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this valley in 1847, they found it a bar-
ren desert, without a single mark of
the Anglo Saxon race. The Latter-
day Saints upon their arrival here set
to work and did the best they could to
change its condition. They plowed,
planted and watered the ground, built
cabins and other habitations, and so
went on until that Tabernacle, the
Temple adjoining it, and three other
temples were reared in the midst of
the people. It had taken millions of
dollars to rear these holy places, and,
he asked, who had to do it? Why the
leaders and Elders in Israel—the Lat-
ter-day Saints, the Relief Societies
and the women of Zion; all had con-
tributed of their substance which God
had given them. Did they call upon
their enemies—those who were
opposed to them and seeking their
destruction to help them in their
work? No, and they would not have
responded if they had. Was it wrong for
the Latter-day Saints to engage in
these things? It was not; they could
not carry out the purposes of Almighty
God unless they did.

He would say before the Lord that
he believed in his heart there was not
one among the Presidency of this
Church, or among the twelve Apostles,
but who, if required to do so, would lay
down his life willingly for the Gospel's
sake. Moreover, there were thousands
among this people who would be ready
to do the same. Of course, we should
not set our hearts upon the things of
this world, nor suffer them to turn us
from our duties.

With regard to their position
temporally, their history was
before the whole world. The United
States government required their
property—what was called Church
property—and receivers were appointed
to take it. They delivered it up to
them, according to their demands, and
property that had already been sold
and the proceeds of the sales used for
the benefit of the people had been in-
cluded in the seizure.

He thought there was no particular
harm in his naming this. Presi-
dent Taylor delivered into the
hands of the various Bishops
throughout this Territory a cer-
tain quantity of wheat and other
grain as trustee-in-trust. It amounted
to considerable; but all this with the
other property was required at their
hands. The authorities went to work
and had to give their notes to the
amount of about $300,000 in order to
satisfy the government. They still
trusted in God; but it took some money
to discharge the demands made upon
them. They had to borrow some
money to meet those notes; and still
they owed something with regard to
them.

President Woodruff alluded to the
many thousands of dollars which it
had also been necessary for the
Church to expend in order to help the
people in some of the settlements, in
the erection of school houses, meeting
houses, to supply the wants of the
poor, etc.

What was the cause of this great
gathering of the people? he asked.
They heard the Gospel of Christ pro-
claimed by His Servants, and believed
it. They came to Zion without coun-
sel from anybody, because they had
the spirit of gathering within them,
and it was this that had made Utah
what she was today.

Let them be patient, faithful to their
covenants with God, full of charity
one towards another, and all would be
well. He counseled them to go for-
ward in the good work which they had
begun, and they would assuredly con-
quer and overcome the obstacles which
beset their path. God would be
pleased and soften the hearts of men
towards them; hundreds and thousands
would yet visit Utah, to behold the
work of the Latter-day Saints, and see
they were in earnest and meant what
they said.