Fac. Lett. Rev. （28), Otemon Gakuin Uniy., 30, Nov. 1993 Is This “the Place" ？ the First Few Days in the Promised Land - Hajime Amano WilliamClayton, the officialchronicler of the Mormon Pioneer Band, was disap- pointed as he sat down on top of a hillthat commanded ａ view of the Great Salt Lake 1)Basin “to contemplate and view the surrounding scenery" at eleven o'clock on the morning of July 22, 1847, two days before their final arrival at the Great Salt Lake. Earlier that morning, his party had caught up with the advance work party led by Orson Pratt and together they came to the one-year-old ruts left by the Donner Party, where “there are many very large rattlesnakes lurking, making it necessary to use caution while passing through." He wrote in his diary that day : For my own part l am happily disappointed in the appearance of the valley of the Salt Lake, but if the land be as rich as it has the appearance of being, l have no fears but the Saints can live here and do well while we do right. Hewas disappointed as he noticed that“Timber is evidently lacking" in the area now in his view. Then he consoled himself by saying,“but we have not ｅχpectedto find a timbered country." Understandably, it was hard for him to believe that there would be no timber available in the basin below where he and other Pioneer Band members were to lay the cornerstone of their long-awaited Zion :“There may be timber on the mountains which the long distance would render impossible to be seen with the naked eye, ‥グ As he surveyed the area. his emotions kept swaying over ａ very fundamental question that concerned every Saint : Is this the place ？ He knew that no timber in sight meant no prospect for building log cabins in preparation for the coming winter,“but we can make Spanish brick and dry them in the sun ；or we can build lodges as the Pawnee Indians do in their villages." Besides, he realized,the －197－ Is This “the Place" ？ Saints would be living among themselves. away from the Gentiles who had persecuted them and killed Joseph Smith, the founder of their Church. He was thus “happily disappointed" at the future life that the Saints might live in the timberless country “surrounded by friends, though poor, enjoying the privileges and blessings of the everlasting priesthood, with God our King and Father." Two days later,on July 24, Brigham Young, stillfeeling weak from the“mountain fever" that he contracted ａ few days earlier,and his party arrived at the mouth of Emigration Canyon afterａ series of ｅχhausting switchback climbing. Mormon my- thology has it that it was at this place that he said,“It is enough. This is the right place, 2）drive on." He now saw the glory of Zion that would come in this valley that lay outstretched before him. It is not important. however, whether or not he had uttered such words or seen such ａ vision as he rose from his bed in Wilford Woodruff's carriage to view the Great Basin； what is important here is the fact that he, as the leader of the so-called Mormons, had ａ clear-cut understanding as to the general area 3)where they should move to settle. What is important, furthermore, is the fact that they had arrived finally at their destination, after successfully trekking westward for 4）three months and two weeks. Not every Saint, however, was happy with the site presently in their view. Clayton angrily wrote in his diary on July 23 when an Elder spoke to the group on the importance of their combined effortsin building the Kingdom of God as if its sitehad been decided : At night, the camp was called together and addressed by Elder Richards on ａsub- ject which seemed littlewelcome to many from the way it was handled. It was ａ sermon of - from end to end. Some felt a littleinsulted but it all passed off well and jokingly. His anger apparently was appeased the following day when Young arrived,as he wrote in hisdiary: Most of the brethren ｅχpressthemselves well pleased with the place, but some complain because there is no timber. There appears to be ａ unanimous agreement in regard to the richness of the soiland there are good prospects of sustaining and －198－ Hajime Amano fattening stock with littletrouble. The only objection is ａlack of timber and rain. On July 25, a Sunday, Elder Heber Kimball, who was neχt to Young in command 5)and was to direct the foundation work of their Zion in this barren region, addressed ａ group of people most of whom had “become adopted into my family." In the course of his sermon he mentioned something that indicates that the Church leaders themselves had not reached ａ conclusion at this stage as to the exact location of the site for building the Kingdom of God. For he said that“We shall go tomorrow if Brigham is well enough, in search of ａ better location－if indeed, such can be found－if not, we shall remain here." This idea was abandoned, however, as Young was not yet fully recovered. Instead, a smaller party was sent on an ｅχplorationtrip. On July 27, some of the leaders, including Young himself, took ａ trip west to the Salt Lake, joined by Elder Samuel Brannan, who had just returned from his mission of meeting halfway and guiding the second party from Winter Quarters. At half past eight Amasa Lyman, Rodney Badger, Roswell Stevens, and Brother Brannan arrived in camp. They report that the Pueblo company ［or the so-called Sick Detachment of the Mormon Battalion］will be in tomorrow or the day after‥‥ Elder Lyman, l understand, reports that they heard of a large company ［of Saints］on their way and he thinks we may expect them in 15 or 20 days. Elders Lyman and Brannan joined the exploration party with President Young and Kimball and the company started off soon after their arrival. According to Clayton, it was ａ“very fine and warm" day and even “The horses and cattle seem in good spiritsand are getting fat." He also pointed out that“Some of the brethren are making unwise trades ［with the visiting Indians］, giving twenty charges of powder and balls for a buck skin. while the usual price is three charges," concluding or rather lamenting that“This is wrong", which is the last entry in the 6)officialchronicler'sjournal that day. That evening. the Saints assembled on the future Temple Block site as the large white moon came up over the dark mountains. Seated on the ground and in their shirt-sleeves,all of the Pioneer Band listened as those who had been out〇ｎ the various ｅχplorationtrips spoke of what they had seen. This accomplished, Young, who conspicuously had not spoken to the Saints as ａ group －199－ Is This “the Place" ？ since his arrival,stood up and asked : Shall we look further or make ａlocation upon this spot and lay out and build a city？ We were the pioneers of the church and our business was to seek for a suitable location for the church. The question is,shall this be the spot or shall we look T)further？ One man had his opinion already formed. He was ａ non-Mormon Mountain Man, John Nelson, who, as ａ hired guide, had accompanied the Saints to the Great Salt Lake. When asked by Young, earlier on July 24, Nelson “told him it was what l should call a swamp or frog pond. But he was more far-seeing than ｌ gave him credit for, and 8)pronounced it ａ fertile country. and the one that the Saints had been promised." There was only one voiced dissent that evening. The lone dissenter, William Vance, spoke up to say that he thought the Saints should go farther to the other side of the lake. Young assured him that he was entitled to his dissent, but that he himself did not have any doubt, saying: ‥.if we were on the other side of the lake, we should not have the benefit of the warm north and west winds from the lake. I knew this spot was the one as soon 9)as l saw it. Up there on that table ground we shall erect the standard of freedom. Then ａ motion was made to locate at the present site. Norton Jacob, who thought this to be a good place since it was not occupied by Indians, seconded the motion, followed by Erastus Snow who argued that everyone who had been on the exploration trips was satisfiedwith the present location. The motion was then carried by the chorus of 10)aye from the Saints. Ever cautious, Young, having heard this, spoke to the group again: Then the feelings of the Twelve are the same and ｌ know that as ａ general thing the minds of the brethren are like this:If the Lord should say by revelation thisis the spot, they would be entirely satisfiedifit was on ａ barren rock. Well, I know it is the spot, and we have come here according to the suggestions and direction of Joseph Smith, who was martyred. The word of the Lord was to go to that valley, －200－ Haiime Amano and the best place you can find in itis the spot. Well, I prayed that He would lead us directly to the spot which He has done.