The morning fine and pleasant. At nine o'clock the brethren assembled
in the circle for prayer and after they had spent some time, Elder
Kimball arose and addressed them exhorting them to be watchful and
humble, to remember their covenants and above all things avoid
everything that will lead to division, etc. He made use of the
similitude of the potter and the clay to show that every man had the
privilege of being exalted to honor and glory if he did not mar in
the hands of the potter, but would continue passive, etc. His remarks
were very touching and appropriate to our circumstances. President
Young followed next on the "Liberty of the Gospel" showing that it
guarantees all fullness of liberty to every man which fact will tend to
his salvation and increase, but does not give us liberty to break the
laws of God, to wander off to the mountains and get lost, nor to kill
the works of God's hands to waste it, etc. He was followed by Elder
Pratt on the subject of our avoiding all excesses of folly of every
description, inasmuch as it disqualifies from the society of just men
and angels. He exhorted the brethren to be watchful and to seek after
wisdom and knowledge. The meeting was dismissed at half past twelve
and a company were then dispatched to get poles to lash the wagons
together to prevent their rolling over when crossing. Another company
were sent over the river to build a raft to cross over provisions, etc.
The brethren are gone to work and are diligently preparing to cross the
river tomorrow. The day has been very hot, more like a summer day than
any we have yet had on the journey. The ground seems to be alive with
the large crickets, and it is said that the bears feed on them and pick
them up very fast. A person who has never seen them could form no idea
of the vast numbers of crickets in this region. I spent the day writing
in Elder Kimball's journal. Phineas Young came in from the mountain,
having killed a deer.