DEATH OF BRIGHAM YOUNG, AUG. 29, 1877.
Death of His Son, Brigham Young Woodruff.--Prophetic
Utterances.--Baptisms for the Signers of the Declaration
of Independence.--Death of Brigham Young Changes His
Plans.--Funeral.--Visit to Logan.--Visit to St. George.--A Vision.--Old
Folks' Excursion.--Zion's Board of Trade.
On the 16th of June, 1877, while on a visit to Pine Valley, southern
Utah, Elder Woodruff received the sad news of the death of his son,
Brigham Young Woodruff, who was drowned in Bear River. The young
man was in point of spirituality very much like his father, and his
devotion, therefore, to the Church was a matter of both joy and pride
to Elder Woodruff, who looked forward to his son's labors in the Church
with great pleasure. The young man was also ambitious in an effort to
obtain an education, and devoted himself at home and in the university
to diligent study. At this time Elder Woodruff had changed the location
of his family in Randolph, Rich County, to Smithfield, Cache.
"We cannot always comprehend the ways and means of Providence," the
father said. "There is a mystery hanging over this affair. I never
saw a person more anxious to obtain an education than he, as he often
studied until midnight during the past two years. I now feel calm and
composed and reconciled in this bereavement. I have done, and am doing
a great deal of work for the dead. It may be necessary that one of my
family be in the spirit world to labor among those for whom we are
officiating in the Temple of the Lord."
Upon the return of Elder Woodruff to St. George, he resumed his work in
the Temple there. During this and the immediate subsequent years Elder
Woodruff devoted himself with great diligence to the work for the dead
in the Temple at St. George. Work-day parties were gotten up for him.
Hundreds of people gave him a day or two days or more in the Temple in
the ordinances for his kindred dead.
If it can be truthfully said of any man that he followed the {500}
injunction of the Savior, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and
His righteousness, and all else shall be added thereto," it may be
truthfully said of Wilford Woodruff. In his journal he wrote at that
time: "I have passed through the whole history of the Church from the
day I embraced the gospel until now; and after so long a time and such
experience, I wish to bear my testimony that Joseph Smith was a Prophet
of God, ordained from before the foundation of the world to come forth
in the last dispensation of the fullness of times to lay the foundation
of the Church and Kingdom of God on the earth, and his life was
preserved against every foe by the power of God until he accomplished
all that his Maker ordained him to do, then he sealed his testimony
with his blood, and that testimony is in force upon all the world.
"I am now called to preside over the only Temple there is on the earth,
built for the salvation of the living and the dead. There are but a
few of us living who were in Zion's Camp. I will here say that God has
inspired me to keep a journal and write the history of this Church,
and I warn the future historians to give credence to my history; for
my testimony is true, and the truth of its record will be manifest in
the world to come. All the words of the Lord will be fulfilled upon
the nations, which are written in this book. The American nation will
be broken in pieces like a potter's vessel, and will be cast down to
hell if it does not repent,--and this, because of murders, whoredoms,
wickedness, and all manner of abominations, for the Lord has spoken
it. Awake, therefore, O Zion, to the coming of the Son of Man. Let the
people sanctify and purify themselves before the Lord, and be prepared
for the redemption of Zion and the coming of the Son of God, for His
coming is at the door, and will overtake the world like a thief in the
night."
There is throughout the journal of Wilford Woodruff that continuous
spirit which manifests itself in the revelations and head-dealings of
God. His spirit is like that of the prophets and patriarchs of old, and
what he has written day by day represents the spirit of the times and
is in response to the needs of the hour. He was always in close touch
with the Prophet and was always in harmony with his divine calling.
There may be traced throughout the journal of this remarkable man a
certain devotion to those fundamental principles which God revealed
in the establishment {501} of the Church in this dispensation. These
principles gave him his guiding star, and by them he interpreted
the history of the world and its destinies. He was not overtaken by
vagaries, and he never had a thought of stamping his own personality
on anything that he did or said. He was always impressionable to the
spirit. His journal, therefore, is a storehouse of beautiful and
convincing testimonies; for his testimonies beget faith and lead to a
better and more exalted life. Elder Woodruff lays bare his spirit in
his journal day by day, and it is the same humble devoted childlike
faith from the first to the last page.
Leaving St. George, Elder Woodruff made a tour of the settlements in
southern Utah. He celebrated the 24th of July in the State House at
Fillmore. On this tour, he, for the first time, visited the beautiful
Panguitch Lake. He was a great lover of scenic beauty. The work of God
was no less precious to him than the word of God. At that lake he also
enjoyed the opportunity of his favorite pastime, fishing for trout. He
was a great fisher and hunter, both of game and men.
After his return to St. George on the 21st of August, that year, he was
baptized for the signers of the Declaration of Independence and other
notable patriots in the history of his country. It was a part of his
loyalty to the United States to crave God's blessing upon the men and
women who had laid the foundation of free institutions. To his mind
they were all the instruments of a divine purpose, and he sought their
welfare according to the light and intelligence which God had given him.
His work in the Temple was suddenly disturbed by a telegram stating
that President Young had died at four o'clock p. m. August 29th, 1877.
He, therefore, in company with Erastus Snow, hastened by private
conveyance and stage to York, the railroad terminus, that they might
reach Salt Lake City as soon as possible. A distance of three hundred
and forty miles was covered in two and a half days, though Elder
Woodruff at that time was over seventy years old. On reaching Salt Lake
they immediately went to the Tabernacle where the remains of President
Young lay in state. From his journal we learn that something like
twenty-five thousand people took a parting look at the remains of the
dead Prophet. At his funeral Elder Woodruff spoke. Perhaps no man in
the Church knew Brigham Young better than he knew him. {502} They were
pioneers together, and spent months and years together preaching the
gospel and compiling Church history.
This change brought the quorum of the Twelve Apostles, with John Taylor
at the head, in control of Church affairs. The following September,
Elder Woodruff visited Logan, where he took part in laying the
corner-stones of the Temple, concern-whose erection he had prophesied
many years before. Temple work was now the burden of his thought and
discourse; and at the following October Conference he talked at great
length of his labors in the St. George Temple, where, he said, between
the first of June and the first of September twenty-three thousand nine
hundred and eighty-nine baptisms for the dead had been performed. He
was now also joyful in anticipation of the Temple which was to be built
in Manti. This location on the hill overlooking the country made him
feel, when its erection was completed, that it was truly the mountain
of the Lord's House.
During this year repeated mention of his work on the farm is made in
his journal, though at the time he had passed three score and ten years
of life. He loved farm work and devoted to it much thought. With him it
was all in the purpose of God and his devotion never flagged whether he
was on the farm, in the canyon, or in the pulpit. His Church duties,
however, as time went on, weighed more heavily upon him, and on the
15th of December, that year, he resigned his position as President of
the Deseret Agricultural and Manufacturing Society, a place he had
occupied with zeal, interest, and honor, as well as with ability, for
fifteen years.
On Christmas of that year he made note of the joy he found over the
privilege of being at home with his wives and children, whose happiness
and welfare were matters of great satisfaction to him. He watches them
take their presents from the Christmas tree, and he enters into the
childish joy of his little children with a tender and fatherly love.
It would swell beyond due proportions his biography to recount his
movements to the different parts of the Church, and the daily duties
of his life. Elder Woodruff was an excessively busy man. He was always
looking for something to do, and he never had any difficulty in finding
it. His constant travels and administrations among the Saints made him
to them one of the most familiar figures among their leaders.
Early in January he set out on a mission to the southern settlements
{503} and St. George, which he reached on the 22nd of the month. There,
he again took up his labors in the Temple. The people there knew how
happy Temple work made him and they turned out in great numbers to
render him assistance in the work he had planned to do for his kindred
dead.
It was at this time that he paid his first visit to Kanab, going by way
of Rockville and Grafton. He calls the Hurricane Hill there the worst
hill he ever drove a team up in his life. He and his companions camped
for the night on the summit. He slept on the ground. The next morning
he encountered a heavy snow-storm which continued until noon. At night
they reached Pipe Springs, a little oasis in northern Arizona. This was
also the first time he had been in that Territory.
On the return to St. George he resumed his work in the Temple. Of
that work he said: "In one year and fourteen days endowments had been
received for ten hundred and sixty-two of my dead." On March 20th he
returned to Salt Lake City by way of Parowan, Cove Creek, Richfield,
Manti, and Nephi.
He wrote a brief account of the April conference. Here, it should be
said that matters of general Church interest which were taken down by
stenographers ceased to find a place in his journal, and he confines
himself more to personal affairs and matters of special interest. In
many places, taking it for granted that the facts are known, he made
his journal simply a commentary.
About the time of conference that year, there were difficulties between
the heirs of President Young and the Church over the estate of the
late President. "I will say," he wrote, in his journal, "for and in
behalf of the executors of the estate of Brigham Young; namely, George
Q. Cannon, Brigham Young, Jr., and Albert Carrington, that they have
done all in their power to settle this estate in justice, equity and
righteousness." In those trying difficulties Elder Woodruff acted as a
peace-maker.
The year 1878 began to witness some of those beautiful outings,
designated "The Old Folks' Excursion." The early history of the Church
was beginning to crystallize in beauty and importance. To the Latter-day
Saints, the men and women who had borne the burden of those early days
were veterans of distinction, and the people loved to honor them;
besides there is something in the spirit and teachings of Mormonism
that calls forth reverence {504} and honor for old age. There is within
the Latter-day Saints a marked disposition to manifest gratitude. On
the 11th of June, that year, thirteen cars conveyed the aged veterans,
men and women, to Ogden, where they were received by a hundred and
twenty-five conveyances and taken to Farr's Grove. Since then, these
outings have become frequent and general throughout the Church.
Elder Woodruff gives us some data of an Old Folks' Excursion in those
days. He says that prizes were distributed for various distinctions.
Mrs. Catherine Wilson received one because she was the oldest person
present--ninety-six years. William Wilde was likewise honored because
he was the next oldest, ninety-five years. Five sisters obtained prizes
because they had yoked and unyoked two yoke of cattle and driven
them across the plains. Five others received them because they had
drawn hand carts to Salt Lake Valley. One woman, Mrs. Ann Moses, was
distinguished because she was the mother of twenty-one children. Mrs.
Elizabeth Taylor came in also for her honors because she was the mother
of fourteen children and six hundred grand, and great grand children.
Elder P. Green Taylor, fifty-one years old, got a prize because he had
more children than any man present; namely, thirty-six. Nor was Elder
Woodruff forgotten on this occasion. He received a prize because he
had baptized and had been instrumental in bringing into the Church a
great number of souls, something like two thousand. He tells us in his
journal that there was a foot-race by William Barnes, eighty-nine;
Elias Adams, eighty-six; and Thomas Edmunds, likewise eighty-six years
of age. He says Brother Edmunds won.
On the second of September, that year, he said he took part in blessing
a number of missionaries and of setting apart Orson Pratt and Joseph F.
Smith for a short mission to Missouri to visit the Whitmer families and
places of note in the travels of the Church.
The October conference of that year was held in the Tabernacle and
at its close there began the organization of a general Zion's Board
of Trade, of which the Apostles were made honorary members. Local
organizations of the same character were effected in different parts
of the Church. The purpose of this organization was to promote the
temporal welfare of the people and aid them in acquiring the best
markets for their produce by co-operative effort.
{505} On the 25th of that month Elder Woodruff records his visit with
Senator McCrary of Kentucky and Mr. Hooper of Mississippi and other
prominent gentlemen to the Smelting Works of Mr. L. E. Holden. Upon
their return these gentlemen called upon President Taylor.
On the 28th of November, Elder Orson Hyde died at his home in Spring
City, San Pete County, at the age of seventy-three. This left but one
of the first quorum of the Twelve Apostles living; namely, Elder Orson
Pratt. On the 30th Elder Woodruff attended the funeral. Proceedings of
which are found in the Deseret News of Dec. 5th, 1878.
Closing his long description of the scenes of a remarkable dream which
he gives in detail at this time, he uses the following words: "I saw
a short distance from the Missouri River, where I stood, twelve men
dressed in the robes of the Temple. They stood in a square near by and
I was given to understand that they represented the twelve gates of the
new Jerusalem. Their hands were uplifted while they were consecrating
the ground; and later they laid the corner-stones of the house of God.
I saw myriads of angels hovering over them, and above their heads
there was a pillar-like cloud. I heard the most beautiful singing in
the words: 'Now is established the Kingdom of our God and His Christ,
and He shall reign forever and forever, and the Kingdom shall never be
thrown down, for the Saints have overcome.' I saw people coming from
the river and from distant places to help build the Temple. It seemed
as though there were hosts of angels helping to bring material for
the construction of that building. Some were in Temple robes, and the
pillar-like cloud continued to hover over the spot.
"Later I found myself in the Ogden Tabernacle, where I was calling upon
the people to listen to the beautiful strains of music there. I rolled
over in my bed and heard the clock of the City Hall strike twelve."
This was December 16, 1877.
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