Conjoint Sessions of the Seventeenth Annual M. I. A. Conference: “Brigham Young as a Pioneer”

Conjoint Sessions of the Seventeenth Annual M. I. A. Conference The conjoint meetings of this conference were held on Friday, June 7, at 10 a. m. in the Assembly Hall, and on Sunday in the great Tabernacle at 10 a. m., and 2 and 7.30 p. m. Separate officers meetings were held at 2 p. m. and on Saturday. At the first meeting the congregation sang "Redeemer of Israel" and prayer was offered by Elder James G. McKay of the Ogden stake. The Pioneer stake ladies' chorus, Mabel Cooper, director, sang, "The Lady Pioneer." President Joseph F. Smith presided and President Martha H. Tingey and members of the Young Men's and Young Ladies' Boards were on the stand. Elder Heber J. Grant briefly explained that the time of the meeting would be devoted to a practical or suggestive program for open-night meetings. "You understand," he said, "that the open-night meeting is the extra conjont meeting held each month conjointly by the young men and the youg ladies in each ward. These open-night meetings are intended to give opportunity for orations, story-telling, book reviews, lectures, debates and other conjoint activities, and this program is intended as an illustration." "The Mighty Power of Truth," a story from the fourth chapter of Esdras was given by Stephen L. Love, Jr. of Granite stake, and the second story by Jennie Leigh of Parowan stake was entitled "Indian Experiences in Early Utah." The Granite stake prize male quartet gave a selection. This was followed by a story by Charles England of Cache stake, "A School Boy Experience." Miss Jessie E. Tibbs, Salt Lake stake, related a story entitled, "Misfortunes." Wallace B. Peterson of Alpine stake gave an oration: BRIGHAM YOUNG AS A PIONEER. My dear brethren and sisters and co-laborers in the Mutual Improvement work: I am indeed pleased to have the honor of meeting with you upon this occasion. I assure you that I feel my inability in attempting to talk to you for a few minutes upon the pioneer labors of our former President, Brigham Young. The theme covers so many different phases of life, and the results are so uniformly favorable to civilization, that one cannot help but wonder at the magnitude of such remarkable achievements. Surely Brigham Young, as a man, must stand for a unique and remarkable character in the social, political and moral development of our country. He was not a pioneer of chance as was Saul of old, who went to seek his father's asses and found a kingdom. Brigham Young's was one of destiny, he played the noble part allotted to him in the divine plan of life and did it well. Brigham Young was born in the day-break of the Nineteenth Century. He was born of lowly but honorable parentage, therefore through financial circumstances he received only a common school education. In the year 1832 he first heard of the teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and the truths therein so greatly impressed themselves upon his mind that he soon made a close investigation of the same and after so doing became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Because of his willingness to work in little things he

826 IMPROVEMENT ERA. soon was promoted and ordained an apostle in the Church. Six yean later he was appointed and ordained President of that quorum. He was a great friend of the Prophet Joseph, and defended hin during the dark days of Kirtland Apostasy. He passed through th< bloody scenes of Missouri, during which period he received valuable in formation that greatly assisted him in later life. At the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, the people looked tc him for guidance and consolation, nor did they look in vain, for he soor silenced their divisions, calmed their fears, inspired them with hope anc courage, until the Saints felt and confessed that the spirit which hac moved Joseph in his work was living in Brigham Young. His first active pioneer life started when the Saints were drivei from their homes and out of their beloved city, Nauvoo. It was during this period of his life that he shouldered the burden of a Moses to de liver latter-day Israel out of bondage, and after receiving permissioi from the governor of Iowa to cross the state, he successfully led ; small number of his people to the banks of the Missouri river, wher they settled Winter Quarters, now Florence, Nebraska. One writer has said that the work of a pioneer is to blaze the pat! for others, to mark at his peril a road that others may follow in safety therefore, Brigham Young could see this necessity. Their stop in Winter Quarters was not only to prepare themselve for the great exodus into the wilderness of the West, but to establish ; recruiting station for future emigration. Brigham Young could see that to make such a journey his peopl must be thoroughly organized in order to make rapid progress, sc through inspiration from the Lord, he organized each company wit! captains over tens, captains over fifties, and captains over hundreds, an< a captain over them all. Just before their departure from Winter Quarters in the earl spring of '47, he called his people together and gave these instructions "If any are sick, let those who are well help them. If any are poor, le those who have means divide their substance unto the poor. If ther are any who are not of our faith who wish to accompany us into th wilderness for the search of homes, let them come and give them hearty welcome, because I look upon every American citizen as a frien and brother." With this feeling of brotherly love. Brigham Young and his peopl turned their faces toward the land of the setting sun, and made one c the greatest pioneering marches ever recorded in history. It was not a journey of bloodshed and destruction, but one of lov and construction, building bridges, making roads through forests an over mountains for a distance of more than one thousand miles. In order to make such a journey it took a leader at their head wit courage to face trials, sorrows, and disappointments : a man who coul meet them squarely and move forward unscratched and undaunted, an such a man was Brigham Young. When his people were in deepest sorrow and tribulation, whe hope had fled, when skies were dark, and the only music to their eai was the war whoop of the painted savage, and the dismal howl of th wolf, when thunders rolled and lightning flashed, mid all this despai Brigham Young would sing and shout to his people :

CONJOINT SESSIONS M. I. A. CONFERENCE. 827 "Come, come ye saints, no toil nor labor fear, But with joy wend your way; Though hard to you this journey may appear, Grace shall be as your day. Gird up your loins, fresh courage take, Our God will never us forsake; And soon we'll have this truth to tell — All is well! all is well!" One writer who is not of our faith compares Brig-ham Young with Christopher Columbus, because both were pioneers, both were dauntless in their courage, both were successful. Columbus said, "Sail on, sail on, and on." Brigham Young said, "Come on, come on, and on." With such a general, this valiant but small band of exiles were led safely to the valleys of the mountains. When they saw Salt Lake Valley, Brigham Young laid off the cloak of Moses, and took up himself the calling of Joshua to settle his people upon the land of their inheritance, in which he was successful. Before many years had elapsed, Brigham Young and his people had established a commonwealth that now draws the eyes and the wealth of the world in its direction. Among the first instructions that Brigham Young gave to his people after arriving in Salt Lake Valley was to redeem the arid lands, and strongly discouraged the desire to hunt for silver and gold. "We cannot eat silver and gold," said Brigham Young, "we need bread and clothing first." One great reason why we are living in a land of milk and honey today is, because the people then followed his advice. The "Mormon" people today have credit for being the world's greatest colonizers, and they duly receive that credit because of the lessons taught them by President Brigham Young. In the beginning of Utah's history, Salt Lake Valley was large enough to hold and sustain all the emigrants that would arrive in years, but only months had passed when Brigham Young was colonizing and settling in counties at the north, counties at the south, east and west. and it became so extensive before his death that you could count states on the north, south, east and west, settled by our people. Mr. Jordan makes the remark in his little book entitled, "Great Truths," that: "The reformer in morals, in education, in religion, in sociology, in philosophy, or in any line of aspiration is ever a pioneer." Brigham Young cannot be classified under one of the separate headings but his broad scope of qualifications covers them all. As a reformer in morals he ever stands a pioneer in precept and in example. In education he ranks second to none, because of the pioneership in that regard. Largely through his efforts, Utah ranks third among the states of the Union in common school education today. Our Church schools stand as a memorial to the honor of our state, and their foundations were laid by this remarkable man. To his religion he stood firm and unwavering, and was ever ready to proclaim to the world the convictions of his own heart. Socially he stood as a pillar of merriment and realized that there is always a social phase to every one's life and that it needed food for de-

828 IMPROVEMENT ERA. velopment, for which cause he built the Salt Lake Theatre, which was then the best of its kind between St. Louis and the Pacific Coast. As a philosopher he stood among the statesmen and educators of the world. He instituted irrigation, redeemed arid lands, built cities and railroads, established newspapers and factories, and made the whole land hum with the wheels of industry. He was a great lover of architecture, some of the evidences of which. are the Salt Lake Temple and Tabernacle, as well as the other Temples in our* state, all of which stand as monuments in praise and honor to his name. He needs no monuments of marble or bronze, because his name and fame are forever enshrined in the temples of history in the Westminster Abbey of the soul. Because of the development of his great achievements, we can sing the fulfilment of that song: "Come, come, ye saints, no toil nor labor fear. But with joy wend your way; Though hard to you this journey may appear, Grace shall be as your dajr. Gird up your loins, fresh courage take, Our God will never us forsake ; And now we have this truth to tell — All is well! all is well!" LEIII, UTAH. Miss Ila Fisher of Wasatch stake gave an oration entitled, "THE THREE PIONEER WOMEN OF UTAH." LTtah, seventy years ago, was isolated from civilization — a dry and desolate land roamed over by savages and wild beasts. The lofty peaks that now surround our verdant valleys, then looked down on a barren and forbidding region of shifting sands, sterile rocks, and slimy pools where "crept the panting lizard, chirped the cricket, and crawled the rattlesnake." At this time the "Mormons" were being so cruelly persecuted that it called forth a prophecy from the lips of Joseph Smith that the Saints should one day become a great and mighty people in the midst of the Rocky Mountains. The desert wastes of Utah, apparently so forsaken of heaven's blessings, was the very place God had chosen for his people. Persecution at last became so great that the Saints could no longer suffer the affliction and they determined to flee for refuge to the Unknown West where they could build a new Zion in peace. Man alone could not succeed in an undertaking that was to affect humanity so greatly. It was necessary that the refining touch of woman's hand should influence the history of Utah from the very beginning. Surely God moved the hearts of the Pioneer leaders to include three women and two children in that immortal band that left Winter Quarters early in April, 1847, to seek a new home. The distinction of being members of this company fell on three worthy spirits, Harriet Page Wheeler Young, Clara Decker Young and Ellen Sanders Kimball. The difficult journey required that they be women of strength and courage and wisdom, and with these qualities God had graciously endowed each one.

CONJOINT SESSIONS M. I. A. CONFERENCE. 829 Perhaps the greatest responsibility of the journey fell on Harriet Young, for she was the mother of Clara, and like a mother to Ellen — in fact, she was "mother" to the whole company. She was born of Welsh parents in Hillsborough, a thrifty little town in New Hampshire, in the harvest time of 1803. In youth she became an expert spinner and weaver of flax and wool, and equally efficient as a housekeeper and cook — accomplishments so necessary to a pioneer. She equipped herself not only with this domestic knowledge but with strength of character which made her a worker such as God would choose for his cause. At seventeen she married Isaac Decker and to them were born five children, one of which was Clara. She, like her mother, was destined to become famous as one of Utah's Pioneer Women. Nearly thirty years of Harriet's life had passed before she heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but she was quick to receive the glad tidings of salvation, for in her heart she could know truth. For eight years she and her family endured persecutions with the Saints in Kirtland. Then, in search of peace, they went to Missouri, but even more suffering for their faith awaited them there. Three years later they removed to Nauvoo. and here Isaac and Harriet Decker separated. Their life channels had become so different, they could no longer journey in unison. After two years of single life, Harriet was sealed in marriage to Lorenzo D. Young. The clouds of persecution on the city of Nauvoo rapidly grew darker and darker until at the awful hour of the martyrdom of the Prophet there was little light left. Harriet and her husband fled with the other Saints from the distressed city in the fall of '46 and settled until the following spring at Winter Quarters. Clara's history is partly told in the narrative of her mother. She was always a frail child, being afflicted with asthma from her earliest years. When only a little tot of three she met with a fearful and wellnigh fatal accident by toddling unobserved under the descending blow of her father's ax while he was chopping wood. At fifteen she underwent a long and severe sick spell during which her life was often despaired of, but from this, as from every other affliction, God raised her up and gave her strength to endure the toils and trials of a pilgrimage to the wild West. Though delicate, like her mother, she possessed a courageous spirit with admirable presence of mind and power of patient endurance. Our third heroine traveled a very difficult pathway in early life. She was born in the far off mountains of Norway, in 1824, and came to xA.merica thirteen years later where she became known as Ellen Sanders. She and her brothers and sisters within a year after their arrival in this new land, were made orphans. Little Ellen, a stranger in a strange land, earned her daily bread by hiring herself to work in private homes. Seven summers faded into winters but Ellen knew no change. Then the Gospel message came to bless her lonely life, and she immediately joined the Saints at Nauvoo. Here she became the wife of Heber C. Kimball, by whose side she remained steadfast through all the persecutions and privations that the Saints endured. The vicissitudes of her early life had prepared her to toil and sacrifice, and so with Harriet Young and sister Clara she left Winter Quarters with that immortal little band of Pioneers to find a refuge' in the West. It was not in the original plan that women should be included in

830 IMPROVEMENT ERA. this first journey over the untrodden way, but more than once did these "ministering- angels" prove that no mistake was made in bringing them. Instead of being a burden, they proved a blessing to the travelers. They served and washed and cooked and helped to keep the camp in order. And toward the close of the journey when even the strongest were becoming weak and weary, our Pioneer Women cheered and encouraged and comforted the Pilgrims, and tenderly cared for the sick as only women can do. They suffered patiently when the sun beat down on the barren deserts, when the rain fell in the shady mountain gorges. They breathed no murmur of complaint when their shoes wore from their feet and night fell on bloody traces on the cruel stones. On they plodded, wading rivers, crossing deserts, climbing mountains, trusting still in God. ' When they emerged from Emigration canyon and entered the Great Salt Lake Valley, a picture — the most lonely and desolate they had yet seen on all their weary way — met their gaze. They had longed to find the pasture green or the sheltering, leafy tree, but in the valley there were no meadows, no trees — only a sunburned waste. Grief that could not be expressed pierced the hearts of our heroines. Tenderly and tearfully they thought of the friendship ties they had severed, thought of the homes they had left where the country was all like a garden. Was it for this they had toiled and sacrificed and suffered? Alas ! must they live and die in such a place ? They had sought a safe retreat, and truly here they had found it ! This was the home God had decreed for them. On their pilgrim journey they had endured all things without complaint, their courage had never faltered, their faith had never failed, and even now they bore their disapointment with a patient grace. It was not for pleasure, not for praise, not for the distinction, that they came. It was their faith, their devotion, their divine heroism that brought them to be Utah's Pioneer Women. "The very place!" exclaimed President Young as he scanned with prophetic eye not only the barren valley, but the sublime possibilities of the future which prayerful faith and patient toil would unfold. In spite of the disappointment, preparations were soon begun 'to, firmly secure themselves in the land that was henceforth to be their home. The season was late, but crops were immediately planted in the hope of a harvest. The summer months wore away, and in the early fall. Presidents Young and Kimball and a few others set out to meet the second company that had left Winter Quarters. Starvation and danger from hostile Indians confronted our heroines, but they faced them bravely and permitted their husbands to journey forth to greet the coming Saints. Oh ! those were trying days. The few supplies of the company were fast being exhausted and the settlers were forced to subsist on rations of four ounces of flour per day and a little milk. But before the scanty harvest was reaped, even the flour was exhausted, and hunger compelled them to eat wild roots and even drink the glue from cooked raw-hides. Still, the pioneer life was not without beauty. Our mothers found among the gray sage brush the lovely Sego Lily. Sweet blossom of hope ! How it must have cheered and gladdened their lonely hearts !