Church Colonization and Progress
1847-1877
A Great People in the Mountains
By the time President Brigham Young's administration came to a
close, the Latter-day Saints had become a great people in the Rocky
Mountains. They were destined still to grow in numbers, spread over
greater territory, conquer more deserts, and develop spiritually and
temporally in keeping with the progress of the times; but even then
(1877) they had built up many settlements, spread over a vast area, and
accomplished a wonderful work in the reclamation of the arid west.
The Planting of Colonies
Before the Saints had been in the Salt Lake Valley a year many
parties were sent out, principally to the north and to the south, to
form new settlements. Within two years from the time Salt Lake City
was founded colonies had been planted in the uttermost parts of the
territory. Exploring parties were sent out in advance, and when a
site was selected a large company of volunteers followed to make the
permanent settlement. In these colonies care was taken to have a proper
representation of craftsmen, that the needs of the settlers might
be supplied. Skilled carpenters, masons, millwrights, blacksmiths,
cobblers, as well as tillers of the soil, went into these unbroken
wastes and made them blossom by their industry. Each individual was
given a specific duty to perform, and did it unselfishly, according
to the plan which had been arranged. Ploughs, seeds and the required
animals for ploughing, ditch building and other labor, were provided,
and the labor was done on the co-operative plan. All shared alike,
according to their individual needs. They were happy, notwithstanding
the rigorous toil required to subdue the desert places.
Unparalleled Progress
It has been written of them, that they "made more progress and suffered
less privation in reclaiming the waste lands of the wilderness than did
the Spaniards in the garden spots of Mexico and Central America, or the
English in the most favored region near the Atlantic seaboard." But let
it be understood this was not accomplished by them without severe trial
and suffering.
Their Perfect Organization
The reason they were able to obtain such excellent results is that
they had a perfect organization, and were loyal and obedient to the
authority over them. This naturally resulted in complete co-operation
and unity of purpose, with a minimum of individual selfishness.
They had not come to the Rocky Mountains for the sake of worldly
aggrandizement, but for the establishment of permanent homes, and the
exercise of their religious freedom in peace according to the dictates
of their conscience.
Proselytes from Europe
Between the years 1847 and 1856, fifty-nine companies of emigrants,
comprising seventeen thousand souls, sailed from European shores, bound
for Utah. Five thousand others had previously emigrated, making a total
of about twenty-two thousand persons from abroad, who had joined the
Church through the preaching of the Gospel. They were principally from
the British Isles, Scandinavia, Germany and Switzerland, with a small
sprinkling from France, Italy and other nations. They came from the
factories and the mines of Great Britain, the fisheries and the dairy
farms of Scandinavia, the workshops of Germany, the vineyards of France
and Italy--from various pursuits and occupations in which many of them
were unable, in the old world, out of the scanty pittance they received
as wages, to save enough to buy a passage across the sea. Of the
emigration from the old country between 1850 and 1860, it was estimated
that 28 per cent were common laborers; 14 per cent, miners, and about
28 per cent mechanics. From the ranks of the remaining thirty per cent
there came many merchants, doctors, professors, skilled engineers,
artisans, and artists.
Character of the Converts
Occasionally there was one who had joined the Church who was in
possession of an abundance of this world's goods, and big enough to
share with his less fortunate neighbor, for the converts were not
confined to the poor and the needy, the unlearned and the ignorant.
In fact very few of the latter class received the Gospel message.
The converts were gathered from all nations, but they were not the
scum, the moral outcasts, the undesirables among the nations, but the
very bones and sinews, the life's blood, the brawn, without which the
nations would perish from the earth. This class, despised and trodden
under foot from time immemorial by the haughty, the proud, the titled
nobility; but upon whom, nevertheless, the aristocratic population
depend for their very existence, is the salt of the earth--that class
which the scriptures say, in the day of the Savior's ministry, had the
Gospel preached to them and heard it gladly.
The pioneer immigrants, who established the state of Utah, belonged to
the great industrial class, honest, though generally poor, which laid
the foundation of our nation. Among the early members of the Church
were many who fought in freedom's cause and who were descendants of the
early colonial families of New England and the border Atlantic States.
What the Gospel Did for Them
"Mormonism" took hold of the dependent thousands of poor from all parts
of the earth and made them virtually independent by placing them on
farms, and otherwise furnishing them with remunerative employment, by
which they became financially free. The year that President Young died,
the population of Utah Territory was approximately one hundred and
forty thousand, and of that number over forty thousand were of foreign
birth. Men from the looms of England, the factories of Germany, and
various other dependent vocations, in the towns and cities of Europe,
were under the necessity of changing the nature of their lives. These
men, unaccustomed to the severity of the labor required in farming
were sent out to reclaim the desert wastes, and to till the soil in an
uninviting land; yet they were successful, and were transformed into
prosperous farmers, stockraisers, blacksmiths, husbandmen, and were
made free landholders--a thing they never dreamed of becoming while
residing in the crowded centers of Europe.
The Amalgamation of Many Peoples
Notwithstanding they were gathered from the four quarters of the
earth, with all their different customs and habits of life, their
new surroundings, coupled with their unity of religious views, soon
welded them together into one race and people. The Gospel as revealed
through Joseph Smith teaches unity. Those who embrace it, whatever
their views may have been before, soon learn to think alike; their aims
are the same, their desires mutual, and all are brought to a common
understanding. Such are the effects of the Gospel upon them that they
forget their nationality and are absorbed by their new environment, and
truly become a part of the soil on which they dwell.
Benefits from the Amalgamation
As England was made great through the mingling of Norman, Saxon and
Dane with the native tribes of Britain, so also have the "Mormon"
people benefited through the amalgamation of the races. Through the
preaching of the Gospel "Mormonism" has drawn on the best nations;
has sifted and gathered from them their very best people, and due
to the peculiar circumstances that prevail, the unity of faith and
aspiration the Gospel inspires, it is moulding out a new and superior
race. The "Mormon" people are strong mentally, spiritually, morally,
as well as physically. Battling with the elements and contending with
many difficulties have made them such. They came to the valleys of the
mountains "with songs of everlasting joy" to obtain inheritances for
themselves and children after them that shall endure forever, in a land
of liberty, known to them as being "choice above all other lands."
Frugality and Co-operation
The early settlers were taught to produce as far as possible, all that
they consumed; to be frugal and not wasteful of their substance; to
draw from the elements the necessities of life and avoid all vitiated
tastes which would lead them into excessive indulgence. Home industry
was the watchword, and the people of necessity were called upon to
be producers. Their clothing, though plain, was durable and the
workmanship of their own hands. In the days of the pioneer, and until
comparatively recent times, the spinning wheel and the loom were to be
seen in the homes of the Saints.
Co-operation and community interests did much for the people in those
early days. Houses were built, canals were dug, fields were ploughed
and planted, and reservoirs were constructed on the co-operative
principle for the welfare of the people. There was no money to be had,
and such was the concern of the individual for the progress of the
community that his time was given gratis in the making of public and
civic improvements. He realized that he was bound to reap his portion
of the benefits derived from his toil.[1]
Changed Conditions of Today
Today it is largely the case, that a man who gives his time, even
though it be in some labor from which he is bound to receive his
portion of the reward, feels that he must receive some monetary
remuneration for the time he spends. And thus, due to the modern labor
conditions and the closer contact with the outside world, with all
its customs, theories and established institutions, this excellent
and neighborly custom of co-operation, which existed in the days of
President Brigham Young, has almost entirely passed away.
Division of Lands and Water
President Young taught the doctrine that a man should have as much
farm land as he could properly cultivate, and not more. The lands were
divided among the people on that principle. From the beginning it was
also established that the water from the mountain streams should belong
to the people and not to private individuals. This doctrine proved
extremely beneficial. Where private individuals have been permitted to
file on the canyon streams, it has been a detriment to the majority of
the people who are dependent upon such streams.
A Farsighted Policy
The farsighted policy of President Young was the means of placing the
people in their own homes where they could dwell "safely, every man
under his vine and under his fig tree." As late as the year 1896, the
year Utah was admitted into the Union, there were 19,816 farms and of
that number 17,584 were free from encumbrance of mortgage and debt.
Unfortunately, since the advent of the automobile and other modern
conveniences and amusements, such a condition does not exist today.
The Recreation of the People
Although the Latter-day Saints were forced to labor diligently and
there was no place for idlers among them, they found time for proper
recreation. President Young realized the necessity of recreation and
amusement and knew their proper place. The Sabbath day was sacredly
observed. There was no conflict between duty and pleasure and the
labors of the people were faithfully performed. He encouraged the
drama and other educational diversions in which the routine of the
daily lives of the people was broken. He built the Salt Lake Theatre,
which was begun in 1861 and opened to the public in March 1862. Before
that time the Social Hall, which was built in 1852, was used for such
entertainment. There was much local talent among the people, which was
augmented by visits to the territory of the great artists of those
times. The dance--not, however, as it is conducted in these modern
days--was likewise encouraged. All amusements were opened and closed
with prayer; and the presence of the great Pioneer and his associates
at these entertainments, not only lent encouragement to the recreation,
but was an influence which established proper decorum and conduct.
Their amusements were all innocent and uplifting. The main thought of
President Young was to couple education with the recreation of the
people, and have all entertainments controlled by the influence of the
Spirit of the Lord.
Importance of Education Realized
The education of the youth of the Church was a matter which received
constant attention, nor was there anything that was considered of
greater importance. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that "the glory of
God is intelligence," and from the organization of the Church, schools
have been conducted for the members who were instructed to obtain "out
of the best books words of wisdom" by study and by faith.
In February 1850, the legislature of the provisional government
chartered the University of Deseret (now the University of Utah)
somewhat on the lines of the charter of the University of Nauvoo. It
was provided that $5000.00 be appropriated annually by the legislature
for the support of the University. This was a very large sum for that
day, to be provided by the handful of people for the support of such
an institution. It was also provided that primary, or district schools
should be supported. While this action was taken by officers of the
provisional government, and later ratified by them as officers of Utah
Territory, yet they were all members of the Church, with President
Young taking the initiative in the educational movement.
In the spring of 1851, district school houses were built in most of the
wards of Salt Lake City. These buildings were used for the general ward
gatherings of the Saints, and daily schools were held in them.
The Beginning of Church Schools
In later years, after the territory had increased in population, other
schools were established. President Young founded a number of Church
schools. Among these were the Brigham Young Academy (now the Brigham
Young University) at Provo, one of the leading institutions of learning
in the state; the Brigham Young College at Logan, and the Latter-day
Saints University (now High School) at Salt Lake City.[2] In addition
to these schools the auxiliary organizations[3] also were organized for
the training and education of the members of the Church and have aided
materially in this direction.
Territorial Expansion
At the close of the first decade after the settlement of Utah, colonies
of the Latter-day Saints extended from Fort Limhi on the north, to
Cedar City, on the south, a distance of about five hundred miles; and
from Fort Supply on the east to Carson Valley on the west, about four
hundred miles. The population of this area was about fifty thousand
people, nearly all members of the Church.
Fort Limhi
In the summer of 1855, a colony was sent to the north where they
founded Fort Limhi (now called Lemhi) on Salmon River. This was the
most northerly settlement of the Saints, about three hundred and
seventy-five miles from Salt Lake City. The settlement was continued
until 1858 when it was abandoned for the reason that it was too far
away and the colonists were constantly harassed by hostile Indian
tribes.
On the Rio Virgin
In 1861, a large number of Saints were called to go from the middle and
central counties of Utah to settle on the Rio Virgin and Santa Clara
Rivers. They located and founded the city of St. George, and other
towns on the upper Rio Virgin. The following year other members of the
Church were called to go to that southern country to lend strength
to the settlements. That year they raised about one hundred thousand
pounds of cotton in the "Dixie" of the West, showing that this industry
was a possibility.
San Bernardino
At a much earlier date (1851), Elders Amasa M. Lyman and Charles C.
Rich, with about five hundred souls from Utah, journeyed to southern
California, where in September of that year they built the town of
San Bernardino. This continued to be a flourishing settlement until
1858, when the people were called back to Utah owing to the coming of
Johnston's Army, and was never again occupied as a permanent settlement
by the Saints.
Bear Lake Valley
In the fall of 1863, Bear Lake Valley was settled by a colony under the
leadership of Elder Charles C. Rich, who made that country his home
until his death, November 17, 1883. Cache Valley had previously been
occupied and settlements founded as early as 1856.
The Muddy Mission
Early in the year 1871, the Saints who had gone to the far south and
settled on the Muddy River in 1865, abandoned their homes, due to
oppressive taxation levied against them by the new state of Nevada,
which had been created out of the western portion of the territory of
Utah. Subsequently, however, these settlements were re-established.
In this manner were the valleys of the mountains occupied by the
Latter-day Saints through the inspiration and wisdom of President
Brigham Young. Many of these settlements have grown into thriving and
populous centers with a future before them of still wider and greater
expansion.
Organization of Stakes
At the time of the death of President Young in 1877, there were
organized in the Church twenty Stakes of Zion,[4] namely, in the order
of their creation: Salt Lake, Weber, Utah, Parowan, Cache, Juab,
Millard, Beaver, Bear Lake, Sevier, St. George, Kanab, Panguitch,
Davis, Tooele, Morgan, Sanpete, Summit, Wasatch and Box Elder. Two
others, St. Louis and Carson Valley, had been discontinued. The wards
in the Church on that date were approximately two hundred and fifty.
The Missions
During the administration of President Young, missionary labors were
performed in the various States of the Union, and in the following
foreign lands: Canada, British Isles, India, Australia, Palestine,
Society Islands, France, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Hawaii, Italy,
Switzerland, Iceland, Chile, Germany, Siam, Gibraltar, South Africa,
Malta, West Indies, New Zealand, Holland, Austria, Finland and Mexico.
In some of these fields little was accomplished; from others there
have been gathered to Zion many thousands of the scattered house of
Israel, and principally of the tribe of Ephraim, according to the
predictions of the ancient prophets. This has been especially true of
the Anglo-Saxon, Scandinavian and Teutonic races.
Notes
1. We have a marvelous combination of physiographic conditions and
social organizations in the development of Utah under the guidance of
Mormonism. The agriculture pursued was irrigated agriculture, which for
its success is dependent upon a compact society, well knit together.
Individualism was out of the question under these conditions, and in
Mormonism we find precisely the cohesive strength of religion needed at
that juncture to secure economic success.
Agriculture was made the foundation of the economic life, and
consciously so. Brigham Young discouraged mining and adventurous
pursuits, because he had a theory of socio-economic development in
accordance with which agriculture should come first, manufacturing
second, and mining later. It was essential that food should be produced
first of all, and also there was a desire that settled habits should
be acquired. Another peculiarity of the situation, namely, that the
land could be made to yield a harvest only by means of irrigation, has
just been mentioned, and the Mormons thus became the pioneers of modern
irrigation in the United States. (Dr. Richard R. Ely, in _Harper's
Magazine_, 1903)
2. For the school year ending in June 1922, the Church appropriated the
sum of $750,000 for the maintenance of Church schools.
3. For auxiliary organizations, see appendix.
4. For list of stakes, see appendix.
Part Six
Recent Development