REMARKABLE EXPERIENCES IN ARIZONA, 1880.

In a Shepherd's Tent in Arizona.—A Revelation Given Jan. 26, 1880.—Organization of First Presidency.—Call to Apostleship of Francis M. Lyman and John Henry Smith.

New Year's Day, 1880, found Apostle Woodruff at the home of a Brother Greer at the Little Colorado meadows, Apache County, Arizona. He says he passed much of the day in reading and in meditation upon the past. His mind was also occupied with his present situation, and he was led to contemplate the future. The day following he went to a small uninteresting town about fifteen miles from St. Johns to a meeting. Judge Stinison was present at the meeting to hear Elder Woodruff in his discourse upon the divinity of the great latter-day work. On the 5th he rode to what was known as Perkins' ranch, where he ordained John H. Perkins to the office of a seventy and set him apart for a mission to the Lamanites. At this time Elder Woodruff was strongly impressed with the desirability of opening a mission among the Lamanites, and therefore set apart Elder Greer and Henry W. Despain for that mission.

After his visit along the settlements up the Little Colorado Elder Woodruff returned to Brigham City, and later took up his abode in a shepherd's tent about twenty-five miles from Sunset. Here he wrote letters to President Taylor and others, and was especially thoughtful of Elder George Reynolds, then a prisoner in Lincoln, Nebraska, Elder Reynolds having been convicted of polygamy. It was here in this shepherd's tent that he felt the solemnities of eternity resting upon him and desired to know the mind and will of the Lord concerning the Apostles and the nation, and especially the purpose of the persecution against the Saints of God. On the 26th of January in his journal he says: "I went to bed filled with prayer and meditation. I fell asleep and remained in slumber until about midnight, when I awoke. The Lord then poured out His spirit upon me and opened the vision of my mind so that I could comprehend in a great measure the mind and will of God concerning the nation and concerning the inhabitants of Zion. I saw the wickedness of the nation, its abominations and corruptions and the judgments of God and the destruction that awaited it. Then I also comprehended the great responsibility which rested upon the Quorum of the Apostles. My head became a fountain of tears, and my pillow was wet with the dews of heaven. Sleep departed from me. The Lord revealed unto me the duty of the Apostles and of all the faithful elders of Israel." The revelation was submitted to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles just prior to the April conference of that year. It was accepted by that body as the word of the Lord, according to Elder Woodruff's journal, under date of April 4th, 1880.

On the morning following the revelation, January 27th, he said: "I arose in the morning after the vision of the night. My heart was filled with joy and gratitude for a manifestation of the spirit of God to me. It was given by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. I had read a revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants and prayed earnestly to the Lord to manifest to me His mind and will concerning myself and my brethren, the Apostles, and the Lord gave me that revelation in answer to my prayers.

"On January 28th I was again given a vision. It concerned the destiny of our nation and of Zion. My pillow was again wet by a fountain of tears as I beheld the judgments of God upon the wicked. I was strongly impressed that the Apostles and elders should warn the inhabitants of the earth."

On his return to the settlements from the mountains, February 1st, he writes: "I have passed eleven days in the mountains in the midst of driving snow, making my bed upon the ground in a shepherd's tent. I ate my bread and meat twice a day with thanksgiving. I drank the cold snow water and indeed have had the best of health, although when I left Sunset I had a severe cold on my lungs. I also passed several days in the saddle, from eight to ten hours a day, when the cold north wind was blowing in my face. I shall soon be seventy-three years of age."

Between the 20th and 27th of February with John W. Young he visited much of the mountain country where in places it was necessary to let the wagons down over the rocks with ropes on account of the rugged character of that region. On the 28th and 29th he attended the Stake Conference.

March the 1st was Elder Woodruff's birthday. The Saints of Sunset and Brigham City honored him with their presence. About one hundred guests sat down to his birthday dinner. The Saints of that region were greatly devoted to Apostle Woodruff, and some named their children after him. His sojourn in Arizona during those months of exile disclosed more than anything else in later years of his life the spirit that actuated the man. Far removed from the busy life which the leaders of the Church were leading at the time, his mind was touched by the visions of God, and it was a time of spiritual enjoyment.

On the 3rd of March, in company with Lot Smith, he left for St. George, which he reached on the 18th. On his way, at Kanab, Elder Woodruff mentions the fact that Elder David K. Udall of that place was wanted to be bishop of St. Johns, Arizona, a position which Elder Udall subsequently filled, and later he became the president of the stake, a position he now holds. During his stay at St. George he refers to the many happy hours he passed in connection with Erastus Snow, James G. Bleak, Moses F. Farnsworth, John D. T. McAllister and others. On the 24th of March, in company with Erastus Snow, he left St. George and reached Salt Lake City, after holding meetings en route, on the 2nd of April. On the 4th and 5th of the month meetings were held by the Council in the Assembly Hall preparatory to the conference which began on the 6th of April.

The April conference of 1880 was one of the most important in the history of the Church. Fifty years had passed since its organization. President Taylor felt inspired to make it a year of jubilee to the Latter-day Saints. The people were, therefore, forgiven their debts to the Church to the extent of eight hundred thousand dollars, money chiefly due to the emigration fund. Unpaid tithing was also forgiven to the amount of seventy-six thousand eight hundred and ninety-nine dollars. Hundreds of cows and thousands of sheep were given to the widows and other worthy poor. The discourses at the conference were especially effective in bringing comfort and consolation to the Latter-day Saints who were in financial need. On the 27th of May following, Elder Woodruff wrote his last will and testament, as he felt that at any time he might be called to the great beyond; yet he lived subsequently eighteen years.

On the 24th of July following he wrote: "We had the greatest celebration to-day in commemoration of the entrance of the pioneers into this valley that we ever held in Utah. A procession two miles long was arranged. It passed through the streets of the City as an object lesson in Church history. It is recorded in full in the Deseret News of July 26th."

On the 6th of October the fall conference was held. It was the third time in the history of the Church that the Presidency had been organized. President John Taylor, George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith were ordained to that position. The vacancies in the quorum thus created were filled by the appointment of Francis M. Lyman, president of the Tooele Stake, and John Henry Smith, bishop of the Seventeenth Ward. On that occasion the voting was done by the different quorums and the scene was most impressive upon all present. Elder Woodruff was called at this time to be the President of the Twelve Apostles. The ordination of the new Apostles, however, in consequence of Elder Lyman's absence, was postponed until October 27th, that year. It had been the practice theretofore for the President of the Church to ordain when there was only one Apostle to be ordained. When two, the second was ordained by the first counselor, and the third, where there were three, by the second counselor. Apostle John Henry Smith, speaking of the circumstance, said: "I had secretly asked the Lord that President Woodruff might ordain me, and that if he did so I would accept it as a special testimony that my call to the apostleship came from the Lord."

His prayer was answered. Elder Woodruff records the fact that at the close of that year, December 28th, he was inspired to write a prayer to be presented before the Lord in keeping with the revelation given him in the wilderness of Arizona. The prayer was approved by President Taylor and was recorded in the journal of Apostle Woodruff and presented to the Lord in accordance with divine command. It was answered by the blessing and protection of God's people. The close of the year brought the Saints nearer to those eventful chapters that began in the year 1882.