The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-11-17
MORMONS AND THE PIONEER TRAIL

Ill i 4OlvAAXA MAIL
No more shall Jacob bow his neck.
Henceforth he shall be great and free,
In upper Ca1ifornia-Oh, that's the
land for me.
Well reign, we'll rule and triumph,
and God shall be our king,
The plains, the hills and valleys shall
with hosanas ring.
Our towers and temple there shall
rise
Along the great Pacific sea,
In Upper California;, that's tho
land for me.
Then join with me. my brother. and let
us hssten there;
Wen lift our glorious standard and
raise our house with prayers;
Well call on all the nations round,
To join our standard and be free,
In Upper California-O, that's the
While Brigham Young and followers
at Nauvoo were preparing for an over.
land journey, the saints in the eastern
statse were instructed to make the
journey to California by water. and as
q result the ship Brooklyn was char
tered, and under the leadership Of
Elder Brannan 23S emigrants embark
ed, leaving New York February 4, 1916.
sailing round Cape Horn, arriving ut
San Francisco July 81, same year.
This company was equipped as pion-
GERS, and were to put in crops and to
make preparations to receive their
brethren, when they should come over
the mountains. To this end they car
ried with them farm implements and
other material needed in q new coun-
try.
A change in the program came.
however, and no one IS more compe-
tent to give the reasons for the same
than the Mormon historian, Orson F..
Whitney, who, speaking of conditions
in 1S47, says:
"It was pretty well decided by the
Mormon leaders at this time, that the
Pacific coast was no
place for the main body Of the people
to settle. - For the head
uarters Of the church and permanent
abiding place for the majority of the
saints. California proper, or any part
OF the coast, was exceedingly undesir-
able" History Of Utah. Vol. /, Page
2s2.
This makes 1t plain. in 1s47 the lead
ers of the Mormon people decided that
California was undesirable as an abid-
ing place for the majority Of the peo-
pie and for the headuartefs Of the
church, Notwithstanding the fond
hopes and expectations, with reference
to that land. expressed both in dis
course and songs the year previous.
The historian proceeds and gives the
reasons for not going to California, In
the following:
Towards that favored land. that
Eldorado-though gold in California
had not yet been discovered-large
and other border states were now
vending their way Many had gone
and were still going to Oregon, which
Great Britain had relinquished, while
others, as early as 1s41, had bent their
course to the future land of gold.
Colonel Fremont, as seen at the out
break OF the Mexican war. had found
enough settlers in the Sacramento val
ley to form, with his exploring party,
"a small army. And that California,
like Texas, was part Of tho American
domain-only waiting its cession to
the great republic-emigration thither
was bound 10 increase many fold
History Of Utah, Vol. I, Page 2s2.
Brigham Young'B own testimony On
this point Is as follows:
when we were ready to start on
our pilgrimage west, a certain gentle
man, who signed himself 'Backwoods
man. wished to know on what condi-
tons we would overcome and settle
California. He gave us to understand
that he had authority from headquar-
tiers to treat with US on the matter.
thought President Polk was our friend
at that time-we have thought 80 since
and we think so now. We agreed to
survey and settle California-we draw
ing the odd numbers and the govern
ment the even numbers-but l think
the president was precipitated into the
Mexican war, and our prospective cal
culations fell through, otherwise we
should have gone to California and
settled 1t. Many of you did not know
this" Sermon, in Journal Of Dis
courses. Vol. 10, Page 255.
The foregoing is only part OF the
testimony that can be cited along this
line, but think this is enough to show
that while California, at one time, was
regarded as the goodly land. it was
now deemed undesirable, and the
leaders concluded best to settle at
Salt Lake, regardless Of any revela-
ton.
Elder Brannam, VINO, with his COM
pany, had located in California, came
east and met Brigham Young on Green
river in 1S47, and now for the first
time learned that his brethren had con-
cluded to remain at Salt Lake. which
SO disappointed him that he withdrew
from the Mormon church.