August 1875


20 August 1875 • Friday

Started this morning for Morgan City. Bro. Woodruff was to have accompanied me, but failed to reach the train. I reached Morgan at 5 minutes past eleven. No one expected me, my letter to Bishop W. G. Smith not having reached him. There was no appointment given out for meetings. Bro Timothy Metz, who has charge of the Cooperative store, gave me dinner and sent word to Bro Fry, who got up his team and with Bro Eddington took me over to Littleton where Bro Smith lived. I found my wife Elizabeth here with Mary Alice, David and Emily. We were invited to stop at Bishop Smith’s. We took supper at Bro. Jesse C. Little’s.

21 August 1875 • Saturday

Drove over to Morgan and met Bro and Sis. Taylor, and Bro’s Woodruff and Sheets, who came by the train. Meeting was held at 2 p.m, there was a moderately good attendance. Bro Woodruff and I addressed the people; had excellent liberty. I returned to Littleton. Elizabeth was quite sick to-day

22 August 1875 • Sunday

Elizabeth and the children accompanied me to Morgan. Bro’s Sheets and Taylor occupied the forenoon, and myself and Bro’s Woodruff and Taylor the afternoon. Took dinner at Bro. Hemming’s. Returned to Littleton.

23 August 1875 • Monday

I bade my wife and children farewell and with the party started to Coalville. We were accompanied by the leading elders and some of their wives. At Echo we got off the Union Pacific Railroad and got on the Coalville road, which is a narrow guage. Bro Taylor and wife (Sophia) and Bro Woodruff and myself stopped by invitation at Bro Cluff’s, and were treated very kindly. After our arrival Bro. Woodruff and myself, Bro’s Sheets, Cluff and one or two others were taken down the river on the train to a place which was thought suitable for fishing. Bro. Woodruff and myself kept together. I am no fisherman and got no bites. Bro Woodruff caught two small fish and a large one which broke his hook and line and got away before I could help him get it out of the stream. The rest were no more successful. Bro. Cluff caught two small fish also.

24 August 1875 • Tuesday

We held meetings in the Bowery in the grove and had a most excellent day. We had a goodly portion of the spirit in our remarks. We read the rules and catechized the leading men who wished to be baptized and they expressed their determination to keep the commandments of God before the congregation. A suitable spot having been found for baptism I entered the water and baptized 17 of them, Bro’s Taylor and Woodruff confirming them. It was a very cold day and there was frost that night.

25 August 1875 • Wednesday

Bro Cluff provided us teams and we drove over to Wanship where we met Bishop Samuel Atwood. Here we held meetings, and invited the people to go with us to our other meetings. I took dinner at Bro. Jared Roundy’s whose wife is a sister of my wife Sarah Jane. Upon leaving this place we divided our party; a part of us stopping at Rockport and the rest driving on to Peoa. Bro’s Taylor, Cluff and myself went to the last named place. We had a very good meeting here and then we drove over to Kamas Prairie. Bro Woodruff and myself were invited by Bro. Phineas H. Young to stop with him. A meeting was held in the evening by Bishop E. F. Sheets, who addressed the Saints on tithing[.] Elder Taylor was joined to-day by his son William and his wife – Sarah Hoagland that was.

26 August 1875 • Thursday

Held meetings today at this place, and had a goodly flow of the Spirit. When we speak to the people, stirring them up to repentance, and setting before them the careless lives we have been living and how many sins were being practiced by those who call themselves Saints, and dwelling upon the necessity of a thorough repentance of sin and of leading stricter lives and enforcing the laws of the Church more strictly, the Spirit of the Lord rests down upon them and us, and we can speak upon these principles with power. I know that God requires us – His apostles, to labor with zeal and diligence to stir this people up to repentance. I have never in my life had such peculiar feelings as I have in these days. It seems as though the Lord desires us to warn his Saints to prepare them for things which are about to take place. When I look at our lives I almost tremble for many of us, for I know that unless there be deep and heartfelt repentance many who are called Latter-day Saints will lose their standing before God and will never attain unto celestial glory. I am strongly reminded of the condition of the children of Israel who were led out of Egypt by Moses. Only two out of all who started, who were over 20 years of age were permitted to enter the Promised Land. The carcasses of the rest dropped by the roadside. The Lord was provoked and angry at their hardness of heart and their unbelief, and I ask myself how it is with us: The prophet Brigham has felt called upon to lay before this people the word of God concerning the United Order and how reluctantly they listen to him and receive this principle. They almost say by their conduct that they do not want the Lord to reveal any thing unto them of this kind. Unless there’s repentance of this Spirit, there can be but one result – the withdrawal of the Spirit of the Lord and the stoppage of the growth in faith.

In the afternoon meeting the rules were read and the leading men interrogated. I baptized some 16 or 17 and Elders Taylor and Woodruff confirmed them

27 August 1875 • Friday

Friday, 27 Bro Cluff resolved to accompany us over to Heber City where we had appointments for a two days’ meeting. Bishop Atwood also hitched and drove over with us. Bro’s Taylor Woodruff and myself were entertained by Bishop Hatch

28 August 1875 • Saturday

We had a very plain talk this morning with Bishop Abram Hatch respecting doctrines he was charged with having taught. He was accused of having taught false doctrine on the subject of plural marriage. He told us what he had taught and upon being directly interrogated by Elder Taylor as to whether he in his heart believed fully in the doctrine of celestial marriage he replied that he did, and that if he did not he would consider it dishonorable in him to hold his office. We had two excellent meetings to-day[.] Afterwards we drove over to Midway where there are very singular springs. There are several mounds which look like inverted cauldrons with holes in the bottom. In these is warm water, which runs off and as it runs deposits a sediment which constantly increases the mounds in hight. The ladies withdrew from one of them and Bro. Cluff and myself dived in. The water was about 30 feet deep, warm and pleasant, and although not very large is a beautiful place to swim in. Midway is a very flourishing little place from its appearance – in fact this whole valley has greatly improved since my previous visit. I know of no place in the mountains that has made greater improvement considering the population, in the same length of time. There were spots around Midway that reminded Bro Cluff and myself of the Sandwich Islands as the farming in some places was carried on close up to the mountains

29 August 1875 • Sunday

Sunday 29 Held meetings to-day. I occupied a portion of the forenoon and was led to speak with great plainness upon plural marriage. Elders Taylor and Woodruff had alluded to this subject yesterday. After I got through many brethren came up and expressed their pleasure at hearing what I had said upon this subject. I have no doubt that Bro. Hatch, who has but one wife, has not strengthened this principle in the minds of the people as he should have done. He seems to have entertained the idea that because a man had taken one wife according to the covenant and sealing ordinances that he was practising celestial marriage, which is true as far as it goes. But the Lord requires practical obedience to the revelation. I think that Bro. Hatch has learned a good deal during these meetings. The rules were read and the officers interrogated in the presence of the congregation and required to give expression to their views, after which we want down to the river and I baptized upwards of twenty of them Bro’s Taylor and Woodruff confirming them[.] Since leaving home on this trip I have baptized 56 persons and we have held 17 meetings.

30 August 1875 • Monday

The brethren who had accompanied us thus far parted with us this morning and returned. Our meetings and associations had been so delightful that they evidently parted with us with regret. They had been very kind to us as had also Bishop Hatch who sent his carriage and secured another carriage to carry us to Provo[.] On passing down the canyon <river> we came to a little settlement and learned that the people were out hunting a bear which had killed a flock of their sheep. We saw two grizzly bear cubs that they had captured and killed and were then after the old she bear. We reached Provo a few minutes after noon and as Bro. Smoot was absent we drove to Bro Isaac Bullock’s, (who keeps a tavern) and put up for dinner. Sister Bullock; however, would receive no pay from us. We afterwards took train for Salt Lake City arriving there at 6.20. Bro. Woodruff and myself called upon the Prest and were invited by him to stop as there was going to be a meeting of the committee on the United Order and he wanted us to be present. The articles of association were read and some corrections were made in them. We also called upon Bro. George A. Smith, had conversation with and administered to him. He expressed a desire to live, though perfectly resigned to submit to the Lord’s will.

31 August 1875 • Tuesday

Met according to appointment at the Old Tabernacle with the brethren who had joined the United Order that had been got up by the Prest, and their families. President Young and Elder Taylor spoke with great plainness and I was called upon to read the articles of the Order. The president gave those who covenanted to abide by the rules the privilege of being rebaptized. In the afternoon I baptized some 20 in the font, among whom were the wives of Elder Taylor, Bishop Burton and Bro’s Winder and McAllister and portions of their families as well as my two sons John Q and Abraham H. Elder Taylor did the confirming.

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August 1875, The Journal of George Q. Cannon, accessed March 19, 2024 https://www.churchhistorianspress.org/george-q-cannon/1870s/1875/08-1875