15 years ago today - 2011-03-01

The "Book of Mormon" musical opens on Broadway

[Mormon Women's History Timeline, http://www1.chapman.edu/~remy/MoFem/mormonwomen.html]

60 years ago today - Mar 1, 1966

[David O. McKay]

In response to an inquiry from a brother as to whether his 34 year old son, who is suffering from cerebral palsy, might be permitted to refrain from wearing his garments after receiving his endowments in the Temple, it was decided to tell this brother that we think it inadvisable for his son to receive his endowments at this time under the circumstances.

[David O. McKay diary, Mar. 1, 1966, in Anderson, Devery; The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History, http://amzn.to/TempleWorship]

135 years ago today - Mar 1, 1891

[President Wilford Woodruff]

I did not know but I would be Called to die upon my Birth Day [due to severe illness that day].

[Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]

145 years ago today - Mar 1, 1881

[Wilford Woodruff]

This is my birth day. I am this day 74 years of Age And I wish to bear my Testimony to all persons whomsoever may read this Journal that the God of Israel has sustained me and watched over me by his power or agency from the hour of my birth up to the present hour. I have spent my birthdays in this Temple of 1870, 71, 72, & 74. I spent my 73d birth day in Sunset Arizona.

This is one of the most glorious days of my life. This morning we had appeared at the Temple 239 for Endowments the greatest Number we Ever gave Endowments at any one day in this Temple since it was dedicated /Except one/ and 77 Male Members got Endowments for my Dead and 23 femals. Total 110 Endowments for my dead. Praise the Lord O my soul for this Blessing. What rejoicing in the spirit world. I sealed 1 Couple & adopted 1. We had a glorious day. The spirit of God was with us. I spent the Evening at an Entertainment in the City Hall.

[Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]

180 years ago today - Sunday, Mar 1, 1846.

The first wagons leave the encampment at Sugar Creek in Iowa, headed for the Great Salt Lake Valley. Heber C. Kimball addressed the camp:

"no doubt many would be tried, but he would see the kingdom of God established and all the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of God and of his Christ. ... that we were not going out of the world, but out of his majesty's dominions. If Nauvoo has the most holy place, it will be the most wicked place. ... A plague came into our camp for disobedience when on our way to Missouri and our best men fell victims, and so it will be again under like circumstances. I want no man to touch any of my things without leave. If any man will come to me and say that he wants to steal, I will give him the amount. Cease all your loud laughter and light speeches, for the Lord is displeased with such things, and call upon the Lord with all your might.

About noon, the camp began to move ..."

[Apostle Willard Richards Journal]

180 years ago today - Mar 1, 1846

Lucy Mack Smith signs a published statement in support of the succession claim of James J. Strang.

[Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, Appendix 7: Selected Chronology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-47, http://amzn.to/origins-power]

185 years ago today - Mar 1, 1841

Nauvoo city ordinance that "the Catholics, Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, Latter-day Saints, Quakers, Episcopals, Universalists, Unitarians, Mohammedans, and all other religious sects and denominations, whatever, shall have free toleration, and equal privileges." This law provided for a $300 fine and 6-month imprisonment for anyone convicted of ridiculing a person's religious beliefs. At this time, several states of the U.S.A. prohibited Jews and other non-Christians from voting or holding public office.

[Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, Appendix 7: Selected Chronology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-47, http://amzn.to/origins-power]

120 years ago today - Feb 28, 1906; Wednesday

Patriarchs, members of High Council, Bishops & presidents of quorums met to discuss the question of the introduction of waltz- ing in our social parties. The Prescy. of the stake, the Patriarchs, members of High Council, Bps. & others spoke. By unanimous vote it was decided that the present condition under which waltzing is not permitted in our social parties continue in force.

[Anderson, Elizabeth Oberdick, editor, Cowboy Apostle: The Diaries of Anthony W. Ivins: 1875-1932, Signature Books, Salt Lake City in association with the Smith-Pettit Foundation (2013) - http://bit.ly/AnthonyIvins]

180 years ago today - Feb 28, 1846

.... at sundown to the [Nauvoo] Temple, where we spent the evening in holy conversation, administering the Sacrament, and speaking in Tongues, enjoyed the fruits of the Gospel.

[Samuel W. Richards journal, in Anderson, Devery; The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History, http://amzn.to/TempleWorship]

180 years ago today - Feb 28, 1846

Communication to the Governor of Iowa ... to shield and protect the Mormons in their constitutional rights is pointed out the dilemma that faced the L.D.S. Church and its membership in Illinois in 1846: "To stay, is death by 'fire and sword,' to go into banishment unprepared, is death by starvation."

[Clark, James R., Messages of the First Presidency (6 volumes)]

180 years ago today - Feb 28, 1846

Brigham Young notes that the Camp of Israel formed west of Nauvoo across the Mississippi River "consisted of nearly four hundred wagons all very heavily loaded" and "several thousand persons [who] left their homes in midwinter and exposed themselves without shelter, except that afforded by scanty supply of tents and wagon covers, to a cold which effectually made an ice bridge over the Mississippi river . . ." Young records: "Colonel Hosea Stout with about one hundred men acted as a police for the encampment; they were generally armed with rifles."

195 years ago today - Feb 28, 1831

"It is well known that Jo Smith never pretended to have any communion with angels, until a long period after the pretended finding of his book, and that the juggling of himself or father, went no further than the pretended faculty of seeing wonders in a "peep stone," and the occasional interview with the spirit, supposed to have the custody of hidden treasures."

"Walters assembled his nightly band of money diggers in the town of Manchester, at a point designated in his magical book, and drawing a circle around laborers, with the point of an old rusty sword, and using sundry other incantations, for the purpose of propiating [sic] the spirit, absolutely sacrificed a fowl, ("Rooster,") in the presence of his awe- stricken companions, to the foul spirit, whom ignorance had created, the guardian of hidden wealth."

[Abner Cole, "Gold Bible, No. 5," Reflector, (Palmyra, NY), 28 February 1831, as quoted in A Topical Guide of Treasure-Seeking Rituals From the American Northeast during the 18th and 19th Centuries, Compiled by Joseph T. Antley (2010)]

45 years ago today - Feb 27, 1981

The First Presidency authorizes stake presidents to ordain patriarchs. Previously, the Twelve maintained that as an exclusive right, even denying it to the church's presiding patriarch.

[The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database (http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase)]]

130 years ago today - Feb 27, 1896

Court dismisses the long-standing indictment against John M. Higbee. Other participants say privately that he was the most blood-thirsty man at Mountain Meadows Massacre.

[The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database (http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase)]]

60 years ago today - Feb 26, 1966

A temple-square talk by Apostle Ezra Taft Benson is printed in the DESERET NEWS. However references to the John Birch Society are deleted without Apostle Benson's permission. In the talk he said that he had read the Birch Society's Blue Book, Robert Welch's The Politician, and recommended that the audience subscribe to the Birch Society's official magazine American Opinion. His talk even included the mailing address."

["Stand Up For Freedom: Partial Text Of Talk Given to S.L. Group By Elder Benson," Deseret News "Church News," 26 Feb. 1966,10-12; Duane Price to D. Michael Quinn, 9 Aug. 1992, summarizing his meeting with Benson in April 1966. Price was a supporter of Benson's position on the Birch Society. Anderson, "Church and Birch In Utah," 35n29, alluded to the censorship of the talk in the Church News. From D. Michael Quinn, Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992), also in Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3.]

75 years ago today - February 26-Apr 4, 1951

[February 26:] Very confused, very nervous.

[February 28:] Is confused as to time of day.

[March 15:] Not disoriented as he has been from other sedation.

[March 20:] Somewhat confused this A.M.

[March 22:] Wonders where he is.

[March 27:] Irrational at times.

[April 1:] P[atien]t. disoriented most of day.

[April 2:] Know[s] his son.

[Nurses' notes regarding George Albert Smith's last days, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1910-1951, Privately Published, Salt Lake City, Utah 2010]

85 years ago today - Feb 26, 1941

[J. Reuben Clark]

Bp Wirthlin'Telephoned about stopping George Martin going into Temple'a "New Polyg" I told him I would get in touch with David O. and let him know.

Telephoned Bro Chipman telling him about it. He said he would take care of it.'I asked him to look the Presid. Bishopric for further information and so informed the Presid. Bishopric'Bro. Wirthlin.

[The Diaries of J. Reuben Clark, 1933-1961, Abridged, Digital Edition, Salt Lake City, Utah 2015]

95 years ago today - Feb 26, 1931

[Heber J. Grant]

We have before us your letter of February 18, in which you say that in your Priesthood class one Brother claims that Adam 'had been through the experience of mortality on another sphere before he came here; that he was a celestialized being when placed in the Garden of Eden.' What this brother means by 'celestialized being' is not clear. We are informed that we all lived in the presence of God in the spirit world before we came here. In one sense we might say that this was a celestialized existence. If what is meant is that Adam had passed on to celestial glory through a resurrection before he came here, and that afterwards he was appointed to this earth to die again, the second time becoming mortal, then it is not scriptural or according to the truth. ... Adam could have remained in the Garden of Eden indefinitely if he had not transgressed the law which brought to pass mortality. Since Adam had not passed through the resurrection his spirit and body were not inseparably
connected, hence it was possible for him to become mortal by partaking of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. By so doing he received the seeds of death and brought to pass mortality in himself and caused all of his posterity to partake of like conditions and be subject to death. ...

[Heber J. Grant, Letter to Joseph H. Eldredge, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, 2015]

125 years ago today - Feb 26, 1901

We held a special meeting of the First Presidentcy and Apostles ... This meeting was called to reconsider the Evans Bill relating to unlawful cohabitation [making it unlawful for anyone to bring a charge of adultery against a married man except the legal wife, she being the aggrieved party -- lessening the ability of church enemies to make charges of polygamy againt Mormons]. We all spoke on this subject. Pres[iden]t. Snow said he had not got the will of the Lord and wanted us to express ourselves. We all spoke in favor of the bill but Reed Smoot and he said it was simply a question of policy with him'he would vote with his brethren. Some very warm words were exchanged between Pres[iden]ts. Cannon and Smith. It was moved by Pres[iden]t. Jos[eph]. F. Smith and 2nd by F[rancis]. M. Lyman to sustain the Evans Bill. Carried unanimously.

[Abraham Owen Woodruff Diary, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1910-1951, Privately Published, Salt Lake City, Utah 2010]

130 years ago today - Wednesday, Feb 26, 1896

[John Henry Smith]

F[rancis]. M. Lyman and I were weighed today and just weighed 248 pounds each. I had a tumor cut out of my back by Dr. Jos. F. Richards today.

[Jean Bickmore White (editor), Church, State, and Politics: The Diaries of John Henry Smith, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1990, http://bit.ly/johnhenrysmith]

130 years ago today - Feb 26, 1896

Bro[ther] [B. H.] R[oberts] seems to have taken his farewell of his brethern among whom he has labored so faithfully for lo these many years.

[Seymour B. Young, Diary, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, 2015]

135 years ago today - Feb 26, 1891

[Brigham Young Jr.]

American mail this morning, first thing noticed in Des[eret] E[vening]. N[ews]. was raid after more property belonging to church & individuals The Temples in S[alt]. L[ake]. C[ity]. Manti & St. George [Utah] are mentioned by US Dis[trict]. Att[orne]y. I was so disturbed when reading of their mean[n]ess that I could scarcely contain my feelings. I would rather fight if it is the Lords will than submit longer to these curses who disgrace the Gov[ernor]. they represent. If it were in my power I would stand by those Temples and kill the first hound from the President of U.S.A. down to the dastardly U.S. Marshals from Franks down to Pratt before they should desecrate those sacred buildings. These were my thoughts until I was worked up to a pitch seldom reached by one of my temper. Suddenly I remembered the Lord was managing this business, and I prayed unto Him in my heart, O Lord give the Government and people of the United States something to chew besides the 562 L[atter]. D[ay].
S[aints].

[Brigham Young Jr. Diary, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1910-1951, Privately Published, Salt Lake City, Utah 2010]

175 years ago today - Feb 26, 1851

President Young while speaking of the resurrection said that we should receive the same bodies that we lay down, if our dust was blown to the four winds of heaven.

[Wilford Woodruff's Journal, in The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009), http://bit.ly/BY-discourses]

130 years ago today - Feb 25, 1896

sisters Zina D. H. Young and Jane S. Richards, on behalf of the Relief Society, asked the following questions, and received the accompanying answers: ... Bishops and others have no right to interfere in this matter, nor to take possession or control of the wheat which belongs to the Relief Societies. The counsel and advice which Bishops may give are another thing. The wheat is entirely under the control of the Society to which it belongs.

[Journal History, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, 2015]

30 years ago today - Feb 25, 1996

The proportion of Church members living outside United States surpasses 50%.

[Sherry Baker: Mormon Media History Timeline: 1827-2007, http://byustudies.byu.edu/showTitle.aspx?title=7984]

65 years ago today - Feb 25, 1961

During the baseball-baptism era a speech by First Presidency Counselor Henry D. Moyle is published in the CHURCH NEWS: "We need these young men [baptized teenagers]. How are we going to get this [labor] missionary building program carried out without them? The answer is, we could not. . . . You elders need have no concern, no matter from what source the criticism comes, as to whether your baptisms are too fast. . . . If you think that President McKay does not know what is going on and that Brother Moyle and Brother Woodbury, and Brother Brockbank are "pulling a fast one," so to speak, why you are mistaken about that. . . . I have noted a little apologetic tone in some of your voices about baptizing too many young people. Well don't put on the brakes."

145 years ago today - Feb 25, 1881

[Wilford Woodruff]

25 We drove to St George. ... We drove to the Temple whare I took up my abode. I rejoiced to once more take up my abiding Place in the Temple of our God. We went to the Altar and had our Prayers. ... We slept in the upper part of the Temple. 3

[Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]

145 years ago today - Feb 25, 1881

DESERET NEWS reports that first counselor Joseph F. Smith and Apostle Wilford Woodruff set apart seven recent graduates of Dr. Romania B. Pratt's course in midwifery. Oliver B. Huntington records in his journal: "I went to Provo to a quarterly Stake Conference. Heard Joseph F. Smith describe the manner of translating the Book of Mormon by Joseph Smith the Prophet and Seer, which was as follows as near as I can recollect the substance of his description. Joseph did not render the writing on the gold plates into the English language in his own style of language as many people believe. But every word and every letter was given him by the gift and power of God. So it is the work of God and not of Joseph Smith, and it was done in this way - The Lord caused each word spelled as it is in the book to appear on the stones in short sentences or words, and when Joseph had uttered the sentence or word before him and the scribe had written it properly, that sentence would disappear and another
appear. And if there was a word wrongly written or even a letter incorrect the writing on the stone would remain there."

170 years ago today - Feb 25, 1856

President Young exhibited the Seers stone with which The Prophet Joseph discovered the plates of the Book of Mormon, to the Regents this evening

It is said to be a silecious granite color almost black with light colored stripes some what resembling petrified poplar or cotton wood bark[.] It was about the size but not the shape of a hens egg

[Diaries of Hosea Stout]

180 years ago today - Feb 25, 1846

At this meeting Brigham Young spoke ... he gave them a severe reprimand and declared that himself nor any other man had any right or exclusive privilege to pass or re-pass the guard and that he would know no man who had not the counter sign.

[On the Mormon Frontier, the Diaries of Hosea Stout. Juanita Brooks, ed. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1964. 1:127, in The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009), http://bit.ly/BY-discourses]

180 years ago today - Feb 25, 1846

He [Brigham Young] then spoke against thieving, cutting strings from wagon covers, and said the brethren had gone contrary to council in cutting rail timber, etc. on the camp ground, and they must stop all such practices; that they had not made him the leader of the Camp as yet, but if they should do it, when they got out of the settlements where his orders could be executed, they would have justice done them, and, said he, "I should be perfectly willing to see thieves have their throats cut. Some of you may say, if that is your feelings Brigham, we'll lay you aside some time. Well, do it if you can; I would rather die by the hands of the meanest of all men, false brethren, than to live among thieves."

[Manuscript History of Brigham Young, p.49, in Elden J. Watson, ed. Brigham Young Addresses, 1801-1877: A Chronological Compilation of Known Addresses of the Prophet Brigham Young, 6 vols. (Salt Lake City: Privately published, 1971)]

55 years ago today - Feb 24, 1971

A meeting of 150 students on BYU's campus condemns the U.S. participation in the Vietnam War. Among them is Apostle Spencer W. Kimball's grandson, a registered conscientious objector and returned missionary. He and several members of the group soon publish a pamphlet, 'To the Men of BYU,' which encourages them to consider conscientious objection against this war. Surveys by BYU sociologists find that about 10 percent of BYU students oppose the Vietnam War.

[The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database (http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase)]]

170 years ago today - Feb 24, 1856

Br. Brigham arose and spoke the plainest that I ever heard him ... I now say to all you [lawyers] that stir up strife and contention thieving and wickedness and don't repent, the curse of the Almighty shall rest upon you. I curse you in the name of Jesus Christ. Your children shall die, your substance shall wither and perish! ... Here is Judge Snow, to my right hand, a stink to this community, he goes around picking old sores, stirring up lawsuits to get business and for a mess of sugar and tea he can be bribed, he will wallow in his filth all the week and on Sunday come and stick himself in the stand by the side of me! I consider it a disgrace to me, to sit by him. I suppose he will want to speak now, but if he gets into this pulpit I will kick him out, It shan't be disgraced with him.

We have got the names of the loafers that attend court and we are going to send them on a mission and hope they won't be back in less than 5 years. We will send some good men with them, they may preach the gospel, or apostatize and go to hell. About a 150 names were called. -- SLC Tabernacle [Note: Zerubabel Snow asked the Quorum of Twelve for forgiveness. Heber C. Kimball warns, "When a man is appointed to take a mission, unless he has a just and honorable reason for not going, if he does not go he will be severed from the Church"]

[John Pulsipher Journal, in The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009), http://bit.ly/BY-discourses]

180 years ago today - Feb 24, 1846

En route from New York to California aboard the ship Brooklyn, Mormon emigrant Sarah Burr gives birth to a baby boy, whom she names John Atlantic Burr. He is the first of two children to be born on board the ship. Later, a baby girl is born to Phebe and John Robbins and is named Georgiana Pacific Robbins.

180 years ago today - Feb 24, 1846

An early thaw ends and the Mississippi river freezes over at Nauvoo. This considerably aids the Mormons in their exodus out of the city that has been going on for over two weeks. Wagons can now be driven across the ice instead of having to be carried across on ferry boats. At 7 pm, Willard Richards noted the temperature was 12 degrees above zero.

10 years ago today - 2016 February 23

FLDS Church leaders in the Short Creek Community are arrested by the FBI and charged with orchestrating food stamp fraud through church-owned business and coaching church members to participate.

[Wikipedia, 21st Century (Mormonism), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21st_century_(Mormonism)]

45 years ago today - Feb 23, 1981

Provo's Jiffy Lube auto service center offers a complete lube, a chance to meet Elder Paul H. Dunn, a member of the Presidency of the General Quorum of Seventy, and a free autographed book to the first 50 customers-all for just $14.95.

100 years ago today - Feb 23, 1926

[Heber J. Grant]

.... Told him of the temptations that came to me to resign because I had never seen the Savior and that I was unfit to be an apostle etc. I related to him the manifestation that I had in Arizona ...

[The Diaries of Heber J. Grant, 1880-1945, Abridged, Digital Edition Salt Lake City, Utah, 2015]

130 years ago today - Feb 23, 1896

[Heber J. Grant]

This morning about nine thirty he [i.e., his seven-year-old son, Heber] had another sinking spell and at the suggestion of Bishop Nelson A. Empey, who was present I ordained my little boy an Elder in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and I blessed him with all the earnestness of my soul, and dedicated him to the Lord to live or die which ever was His will, and covenanted with the Lord if he would spare my only son, and give him life and strength that I would dedicate his time to the service of the Lord and do all in my power to teach him the ways of truth and righteousness. I had wonderfully good liberty in blessing my son. He revived again. [His son died four days later.]

[The Diaries of Heber J. Grant, 1880-1945, Abridged, Digital Edition Salt Lake City, Utah, 2015]

130 years ago today - Feb 23, 1896

[Brigham Young Jr.]

I had a talk with Pres[iden]t Hammond Asked him did he endorse the doctrine when Pres[iden]t Woodruff called upon Patriarch John Smith to step down and out or quit smoking or use of tobacco. he said I do with all my heart. Then will you step down, he said yes. He had letter read Presidency sent him. I read it again when Pres[ident] H. proposed that people try him another 6 mo[nths]. ... People voted with 3 exceptions to try him another 6 mo[nths]. I felt obliged to let the matter rest until next Conference.

[Diary of Apostle Brigham Young Jr., http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]

145 years ago today - Feb 23, 1881

[Wilford Woodruff]

I spent the night at the House of Widow Roundy. I laid hands upon her and sealed a Blessing upon her. The Angel of God Recorded it But I have not a Record of it in my Journal.

[Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]

165 years ago today - Feb 23, 1861

The President emphatically and distinctly said those who enter the glory of the Telestial World will have to dwell singly and separately apart; they will not marry there, they will be happy. It will be the same with the Terrestrial Glory they will not marry although their glory will be infinitely greater. None but the Gods will be allowed to multiply and increase. In Celestial glory there will be many who will be single also. -- Salt Lake City

[Brigham Young Office Journals, in The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009), http://bit.ly/BY-discourses]

170 years ago today - Feb 23, 1856

Brigham Young exhibits brown seer stone obtained from Oliver Cowdery's widow. He explains that Smith used this stone to find gold plates of Book of Mormon.

[The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database (http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase)]]

175 years ago today - Feb 23, 1851

Pres Young who prophesied that the time is near when all the emigration of the Saints from Europe and the East will come by way of the [-] and South California instead of by the grave yards on the Mississippi, Missouri and Platte Rivers '- and that we should raise our cotton and sugar in the south, instead of from the States '- and that as most of the persons who were pearl fishers, were our own brethren, that we should command the pearl fisheries in our own hands. And the U.S. could not help themselves. He also said that many who were going south with Amasa Lyman and Charles C. Rich when they had wallowed in the mire long enough, that they would be glad to wash themselves and return here again. -- Salt Lake City

[Historians Office Journal, in The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009), http://bit.ly/BY-discourses]

195 years ago today - Feb 23, 1831

D&C 42:78-93 (Kirtland): Methods for dealing with transgressors; murderers, thieves, and liars to civil authorities; adulterers to be tried before the church, bishop should be present, two witnesses required; other offenders rebuked in secret if offense was private.

[Kenney, Scott, Saints Without Halos, "Mormon History 1830-1844," http://web.archive.org/web/20120805163534/saintswithouthalos.com/dirs/d_c.phtml]