Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-07-24
THE PIONEERS.

D II ID u
That marked an epoch in the history of
the Intcrinountain region. a few e&--
= plorers, trappers, and hunters had been
here before, chiefly in the Interest Of
II commerce. but the Latter-aay Saint
Pioneers entered with the definite pur-
pose Of making homes here for them
selves and making it possible for 9th
ers to come and dwell here, and re-
q claiming the entire region for liberty
4 OF conscience, for civilization, and for
the American form of government
which they regarded, as do their de-
standants today. MS framed by men
tIivinely inspired and qualified for that
work Their entrance Into this Valley
X was the real beginning of the modern
r historySof the intermountain region.
III the providence OF God, some of His
children are some times temporarily
Z separated from the rest of them in Or
der that they may receive special IN.
strnction, special moral training, and
become capable Of leading their fellow
men onward and forward toward the
from his people in Chaldsea and sent to
t'Ailaun. His descendants. the children
& Of Israel, We're similarly chosen and
Isolated to become, Tor a time. light
K bearers to the world. The Pilgrims, ex-5
tied from England, where they were
deprived Of their right to hold services
and where james L declared: II sllall
Z make them 8conforn1e themselves, or i
will barrie them out of the land, or
else do worse" furnish another Illus
/ tration Of this rule of Providence. They
4 took refuge in Holland. But the Old
3 World was too narrow for them and,
on the advice of one of their pastors,
many OF them decided to go to the
\ New World. The arrival of the May
flower on the American coast and the
Compact entered into by them, was
but the beginning OF n marvellous work
of empire building before which the
world today stands stricken.
The Latter-day Saints furnish anoth-3
SSer illustration of the same rule of
! Providence They, too. were married
out of the land, !" but they were led by.
Y the hand of Providence to the exact
place prepared for them where they
were to be fostered and trained and
\ prepared for their mission to the world.
When the Pioneers first gszed upon
this Valley they saw very little to en-
courage them. The scene was entirely.
different from that which now enrslp-
lures the tourist who looks out from
the upper stories of a skyscraper.
4 There wereYno verdant groves, no fields
of golden grain. The ground was
parched, and water scarce. Before
them stretched an expanse which for
ner explorers had pronounced an un-
habitable desert. But they knew that
they had come to the promised land,'
ard through faith they pitched their
tents here and began the work OF
i reclanat ton. Through faith they saw
Y the glorious future of this region, and
5 that vision never left them Says Will
q ford Woodruff:
wv gazed in wonder and admira-
ton upon the vast valley before US,
with the waters of the Great salt Lake
glistening in the sun, mountains low
erirg TO the skies, and streams of pure
water running through the beautiful
valley. 1t was the grandest view we
had ever seen till this moment. Pleas
ant thoughts ran through our minds
s at the prospect that not many years
+ hence the house of God would be es-
stablished in the mountains and exalted
Il above the hills, while the valleys would
he converted into orchards, vineyards,
and fruitful fields, cites erected to the
2 name of the Lord, and the standard OF
Zion unfnrled for the gathering of
the nations.
Such We're the visions Of the future
& that many of the Pioneers saw on their
first entrance here; but looking at the
i scene from II mere human point OF
Z, view, it was not entirely encouraging
L When Brigham Young announced that
Y This was the end of the long, weary
Journey, the hearts of some of the men
faltered, One of them said; Weak
and weary as am, would rather go
"a thousand miles farther than remain
in such forsaken place as this, But
this was the place. And today it is
evident to all that no mistake was
i made in settling here The visions OF
faith have become a reality
The Pioneers and the Saints that have
followed them came here in fuiliimen,
OF prophecy. For some time previous
to the nartyrdom at Carthage. the
Spirit had indicated to the Prophet
Joseph that the Church was to be To-
Gated III the mountains on Aug. s.
Il 1912, the Prophet said to soma friends;
II prophesied that the Saints would
continue to suffer much affection. ant
would he driven to the Rocky Noun
tains. Many would apostatizc. other
would be put to death by our perse
cutors, or lose their lives in conse
quence of exposure or disease: an
some would live to go and assist i
making settlements and building cite.
and see the Saints become a might
people in the midst of the Rocky Mour
tains.'' President Brigham Youni
therefore, knew in general way II
destiny Of the Church, If he did n,
5As know anything about the particul;
place of location. Dean Harris, III h
recent and interesting work on IT
catholic Church In Utah sugges
! that perhaps President Young was !
h,,eneed by atfer De smet, .1es
De missionary and explorer, to loca
in this Valley. he quotes the folio
sisa 81