El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-09-05

Salt Lake valley in 1847. He has been
president of the church for the last ten
years.
Mr.. Woodruff was first ordained to
the apostleship in the Mormon church
at the village of Far West, in Missouri,
in 1889. Prior to this time he was
travelling missionary. In 1850, he was
elected to the senate of the provisional
| state Deseret and for twenty-One years
served in the territorial legislature of
Utah. He was president Of the Utah
Horticultural society from its founda-
tion, in 1855, and president of the Des-
eret Agricultural and Manufacturing
society, and was also identified with
nearly every public movement and Or
ganization for the advancement of the
territory.
From his first connection with the
church Mr.. Woodruff has made q
specially of church history. He was
appointed church historian in 1875, and
held that position until his succession
to the presidency.
Upon the completion of St. George
| temple, in Washington county, u, he
was made president OF the temple.
Upon the accession of President Tay-
lor to the presidency of the Mormon
church, Mr.. Woodruff became presi-
dent of the Twelve Apostles, which
position he held until 1889, when he be-
came president of the church. His ad-
ministration of the church has been
characterized by successful efforts at
establishing peace and good will and
he will be held in high esteem by all
citizens of the state.
From the beginning of bis ministry,
in 1884. Mr.. Woodruff Travelled 172, 1863
miles, held 1865 meetings, preached
1925 discourses, organized fifty-oue
branches of the church and seventy
seven preaching stations. He Travelled
in England, Scotland and Wales, and
in twenty-three states and five terrific
ries of the union.
just before the admission of Utah
into the Union, President Woodruff is
sued manifesto abOlishing pOlygamy,
in the course of which he said:
"Inasmuch as the laws have been en-
acted by congress forbidding plural
marriages, which laws have been pro-
nOunced constitutional by the court OF
last resort, hereby declare my inten-
tion to submit to those laws, and to use
my influence with the members of the
church over which / preside to have
them do likewife. And L now pub
licly declare that my advice to the Lat
ter Day Saints is to refrain from con-
tracing any marriage forbidden by
the law of the land"
Last year, Mr.. Woodruff wrote an
interesting article telling OF his ex-
perlenceS IN u tan. was one Ol tne
original pioneers" he wrote. "I en-
tered Salt Lake valley on the oath of
July, 1S47. Brigham Young entered
Salt Lake valley in my carriage. He
was sick and had been for several
days, and my carriage was the only
one with bed in it. When we arrived
at the spot where we could have q
good view of the valley he wished me
to turn the carriage, which 1 did, so
= hot hn nn116
tion when the door was opened on the
side. After gazing on the valley for
awhile, he said: That will do, drive
on: this is the place. l have seen this
valley before in vision.
1--WE were on Mexican soil, but we
raised the American flag, which 500 of
our picked men were defending in the
| war with Mexico. We went to work at
| once and inclosed a ten acre plot on
| three sides with a ten foot adobe wall,
! forming the remaining side with log
| abins. This was for protection
against Indians. We also proceeded
| to dig bitches and bring water from a
small mountain stream to irrigate the
psrched and thirsty soil.
| Scarcely anything else was grow
ing on the laud but sagebrush, and
there was hardly white mans house
within ZOO miles of us.
president Brigham Young went to
work with others to lay out Salt Lake
City. l assisted in the work. With
| our surveyors chain and compass we
laid it out according to his plan, with
streets 132 feet wide each and crossing
at right angles, and the beautiful city
of Salt Lake as it stands today is the
result of those plans carried out as he
| directed.
81 have made my home for fifty years
of my life in the valleys of the Rocky
mountains and have passed through
all the difficulties and trials incident to
a newly settled region aud q territorial
form of government. [ desire that the
principles Of liberty for which my an
cestors fought shall prevail not only in
Utah but throughout this broad conti-
nept.
'sl am full believer in the divine
mission of the prophet, Joseph Smith.
l heard him say before large assem-
blage in Illinois, that if he were the
emperor of the world, and had control
over the human family, he would main
tain the liberty of mankind and would
sustain every man. woman and child in
the enjoyment of his religious free
dom, no matter what their opinions
might be. These are my sentiments
4 tO-d8y,n