Salt Lake Temple Stories: Entering the Salt Lake Valley, Vision for Brigham Young

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Brigham Young, the second Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was a visionary man directed by God. The death of the first Prophet came as a sudden shock to the Church and especially Brigham Young. Brigham knew that critical decisions had to be made quickly after the death of Joseph, with the mob who killed Joseph still all around them. Brigham needed the help of his Father in Heaven to make the correct decisions and have confidence in what he was doing. One of the ways the Lord communicated with Brigham was through dreams and vision. This gave Brigham a firm understanding of his mission on the Earth and was able to see exactly what needed to be done. One of the most important visions given to Brigham from God was the location of where the Latter-day Saints should settle, in the West.

The Latter-day Saints were in shock after the death of their beloved Prophet Joseph Smith. Even in mourning the Latter-day Saints continued to work on their temple. The persecutors against the Church did not let up, even after the death of the Prophet Joseph. The Saints did not want to give up on the temple they had put so much into, and desired to get their covenants before leaving Nauvoo. They pulled together and worked hard, even through violence. Brigham Young said it was "by the aid of sword in one hand, and trowel and hammer in the other, with firearms at hand and a strong band of police, and the blessings of heaven, the Saints through hunger and thirst, and weariness and watchings and prayings so far completed the Temple, despite the devices of the mob." They finished the Nauvoo Temple on May 1, 1846 almost two years after the Prophet Joseph Smiths martyr in Carthage Jail. Many leaving before the temple was dedicated.

The persecution of the Saints was getting worse, and Brigham knew they Latter-day Saints could no longer stay in Nauvoo. Brigham and the Twelve planned on leaving Nauvoo, but did not know exactly where to go. They discussed Texas and California as well as the Pacific Northwest.

In 1842, Joseph Smith had predicted that the Saints would settle in the Rocky Mountains saying:

“I prophesied that the Saints would continue to suffer much affliction and would be driven to the Rocky Mountains, many would apostatize, others would be put to death by our persecutors or lose their lives in consequence of exposure or disease, and some of you will live to go and assist in making settlements and build cities and see the Saints become a mighty people in the midst of the Rocky Mountains.”

Where and when were the Saints suppose to make it out to the Rocky Mountains? The logistics of getting all the people out to the West, and where exactly would the Lord want them to settle, were questions Brigham Young took to the Lord. Brigham made the questions a matter of fervent fasting and prayer.

The answer came from the Lord to Brigham in a vision one night. In the vision Joseph Smith, Brighams dear friend, Prophet and mentor came and showed Brigham where the Saints should settle in the west. In the vision Joseph showed Brigham a flag on a hill and said "Build under the point where the colors fall, and you will prosper and have peace."

Through this dream or vision, Brigham's fervent prayers had been answered and he knew where to go. Brigham knew this hill was in the Great Salt Lake area.

At the time Salt Lake was part of the Mexican Territory Alta (upper) California. The Latter-day Saints had been making preparations to leave Nauvoo to never return. A negotiation was made between the Latter-day Saints leadership and their tormentors, for the Saints to be left alone until May 1846. Similar to the persecutions in Missouri, again, even with the negotiations, violence arose in areas outside of the city of Nauvoo, and the Saints were not permitted to wait until May.

The Latter-day Saints were pushed out of their beautiful town by horrible people, seeking the homes and provisions of the Saints. Many of the Saints, including Brigham Young and his company left in February to head west across to Iowa, before the temple was completed and dedicated.

One of the many blessings the Saints saw as they were leaving Nauvoo was the temperatures of Nauvoo dropped below zero, freezing the Mississippi River solid in February 1846. The river freezing over allowed the wagons of the Latter-day Saints to drive across the frozen river. It was also a blessing for those without wagons to be able to walk across the frozen river, instead of needing to be ferried to the other side.

The departure from Nauvoo was an emotional one for many of the Latter-day Saints. Being pushed out of the city they loved. The Saints left behind friends, and the body of their Prophet who had recently been killed. It would have been a heartbreaking and nerve-wracking looking to the future of the unknown land. The Lord helped the Saints continue putting one step in front of the other, into unknown territories with the assurance that "all would be well". A friend of the Saints described their departure saying "The people of Iowa have told me, that from morning to night they passed westward like an endless procession. They did not seem greatly out of heart, they said; but, at the top of every hill before they disappeared, were to be seen looking back, like banished Moors, on their homes, and the far-seen Temple and its glitering spire."

1846, was an extremely wet year. It was with great difficulty that the Saints traveled by wagon away from Nauvoo. The cold, wet weather would not let up, and getting from Nauvoo to Winter Quarters took 131 days, or four months(the other more prepared groups made the trek in 111 days). There were 700 people who died on this trek to Winter Quarters. The town of Winter Quarters was established in Nebraska to help the Saints prepare for the next great trek to the Salt Lake Valley.

The first winter in Winter Quarters was very difficult for the Saints. The temperature on January 18 1847, dropped to 20 degrees below zero. It was very cold, and very wet. The Saints were put through very difficult challenges even before they left to the Great Salts Lake. It would have been frightening to now know what would be coming ahead of this small group of Saints, trying to find a place to practice their religion in peace. Brigham Young was very stressed with what has occurring. By January Brigham had lost so much weight from stress that his clothes no longer fit.

Brigham was determined to get the Saints to the Valley, and planned to leave as soon a possible. The snow was still falling, and the rivers had not thawed, and they were still low on supplies so Brigham's company did not leave until April 9. Brigham's company did not make it far, only to Elk Horn River before Brigham was called back to Winter Quarters address the Church one more time before they reached Salt Lake. It was not until April 14, 1847 that Brigham finally left Winter Quarters to start the long trek to Salt Lake.

The Latter-day Saints had been listening to reports from explorer who had mapped out the Salt Lake Valley. Explorers like Jim Bridger, John C. Freemontf published information saying the Valley was no good for farming. They reported that the Valley was a barren place with with few trees and little useful vegetation of any kind. One explorer named Goodyear met the company while he was heading back east. He told them he "had tried the experiment of sewing grain and vegetables in a small way. But he too, was unable to give. . . any hope; on the contrary, he told of hard frost, cold climate, difficult to produce grain and vegetables in any of this mountain region."

When Brigham Young was 116 miles away from the Valley he contracted a terrible sickness, that they called it, "mountain fever" on April 12, 1847. Brigham Young called on Elder Orson Pratt to take a group of 42 men and push ahead the final 116 miles, being the first of the Latter-day Saints to enter the Valley. Brigham was looking to get this first company to the Valley to set up the area for all the Saints to come and settle the area. They needed the group quickly to prepare the land, plant crops to help the ones coming behind. It was only Brigham and other sick travelers that were still straggling behind as Orson Pratt's group tried to break ground and start planting crops on the 23rd of July 1847.

Wilford Woodruff was the driving the wagon carrying the incredibly sick, Brigham Young. Wilford drove the wagon until they reached "Big Mountain". It was there when both men saw the Great Salt Lake Valley for the very first time. These men did not see the same things the trappers had warned the Saints about, these two men who became Prophets of God saw the potential of the Great Salt Lake Valley, and that this Valley was a gift from God to this people.

Wilford Woodruff said this "We gazed in wonder and admiration upon the vast valley before us. . .with the waters of the Great Salt Lake glistening in the sun, mountains towering to the skies, and streams of pure water running through the beautiful valley. It was the grandest scene we had ever beheld till this moment. Pleasant thoughts ran through our minds at the prospect that, not many years hence, the house of God would be established in the mountains and exalted above the hills; while the valley would be converted into orchards, vineyards, and fruitful fields, cities erected to the name of the Lord, and the standard of Zion unfurled for the gathering of nations."

Brigham Young who was still incredibly ill, in the wagon, was also moved by the sight. Brigham said "I ascended and crossed over the Big Mountain, when on its summit I directed Elder Woodruff, who had kindly tendered me the use of his carriage, to turn some half way around so that I could have a view of a portion of the Salt Lake Valley." He later wrote "The spirit of light rested upon me, and hovered over the valley, and I felt that there the Saints would find protection and safety."

According to the records of Wilford Woodruff, Brigham's actual words were less eloquent. Brigham pushed himself up with some effort, supporting himself on his arm, and he looked out at the valley opened up before them for several long minutes. "It is enough. This is the right place." Wilford recalled him saying "drive on." then he laid back in the wagon.

Both Wilford Woodruff and Brigham Young entered the Salt Lake Valley together. These two men, would be pivotal in the construction of the Salt Lake Temple. Brigham, sick and bedridden will spend a large portion of his life preparing and building the Salt Lake Temple, and Wilford Woodruff working along with Brigham would be the Prophet at the completion of the Temple. Both men instruments in the hands of God in bringing the Salt Lake Temple to life.

References:

"Forty Years, the Saga of Building the Salt Lake Temple" by Mark Henshaw p. 15-19