[Brigham Young Sermon] Meeting was called to order and prayer by President Brigham Young who in addressing himself to the members said the object of our coming together this evening is to take into consideration the best plan to adopt for the promotion of the good of my family and the cause in which we are engaged. My plan is (seeing the brethren have been so backward in fitting up the pioneers and carrying out our council) us is to leave my family here for the present and take my adopted boys or brethren, fit up my own wagons and go over the mountains, find the place, plant the standard, put in crops, build houses, then come back and receive my family to myself, then remove them to the place of our destination and the preparation that we make. I design my family to enjoy first and then if I choose I will help others. I also intend to leave a part of my boys here to plant and raise a crop and fit themselves out to come on next season. I want Brother William Weeks and F. Kesler to come on this season. Their families are small and they can take fifteen months provisions and come on. Just as soon as I find the spot I want Brother W. Wm. to dig deep and lay the foundation of the Temple for I intend by the help of my brethren to build a Temple unto the Lord just as soon as the Saints by a united exertion can complete it. Brother Robert Pierce and some others who have small families and can fit out with fifteen months provisions may come this season to strengthen our hands and every family that comes over this season releases our cares that much. Come, brethren, who will be set apart to stay and farm? Here is Brother J. D. Lee, G. D. Grant and David Davis that I will select to farm (Brother J. Busbie also). Who will be your foreman or president? J. D. Lee said let our leader appoint the man to preside over us this summer and select the location for the farm and leave his blessing upon it and we will do as be shall advise. President Young said let Brother Isaac Morley preside. He appears to be good natured and will keep his men good natured around him. As for a location for a farm I know of no place to equal a piece of land lying a short distance above the old fort and about sixteen miles from this point. There is about 600 acres that has been cultivated which is just as mellow as an ash heap. We can enclose with a very little labor some 2,000 acres including the broke land, where you can by industry raise almost any amount of grains. But this is my council that you build your houses and lots for your cattle so as to be perfectly safe from Omaha depredations and that you boil all the water before using it and make beer as a drink. There are roots and barks in abundance in this country that is wholesome and if you will do as I have advised, you will have good health. I want to know the number of Pioneers here. Whereupon fifteen hands were held up, rather men raised up and were numbered, then were added to the farming department. -- Winter Quarters, Nebraska [Journals of John D. Lee 1846-47 and 1859. Charles Kelly, ed. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1984. 133-134]
[source: The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009)]
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