[Brigham Young Discourse] We have a few things to say cheering to you, and that is we have come begging again but we have something more to say about begging. I will tell you the principle of my discourse and that is when you are told to do a thing to do it. Brother Kimball, Richards and myself have come along with our escort. We sent Parley along and now we have come to tease you and try your faith and prove you in every sense of the word. We have come to fit out some 500 men instead of 100 - And I want to know how many teams, wagons and what provisions there are. Do you see we have not come to destroy what Parley has done but to back him up. I will now go into facts, When we contemplate the immense revolution in the church it is absolutely necessary. And no man or set of men that will set down in ease will ever have the privilege of obtaining the fullness of the everlasting gospel - and the truth is that God will try and prove you that you may obtain the blessings and exaltations. We have been trying to do what Joseph had been trying to do - to search out a location in the west. Since his death we have not been able to do it - Allowing that Joseph was called and inspired and making prophetic declarations of what would be done for this people. I will say that since Joseph has laid down his life, all the purposes of Joseph must be accomplished. And now the mob has driven us into this thing - but woe to them by whom these offences come, For it must needs be that offences come. It was the will of the Lord Joseph desired a place and a place will be provided. Do you not see the purpose of God in all this. We acknowledge the hand of the Lord in all this. See our trails, afflictions and why? It is desired to purify your hearts like the gold purified in the fire, and it will bring the judgments of God upon the wicked - it is the peace of the Lord that makes his people happy - We want to perform a thing that the people will rejoice in - There is an understanding between the people belonging to this church and Uncle Sam. The people of the US want that country (Mexico), but according to arrangements President Polk has sent to Col. Kearney - he has had word to come among the Mormons, and give up that country to the Mormons and their brethren. And the government fit them out for one year with a supply of guns, provisions and clothes - We know all the route and the people there. The brethren are to receive their seven dollars per month after they are discharged to enable them to reach their homes, 150,000 men from the States have offered themselves as volunteers and more than that number and they have been rejected - Now there is another thing. Suppose the people had done as they were instructed to - to take out the High Council if the people done as they had been told, we should have been at the Rocky Mountains - If they had taken council we had no need of raising 500 men, and the country would have been redeemed - Suppose we had been there Captain Allen would have had nothing to day to the Mormons - Well we will all get away after all and God will favor us. If there had been power enough in the church we ought to have been to the place which God would have pointed out. There are about 1000 wagons and 766 yoke of cattle back. But if we took those wagons we should be at a lose for cattle herding. We shall want teamsters. We shall want teamsters. (After we get to Grand Island we want to send back from 500 to 1000 wagons - we want no more wagons. but must send them back to gather up the poor here) With regard to settling on Indian lands. They, the government, have no right to tax the people. This land belongs to the Pottawattamies. There is no difficulties with the Pottawattamies. We are welcome to settle here. The president will send you a letter to give you power to possess the land and secure you against invasion. At the Bluffs if you build or put in crops and make improvements you can get your pay for it. We are in the midst of the Indian traders, they are continually bringing firs and peltries and they prefer hiring than to draw themselves and the people are very courteous. Captain Allen is quite at home and has caught the spirit of Mormons. Now look at this thing. Brother Little's going to Washington, the Indians feeling so friendly and the call of the government for us to take possession and reject 150,000 men on our account. I feel like singing glory! hallelujah!. And such is the prospect that we don't feel in a hurry about it. We are going to stop on the island. I feel that the poor in Nauvoo are going west. God help our poor, the rich can take care of themselves. -- Mosquito Creek, Iowa [Leonard J. Arrington Papers, Special Collections, Merrill-Cazier Library, Utah State University, Logan.. (A reference reading LJA 12-55-5, 10, means LJA Series 12, Box 55, Folder 5, page 10.) 12-41-5, 35-37]
[source: The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009)]
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