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W Woodruff {I ever} feel {it a} priv[ilege] {to} occupy {a} portion {of time} yet {I} esteem {it a} favor {to} sit {sit here over my} friends {and the} S[ain]^ts {[illegible shorthand]} val[lies]
{of the mountains there is} noth{ing we} can {be} engaged {of as much} importance {as the} plan {of} sal[vatio]ⁿ {the} prin[ciples] {of} J.[esus] C[hrist] {the} prin[ciples] {of} et[erna]^l
truth {I have} rejoiced {to see and hear and} feel {what I have} felt {and feel the} Sp[irit] {of God} sustain {me I} observe {a} progress {and}
growth {in the} K[nowledge] {of God} altho {there is} much room {for us to} improve. {The} words {of} Joseph {have to have a} [fulfil[lmen]^t].
{and the} work {is a} greater one {than} any {[ever] on the} Earth {and we have to} perform {it by our hands and that is the} only {way to} be {be in} readiness.
{we have} already seen {the} effects {of} 2 yrs improvement {from the time we} came {in [is/his]} [illegible]. {There is a} bless{ing there I [illegible]}
{the} place {and was} astonished altho' {I} [k]new {their} labors {these} vallies {will be} filled {with men and} animals {and} towns {and} cities Zion {has to be}
{a} habitation {of} peace {and this people will be} willing {as a} body {to} carry {the} prin[ciples] {of God there} must {be a} place prep[are]^d {for the} com{ing of}
{the} Messiah {and I} bel[ieve] {this people will do the} work {they will be} prep[are]^d {the hand of God has been with us in} bring{ing us to this place. I would} ra[the]^r {we}
{were in} poverty {all the day} long ra[the]^r {than have} riches {and they} dam[n] {us are we not} old enough {to walk in the} path {of} duty.
{We ought to} remember {remember our} tith{ing and our} offer{ings there is not a man} but {what has as much to do as he} possibly can {do.}