A GREAT BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION, 1897.
Admission of Utah into the Union.--Political Struggles.--Birthday
Celebrated.
The year 1896 brought Statehood to Utah. "I feel to thank God," wrote
Elder Woodruff "that I have lived to see Utah admitted into the family
of states. It is an event that we looked forward to for a generation."
On the 4th of January President Cleveland signed the proclamation,
admitting the people to statehood. The Enabling Act had been signed on
the 7th of July, 1894. Thus a period of a year and a half had elapsed
during which the constitution for the new state had been made and the
political preparations looking to statehood had all been consummated.
It was ushered in by ringing of bells and firing of guns. Shouts of joy
proclaimed the glad tidings throughout almost every town and hamlet in
the state.
"Ovando Beebe and Joseph Daynes," he continued, "decorated the front
of our house with flags and bunting. This day, January 6th, 1896,
celebrates our admission into the union. It is quite universal. There
may be a few who dislike to see the Saints enjoy a full measure of
human rights. The First Presidency occupied a front place in the
procession which marched through the public thoroughfares to the
Tabernacle. We reached that building about noon and found it crowded to
its utmost capacity.
"The great American flag, which we all revere, was spread overhead and
measured in length 150 feet, and in width 75 feet. Acting Governor
Richards called the great assembly to order. The opening prayer, by
myself, which was written, was read by George Q. Cannon. A thousand
voices sang the 'Star Spangled Banner.' The acting Governor then read
the proclamation of President Grover Cleveland; declared the end of the
territorial government, and introduced Heber M. Wells, the first state
governor, and other state officials, who upon taking oath of office,
assumed the positions to which they had been elected.
{592} "Our enemies have declared that we should never enjoy the
blessings of statehood. Their words have fallen to the ground and we
are now in possession of that God-given boon. I am thankful that I live
to behold this day."
He was naturally reminiscent, he looked back upon a long and arduous
struggle of the Saints for those political rights to which they felt
themselves entitled. The past was full of acrimony, misgivings, and
bitter contentions. At last it was decided to cease contention, drop
the political struggles in which the People's Party had engaged, and
place themselves in harmony with one or another of the great political
parties of the nation. This seemed the only manner in which what was
now becoming a useless controversy could be ended.
After all, a division upon political lines brought with it anxieties,
misgivings, and dangers. There would be in the Church Mormon Democrats
and Mormon Republicans. How they would conduct themselves toward one
another in the stress and heat of political controversy was a matter
of no small concern. They would be struggling one against another for
supremacy. In an age when the political achievements of men carry with
them the highest honors and when almost every other relation of life
is subordinated to political aggrandizements, there would naturally be
some fear lest the Saints, too, should look upon politics, like many
others, as the greatest source of honor and power.
It was soon learned that instead of sitting down side by side in the
discussion of political questions as matters of business importance
and good government, and of discussing relations thereof in a friendly
spirit, there grew up animosities, jealousies, and bitterness which
still torment the people.
These political dissentions had their temptations and the gravest
dangers attended them. Men were thrown indiscriminately into the
society of their follow men, some of whom had no respect for those
moral principles which underlie the perpetuity of religion. The spirit
of politics was one of intoxication. Here and there, young men and
old staggered and swaggered under its influence. They were without
restraint, without reassurance, and were drifting hopelessly. Some
were now piled up like driftwood after the subsidence of a flood. A
few became so saturated with politics and its attending evils that
the light and {593} flame of the spirit have never since awakened and
enkindled their soggy souls.
Some grew unduly suspicious. Circumstances engendered animosities.
Passing events tried many to the limit of their endurance. Some soured
and fell by the wayside. During the early years of statehood the
influence of some of the Church leaders became involved in political
struggles.
Elder Woodruff's journal discloses the regrets which he experienced
over such conditions. He lamented the political folly of many, and
above all deplored the loss of brotherly love which the political
excitement of the times brought about. He felt that trials of one
character or another were naturally the lot of the Latter-day Saints.
He knew that as time went on men would be tempted and tried in
proportion to their worth and consequence in the world. He was grieved,
however, when he saw men who had apparently been loyal to their duty
and other obligations in life become the victims of a political mania.
Political questions gave rise to long drawn controversies. Some of
these controversies involved the faith and even the standing of Church
members. Men sought to argue themselves through the mists and fogs of
political darkness. Many were groping about as if blindfolded. In time
most of them emerged from darkness into light. A few lay down by the
wayside and would not believe what they could not see, and they could
not see because of darkness about them. They therefore justified their
obstinacy which they vainly imagined was courage. During those trying
times men of long standing in the Church and of unsuspected integrity
came to President Woodruff in a spirit of anger and babbled like
thoughtless children. Happily many of them have seen their folly and
have learned that the Church guided and controlled by the hand of God,
rolls on constantly and persistently like the earth in the midst of
the heavens. They have learned, too, that though the Church, like the
earth moving through the mists and fogs, when its course is obscured,
is nevertheless moving steadfastly and accurately forward according to
the laws of its creation. Many have learned, too, that the destines
of the Church are after all not in the hands of men; for men are the
mere instrumentalities of a divine purpose; and if those men, having
walked according to their light and understanding, pass {594} on into
the Great Beyond without moving the Church in the least from the great
orbit prescribed for it by Divine wisdom, what effect can jealousy and
criticism have upon it.
When brethren came to President Woodruff and declared that all the the
troubles of the Church were political troubles he lamented their folly,
their misunderstanding, and the want in them of that divine spirit
which should guide men in every exigency of life.
"Some men," he was wont to exclaim, "really act as though they were
possessed by the devil. The Church is not going to pieces. The
principles of God are not falling to the ground. Such men will be
ashamed of themselves some day."
He did not pretend to know why some things happened, but he knew how
men ought to behave themselves after they had learned the great lesson
which taught them the destinies of the Church and the duties of a
Latter-day Saint. Those were remarkable times; their spirit, as far, as
it can be reflected upon the pages of history, will remain to warn and
instruct future generations.
President Woodruff's journal of those times discloses a prophetic
insight which he had neither the wisdom to explain nor political
knowledge to appreciate. Questions that were then great issues, and
about which grave apprehensions were felt concerning the welfare
of the Church, are now of no consequence when looked back upon.
There were dire predictions which time failed to verify and which
recede from every possibility as time goes on. In the Church men are
affected by the spirit and contentions of the times, but the fate of
men and the destiny of the Church are two quite separate matters.
In no organizations of the world, and in no institutions of men is
the separation between the men who conduct them and the welfare and
perpetuity of the organizations so great as between the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints and the men to whose care its interests are
entrusted.
Political forecasts of those days do not tally with current events.
President Woodruff no where in his journal gives any evidence of a
spirit of despair. He positively refuses to take things so seriously
as politicians would have him do. Harm to the Church was something he
did not comprehend any more than he could comprehend how men could harm
God. He manifested {595} sorrow for those whose standard of measurement
religiously was a political standard. He was not moved by those grave
fears which many entertained for the Church. He took as little thought
of the morrow in his contemplation of God's purposes as any man that
ever lived since the days of the Master.
Men crowded about him with their tables of calculations, by which they
fixed the future welfare of the Church and its threatened destruction.
His journal is an interesting revelation of some men's peculiar
conceptions of the destiny of the Church under the strain and stress
of those times. He never pretended to follow the intricacies of men's
reasoning about the future. He recorded their sayings and set over
against them the more sure word of prophecy upon which he rested his
faith.
He might be confused in the labyrinth of details; sophistries might
awaken in him a spirit of wonderment; arguments might create doubt as
to the location upon one side or the other of some fact or minor truth,
but he was never in any measure of doubt upon the fundamental truth of
Mormonism and its triumphs through divine guidance.
It was perhaps a most fortunate circumstance that during the troublous
times following statehood, President Woodruff never took seriously to
heart those events which so greatly stirred the souls of many other
men. His native honesty kept him from political speculations which
were to him at most, mere guess work. He always felt some confusion
whenever he troubled himself about political speculations. He might be
persuaded how some things would be for the good of the Church, but he
knew that all things God could turn to good account in its mission to
the children of men.
Turning from the considerations of Church and State, he recorded
those social pastimes which gave him pleasure. It is remarkable how
completely the different topics about which he writes in his journal
are separated. However much the intensity of his feelings may be
manifested when writing upon some subject, those feelings are not
carried into the expression which he uses in describing something else
that comes along. In each subject he manifests the peculiar spirit
which belongs to it.
On the 11th of January that year, he attended a birthday {596} party of
his first counselor, George Q. Cannon, who was then sixty-nine years of
age. "The family," he wrote, "consisted of twenty-three sons, and ten
daughters." Family gatherings of that kind were of special interest to
him. Patriarchal relations of that character had in them something of
the spirit and promise of Holy Writ.
On March 1st he celebrated his own anniversary. He was then eight-nine.
As many of his family as could be convened on that occasion joined in
the celebration of their father and grand-father's natal day. All told
there were about fifty present. The annual conference of that year
convened April 4th. It was largely attended and of special interest
to the people. A general pronunciamento was issued, in which leading
Church men were required to obtain the permission of their superiors
before accepting political obligations that might interfere with the
exercise of their Church duties. The document set forth at some length
the relations of Church and state from a Church point of view. Its
general acceptance throughout the stakes of Zion was voted upon at both
stake and ward conferences. As a rule the policy therein set forth was
received as a matter of course by the people generally. In some places
there was opposition, and as a consequence some resigned their offices
in the Church.
Turning from subjects of religious, social, and political importance,
he recorded his views at that time upon the question of mining and the
thought that he had that it might be made profitable to the Church in
the liquidation of some of its debts. Such a means, however, of meeting
the obligations of the Church did not receive permanent consideration.
The general principle prevailed that the methods which the Lord had
instituted were really the safest means by which the revenues of the
Church might be raised. Besides tithing was a law of God and contained
a blessing for those who observed it. To be sure, there were legitimate
means by which moneys of the Church might be invested, but reliance
upon speculations in mines came to be regarded as both unsafe and
unsatisfactory.
His journal contained a record of important appointments during his
administration. He mentioned with special satisfaction the appointment
of A. W. Ivins to the Presidency of the Juarez Stake of Zion in Old
Mexico. He spoke in words of {597} praise of Rulon S. Wells, and Joseph
W. McMurrin, who succeeded President A. H. Lund in the European mission.
A matter that affected him greatly was the death of Apostle A. H.
Cannon, who died on the 19th of July, 1896, at the age of thirty-seven.
This young Apostle had evidently gained the love and confidence of
President Woodruff, who mourned intensely his death. The funeral of A.
H. Cannon was deeply impressive and the funeral procession was one of
the longest ever witnessed in Salt Lake City. Sometime afterward, and
while on a visit to the coast, he referred to special manifestations
which he had, respecting the young apostle's character and his mission
in the spirit world. He spoke of his purity, his integrity, and
his important mission to the spirit world as the testimony of the
spirit to him. "The spirit of God rested upon me at the close of this
manifestation in a powerful manner and bore testimony to me of the
truth of the revelation to me concerning Abraham H. Cannon."
At the April conference following, he spoke of that, and similar
manifestations, and in the course of his testimony, declared that the
Lord does not send angels to the earth except to accomplish a work that
men cannot do. The Holy Ghost should be with the Saints at all times to
reveal to them their duties.
In his journal of that year, he spoke of the intense suffering which he
at one time experienced, and said that he was healed instantly by the
administration of the Apostles.
That year, November 5th, witnessed a change in the observance of the
fast day from the first Thursday to the first Sunday in the month.
The first day of the new year, 1897, found President Woodruff at
home with his family. At his advanced age in life, time was making
inroad upon his health. He rallied, however, from periods of bodily
infirmity, and manifested remarkable renewals of strength. Through it
all, he was faithful in keeping his journal, which was to him a matter
of first importance. Other offices and callings might be temporary,
but his journal was a life's mission to which he had been called. He
could not say what that journal might accomplish in days to come,
but he gave to it the fidelity and a devotion that are as inspiring
as they are characteristic. It is that journal that enables the
historian today {598} to give to the world one of the most remarkable
and faith-promoting biographies in all the history of the Church. He
rises from the faithful records of his journal to engage his mind in
business enterprises. On the 19th of January, 1897, he paid a visit
to Ogden Canyon, where he viewed with admiration the electric power
plant and its marvelous machinery. "I visited all the electric works
and was overwhelmed with amazement at the ponderous machinery used
for the production of electricity. There is a spirit in man, but the
inspiration of the Almighty giveth him understanding."
The celebration of his birthday, February 28th, and March 1st, is a
distinct event in his life. The following is a published account of the
occasion, contained in the _Deseret News_:
"On Sunday, February 28th, 1897, at 2 p. m., and on the following
day, Monday, March 1st, at 10 a. m., were exercises in the Tabernacle
in honor of the ninetieth anniversary of the birth of Elder Wilford
Woodruff, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
and one of the first company of Utah Pioneers that entered the Valley
of the Great Salt Lake.
For this occasion the Tabernacle has been beautifully decorated. The
speakers' stands are ornamented in white and old gold, with numerous
flowers and potted ferns and other plants around the organ. The table
at the foot of the stands is covered with flowers, and in front of
this, seats are raised above the floor for President Woodruff and wife
to occupy during the reception on Monday. Over this is a canopy draped
with the Stars and Stripes, with electric lights in the top to throw
light upon the couple. This canopy will remain thrown back upon the
table until the time of the reception. The upper stand, which will be
occupied by the President and his wife during the rendering of the
program, has been raised about sixteen inches higher than its usual
position, so that a full view can be had of them from every part of
the building. In front of and near the top of the organ is a beautiful
star composed of sixty-one electric lights; over this, and extending
from south to north across the building is a white streamer bearing the
inscriptions, "Glory be to God," "Honor to His Prophet," and the three
dates, 1807, 1847, and 1897. Around the gallery bunting is stretched,
with a star over each post, and at the rear of the building is the
inscription, {599} "We honor the man so honored of God." Above the rear
of the gallery is a banner on which is painted 1847-1897. Below this is
a Union flag which passed through the war.
A brief sketch of President Woodruff's life was read.
SUNDAY SCHOOL AFTERNOON'S CELEBRATION.
Perhaps the largest number of people that ever assembled in the
large Tabernacle was present Sunday afternoon on the occasion of the
celebration by the Sunday schools of President Woodruff's ninetieth
birthday. Not only were the seats all occupied, but the aisles were
packed in every part of the immense building.
From the time of the opening of the doors at 1 o'clock, until after 2,
the Sunday schools and others continued to pour into the Tabernacle en
masse, and when the time arrived to commence the services, all seats
were taken, and many people were still outside of the building, while
several entire schools were turned away, the general public, having
crowded into the reservation, intended for the children. While there
was some confusion, caused by the gathering of such a large number
of children and getting them seated properly, it must be said that
altogether they did well and filed in in as orderly a manner as could
reasonably be expected.
A brilliant effect was produced when the electric current was turned
into the globes forming the beautiful double star, and into the word
"Utah" in front of the organ. The latter and the large star were
composed of clear lights, while the small star within was made up of
red lights. The decorations were very tastily arranged throughout and
added greatly to the imposing scene.
The services commenced at five minutes after two by President George
Q. Cannon calling the vast assemblage to order and announcing the
opening hymn, "We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet," which was rendered
by the entire congregation, under the leadership of Professor Evan
Stephens. Its rendition visibly affected President Woodruff, and made
it necessary for the honored veteran to wipe the tear-drops from his
eyelids.
An appropriate and feeling prayer was offered by Elder George Teasdale,
after which the Sunday schools rendered the {600} hymn, "God Speed the
Right," under the leadership of Professor E. K. Bassett.
Elder George Goddard, of the general superintendency of Sunday
schools, addressed the congregation. He stated that it was the largest
assemblage that had ever been within the walls of the Tabernacle.
Notwithstanding this, however, he felt that if desired, he could
succeed in restoring order such as to hear the dropping of a pin. He
requested the children present to note in a book after going home the
exercises which they had taken part in today. Children should learn
to keep a history of their lives and incidents connected with the
experiences which they had passed through, that in after years they
might recall those pleasant days which they had seen while here upon
the earth. The speaker then sang the Sunday school hymn "In Our Lovely
Deseret," the children present joining in the chorus. At the conclusion
of the song the speaker called upon all those assembled to pray for
President Woodruff and prophesied that if they paid attention to the
words of the song just sang, many would live eighty years hence and be
able to testify to taking part in the exercises of today.
Under the direction of Elder George Teasdale all the Sunday school
children present recited in concert the Articles of Faith.
Professor Joseph J. Daynes rendered in pleasing style an organ solo,
entitled "My Father's Growing Old."
Elder George A. Smith gave a short epitome of the life and labors of
President Wilford Woodruff. Closing he said in his lifetime he had
traveled 175,00 miles to preach the gospel. He had baptized 2,000 souls
into the Church, and had written a journal of 7,000 pages, covering his
work for a period of sixty-two years.
Two verses of the song, "Is There Anything That We Can Do?" were sung
by the congregation, after which Sister Rose Wallace in a felicitous
speech presented President Woodruff in behalf of the Desert Sunday
School Union, with a beautiful basket of ninety roses. Sister Wallace
used these words:
"President Woodruff, our beloved Prophet and leader: In behalf of
the Deseret Sunday School Union, I greet you on this the ninetieth
anniversary of your natal day, and congratulate you {601} that you have
reached this advanced age, and rejoice that you are preserved unto us
in all the power of your glorious manhood and of your high and holy
calling.
"We hope and pray that your life will still be precious in the eyes
of our Father for years to come; that you may be a blessing and a
comfort unto His Saints; and that they shall fill your soul with joy
unspeakable by their faithful, earnest efforts to do God's will; and
that you shall live until every holy desire in your heart is satisfied.
"We love you, we bless you, Brother Woodruff, with all our soul,
and thank you for your gentle guidance; for you have been to us 'as
a gentle shepherd leading us through the gloom into the bright and
glorious day.'
"And since our feeble words cannot express the love we bear you nor
the joy we feel in your presence, we have brought these beauteous
messengers of love, ninety roses, whose hearts are laden with the
exquisite fragrance from our heavenly home where all is love.
"They are the roses Reverence and Regard,
That know no change,
But bloom forever, though the storm be hard
And ways grow strange.
"They are the roses that I bring to you,
Your gaze to greet;
To scent the way you take with fragrance true.
And make life sweet."
Roses to greet you, with a wish from me,
Though skies are drear,
Still may the path you take all fragrant be
Through all the year.
"Though roses born of sunlight and June showers
Fade fast away,
There are sweet roses grown in wintrier hours,
That ne'er decay!"
{602} President Woodruff then addressed the congregation. He said: "I
want to say to my young brethren and sisters and friends in the Sabbath
schools established here in the Rocky Mountains, God bless you, and I
feel to bless you, as far as I have the power. I want to say that this
is a scene before me today that has overpowered me--it has overpowered
my speech. I would rather not say anything, still I feel I want to make
a few remarks to my friends.
"I never in my life have been in a similar position to that of today.
The scene before me has been a fulfillment of all my prayers from my
boyhood up to early manhood. Eighty years ago I was a little boy ten
years of age attending school the same as you are here in the mountains
of Israel. I read the New Testament. I read of Jacob; I read of the
Apostles and the Prophets. I could not find a man on the face of the
earth who taught these principles or believed in them. I prayed to the
God of heaven that I might live to see a prophet; that I might live to
see an apostle who would say something that would satisfy me like the
principles I read of in the New Testament.
"Today I stand in the midst of ten thousand young men and women
of Israel--sons and daughters of prophets, patriarchs and men of
Israel. Men who hold the holy priesthood appointed by the God of
Israel; appointed in the last days to set up and carry these laws
and principles of God into effect. It is these principles that we
were to look at in the last days. Now I want to say to you as the
rising generation, I never expected to see a day of this kind in my
life, in my early days. I did expect, as it was promised to me, to
see a prophet. I have lived to see him. I have traveled with prophets
and patriarchs and sons of God. I have lived to see this body of
intelligence of the sons of the living God, who come here to the
meetings of Israel.
"I rejoice in this, for I see before me the nature of the Latter-day
Saints. We cannot say the Bible is a novel--the Bible that contains
revelation. I have passed through the periods of boyhood, early manhood
and old age. I cannot expect to tarry a great while longer with you,
but I want to give to you a few words of counsel. You occupy a position
in the Church and Kingdom of God and have received the power of the
holy priesthood. The {603} God of heaven has appointed you and called
you forth in this day and generation. I want you to look at this. Young
men listen to the counsel of your brethren. Live near to God; pray
while young; learn to pray; learn to cultivate the Holy Spirit of God;
link it to you and it will become a spirit of revelation unto you,
inasmuch as you nourish it. I feel thankful myself that I have lived to
see this day. I declare unto you that there are many in the flesh who
will remain so until the coming of the Son of Man.
"This is about all I have to say. I feel thankful to my heavenly Father
that I see this scene before us this afternoon; that I see the gospel
manifestations on the earth. There has been, as it was stated by our
brother, two powers, one to destroy me and the other to save me And God
in heaven has willed to spare me to see this day. He has given me power
to reject every testimony and reject every example that leads to evil.
I say to you children, do not use tobacco, liquor, or any of these
things that destroy the body and mind, but honor Him and you will have
a mission upon your heads that the world know not of. May God bless
you. Amen."
Quartette, "We Ever Pray for Thee," specially written for the occasion
by Professor Evan Stephens, was nicely rendered by the little Misses
Olga Peterson, Mamie Mills, Annie Peterson, and Gertrude Kelly, with a
refrain by Brother E. K. Bassett's choir.
President George Q. Cannon was the next speaker. He said that this was
a most memorable occasion and one that would live long in the hearts
of those assembled. Ninety years, said the speaker, was a long space
of time for mankind to live upon the earth. It was gratifying to know
that President Woodruff had held the Apostleship in this Church longer
than any man that had lived in this dispensation. The Lord had blessed
President Woodruff and had spared him to do a mighty work in helping to
roll forth the Church and Kingdom of God.
President Cannon called the attention of the children to the good work
which had been done by President Woodruff. He had lived a righteous
life upon the earth and had been miraculously spared to see the desires
of his heart made manifest. The speaker exhorted the young to emulate
the example set them by {604} President Woodruff, as in their declining
years they would rejoice in keeping themselves pure and unspotted from
the sins of the world. They should keep the Word of Wisdom and God
would add His blessings.
The hymn, "Song of Praise," was rendered by the Sunday schools.
The Lord's prayer was recited in concert under the leadership of Elder
Richard S. Horne of the Sunday School Union Board.
Madame von Finkelstein Mountford was the next speaker. She said: "We
are gathered here in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. This is one of
the greatest scenes that I have ever witnessed in my life. To see so
many children; it is like coming into the Kingdom of Heaven; and before
the honorable President here. He must feel today that he is in the
Kingdom of Heaven; for Christ said: 'Suffer the little children to come
unto me, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.' And as these little
ones are singing here, they seem to have come from the heavenly host
above singing, 'Glory to God and peace on earth.' Long life and good
wishes to our noble President, I want to call him my own President. I
am one of the children of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is one of the
memorable days of my life. I am the daughter of Zion--that ancient
city Zion--and have the privilege and honor to be in this Zion of the
western hemisphere. All that I can compare this gathering to is the one
that was held by those who were led by Moses through the desert--the
children of Israel. While crying for bread Moses said to them, I shall
pray to God to send you bread. The next morning when the children of
Israel rose up, they expected to see great loaves of bread lying ready
to be eaten. They cried, 'Where, oh where is the bread?' Moses said,
'There is the bread.' That was it, around like little seeds. They said,
'Manora,' the meaning of which is, 'Do you want to starve us with
this bread?' Moses said, 'Go, gather the bread and eat. And they went
and gathered and ate, and they were filled. That bread from heaven
was called in the world, manna. There is where the word originated--a
symbol of praise to the Maker. What is this, that God has sent us in
the wilderness? By His mighty power He has led us forth by His servant
into {605} the desert, into the wilderness, and planted us to dwell
in this wilderness--brought the children of Israel like mighty Moses
through the wilderness. All that I feel to say is that I truly wish
long peace to this State, and I give the glory to the God of Israel. It
is with you and the children that are here to remember every one of you
that you are the temples of the living God. He is living in you, every
one. May you live true to Him as our honorable President has done. He
is ninety years old, and it is because he has kept himself pure and
unspotted from the world, that he has lived in the world and yet not of
the world, in himself and with God, as His Prophet, that he is honored
now. May God preserve his life to these children here, and may they
from generation to generation observe his counsel. May every blessing
be with the honorable President of this great movement; and I hope that
our President will live long, and that God's love will rest upon him."
The closing hymn, "What Prize Shall Be Your Reward," was sung by the
Sunday schools and benediction was pronounced by Elder George Reynolds.
At the close of the exercises many availed themselves of the
opportunity to shake hands with President Woodruff, and it was
therefore some time before the entire audience was out of the building.
MONDAY MORNING'S CELEBRATION.
According to the arranged program President Woodruff's ninetieth
birthday was celebrated in the large Tabernacle today, commencing
at the hour of 10 a. m. Before that time arrived, the body of the
Tabernacle was filled with people and nearly all the seats in the
gallery were occupied.
The two center rows of seats for some distance back were reserved
for the family and friends of President Woodruff, the members of the
Legislature and others, until 10:23, at which time the public were
allowed to fill up the remaining unoccupied seats.
The Tabernacle choir occupied its usual position, while Held's band was
stationed in the east end of the gallery and discoursed sweet music at
intervals during the proceedings.
{606} When President Woodruff appeared on the stand at 10:07 o'clock he
received a perfect ovation. The entire congregation arose in a body,
and waving their handkerchiefs joined with the choir in singing "Our
God we raise to Thee, Thanks for Thy blessings free, We here enjoy."
The scene presented during the singing was very beautiful, indeed.
While the crowd was not so large as at yesterday's session, yet all the
seats were taken and many people were standing in the aisles and on the
stairways leading to the gallery.
The proceedings were opened by the Tabernacle choir singing "Noble
Chief," after which prayer was offered by President Joseph F. Smith.
Choir then sang, "Hail, Prophet, Brother, Friend."
An address of welcome was then made by President Woodruff. He spoke as
follows:
"I feel highly honored this morning in meeting with so many of my
friends upon this important occasion. Yesterday those who were
present might have observed my condition. I was perfectly overwhelmed
in consequence of the scene before me. It was not what was said
particularly, but it brought to my mind in overwhelming power my
boyhood and early manhood and my desires that I might live upon the
earth to find a people who would receive the gospel of Jesus Christ as
taught by Christ and the Apostles. In meeting with thousands of the
children of the Latter-day Saints, it brought to my mind those scenes
and the fulfillment of my prayers and desires before the Lord.
"I hope this morning I may be able to make a few remarks. I will say
this, it has been a desire of my life from my boyhood up, never to
address any assembly of people whom I could not make hear what I had
to say. I feel the same this morning; I do not know whether I can make
this assembly hear me or not; but I will do the best I can.
"As I can hardly expect ever to have the opportunity of addressing
the people of this State and my friends in days to come, I have a few
reflections upon my mind that I wish to lay before you. And I will say
they are different from any of my public speeches that I have been in
the habit of presenting to the people. I have consulted no man with
regard to the course I should pursue {607} in my remarks here this
morning, and I do not know that I shall satisfy my friends in the
remarks that I may make.
"First, I want to say a few words upon politics. I hope that will not
astonish you. I have not been in the habit of this heretofore. But I
feel desirous to say a few things that are upon my mind. In the first
place, there is not one item, not one sentence in the Constitution
of the United States, nor in the laws of the United States, nor of
the State of Utah, that deprives any citizen, of any name, nature,
religion, or politics in the land, from joining any political party he
wishes, or voting for whomsoever he wishes. This is the right of every
man without hindrance. We have been accused at times of using Church
influence to guide and direct the State. This is occasionally presented
to the public as our action. I feel it my right and duty to say here
today that I was acquainted with Joseph Smith and associated with him
from 1833 until his martyrdom. I have been acquainted with Brigham
Young and associated with him for forty years of my life, at home and
abroad, under many circumstances. I have also been acquainted with John
Taylor and labored with him in every capacity in which he was called
to act. I have also been a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
for upwards of fifty-six years of my life. And I have been presiding
over the Church itself for a few years. I have been associated with my
counselors and with the present Twelve Apostles. And I want to say upon
this occasion, before God, angels, and all men that are before me, that
I never in one instance knew any leader of this Church to attempt to
dictate and direct the affairs of the State as member of the Church.
At the same time, when any man, no matter who he is--Mormon, Jew, or
Gentile--uses money or any means to hire men to vote for him, I think
he steps outside of his right, and stands in a measure condemned.
"I want to say so much to my friends this morning. I have officiated
for twenty sessions in the Legislative Council of the Territory of
Utah, and one session as a member of the House, and it did not cost me
one farthing for any office I ever held in the Church, or in the State,
or in the Territory. And I never asked any mortal man on the face of
the earth to cast a vote for me that I have any recollection of. As an
example, perhaps, I may be permitted {608} to say, I am the father of
fourteen sons, and have a number of sons-in-law, and I believe they are
pretty nearly evenly divided on political party lines--Democrats and
Republicans. I will give any man five dollars if, in conversing with
them, he can get any one of them to say that his father ever told him
whom to vote for. Some of you may try to make a little money perhaps at
that. (Laughter.) I consider everybody is responsible for himself, and
he has a right to vote for whom he pleases.
"Again, I never asked any office at the hands of any being in heaven
or on earth, not even of my heavenly Father, except in one instance,
which I will relate here. In my boyhood, as you have heard me testify,
I went to the Sabbath schools. I read the New Testament. I saw the
doctrine there portrayed in plainness, as taught by Jesus Christ and
His Apostles, and it was a glorious doctrine. I had a great desire
to live on the earth until I could see inspired men who could teach
me those principles that I read of in the New Testament. I prayed a
great deal in my boyhood and my early manhood that I might live on
the earth to receive those principles that I there read of. In 1833,
for the first time in my life, I saw an elder of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints. That was Zera Pulsipher. He told me that
he was inspired of the Lord. He was threshing grain in his barn when
the voice of the Lord came to him and told him to arise and go to the
north, the Lord had business for him there. He called upon Brother
Cheney, his neighbor, and a member of the Church. They traveled sixty
miles on foot, in December, in deep snow, and the first place they
felt impressed to call was at the house of my brother and myself. They
went into the house and talked with my brother's wife, and they told
her who they were and what their business was. They told her that they
were moved upon to go to the north, and they never felt impressed to
stop anywhere until they came to that house. When they told her their
principles, she said her husband and her brother-in-law both were men
who believed those principles, and they had prayed for them for years.
They appointed a meeting in the school-house upon our farm. I came
home in the evening and my sister-in-law told me of this meeting. I
had been drawing logs from the shores of Lake Ontario (I was in the
lumber business), and I turned out {609} my horses, did not stop to
eat anything, and went to the meeting. I found the house and the door
yard filled with people. I listened for the first time in my life to
a gospel sermon as taught by the elders of this Church. It was what
I had sought for from my boyhood up. I invited the men home with me.
I borrowed the Book of Mormon, and sat up all that night and read.
In the morning I told Brother Pulsipher I wanted to be baptized. I
had a testimony for myself that those principles were true. Myself
and my brother, as was stated here yesterday, went forth and were
baptized--the first two in that county. That was the beginning of my
connection with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"At this point I will ask upon the subject of religion, what are the
rights of men upon religious subjects? I do not know that I can do
better than to quote Brother Joseph Smith's remarks before thousands
of people at a conference in Nauvoo, when there were many non-Mormons
present. He said, 'If I were the emperor of the world and I had power
to control the whole human family, I would sustain every man, woman,
and child in the enjoyment of their religion.' Those are my sentiments
today. I believe every man--Jew, Catholic, Protestant, or anything--has
a right to enjoy his religion unmolested. I believe the Constitution
of the United States and the laws of the United States guarantee this
blessing and privilege to everybody. In fact, I believe that even
Robert Ingersoll and his followers have a right to their opinions and
to enjoy the same; they have a right to their views with regard to God,
the Christ, to the heavens and earth, to the present and the future.
Still I will say, I believe that when Robert Ingersoll goes into the
spirit world he will find the Bible is not a novel. He will learn that
there if never before. He will learn that the crucifixion of the Lord
Jesus Christ and the sacrifice He made is not a burlesque, but that
that was done for the salvation of the world. And he will find that
there will be a God there, there will be a heaven there, there will be
a hell there, there will be everything there of which the Bible has
spoken.
"In the spring after I was baptized, I went to Kirtland. There I met
the Prophet Joseph Smith, and his brother, Hyrum. I met those men that
afterwards formed the Quorum of the {610} Twelve Apostles. I traveled
with Joseph Smith and with that company of men, two hundred and five
of them, one thousand miles to the Missouri to assist our brethren in
their difficulties. They had been driven from their homes and their
lands, from Jackson County into Clay County. We traveled a thousand
miles together. There I had my first experience in the dealings of God
with His Prophet. I understood perfectly well that he was a prophet.
I read the vision, I read his revelations, and I knew they could not
come from any man on the face of the earth but by the inspiration
of Almighty God. From Missouri I commenced my mission under Bishop
Partridge. I will say that while there I had a great desire to preach
the gospel. I had that desire from my boyhood up. I had been a miller,
and I had walked my mill hours and hours in the night, with my soul
filled with these desires to preach the gospel to the children of men.
At the time I speak of I was a teacher, and had no power and authority
to go forth and preach. I went one Sunday into the forest in Clay
County. I was living with Lyman Wight, with half a dozen of the signers
of the Book of Mormon--the Cowderys, the Whitmers, Judge Higbee and
others. I went off by myself and prayed to the Lord that I might have
the privilege of preaching the gospel to my fellow-men. That is all the
office that I ever asked of the Lord or anybody else, as far as that is
concerned. While praying, the Lord gave me His spirit and answered me
that my prayers were heard and would be answered upon my head, and that
what I had asked for should be given me. I walked two or three hundred
yards out of the forest into an open--a broad highway--in the midst of
the forest, and there I saw Judge Higbee standing in the middle of the
road with his arms folded. I walked up to him, and when I got to him he
said: 'Wilford, the Lord has revealed to me that it is your duty to be
ordained to go and preach the gospel.' I said: 'Is that so?' He said:
'Yes.' 'Well,' said I, 'if the Lord wants me to preach the gospel I am
ready to go and do it to the best of my ability.' I did not tell him
that I had been praying for it. My mission commenced there and it has
not ended to the present hour. I have had a responsibility resting upon
me in connection with my brethren.
{611} "Now, before I close, I will again bear my testimony that this
work is of God. This Tabernacle that you are in today was seen by the
Prophet Isaiah and other prophets, and they spoke of it, as well as the
temples that are built in the Valleys of the Mountains. All have been
pointed out by the prophets of God, and the Lord revealed to Isaiah,
Jeremiah, and many other prophets, our day, our history, our lives, our
position in this immense barren desert which has been occupied by the
Latter-day Saints, and is as we see it today through the blessings of
God. I will bear my testimony to the world, to my friends of the Church
and the State, and to all men under heaven, that this is the truth of
God. The Lord Almighty has set His hand to accomplish this work. Joseph
Smith was raised up by the power of God and the revelations of Jesus
Christ to organize this Church and kingdom in the dispensation of the
fulness of times. His life was short, as was the Savior's. But it was a
great work that he performed in the flesh. The Savior lived about three
and a half years after He entered the ministry. Joseph Smith lived some
fourteen years from the time he received the plates and translated them
into the English language. He laid down his life, as did Christ and His
Apostles, for the word of God and testimony of Jesus Christ. He will
rise in his glorified celestial body and meet again with his brethren
the apostles and elders of Israel, and will stand in days to come as
the leader among us in celestial glory. I feel to bear my testimony to
this. It matters not about the unbelief of men. They cannot turn away
the work of Almighty God. The Lord has set His hand to carry out these
great principles which He has revealed, the establishing of the Zion
of God and the preparation for the coming of the Son of Man. What has
been said about the mountains of Israel will have its fulfillment. The
judgments of God will follow in the earth in fulfillment of what has
been said, and no power on earth can stay them. I am anxious, although
my life has been preserved to this great age, I still am anxious that
we as a people may do our duty, may live our religion, may keep the
faith, may so walk before the Lord that the Holy Ghost will be our
constant companion to lead us in the days that lie before us. This is
my prayer and my desire, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen."
{612} The choir and congregation sang, "God Moves in a Mysterious Way,"
which was followed by a short address by President Lorenzo Snow.
President Snow bore testimony to the truthfulness of the remarks of
President Woodruff. He had been acquainted with him sixty years,
commencing in Kirtland. President Woodruff was a man who had always
acted in harmony with the leaders of the Church, never taking
exceptions to the instructions promulgated by those who were in
authority. The Church had never acted in hostility to people of outside
denominations. It had always encouraged settlement in our midst and had
attempted to treat all with fairness and respect. The audience to which
he spoke was one made up of nearly all classes of people. They had
gathered on invitation in order to participate in honoring President
Woodruff on the ninetieth anniversary of his birth.
All people had a perfect right to worship whom they pleased, but
they should do so conscientiously. They could take a lesson from the
example set by President Woodruff, as he had lived a life of purity and
holiness, always trying to make the world better for his having lived.
Held's band, under the direction of Professor John Held, rendered in
fine style a medley of beautiful airs.
President George Q. Cannon addressed the assemblage. He said that in
standing before such a vast audience one was led to feel keenly the
insignificance of man. The assemblage recalled to his mind an occasion
of great joy which took place here in 1849, the purpose being to
celebrate the advent of the Pioneers into this Valley. At that time
feasting, dancing, etc., was indulged in, and thanks was given to God
for the bounteous blessings He had bestowed upon His people.
A great change had taken place since then. The inter-mountain country,
then a barren desert, had been quite thickly populated and now
blossomed as the rose through the efforts of the sturdy, God-fearing
men and women who first settled this Valley, coupled with the blessings
of the Father. President Woodruff had been a husbandman in his day,
and to him belonged the credit of planting the first potato in the
Valley. This was a most momentous period, and through the ninety years
of President {613} Woodruff's life, he had witnessed many scenes and
had seen a great many changes take place. The gospel of the Lord,
Jesus Christ, had made great strides in the years of its organization,
and it would continue to grow and flourish in the earth until God's
purposes had been accomplished. It was destined to revolutionize the
whole world, and, if lived up to by the people of the earth, would make
mankind happier, and give them a hope and a knowledge of that which
would greet them in the life to come.
The entrance of the Pioneers into this Valley would be dwelt upon more
and more as the years rolled on. The day would come when it would mark
an epoch in the world's history, and one of the central figures thereof
would be President Woodruff, who was being honored to-day. A more
honest man it would be hard to find. Always quiet and unassuming, he
held a love in his heart for all his fellowmen, and his love had been
reciprocated by the many friends which he had made while on this mortal
sphere.
The speaker felt that the sound of President Woodruff's voice should
be engraved upon the cylinders of a phonograph, that in after years
the young and rising generation might enjoy its sweet and loving
vibrations. He was a man of the utmost integrity, and as such he would
forever be held in loving remembrance.
President Cannon, in conclusion, felt not to praise too highly mankind,
for he feared that the Saints by so doing would almost become man
worshipers. But the words which had been spoken concerning President
Woodruff were true, and his devotion and fealty to the work of God
brought out a desire among the Saints to do him honor. He was the only
living apostle that had acted in such capacity with the Prophet Joseph
Smith, and as such he was looked upon as a rare treasure. The speaker's
desire was that God would spare President Woodruff's life among us,
that he might live many years more to be a comfort and a consolation
unto the Latter-day Saints. This, said he, would undoubtedly be the
prayer of all the Latter-day Saints upon the earth.
The choir sang the anthem, "Let the Mountains Shout for Joy," directly
followed by the congregation arising and joining {614} in singing the
Doxology. Benediction was pronounced by Elder Brigham Young.
At the conclusion of the exercises the reception was begun, President
and Mrs. Woodruff being seated on arm chairs beneath a canopy of
bunting and surrounded by masses of beautiful flowers. The first to
shake hands with the venerable President and his wife was Governor
Heber M. Wells. Then followed members of the Legislature, the lady
members first, and the gentlemen afterwards. Then came the general
public, the reception lasting upward of an hour.
An elegant bed spread was presented to President Woodruff from the
ladies of Millville, Cache County. The material of which it was made is
mostly Utah silk, and the spread was made by the ladies of Millville,
the design being artistically executed with crochet work. The spread
was accompanied by a note of presentation, which read as follows:
_"To Wilford Woodruff, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints:_
"DEAR BROTHER:--We, the sisters of Millville ward, Cache Valley Stake
of Zion, in token of the high esteem, honor and respect in which you
are held by us, embrace this opportunity, on the 90th anniversary
of your birth, to present to you a spread, the workmanship of which
is that of our own hands. It was made for the World's Fair, sent to
Chicago, received first prize, and returned to us. We now present it to
you. We also congratulate you on your reaching the ninetieth milestone,
on the road of experiences and usefulness, in leading the Saints along
the lines of faithfulness and truth, in the worship of our Heavenly
Father. We extend to you our faith and prayers, that you may continue
to live, to be our leader in the cause of Christ, and to this end we
will ever pray. Yours truly, Rose Woolf, chairman, Esther Hammond,
Sarah H. Hammond, Ida Hammond, S. M. Yates, Rhoda Holt, Hennett Olson,
Miranda Biglow, committee."
With the presentation of a beautiful bouquet, the Latter-day Saints'
College, by Miss Bertha Wilcken, submitted the following:
{615} March 1st, 1897.
"_To President Woodruff and Wife_:
"All Israel sends greetings to their leader and companion. As one branch
of the great cause in which you have labored so long and so well, we
join in the general acclamation. "As cold water to a thirsty soul," so
have been your faithful ministrations to the people of God. May the
sands of your life run slowly and calmly to the end, the snows of age's
winter following safely and protectingly upon you. May He who is the
Father of all be a Parent and Protector in your declining years.
"With deepest affection,
"Your Brethren and Sisters,
"The Teachers and Students of the Latter-day Saints College."
A beautiful silver mounted cane was presented by the Temple workers.
The anniversary exercises were attended by several persons who were
baptized by President Woodruff in Great Britain nearly sixty years
ago, while he was filling a mission there which lasted from 1837 to
1841. There were also some present who accompanied President Woodruff
home from Great Britain in the year 1841, crossing the sea in the ship
Rochester.
Writing afterwards of that great day in his life, in his journal, he
said: "The scene completely overpowered me. The events of my childhood
and early manhood came to my mind. I remembered vividly how I prayed
to the Lord that I might live to see a prophet or an apostle who would
teach me the gospel of Christ. Here I stood in the great Tabernacle
filled with ten thousand children, with Prophets, Apostles, and
Saints. My head was a fountain of tears; still I addressed the mighty
congregation of pure, innocent children."
Such a celebration naturally made its demands upon his health and it
was generally noticed that he was growing weaker and that he could
not much longer tabernacle in the flesh. On the 6th of April, he
entered the Tabernacle and spoke to the congregation for about ten
minutes. Upon entering the building {616} the vast congregation waved
their handkerchiefs as an expression of their joy in beholding their
enfeebled, but venerable President. He struggled on in his efforts to
perform as far as possible the duties of his office.
July 19th, 1907, President Woodruff received a visit from Judge J. F.
Kinney, a former United States justice of the Territory, and a friend
to the people. Of this meeting the President says:
"Our greeting was mutual. We both wept. As soon as I could speak, I
said, 'Judge Kinney, you have done more for the 'Mormon' people in your
official capacity than all the other federal officials sent here by the
government.' He thanked me and said he had always endeavored to do his
duty as he understood it. We had a pleasant conversation for an hour,
when we parted, expecting to meet again."
Of July 20th, 1897, President Woodruff remarks:
"This is the first day of the proceedings in celebrating the fiftieth
anniversary of the entrance of the Pioneers into the valley of the
Great Salt Lake--the year of jubilee. Great preparations have been
made. This morning I drove to the stand erected near the Brigham Young
Monument, where most of the ceremonies of the day are to be held. After
the firing of cannon and so forth, the ceremonies commenced. I had
prepared a prayer, but not being able to deliver it, Bishop Orson F.
Whitney did so for me. During the proceedings I unveiled the monument
amid acclamations of the people. I also attended the proceedings at the
Tabernacle in the afternoon and received a beautiful gold badge, as did
also all the surviving Pioneers of 1847. There was also a grand concert
at the Tabernacle in the evening. Being too weary, I did not attend."
He continued to attend each day of the celebration and on the
twenty-fourth, seated in a carriage with President Joseph F. Smith and
Apostle F. D. Richards, he headed the great Pioneer parade.
Of July 22, 1897, he writes, "I attended a part of the services of the
Jubilee on children's day in the Tabernacle. At twelve-thirty, after
being seated on a chair provided for me, I had a laurel wreath placed
upon my head by a beautiful little girl, daughter of {617} John and Ida
Taylor Whittaker, and granddaughter of President John Taylor. I kissed
her, saying, 'God bless you.' This was in the presence of some twelve
thousand children, seated in the Tabernacle, a most beautiful sight."
August 14, 1897, President Woodruff signed a letter, prepared by
Brother David McKenzie, and addressed to the King and Queen of Sweden.
It was to be accompanied by a beautiful Utah onyx box, containing
an artistically bound Book of Mormon, to be presented by the Swedes
and Norwegians of Utah to the King and Queen on the twenty-fifth
anniversary of their coronation. Elder J. M. Sjodahl was to make the
presentation. The King and Queen accepted the present with gratitude
and respect. Following is the text of the letter:
LETTER FROM THE FIRST PRESIDENCY.
"_To Whom These Presents May Come_,
"GREETING:
"Elder Janne Matson Sjodahl, the bearer of this letter, is a gentleman
of education and distinction, a Swede by birth, who has traveled
extensively in the Orient as well as in Europe and America. His present
residence is Salt Lake City, Utah, where he is well and favorably known
and highly esteemed by all who know him.
"Elder Sjodahl has been selected by his fellow-countrymen--natives of
Sweden and Norway, a large body of whom reside in and are citizens of
the State of Utah--to proceed to the court of their {618} Majesties,
King Oscar II and Queen Sophia, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary
of their ascension to the throne, for the purpose of presenting in
their name and behalf, to their Majesties, a casket, made of Utah
onyx, containing a copy of the Book of Mormon, as an expression of
the high esteem, affection, and love which the Scandinavians of this
inter-mountain region entertain for their Majesties, with the hope and
earnest desire that their Majesties will live to witness many happy
returns of this most auspicious event.
"And we ourselves, though not of the Scandinavian race, do most
heartily join with our Scandinavian friends and fellow citizens
in desiring long life, peace, prosperity, and happiness for their
Majesties, King Oscar II and Queen Sophia of Sweden and Norway.
"WILFORD WOODRUFF,
"GEO. Q. CANNON,
"JOSEPH F. SMITH,
"First Presidency of the Church of
"Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"SALT LAKE CITY, U. S. A., August 20th, 1897."
That the king was very much pleased with the congratulations and gifts
of the Scandinavians in Utah and the address from the First Presidency
may be inferred from the fact that the bearer received a cordial
invitation to the grand banquet in the palace, and later a copy de luxe
of the proceedings of the jubilee.
On the 9th of the following September, he again started for the Pacific
coast where he had formerly found relief as well as recuperation. He
first went to Portland and then to San Francisco, and reached home on
the 25th of the same month.
The following October conference brought to his life an event which
gave him the deepest satisfaction. His joy is abundantly expressed in
the call which his son Owen received to be one of the Twelve Apostles.
At this conference, Matthias F. Cowley, as well as Owen Woodruff, was
called to be an apostle, and Joseph W. McMurrin to fill the vacancy
occasioned by the death of President Edward Stevenson of the First
Council of Seventy.
November 16th, 1897, President Woodruff performed the marriage ceremony
which united his daughter Alice to William McEwan. After bestowing upon
them his benediction, he spoke to them as follows: "You are now husband
and wife, having entered into a mutual covenant. Promises for time and
eternity have been made to you. If you, yourselves, honor God and your
parents, and keep His commandments and the covenants you have entered
into, you will be true and faithful throughout all eternity; and I
will tell you why. While we are here we are surrounded by temptations
because we are where devils dwell. They are around us and have power
to tempt us; and here is the place they work. But there is no man or
woman who has been true and faithful here until death that will ever
be disturbed or annoyed by {619} them after death, for the reason that
when faithful Saints receive their resurrected bodies they will occupy
a place in the celestial kingdom, and there devils do not dwell. In
that kingdom there will be no one to tempt you or lead you astray. If
you are true and faithful here you will be true and faithful there, and
be so throughout all eternity.
"When those who are guided by these evil spirits die they go where the
evil spirits are, and they will continue to have power over them. Those
who resist such spirits in the flesh will be free from their power
hereafter."
At April conference in 1898, he was present and spoke for a few
moments, but this was the last conference he ever attended. He
continued feeble throughout the spring and summer of that year, but
struggled to attend the duties of his office.
The last appearance of President Woodruff in a public capacity in
Salt Lake City was at the ceremonies connected with the dedication of
historic Pioneer square for a public park. This was on July 24th, the
fifty-first anniversary of the arrival of the pioneers in the Valley.
But of the one hundred and forty-eight who entered the Valley on that
hot summer day in 1847, only two, President Woodruff, and W. C. A.
Smoot, were present to see their former camping ground dedicated to the
public use. Upon this occasion the venerable Church president delivered
an interesting address. He indulged in a number of reminiscences of the
entrance of the pioneers on July 24th, 1847. The pioneers, of which he
was one, President Woodruff said, emerged from Emigration canyon at
11 o'clock in the forenoon, and driving down into the Valley, camped
near where the Knutsford hotel now stands. He was driving in President
Brigham Young's carriage, at the time, and several members of the party
preceded them. The forerunners had already broken ground in which to
plant potatoes, "and," the speaker added, "we planted them before we
either ate or drank. We planted them in the earth, too, because Orson
Pratt objected to planting them in the moon." (Laughter.) The carriage
in which President Young entered the Valley, President Woodruff said,
was built by a man in Nauvoo. The box was twelve feet long and was
entered from the side by a door.
President Woodruff then told of the walk which President {620} Young
took over the present site of the city the day after his arrival, and
of how he stuck his cane in the ground where the Temple now stands, and
made the historic declaration: "Here will be the Temple of our God." "I
didn't ask him," continued President Woodruff, "who told him the Temple
would be there. I didn't care. I put a stake there and the Temple
is there, a monument to President Young's foresight and prophetic
accuracy."
President Woodruff also told of the first trip to the Lake, and of
the bath which he and the other members of the party took at that
time. "One of our number," he said, "was a negro, and when he came
out and the salt water had dried upon him he was almost white. Porter
Rockwell declared that the sudden change in the negro's color was the
first miracle that had been performed in this part of the country.
(Laughter). But as soon as the salt came off he was as black as ever.
(Laughter)."
Reference was then made to the efforts of a Californian to induce
President Young to journey on to California, and his refusal to
consider such a proposition. He declared his intention at that time of
remaining here and building a temple, a city and a country, "and you
can judge for yourselves," President Woodruff added, "whether he did it
or not."
President Woodruff predicted that the population of the State would
increase as rapidly during the coming fifty years as it had in the
past fifty; and in connection with the past progress, he declared that
he was in duty bound to give President Young full credit for what he
had done. President Young, he said, had been inspired by God to do all
these things, and had done them well. In closing he admonished the
people to live their religion and do honor to God in order that they
might join President Young and the other pioneers in the world above.
He again sought relief in a change of atmosphere and surroundings. On
the 13th of August, he left for the Pacific coast. He was accompanied
by his wife, Emma, by George Q. Cannon, and Bishop Clawson. Upon their
arrival in San Francisco, they were welcomed at the home of Col. Isaac
Trumbo. As late as August 27 he addressed the Bohemian Club, and the
next day spoke in the meeting of the Saints in San Francisco. This was
his last public address. His life was gradually ebbing away, and within
a couple of weeks after reaching the coast he began {621} to fail
rapidly, and passed from this life at 6:40 Friday morning, September
2nd, 1898.
Of his last moments, George Q. Cannon, who was at his bedside, wrote in
his journal: "I arose about 6 o'clock. The nurse told me he had been
sleeping in the same position all the time. I took hold of his wrist,
felt his pulse and I could feel that it was very faint. While I stood
there it grew fainter and fainter until it faded entirely. His head,
his hands, and his feet were warm and his appearance was that of a
person sleeping sweetly and quietly. There was not a quiver of a muscle
nor a movement of his limbs or face; thus he passed away.
"I cannot describe the feelings I had. The event was so unexpected, so
terrible--and away from home. I could not understand it. I felt that I
had lost the best friend I had on earth. The suddenness of his sickness
and death was a blow to all of us. I have known President Woodruff
since I was a boy twelve years of age, when he came to my father's
house. I have loved him with great affection. During my association
with him as a counselor, our relations have been of the most pleasant
character. He has treated me with the greatest consideration and
kindness and has honored me beyond my deserts. He has deferred to me
many times when I felt that he was paying me too much respect. He has
sought to know my mind upon every question of any importance that has
been submitted to us. Very frequently when I have been absent, he has
deferred action until I could be present. No man that ever lived could
have honored a counselor more than President Woodruff has honored me.
He was a man entirely free from jealousy and from every feeling that
would make it unpleasant for his associates. He has been angelic in his
nature. A pure woman could not have been more lovely and interesting to
associate with than he has been."
The remains of the deceased leader were conveyed from San Francisco
to Salt Lake City in a special car. As many of the members of the
Twelve as were in the city, together with a number of the President's
family, met the party accompanying the body, at Ogden on the morning
of September 4, and joined them for the remainder of the journey to
the capital. From the railway station the casket and its contents were
carried to the Woodruff {622} residence, where they remained until the
8th inst.--the day of the funeral.
On May 18, 1882, President Woodruff wrote the following directions
as to his burial, which he wished carried out by his friends when he
should pass away:
"CONCERNING MY DEATH AND BURIAL.
"I wish to say that at my death I wish the historian of the Church to
publish a brief account of my life, labors, and travels as an Elder and
an Apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I wish
my body washed clean and clothed in clean white linen, according to the
order of the Holy Priesthood, and put into a plain, decent coffin, made
of native wood, with plenty of room. I do not wish any black made use
of about my coffin, or about the vehicle that conveys my body to the
grave. I do not wish my family or friends to wear any badge of mourning
for me at my funeral or afterwards, for, if I am true and faithful
unto death, there will be no necessity for any one to mourn for me. I
have no directions to give concerning the services of my funeral, any
further than it would be pleasing to me for as many of the Presidency
and Twelve Apostles who may be present to speak as may be thought
wisdom. Their speech will be to the living.
"If the laws and customs of the spirit world will permit, I should wish
to attend my funeral myself, but I shall be governed by the counsel I
receive in the spirit world.
"I wish a plain marble slab put at the head of my grave, stating my
name and age, and that I died in the faith of the Gospel of Christ and
in the fellowship of the Saints.
"WILFORD WOODRUFF.
"President of the Council of the Twelve Apostles."
{623}