Description
I Go No Further
Brigham Young and the Vanguard Company left Winter Quarters in April 1847, bound for the Rocky Mountains to seek out a new home for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They were a well-organized company of 143 men, 3 women and 2 children.
By May 29, 1847, they had traveled 514 miles from Winter Quarters and were camped just west of Scots Bluff Nebraska. That morning, at ten o’clock, the bugle sounded and the Camp was called to assemble. Roll was taken and President Brigham Young arose to speak. This is what he said:
“Nobody has told me what has been going on in the Camp, but I have known it all the while. I have been watching its movement, its influence, its effects, and I know the result, if it is not put a stop to. I want you to understand that inasmuch as we are beyond the power of the gentiles, where the devil has tabernacles in the priests and the People, but we are beyond their reach, we are beyond their power, we are beyond their grasp, and what has the devil now to work upon? Upon the spirits of men in this camp, and if you don’t open your hearts so that the spirit of God can enter your hearts, and teach you the right way, I know that you are a ruined people. I know that you will be destroyed and that without remedy, and unless there is a change and a different course of conduct, a different spirit to what is now in the Camp I go no further. I am in no hurry. Give me the man of prayer, give me the man of faith, give me the man of meditation, a sober minded man, and I would far rather go amongst the savages with six or eight such men, than to trust myself with the whole of this camp with the spirit they now possess. Here is an opportunity for every man to prove himself, to know whether he will pray and remember his God, without being asked to do it every day ….
Do we suppose that we are going to look out a home for the Saints, a resting place, a place of peace, where they can build up the Kingdom and bid the nations welcome, with a low, mean, dirty, trifling, covetous, wicked spirit dwelling in our bosoms? It is vain! Vain!! ….
Now let every man repent of his weaknesses, of his follies, of his meanness, and every kind of wickedness, and stop your swearing and your profane language, for it is in this camp, and I know it, and have known it. I have said nothing about it, but I now tell you, if you don’t stop it, you shall be cursed by the Almighty, and shall dwindle away and be damned. Such things shall not be suffered in this Camp. You shall honor God, and confess his name, or else you shall suffer the penalty….
I am one of the last to ask my brethren to enter into solemn covenants, but if they will not enter into a covenant to put away their iniquity and turn to the Lord and serve him, and acknowledge and honor his name, I want them to keep their wagons and retreat back, for I shall go no farther under such a state of things. If we don’t repent and quit our wickedness we will have more hindrances than we have had, and worse storms to encounter. I want the brethren to be ready for meeting tomorrow at the time appointed, instead of rambling off, and hiding in their wagons to play cards & I think it will be good for us to have a fast meeting tomorrow and a prayer meeting; humble ourselves and turn to the Lord, and he will forgive us.”
He then asked the brethren:
“if they were willing to covenant to turn to the Lord with all their hearts, to repent of all their follies, to cease from all their evils, and serve God according to his laws.” If they were willing, to manifest it by holding up their right hand…. All covenanted with uplifted hand without a dissenting voice.”
He then very tenderly blessed the brethren and prayed that God would enable them to fulfill their covenants and withdrew to give chance for others to speak if they felt like it.
A number of brethren stood and spoke acknowledging their errors and desires to repent.
William Clayton said:
“The meeting was then dismissed, each man retiring to his wagon, and being half past 1 o’clock we again pursued our journey in peace, all reflecting on what has passed today…. No loud laughter was heard, no swearing, no quarrelling, no profane language, no hard speeches to man or beast, and it truly seemed as though the cloud had burst, and we had emerged into a new element, of new atmosphere, and a new society.”
On Sunday May 30, 1847, at The Bluffs along the North Platte, William Clayton recorded that a sacrament meeting was held and well-attended. A number of the brethren retired to the bluffs and engaged in sacred prayer. He summarized the day as follows:
“I never noticed the brethren so still and sober on a Sunday since we started as today. There is no jesting, nor laughing, nor nonsense. All appear to be sober and feel to remember their covenant, which makes things look far more pleasant than they have done heretofore.”
Do we need such a reminder today on our journey to the Promised Land? I know I do.
