Day in the Life

Dec 7, 1856

Journal Entry

December 07, 1856 ~ Sunday

7th Sunday I attended meeting in the Tabernacle. Edward Martin
& Daniel Tyler Preached in the forenoon & C. G. Webb & Wm
Clough Preached in the afternoon. I Attended the prayer
circle. Heard the Letters read from Elders Hyde & others
Elder Orson Hyde calls for 100 more men thinks there will be
a prospect of a fight with the Calafornians. President Young
said He wished all the men were at home & that Elder Hyde
was at home & in his store & that He would not take another
Mission while He lived for He had lost the spirit of his
office & was of no account. It made the President feel
sorrowful to see the Twelve & others not feel the spirit of their
office. At the close of the meeting I went home & with my
family went to the 14 ward meeting in the Music Hall. I was
much pressed in spirit. After listning to the speeches of Brothers
Hunt, Candland, & Pack I was requested to speak I arose upon my
Feet though heavily pressed in spirit yet the spirit of God was in
my tabernacle like fire shut up in my bones and I spoke to the people
Keys crossed about 3/4 of an hour and I scearsly knew whether I was in the body
or out of [it] neither can I remember but little what I said, the following
is are some of the remarks which I made while the House was as still as
the House of Death while the spirit of God filled the House.

Brethren & sisters I arise to say a few words to you But I am pressed in spirit
& I can say as I have heard Brother Joseph say while smiteing upon his
breast I would to God I could unbosom my feelings in the house of my friends,
but I do not expect to do it but in a small degree for my mind is open in
vision of things which I cannot utter or speak unto you for it is not
lawful or expedient if I had the ability to do so. I am pained in spirit as I
see the Bishop & council & teachers & miossionaries labouring, toiling, rebuking &
pounding the people trying to removeing the darkness & fog which hangs
over this City & the 14th ward. But let me say to the Bishop & teachers & missio-
naries before me to night to go to work & search deeply your own hearts & get
the spirit of the living God upon you remove the fog & darkness from your
own minds & then you can see clearly to remove the darkness from the minds
of the people. The priesthood need the spirit of God in order to know how to deal
with the people & save them for when you knock the people in the Head in order
to wake them, when they get awake you should not still pound them untill you
kill them. but get a Fatherly feeling & try to save them. Some of the teachers
when they go through the ward to teach the people they get the big head &
do not know ^how^ to treat the people. it is not nessary to stand here & jump
& shout & stomp off 50 cts worth of sole leather in order to get the people
to wake up or reform but it is a straight forward business matter to reform
whare any one has stolen or done wrong in any thing let them return what
they have taken & make restitution. It is a momentious time in Israel &
it is necessary for this refermation in order to have the people prepared for the
great things of God which are comeing upon the Earth & upon this people
the line will be drawn & scenes will take place which will try mens
souls & I warn all men & women before me this night that they do not
make light of the things of the Kingdom of God or of this refermation
for destruction is nigh the doors of such as do it & I warn our young
Brethren & sisters that they humble themselves before God & give heed to the
words of Eternal Life listen to the council of the Bishop & Missionaries &
teachers among you for if you despise the council of God & his servants
judgment will come upon you & destress & anguish will be upon you. The
Lord is calling loudly upon this people to repent & do the works of righteousness
& Live your religin. Remember the Testimony of Brother Grant the testator
is dead but the testiment is in force his hard labours to awaken this
people have cost him his life. He has laid down his body in the grave
I made many other remarks while the fire & power of the Holy Ghost
was burning within me. At the close of the meeting I called the Bishop
& priesthood to gether & gave them instruction concerning the wrong cours
Bishop Hoagland had taken with me I taught them the order of the
Priesthood. Bishop Hoagland was humble & made all necessary [illegible]

People

Browse people Wilford Woodruff mentioned on this day in his journal. Click on the person's name to view a short bio and other pages they are mentioned on or click on "View in Family Search" to view their FamilySearch profile.

Hoagland, Abraham Lucas
24 Mar 1797 - 14 Feb 1872
86 mentions
Young, Brigham
1 Jun 1801 - 29 Aug 1877
3427 mentions
Apostle, Family
6 mentions
25 mentions
Candland, David
15 Oct 1819 - 8 Mar 1902
37 mentions
5 mentions
Grant, Jedediah Morgan
25 Feb 1816 - 1 Dec 1856
280 mentions
Apostle, Zion's Camp
Smith, Joseph (Jr.)
23 Dec 1805 - 27 Jun 1844
2351 mentions
Hyde, Orson
8 Jan 1805 - 28 Nov 1878
693 mentions
Apostle
2 mentions

Related Documents

Browse other documents with this same date. These could include pages from Wilford Woodruff's autobiographies, daybooks, letters, histories, and personal papers. Click on the document titles to view the full document.

Letter to Ezra Taft Benson, 7 December 1856
G. S. L. City Elder E. T. Benson Dear Brother I Haste to drop you a few lines as the Calafornia Mail will start in the morning which came in last night we have not heard from the Eastern mail for two Months. I wish to inform you & Brother Pratt & friends that we have Lost our worthy friend & Brother president J M Grant who died Dec 1st & was found on the forth 4th under Military honors followed by the greatest procession ever found at a funeral in this vally. He was sick 10 days, later with the chills fever, turned to the Billious then the Lung fever. Nothing seem to relieve him from the time He was first taken. He had a great vision two days before His death may things were shown him in the spirit world. He has preached in the Reformation in this City & Territory as though he knew He had but few days to live. He has lifted up his voice like the trump of an Angel & cryed long & Loud to the people to Repent & live their Religion. I preume he was welcomed the other side of the Vail. See the 40 No for the News for particulars. The last Hand cart train cane in last Sunday 1st Dec. the weather was vary cold thermometer standing 10 degres below zero some days on the road. some freeze their hands & feet their has been some 300 or 400 teams sent out first & last this season to help in the Emigration & some more than 100 tons of flour sent out of this city to the Relief of the Emigration the a part of them went nearly to platt to push up the Hand cart companies. Brother Hunts company of Ox teams is now at Bridger & about 60 4 Horse teams are sent to bring them in & took out some 30 or 40 tons of flour to ther Relief. ther is about 400 saints their Brother Tenant is among the No dead also Father Waugh was brought in a corps. the Emigration was altogether to late starting this season the last Hand cart company left Florence the 25 Aug the last ox team the 3rd Sept. which has cost great Labour expens & care to get them in at all at this Engd of the journey. Their is a great exhertion & labour in ths city on to get up a genuine Reformation throughout this Territory the people are in a measure getting worked up & the spirit of God is Begins to Rest upon the people. It is a general time of Health ^president^ Joseph Young has been vary sick but I think is Recovering. The winter has set in vary cold & stormy Remember me to Elder pratt & all the Brethren all your families are well as far as I know excuse this Hasty scratch of things in Utah Yours truly W Woodruff [Upside-down text] The seat of Government will be removed to this City & the Legislature set here this winter but please not publish it [end of upside-down text]
Letter to George Albert Smith, 7 December 1856
Great Salt Lake City Hon G A Smith Dear Sir The Calafornia Mail came in last night will go out in th Morning the Eastern Mail has not came been heard from for two months past. I feel it my Duty to write a few lines to you till via Calafornia as I am aware you wish to hear fron us. I will begin by saying that we have lost our worthy friend & Brother president J. M. Grant He died Jan Dec 1st 18506 after an Illness of 10 days with chills & fever then Billious fever termating in th Lung fever. Nothing seemed to help him for the tine He was taken He had ga great vision two days before his Death went into the spirit world saw many great & interesting things we buried him on the 4th under Military Escortt followed by the greatest processon ever assemled at a funerel in this vally for particulers see the No 40 of the News. Our last Hand Cart company are all in sone 80 deaths, many with frozen hands & feet. Thernometer 10 degres below zero a part of the time on the Journey then some 300 team was sent out to ther assitance & more thn 100 tons of flour & thir is now 400 at Bridger that came with ox teams & ther is Now some 60 [illegible] Hors team gone after the with some 30 or 40 tons of flour it has cost mere to get in the Emigration in consequence of th late Starting then is would to have bought them all Hors team & waggins at St Louis. Their is a great exhertin made here on the refermation J M Brothe Grant worked & preached himself to deat as it were. He worked as thogh He knew He had but a few days to live we feel that we are living in Momentius times both the spirit of God & the devil is at work in a wonderful maner here. (The Seat of Government will be formed this winter to Great Salt Lake City untill U. S. makes Approperations to furnish the State House) all are it is a General time of Health Pre Joseph Young president of the 70s hs ben vary sick but is getting sone better winter has set in very cold, & early. Your family are all well as is the case with all of ^the famlies of^ our friends will you Give my respects to Brothr Taylor & Bernhisel if with you Excuse these Hasty lines (Please Do not publish them at lest those which should not be Yours Truly W. Woodruff
Letter to the Editor of the Standard, 7 December 1856
G. S. L. City Ed. of the Standard Dr. Brother The Cala. Mail having arrived last evening, I hasten to write you a few lines. Prest. J. M. Grant died here on Monday evg at the 1st Dec at 10:20 twenty minutes past 10, after an illness of about 32 weeks being taken ^seized^ first with chills & Fever then Billious Fever & died of Lung Fever. it was ^a sudden^ unexpected ^shock^ in Israel. and Prest Grant was in the bloom prime of life, ^40 years of age^, and in Israel was a his Priesthood was truly a mighty man in Israel. In the Reformation which was going on in Israel his bow was bent & his quiver full of arrows, which were so well directed he had becaome a terror to evil doers, & a joy & consolation to the righteous. Prest. Young addressed the concourse of Saints who met on the 4th to pay the last mark of trib tribute of repect to his earthy remains while when they were to be laid in the silent tomb, & poured lifted up the vail from the peoples ^our^ eyes so that we indeed felt Jedediah was not gone, but he was still with us ^& near us^ in the great work of the last days. The Hand cart com Prest. Martin's company of ^ the last^ ^of the^ hand carts arrived on the 30 Nov ulto being the last of the hand cart many with frozen ^fingers^ feet & limbs & fingers having encountered ^an unusual^ such severity of weather even for these mountains. We were happy to see them nothwithstanding their sufferings & hardships unequalled by any previous emmigration The last [oxt] train Company are left at Bridger after caching much of their goods at the Devils Gate, being only able to gain that point, withot all the assistance &that could be raised to help ^them^ both from here & at Fort Supply ^Horse & mule^ Teams with Flour, & oats & Hay have gone to bring them in the cost of this seasons immigration on the Saints in the Mt^n^s ishas been vast, besides theis suffering & for teams to start as they have done last week & go into these mountains where it has been freezing hard for six weeks past & snowing more or less all the time is like men taking their ^own^ lives & ^that of their animals^ in their hands & going to the rescue of their brethren. When the hand cart cops have arrived the Saints have opened their Houses & treated them as tho' they were indeed their brothers The Missionaries appointed in the various wards of this city to preach repentance to the Saints & get them to live their religion report the ppl are awaking to righteousness, putting on the armour of God, and determining God helping them to prepare for the

Events

View selected events in the two months surrounding this date in Wilford Woodruff's life. Click on the dates to jump to that day in Wilford Woodruff's journal.

December 30, 1856
Members of Territorial Legislature rebaptized (Wilford for the fifth time).
1857
Church membership is 55,236.

Dec 7, 1856