has given them.
In the early part of the year 1868, Elder Woodruff, John Taylor, and
Joseph F. Smith with others were called to Provo for the purpose of
assisting in the work to be done there. Abram O. Smoot was elected as
mayor, and Elder Woodruff with others, constituted the City Council.
The town was in need of a new spiritual life. It also needed strong
men to guide its destinies and make it a center of one of the leading
stakes of the Church. Elder Woodruff, however, did not long remain
there, and upon receiving his release returned with his family to Salt
Lake City.
When he reached Salt Lake City, he found there a letter from his
brother Azmon, who had embraced the gospel when he did in the state of
New York. The brother, however, was in a dissatisfied state of mind.
He wrote letters occasionally to Wilford in which he set forth some of
his objections to the work. In reply to these letters, some of which
were copied in Wilford Woodruff's journal, he spoke to his brother with
great plainness, told him about his wives and children, and gave a
strong defense of the principle of Plural Marriage.
This was the year of the grasshopper war. Swarms of them had swept
over the country. They were so thick at times as to cloud the rays of
the sun. The struggle with these insects was rightly characterized as
a war. It is difficult to realize at this distance of time what it
meant in those days to protect the crops against the ravages of the
grasshopper. All the ingenuity and device that men could bring to their
assistance were used in the effort to save out of the ruins enough
bread for winter use. Furrows were ploughed, nets were devised, and by
these different means Elder Woodruff says in three days they caught and
destroyed one hundred and seventy-five bushels of grasshoppers. Elder
Woodruff gave to that war all his strength and ingenuity.
We next find him, according to his journal, grubbing willows, breaking
land, building bridges, digging ditches, constructing roads, erecting
fences, barns, and houses. He was, indeed, a model of industry. He
was as pliable in spirit as he was in body. All honorable work was
God's work, whether he dug a ditch, preached a sermon, or wrote
history,--with him it was all alike for the glory of God.
{452} In 1868 Apostle Woodruff made a record of the enthusiasm which
he, in common with others, felt over the advent of the railroad. It
was approaching the Territory from both the east and the west. There
was considerable agitation about its location. President Young and
others had taken contract for the construction of the road-bed. Where
the railroad entered Utah was of course to them a matter of great
importance, as Salt Lake City was the headquarters, and its future
possibilities seemed wonderful to them. On the 10th of June Elder
Woodruff walked from his farm on Canyon Creek to Salt Lake that he
might take part in a mass-meeting which was to discuss the entrance
or place of entrance of the roads into the Territory. Should these
trans-continental lines meet in Ogden or Salt Lake City? To their minds
Salt Lake City was the place. In that event, the road would go south of
the lake, instead of north of it. Those, however, whose word was final
in the matter decided to make Ogden the Junction City, and plans were
at once entered into to construct from that place to Salt Lake City a
branch line.
With the advent of the railroad, the interests of the Territory became
so diversified that there were subjects to interest and occupy the
non-Mormon and Mormons alike. There were more public platforms on which
all might stand with equal interest.
Heretofore, the Fourth of July had been the principal occasion for
universal celebration; this year it was observed in the customary
manner. All the Sunday schools of the city marched to the Tabernacle,
with them were enough grown people to make an audience of some ten
thousand. Addresses were delivered by Governor Durkee, George A. Smith,
General A. L. Chattan, and George Q. Cannon. Colonel E. H. Head was
orator of the day. The Twenty-fourth was also appropriately celebrated
by the Saints.
In August the leaders visited the settlements north as far as Logan.
In his address there Elder Woodruff said: "When I was a youth, I felt
that I would have gone hundreds of miles to see a prophet or an apostle
of the Lord, or any other man called of God and inspired to preach the
gospel of Christ in its fulness and purity. Now, as I travel through
the country I see thousands of children, also men and women who behold
prophets, apostles, and elders. They greet President Young, the Twelve,
and others as {453} we travel through the country. This is an excellent
practice, as it will make a lasting impression upon the minds of all,
especially the children. They will never forget it. When they meet
in the years which are to come they will converse upon the scene of
this visit something as follows: 'Oh! what a great change has taken
place since the Prophet Brigham Young and the Apostles visited Logan
in 1868. Then, it was a new country. There were a few settlements and
only about ten thousand people, all told, in Cache Valley. Then, we had
no tabernacle in which to worship--no Temple of the Lord stood upon
the bench to the east of the city. Now, we have a great tabernacle, a
beautiful Temple of the Lord, from whose summit we may view the glory
of this valley filled with cities and towns from north to south. Then,
our fields were filled one-half with sun flowers and noxious weeds.
Now, they are properly tilled and no man occupies more land than he can
cultivate properly.'"
On the return from this trip, a journey was taken by the leaders
through the settlements south of Sanpete. The disagreements between
the authorities and many non-Mormons of those times had created an
enthusiastic determination on the part of the people to stand by their
leaders. The efforts to imprison Brigham Young and to bring reproach
upon his name only awakened the stronger their confidence and love.
When the company reached Nephi many women and children came out to meet
and greet him. They built a large pyramid of evergreens with the word
"Welcome" woven into it. Their enthusiasm kindled into a heartfelt
expression, "Blessed are they that come in the name of the Lord." There
was a grand ovation wherever the leaders went.
President Young, however, was not exalted in his feelings because
of these attentions. The welfare of the Saints was a matter of deep
concern to him. The Saints were admonished to abandon the use of tea,
coffee, and tobacco; to cease to use liquor; and not support those in
the country who were the deadly enemies of the Saints--those, who,
enriching themselves by their patronage, were sending lies abroad
against the people. At Nephi the stake of Zion was organized with Elder
Jacob Bigler as president.
On reaching Mt. Pleasant, the enthusiasm of the people exceeded {454}
even that at Nephi. "It was the greatest display and the largest
procession I ever saw outside of Salt Lake City." At Ephraim there was
a torchlight procession. There, President Canute Peterson was selected
to preside over the priesthood in that place. He subsequently became
president of the Sanpete Stake. At Ephraim Elder Woodruff recorded in
his journal the following: "I had an interview this morning with a
Danish brother by the name of Soren Christensen, a man seventy-five
years of age. He had lived under five reigning kings of Denmark and had
served as a soldier under Napoleon. He was a very strong man."
The leaders returned for general conference which convened that fall on
the 6th of October. "It was the first time for thirty-two years," said
Elder Woodruff, "that all the Quorum of the Twelve had been together.
The last time before this was at the home of Elder Heber C. Kimball in
Kirtland. They were then contending one against the other, and Brigham
Young prayed that all the Quorum might never meet again until it could
meet in peace and union. The entire Quorum never met since then until
this day." Only three of the original Quorum still remained. They were
Brigham Young, Orson Hyde, and Orson Pratt. The Quorum at this time
consisted of Orson Hyde, Orson Pratt, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff,
George A. Smith, Ezra T. Benson, Chas. C. Rich, Lorenzo Snow, Franklin
D. Richards, George Q. Cannon, and Joseph F. Smith. At this conference
George A. Smith was called to the First Presidency of the Church to
fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of Heber C. Kimball, and
Brigham Young, Jr., was called to fill the place made vacant in the
Quorum. He had, however, been previously ordained as an apostle.
On October 26th of that year, Elder Woodruff recorded a circumstance of
a misfortune that befell one of his sons. The Indian boy "Keets" whom
he had taken to raise, in a fit of surliness left his post of duty at
the molasses mill where he was feeding the rollers. No one was left to
take the Indian boy's place except Elder Woodruff's little son, Ashael,
then only five years old. While the child was feeding the mill, his
right hand was drawn between the rollers and badly crushed. The father
and mother {455} immediately brought him to the city where the thumb
and two of the fingers were amputated by Dr. Ormsby.
December 8th he recorded the death of Daniel Spencer, president of the
Salt Lake Stake; and on the 9th, the death of Leonora Cannon Taylor,
wife of President John Taylor.
In closing the record of the year 1868, he made a summary of his labors
for that year. He traveled one thousand three hundred and four miles,
attended one hundred and seventy-six meetings, preached seventy-nine
discourses, attended thirty-two prayer meetings with the Presidency
and Twelve, twenty-six meetings of his own prayer circle, two general
conferences. He labored twenty days in the Endowment House, gave
endowments to two thousand and twenty-five persons, married four
hundred and nine couples, out of a total of one thousand one hundred
and nine for that year. He officiated in other ordinances for eighteen
persons, met with the School of the Prophets forty-seven times,
baptized one, confirmed one, blessed one child, met in a council with
the body of the priesthood three times, met with an Irrigation Company
twice, and while in Provo met four times with the City Council. During
the year he wrote eighty letters and received sixty. He attended the
legislative council forty days. Besides all this, he labored on his
farm plowing, planting, reaping, and irrigating. He killed about three
hundred bushels of grasshoppers. What a marvel of industry!
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