| Show PIONEER DAY IT WILL be seventy four years sunday next when brigham youn young 9 and the few faithful followers who accompanied him first saw the wonderful salt lake valley the following facts will prove of interest to our readers relating to the founding of salt lake city the first firs t recorded note of the grand design of the prophet joseph smith to colonize the pacific slope with his people was made in his diary on august ath on that date he was in attendance at the installation stal lation of officers of a masonic lodge at montrose iowa arid and while the deputy grand master alaster was engaged in giving the requisite in instructions 8 true to the master alaster elect I 1 had a conversation with a number of brethren in the shade of the building on the subject of our prosecutions in AlIs missouri and the constant annoyance which has followed us ua since we were driven from that state I 1 prophesied that the saints would continue to suffer much affliction and would be driven to the rocky mountains many would apostatize others would be put to death by our prosecutors or lose their lives in consequence of exposure or disease and some would live to go and assist in making settlements tle ments and building cities and see the saints become a mighty people in the midst of the rocky mountains two bears 3 ears later june sta 1844 at nauvoo ill prophet joseph smith and its his brother hiram were shot to death following a riot in that city and a little later brigham young was chosen as prophet seer and revelator it was on april 7 1847 that the mormon pioneers under the leader chip ot of brigham young left winter wint er quarters nebraska for the rocky mountains As soon as t they ey got fadly on their journey they were organized as ai a military bod body Y into to companies of hundreds tittles fifties and tens the officers were brigham young lieutenant general stephen markham colonel john pack first fir st major shadrack roundy second major captains of hundreds stephen Alai baikham kham and A P rockwood the camp consisted of 73 wagons 14 5 men three women and two children souls lieutenant general youngs orders were the men to travel in a compact body being in an indian country every man to carry his gun loaded the locks to ie be shut on a piece of buckskin with caps ready in case of attack flint locks with cotton and powder flask handy and every man to walk by the side of his wagon under orders not to leave it unless sent by the officer in com manci and ana the ice wagons to be formed two abreast where practicable on the at the call of the bugle in the morning at five the pioneers were to arise ass assemble embe for prayers get breakfast and be ready to start at the second call of the bugle at seven at night at halt half past eight at the command from the bugle each was to retire tor for prayer in n his own wagon and to bed at nine tents to be pitched on saturday nights and the sabbath kept and then from the journal of orbon pratt we read july 23 1847 we left east can yon readied ached re the summit of the mountain mount aln and descended six idilea through a thick timbered grove we mooned at a beautiful spring in a small birch grove here we were met by brothers others Dr pack and mathews irom from the advance camps campa they brought us a dispatch they had explored the great salt lake valley BS as far as possible and made a choice ot of a spot to put in crops july 24 this is ono one ot of the most important lays days of my life and in the history of the church ot of jesus christ ot of Latt erday saints after traveling six miles through a deep ravine ending with the canyon we came in full view ot of the valley of 0 the great salt lake the land of promise held in reserve by god cod as a resting place for his saints we gazia gazed in ih wonder and admiration upon the vast valley before us with the waters 0 of the great sali salt lake glistering blistering gli in the sun bun mountains towering to the skies and streams of 0 pure water running through the beautiful valley it wai was the grandest view we had ever seen till this moment pleasant thoughts ran through our minds at the prospect that not many years hence the house ot of god would ie be established in the mountains and exalted above the hills while the valleys would be converted into orchards vineyards and fruitful fields cities erected to the name of the lord and the standard of zion unfurled tor for the gatherings of the nations how well this arrival of the pioneers into their land of promise illustrated the character of the alor mormon people empire founding on the first day planting their fields before rest or dinner rain on the day of brigham youngs arrival to them a miracle of promise already had his vision begun to be fulfilled all hall hail to the utah pioneers |
