Today in Mormon History - Jul 26

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

-- 185 years ago today - Jul 26, 1837 --

In England, the Rev. Fielding begins to fear he will lose his flock if the [newly arrived] elders continue to preach there. He does not allow them to preach any longer. (1)
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-- 175 years ago today - Jul 26, 1847 --

Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Wilford Woodruff and five others explore the hills at the north end of the valley. They climb what is now called "Ensign Peak" [the name comes from the biblical prophecy: "He will lift up an ensign unto the nations. . . . He lifteth up an ensign on the mountains." (Isa 5:26; 18:3)]. Heber C. Kimball declares, "someday an ensign will be flown here" and waves his yellow bandana tied to Willard Richards' walking stick as a crude flag. There was no American flag among the pioneers. Howard Egan writes in his diary of the beginning of Mormon agriculture in the Salt Lake Valley: "At 6 a.m. the bugle sounded for the brethren to collect their horses and cattle to recommence plowing and planting, the team to be relieved at intervals of every four hours during the day." The next day, he continued, "the bugle sounded as usual for the brethren to go to work plowing and planting." (2)
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[Wilford Woodruff, 2nd day after arriving in Salt Lake valley]
Ten men including the Twelve were appointed to go on an exploring expedition. ...

Brs Mathews & Brown returned to camp. Had Crossed the valley in the Narrowest place opposite the camp to the mountain on the west. Found the valley about 15 miles across. Passed over A river [Jordan] 4 miles from camp about 8 rods wide from which we saw sulpher hot springs and ensign Peak. We also had A good view of the salt lake through our glass & many rivers & creek runing through the valley. (3)
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-- 165 years ago today - Jul 26, 1857 --

Counselor Heber C. Kimball publicly prophecies: “And the President ofthe United States will bow to us and come to consult the authorities of this Church to know what he had best to do for his people.” Latter occurs 31 Jan. 1964. (4)
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Heber C. Kimball refers to 2,500 approaching troops and states that if somehow their wagons and cattle arrive in Utah without the troops, it would be "a mighty help to us" . Jokingly, he said he had "wives enough to whip out the United States" (5)
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-- 150 years ago today - Jul 26, 1872 --

Br. Brigham Spoke on the folly of apostasy, and the lying Spirit that Apostates give way to after turning away from the truth. Said that while Joseph And Oliver were translating the Book of Mormon, they had a revelation that the order of Patriarchal Marriage and the Sealing was right. Oliver said unto Joseph, '"Br. Joseph, why don't we go into the Order of Polygamy, and practice it as the ancients did? We know it is true, then why delay?'" Joseph's reply was '"I know that we know it is true, and from God, but the time has not yet come.'" This did not seem to suit Oliver, who expressed a determination to go into the order of Plural Marriage anyhow, although he was ignorant of the order and pattern and the results. Joseph said, '"Oliver if you go into this thing it is not with my faith or consent.'" Disregarding the counsel of Joseph, Oliver Cowdery took to wife Miss Annie Lyman, cousin to Geo. A. Smith. From that time he went into darkness and lost the spirit. Annie Lyman is still alive, a witness to these things. (6)
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-- 135 years ago today - Jul 26, 1887 • Tuesday --
[George Q. Cannon]
The intelligence of President Taylor’s death was concealed from the public until the Deseret News was issued. There had been so many rumors about his condition and reports that he was dead that people were, to some extent, prepared for the sad event.

Since his death I have felt that a change has taken place in myself in regard to exercising authority. I spoke with Brother Joseph F. Smith in relation to this subject. I have done all in my power to get the Twelve informed; ... so that someone may be prepared to take the responsibility of pending measures and the business of the Church. ... It is important, I feel, that I should do nothing at the present time that would not be fully sustained by the brethren, and I feel my position, therefore, to be quite a delicate one. ... (7)
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-- 125 years ago today - Jul 26, 1897; Monday --

Pres[iden]ts. Geo[rge]. Q. Cannon and J[oseph]. F. Smith, at the Office this morning, received a visit from Stephen H. Goddard, from California, one of the Pioneers of 1847. He went there at an early day to better his financial condition, against the counsel of Pres[ident]. Brigham Young. In this he had not succeeded, but appeared to be a poor and broken down old man, barren in mind and feeble in body. However, he remembered many things spoken of by the Prophet Joseph [Smith], and having heard Pres[ident]. Joseph F. Smith in the Tabernacle on Sunday, he told Elder Geo[rge]. Goddard that he heard the Prophet Joseph give instructions concerning the removal of the Saints to the Rocky Mountains, and prophesy that they would eventually go there. He now told Pres[iden]ts. Cannon and Smith that on one occasion in his presence in the Masonic Hall in Nauvoo [Illinois], the Prophet Joseph mapped out on the floor with a piece of chalk a diagram of what he called the Great Salt Lake Basin or Valley, and said that the Latter Day Saints would go there. The course of travel was mapped out, which afterwards was the route taken by Pres[iden]t. Brigham Young and the Pioneers. He did not remember the exact date of this prophecy but as the Masonic Hall was not built until 1843, it must have been after that date... (8)
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-- 110 years ago today - Jul 26, 1912 --

Church leaders in northern Mexico order the Saints to evacuate to El Paso, Texas, as a result of civil strife within Mexico, which displaces some forty-eight thousand Latter-day Saints from the Mexican colonies.
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-- 85 years ago today - Jul 26, 1937 --

The SALT LAKE TRIBUNE publishes an interview with LDS President Heber J. Grant: "We never believed polygamy was wrong and never will. . . . "one of the cardinal rules of the Church is to obey the law. So long as polygamy is illegal we ourselves will strictly enforce the law." Grant had violated his 1891 amnesty agreement with the government by attempting unsuccessfully to take Fanny Woolley as a post-Manifesto plural wife and was found guilty of "unlawful cohabitation" in 1899. (2)
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1 - Conkling, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology
2 - On This Day in Mormon History, http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com
3 - Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
4 - The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]
5 - Wikipedia, Utah War, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_War#Timeline_of_events
6 - Diary of Charles Lowell Walker. Andrew Karl Larson, ed. Logan: Utah State University Press, 1980. 349, in The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009), http://bit.ly/BY-discourses
7 - The Journal of George Q. Cannon, Church Historian's Press, https://churchhistorianspress.org/george-q-cannon
8 - First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve minutes