EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS.

Education Promoted.—Adventurers.—Endowment House.—President Young Speaks of the Resurrection.—Death of Judge Schafer.—Provo.—Work in Educational Societies.—In the Legislature at Fillmore.—Words of Confidence from Kanosh, an Indian Chief.—Some Peculiarities of Wilford Woodruff.—Poisoned.

The first day of the year 1855 was observed by a social entertainment which the Governor and the Legislature of Utah gave in the new Social Hall. "It was the most splendid party up to that date ever gotten up in the Territory. The United States judges and military officers were invited. Dancing commenced at 3 o'clock in the afternoon and closed with a supper at mid-night."

These hardy pioneers had grand ambitions in their humble homes, amid humble surroundings. They established a grammar school under the direction of Orson Hyde. They also organized a Universal Scientific Association for the study of science, the promotion of education, and the accumulation of a library and museum. They already had their Philosophical Society and later organized a Horticultural Association for the purpose of encouraging the growth of fruit in the Territory.

On the 4th of February, at the Sunday meeting, some attention was given to the attitude which the Saints had taken toward a host of new comers who were not of their faith. Most of them belonged to an adventurous class and were unscrupulous men. Against them the Saints were warned. This warning created considerable excitement among them. The new comers were angry, but the Saints were firm. In time excitement quieted down. Some of the outsiders soon learned that there was a social barrier which they could not break down. They were not here to establish homes, and many were disappointed when they could not prey upon the homes of the Latter-day Saints.

As spring approached new problems arose. The new country was a kind of experiment station, and the people were anxious to get all kinds of seeds that they might experiment with the soil and climate. Elder Woodruff was among the first to introduce fruit trees. He obtained thirty-one different kinds of choice applegrafts. The future began to look more hopeful. They had in mind a grand commonwealth, which by their faithful industry they would establish. They were spreading out over the Valleys of the Mountains and establishing homes. They were a happy people, full of hope and grand expectations—if the soil responded to their efforts.

The political situation became disappointing. At first Brigham Young had been appointed Governor, and had given satisfaction. He was beloved by his people; and respect for their local self-government and their wishes would have continued him as such, but men were not slow in circulating evil reports and in creating prejudice and hatred in the hearts of those who leaned toward the Latter-day Saints. The word came that another was to succeed Brigham Young as governor.

Announcement was made that on February the 18th President Young would give the views of our people concerning the government of the United States. On that date the Tabernacle was crowded, and there were probably one thousand people on the outside who could not find entrance; but President Young was sick and unable to attend. His statement, however, to the people was read in which he expressed loyalty to the Constitution and laws of the country, but disapprobation towards those who were severe, and towards men in high places who disregarded the rights of the people here. The address was published in the Deseret News and later on, in the Journal of Discourses.

On February 18th John Smith received his ordination to the office of Patriarch of the Church, he having been previously called to that high station on the 10th of March, 1853. Elder Woodruff records the death of an old friend, Joseph Russell, who was faithful and true, and who had given nearly all his means amounting to about $7,000.00 to the Church.

The conference of that year began on April 6th, with about 12,000 people in attendance. Times were somewhat exciting, and there was a pronounced demonstration on the part of the Saints in the matter of their adherence to the work of God. At that time about one hundred missionaries were called. A little later on in the same month the Deseret Theological Society was organized.

On May the 15th, the Endowment House was dedicated. To the older of the present generation its sacred precincts, its rites, and ordinances are among the most cherished memories. Apostle Woodruff was present at its dedication; and later in life when the Temple supplanted it, he ordered it removed. On the day following its dedication, Geo, Q. Cannon gave an interesting account of his mission to the Sandwich Islands.

On the same date President Young in speaking of the resurrection, as recorded by President Woodruff, said: "The identical particles of matter in which we have honored our spirits, our tabernacles, in which we have suffered, traveled, labored, and built up the Kingdom of God would be the identical bodies resurrected, and no others. They will be raised from the grave to immortality and eternal lives. Evil was placed upon the earth that man might know the good from the evil, for without an experience in those things, men could not know one from the other. Upon the earth the devil sowed the seeds of death in everything, so that as soon as Adam and Eve began to eat of the fruit of the earth they received into their systems the seeds of mortality—death. Their children thus became mortal and subject to pain, sorrow, and death. By this means they were redeemed and partook of life, peace, and happiness, and they would know how to prize them. Father Adam would never cease his labors to redeem his posterity and exalt them to all the glory they were capable of receiving. Yet man has his agency to act for himself—choose good or evil, and to be rewarded according to his works."

On May the 19th Elder Woodruff set out upon another visit to the southern settlements in company with President Young. At Cedar City they found the iron works in full blast. They were making good iron, casting pipes and other necessary appliances needed by the people. While there, they organized a stake of Zion comprising Iron County. On reaching Lehi on their return they had an interesting visit from Aropene, an Indian chief. This was the latter part of May, and by this time the crops and gardens had almost entirely been destroyed by the grasshoppers.

In his journal of June 30th of that year he records the funeral of Judge Schafer, Chief Justice of the Territorial Supreme Court of Utah. The funeral was held on that day. The Saints turned out in large numbers and showed great honor to the judge whose justice and uprightness were so greatly respected.

On July the 13th Elder Woodruff attended the conference in Provo with Presidents Young, Kimball, and Grant. During the conference, they had a visit from an Indian chief whose English name was High Forehead. He and others of his tribe addressed the congregation, expressing their confidence in President Young and the people over whom he presided. There was in those days a class of people in Provo whose conduct was not entirely satisfactory. It was a gathering place for many uncouth miners, whose habits of drinking and gambling did not give Provo a very good name. Speaking of the town, Apostle Woodruff says in his journal: "There was a strange spirit in Provo and many had not the spirit of God." Many of the early inhabitants of the town will find in that remark something of the spirit of charity.

On Elder Woodruff's return to Salt Lake City he speaks of the excellent times they had in the Polysophical Society as well as in the Universal Scientific Society. These social gatherings for intellectual improvement afforded the progressive men of those days some opportunity to satisfy their desires for education. Elder Woodruff rarely failed in his journal to give an account of the doings of those societies, and to express the great delight he had had over the information imparted by the lectures. In his journal he says: "On September 13th we met in the Social Hall under the organization of a Pomological Society. The house was well filled and the subject discussed was the organization of a Horticultural Society. A committee was appointed to draft the constitution and by-laws to govern said society. I was chosen chairman of this committee, and subsequently president of the society which did much to promote the culture and growth of fruit in the Territory."

The spirit of Wilford Woodruff was pre-eminently missionary in every aspect of his life. If he raised fruit, it was in fulfillment of a mission to promote an industry. When he sat in the legislative halls, he regarded his work as a grand mission for the establishment and spread of the principles of civil government. It all made him an enthusiastic worker. If he farmed, he did it as much to teach others how to farm as to obtain a livelihood from it. With him, all life and labor was a mission. It was all in the spirit of a teacher and he was conscientious in the extreme about what and how he would teach. In attending a quarterly conference at Farmington in October, 1855, he writes in his journal: "After retiring to bed I prayed to the Lord to show me what we should teach the people, and this I received as an answer. 'Let my servants obtain the Holy Ghost and keep My spirit with them and that will instruct them what to teach the people continually. Instruct the people to keep My spirit with them and they will be enabled to understand the word of the Lord when it is taught unto them.'"

It is quite natural, therefore, that he should keep a careful account of missionary work both at home and abroad. He notes in the fall of that year that Nathaniel V. Jones returned from his mission to Hindoostan, also the appointment of Lorenzo Snow, Ezra T. Benson, and Phineas Young to England.

Elder Woodruff was appointed as a missionary, in connection with Elders Orson Pratt, and Parley P. Pratt, to travel throughout the Territory. He speaks of this event as giving him much pleasure and adds: "It is the first time since the organization of this Church and Quorum that I have had the privilege of being associated with these two men on a preaching mission. We have met but little except in conference from time to time." He mentions about this time the death of Orson Spencer who had died in St. Louis. Of him he says: "Many friends mourn his loss. He was a firm pillar in the Church and Kingdom of God."

Having been again elected to the legislature, Elder Woodruff set out for Fillmore which was then the capital of the Territory. He went in company with Lorenzo Snow, Loren Farr, and Jonathan C. Wright. While in Fillmore, in January, 1856, he reported and wrote in his journal an account of an excellent discourse preached by President Young. The following was taken from his journal: "It is our duty to make every sacrifice (if it may be called a sacrifice) required of us by our Father in Heaven, that He and His holy angels may know our integrity. I see a thousand weaknesses in myself that I now regret, and it is so with all those who have the spirit of God, and they will try to overcome them. People may be guilty of various sins, and do you think they can be forgiven in a moment. No, every Latter-day Saint knows better. This would be sectarianism. The religion of the world is that a man may commit murder, and when on the gallows, he can repent and be forgiven and go straightway to Abraham's bosom. It is a false doctrine. It is not true. Some may say that they cannot overcome their passions when they are tempted and tried, they cannot help scolding, swearing, etc., but I tell you they can help it, and must overcome it sooner or later or they cannot be saved. We should improve day by day, be a better man or woman to-morrow than we are to-day. Mothers, when you are cross and attempt to correct you children, conquer yourselves first. Fathers, when you feel angry passions rise, then you need the grace of God to bring yourselves into subjection to Him that you may gain victory over your feelings. Live so that you may have the revelations of God concerning you in all things—that you cannot be deceived. When Sidney Rigdon claimed to be the leader of the people, the people knew not his voice. Parents are under the greatest obligation to live their religion, so also the young men and women, that when they marry and have a posterity their children may be born in holiness and righteousness, and it will then be hard to make anything out of them but Latter-day Saints."

On January the 16th, Kanosh, an Indian chief, made an address to the brethren, as follows: "I am just beginning to get my eyes opened. I know that President Young's talk is good. What he says is so. He tells us more good, and I am like the sun just rising in the East, and so with my people. We have been in the night, I have had eyes but I could not see, and ears, but I could not hear; and this has been the case with my people. Our hearts could not understand, but now our eyes see, our ears hear, and our hearts understand. All that Brigham and Heber have said is straight; but when I talk with Col. Steptoe and his men, he is not straight, I would not believe, for a tenth part of their talk is not straight, and so it is with the Spaniards, and with all the white men until I saw the Mormons. They are the first to tell me the truth. You are here to make laws. I hope you will make good laws to punish the guilty and spare the innocent. I wish to do right and have my people do right. I do not want them to steal nor kill. I want to plant and raise wheat, and to learn to plough, and do as the white people do. I want to learn to read and to write, and to have my children learn so that we may understand what you say to us." This is beautiful manifestation of the confidence which the better class of Indians had in the Mormon people.

After the adjournment of the legislature, and on the 26th of January, a large mass meeting was held in Salt Lake City to consider the establishment of a mail and passenger service between the Western States and California. Governor Young was chosen chairman. A committee was appointed to draft resolutions regarding the project. About this time the First Reader published in the Deseret Alphabet was gotten up. To this work Elder Woodruff gave much of his time. During the month of February he reports in his journal that three boys had been killed by the Indians who had driven off a number of horses and cattle.

On the 3rd of March Elder Woodruff was called on a mission to the East to secure type for the Deseret Alphabet. On the 7th of April, during the spring conference of that year, he was appointed assistant historian of the Church. In those days missionaries were usually called at conference, and that occasion had in it surprises for many who were called to go on a mission without a moment's notice. At this time Elders Orson Pratt and Ezra T. Benson were called to England to preside over the European mission.

There was, too, a humorous side to Wilford Woodruff's nature, notwithstanding the seriousness which he possessed. It seems that in one of the Sunday meetings President Jedediah M. Grant found it necessary to refer to some thefts which had taken place a short time before. Among other things stolen was some flour that had been taken from Elder Woodruff's home. After concluding his rebuke for these things President Woodruff arose and said: "If they have taken the flour because of hunger and will ask the blessing upon the bread when it is made, and send me home the bags, I will bring no accusation against them." The bags were put in a sack and brought to his home next morning.

A circumstance somewhat of the same nature as that referred to, occurred in which the writer was a witness. He and one of his companions were chasing a flock of tame ducks up the street along Elder Woodruff's fence. The latter saw them and came out. He being a nervous, quick-spoken man, the boys expected a scolding. "Boys," he said, "if you will let those ducks alone, I will give you some apricots." They hardly knew how to compose themselves—so great was their surprise—but they went with him to the orchard, one of them filling his hat and the other a bucket. Nothing further disagreeable was said, but the boys never thereafter chased the ducks.

On the 22nd of April of that year, the missionaries who were called on missions left the city for their fields of labor. It was a greater effort in those days to take a mission. The sacrifice was greater for all concerned. The dreary plains had to be crossed again, and the expense was naturally very great. At this time George A. Smith and John Taylor went to Washington to urge claims of Utah for admission into the Union. A few days after the missionaries left, Apostle Woodruff was poisoned in consequence of skinning an animal which had been killed by poison. His system became so infected that his life was despaired of, but his faith was so unceasing and so disassociated from all doubt that through administration he was healed. Brother Woodruff records in his journal the blessing which President Young pronounced upon his head, as follows: "Brother Woodruff, I say to you in the name of Jesus Christ, that you shall not die, but you shall live to finish your work which was appointed you to do upon the earth. The adversary has sought many times to destroy your life but the Lord has preserved you, and will preserve you until your work is done."

On his recovery he makes record of a letter received from the chief gardener of Queen Victoria, who desired to open a correspondence with the Horticultural Society of Utah. Such matters were of course highly interesting to the people here, because those were days of experiments.