Today in Mormon History - Jul 24

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On this day in Mormon History
http://TodayInMormonHistory.com/

-- 200 years ago today - Jul 24, 1822 --

PALMYRA HERALD publishes an article titled MONEY DIGGERS: "We could name, if we pleased, at least five hundred respectable men, who do, in the simplicity and sincerity of their hearts, verily believe that immense treasures lie concealed upon our Green Mountains; many of whom have been for a number of years, most industriously and perserveringly engaged in digging it up." The same issue also includes "Poetical Description of the Mammoth, by a Shawnee Indian."
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-- 175 years ago today - Jul 24, 1847 --
[Brigham Young]
He personally lead the first pioneer company to the Great Basin, and on 24 July 1847, upon seeing the Great Salt Lake Valley for the first time announced: "It is enough, this is the right place, drive on." Over the next thirty years, he continued to supervise the migration of thousands of emigrants to the Great Basin through the formation of the Perpetual Emigrating Fund Company, which brought them West by various means, including covered wagon, handcart, church teams and finally railroad. He also oversaw Mormon settlement in dozens of far-flung communities throughout Utah and also in Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, Arizona, and California in the process becoming one of the foremost colonizers in American history. (1)
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Young enters Salt Lake Valley with the rest of the pioneer company, and officially decrees this as the new Mormon headquarters. Among these pioneers are three plural wives and three black slaves. Young's attitudes toward African-Americans differ from the founding prophet's, and Utah would become the only western territory where African-American slavery and slave-sales were protected by territorial statute. (2)
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The journey from Winter Quarters to Salt Lake valley took 111 days. No deaths occured on the journey. Brigham Young is one of the last members of the pioneer company to enter the valley due to ill health, arriving at 11:45 AM.
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[Wilford Woodruff]
{+} July 24th 1847 This is an important day in the History of my life and the History of the Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter Day Saints. On this important day after trav[eling] from our encampment 6 miles through the deep ravene, valley, ending with the canion through the last creek we came in full view of the great valley or Bason [of] the Salt Lake and land of promise held in reserve by the hand of GOD for a resting place for the Saints upon which A portion of the Zion of GOD will be built.

We gazed with wonder and admiration upon the vast rich fertile valley ... Our hearts were surely made glad after A Hard Journey from winter Quarters of 1,200 miles ... to gaze upon A valley of such vast extent entirely Surrounded with a perfect chain of everlasting hills & mountains Coverd with eternal snow with there inumerable peaks like Pyramids towering towards Heaven presenting at one view the grandest & most sublime seenery Probably that could be obtained on the globe.

Thoughts of Pleasing meditations ran in rapid succession through our minds while we contemplated that not many years that the House of GOD would stand upon the top of the Mountains while the valleys would be converted into orchard, vineyard, gardings & fields by the inhabitants of zion & the Standard be unfurled for the nations to gather there to.

President Young expressed his full satisfaction in the Appearance of the valley as A resting place for the Saints & was Amply repayed for his Journey....

As soon As we were formed in the encampment before I took my dinner having 1/2 a bushel of potatoes I repaired to the ploughed field & planted my potatoes Hopeing with the blessings of God at least to save the Seed for another year. ... (3)
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-- 175 years ago today - Jul 24, 1847. Saturday. --
[William Clayton]
...At a quarter to 12 Presidents Young and Kimball arrived and the wagons also began to arrive at the same time. The president seems much better and the sick generally are getting better. ...Elder Kimball says that it is contemplated to send out an exploring party to start on Monday and proceed north to the Bear river and Cach vallies. They design taking several wagons with them and Presidents Young and Kimball accompanies the expedition. Another company is to start at the same time and go west to the Lake, then south to the Utah lake and return down this valley. (4)
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-- 165 years ago today - Jul 24, 1857 --
[Brigham Young]
I said if General Harney came here, I should then know the intention of the government; And it was carried unanimously that if Harney crossed the south pass the buzards should pick his bones. The feeling of mobocracy is rife in the States. The constant cry is kill the Mormons. Let them try it. -- Little Cottonwood Canyon [At the Pioneer day celebration. News had just arrived that General Harney with 2,000 infantry, and a proportionate number of artillery and cavalry were marching to Utah. Young already knew about this, but waited until the Pioneer celebration day to inform the saints.] (5)
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-- 135 years ago today - Jul 24, 1887 • Sunday --
[George Q. Cannon]
... I suggested to Brother Smith that we talk to President Taylor’s wives about their privilege to anoint his feet preparatory to his burial, according to the pattern set by Mary in anointing the feet of the Savior. We called his wives in and explained the ordinance to them. I read to them from the Scriptures upon the subject and told them that while we had no precious ointment, I had some perfume that they might use if they wished to do so.

... President Taylor lies breathing heavily, though I think I see a change since he was dedicated to the Lord; he is more quiet and moves his hands less than he did; yet his strength is visibly failing. (6)
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-- 75 years ago today - Jul 24, 1947 --

Centennial of arrival of Mormon pioneers to Utah which is celebrated in special ceremonies outside United States by Austrian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, German, and Japanese Mormons according to reports in CHURCH NEWS. In Salt Lake City the "THIS IS THE PLACE" monument is unveiled and dedicated. Sculptor Mahonri Young says he has been deprived of $11,000 in payment for the monument. This brings a severe rebuke from George Q. Morris, who instructs him never to write the President again about this matter. Young never recovered the $11,000 and is bitter about it to the end of his life.
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-- 40 years ago today - Jul 24, 1982 --

Zion Lutheran Church of Salt Lake City enters a float in the "Days of '47 Parade," apparently the first participation of a non-LDS church in this celebration of Mormon Pioneers. (7)
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-- 25 years ago today - Jul 24, 1997 --

President Gordon B. Hinckley breaks ground for a twenty-one-thousand-seat assembly building just north of Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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1 - Utah History Encyclopedia: Brigham Young, http://www.uen.org/utah_history_encyclopedia/
2 - 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
3 - Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
4 - George D. Smith, An Intimate Chronicle; The Journals of William Clayton, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1995, http://bit.ly/WilliamClayton
5 - BYS; Brigham Young Diaries, 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.), in The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009), http://bit.ly/BY-discourses
6 - The Journal of George Q. Cannon, Church Historian's Press, https://churchhistorianspress.org/george-q-cannon
7 - The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]