July 24, 1847 ~ Saturday

[FIGURE] 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 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 which lay for about 25 miles in length & 16 miles in wedth clothed with the heaviest garb of of green vegitation in the midst of which lay a large lake of salt water of [blank] miles in extent in which could be seen large Islands & mountains towering towards the clouds also the glorious valley abounding with the best fresh water springs rivlets creeks & brooks & rivers of various sizes all of which gave animation to the sporting trout & other fish while the waters were wending there way into the great salt lake; our hearts were surely made glad after a hard journey from Winter Quarters of 1200 miles through flats of Platt Rivers & steeps of the Black Hills & the Rocky mountains and burni ng sands of the eternal sage regions & willow swails & Rocky canions & stubs & stones, to gaze upon a valley of such vast extent entirely surrounded with a perfect chain of everlasting hills & mountains coverd with etrnal snow with there innumerale peaks like pyramids towering towards Heaven presen ting at one view the grandest & most sublime scenery 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 appearanc of the valley as a resting place for the Saints & was amply repayed for his journey. After gazing awhile upon the scenery we travled across the table land into the valley 4 miles to the encampment of our Brethren who had arived 2 days before us, they had pitched there encampment upon the bank of two small streams of pure water & had commenced plowing had broke about 5 acres of ground & commenced planting potatoes. As soon as we were formed in the encampment before I took my dinner having 1/2 a bushel of potatoes I repai red to the ploughed field & planted my potatoes hop^e^ing wi[th] [page torn] the blessings of God at least to save the seed for another year. The Brethren had damed up one of the creeks & dug a trench & by night nearly the whole ground was Irrigated with water we found the ground vary dry. towards evening in company with Brs. Kimball Smith & Benson I rode several miles up the creek into the mountain to look for timber in the country &c there was a thunder shower & it rained near ly over the whole ^valley^ & also it rained some the fore part of the night we felt thankful for this as it was the general corect opinion th[at it] [page torn] did not rain in the valley during [summers] [page covered] distance