(George A. Smith) Accompanied Brigham Young, Erastus Snow, and others to establish the new "Dixie Mission" in southern Utah. Nearly 800 familiesâ€"approximately 3,000 personsâ€"were called to this mission over the next three or four years. The primary purpose of the mission was to produce indigo, madder, fruit, wine, tobacco, and especially cottonâ€"a commodity in great demand since the outbreak of the Civil War. The first year 100,000 pounds of seed cotton were produced, and, in 1863, 56,094 pounds of ginned cotton. A factory was built in 1870 for cotton processing, but poor soil, unstable water supplies, and the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869 made Utah cotton production unprofitable. Brigham Young named the principal settlement "Saint George" in honor of George A. Smith. (1)
-- Jan 20th, 1862
Letter to President Brigham Young from W. W. Phelps; Jan. 20th, 1862.
President Young, or Brother Young just as pleases you best. .... To end the whole matter, we must be heared (sp. heard) by the Gods; fearing: and, according to the commandments, watch,--for this sustained Adam our Father, who is the Almighty before mentioned. When Israel was in the Wilderness, they kept the word of wisdom, as died like Achan (sp. ?) for stealing, god and garments. My voice is Virtue and Victory. Amen!
W. W. Phelps
P S Keep this letter, as have not copied it. (2)
-- Jan 29, 1862
Brigham Young's office journal records: "Bro[ther] HS. Eldredge, came in, the conversation turned on the love of property. Pres[ident] Young said he did not think there ever was a prophet on the Earth, (Jesus excepted) that cared less for the things of the world than he did. He remarked the Lord is desirious to exalt this people as we are his children, but riches would injure us at present therefore the Lord withholds riches from us till we are prepared to receive them. He knew that the more of the Spirit of the Lord a man had the better prepared he was to do business. Pres[ident] Young said he had been in Whiskey Street - and he had felt the spirit there, and he really thought the street must be burned down before there would be a good spirit there." (3)
-- Mar 1, 1862
[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] March 1st This is my Birth day again. I am 55 years of age this day. I am the same age my Grand Father Eldad Woodruff was when he died. He had the spotted fever and was killed by Doctor Todd, as was my Mother and her Sister all about the same time, and my Father would have died at the same time if his nurse had not given him water the night he was given up to die. The doctor ordered French Brandy Bark & wine to all his patients for the spotted fever and they all died pleading for water and it would have been a great Blessing to humanity and a righteous deed for any man to have Emptied the brains out of Every doctors head that practiced medicine upon that system for it is much better that one doctor should die than that a whole Neighborhood Should perish.
I spent the day in the Endowment House. Presidets Young Kimball & Wells were preset. I sealed 9 Couple at the Altar & D. H. Wells 11 Couple. (4)
Footnotes:
1 - Van Wagoner, Richard and Walker, Steven C., A Book of Mormons, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
2 - Quotations Dealing with the Relationship of Our First Earthy Parents to Our Heavenly Parents (1830-1978)
3 - Advent Adam website (defunct) - based on http://amzn.to/originsofpower
4 - Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
LDS History Chronology: the Word of Wisdom
Mormon Timeline: the Word of Wisdom
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
