Saturday, January 3, 1846 This morning Elder Heber C. Kimball related the following dream: last evening, before retiring to bed he asked God to enlighten his mind with regard to the work of endowment; while sleeping he beheld a large field of corn that was fully ripe, he and a number of others were commanded to take baskets and pick off the corn with all possible speed, for there would soon be a storm that would hinder the gathering of the harvest. The hands engaged in gathering the harvest, were heedless and unconcerned and did not haste, as they were commanded; but he and the man he assisted had a much larger basket than the rest, and picked with all their might of the largest ears of the field, they once in a while would pick an ear that had a long tail on each end and but a few grains scattering over the center of the cob, which were very light.
The interpretation of the dream is, that the field represented the church, the good corn represented good saints, the light corn represented the light and indifferent saints, the laborers are those appointed to officiate in the Temple, the storm is trouble that is near upon us, and requires an immediate united exertion of all engaged in giving the endowments to the saints, or else we will not get through before we will be obliged to flee for our lives.
Elder Kimball having invited Brothers William Pitt, William Clayton, J. F. Hutchinson and James Smithies [musicians], they performed several very beautiful pieces of music.
After a short time spent in dancing, Elder Orson Hyde delivered a short address and requested the company present to unite with him in prayer.
I [Brigham Young?] addressed the brethren at length, alluding to the privileges we enjoy----of the order of administering endowments: that the way to grow and thrive was to serve the Lord in all we did, exhorted the brethren to remember their covenants and not to speak evil of each other, and related some of the efforts made to arrest me and persecute the saints. If Joseph Smith had been living, we should have already been in some other country, and we would go where we would be 'the old settlers', and build larger Temples than this.
Saturday, 3.----One hundred and fourteen persons received their ordinances.
Source: History of the Church, Vol.7, Ch.38, p.561-2
Tuesday, January 6, 1846 Brigham Young came to the temple at 11:20 a.m. His health was still not very good. During the night he dreamed the same dream three times.
At 11:45 a.m., Elder Almon W. Babbitt brought in the letter that was written to Sheriff Backenstos from Governor Thomas Ford on December 29, regarding the probability of the U.S. Government sending troops to Nauvoo to arrest the Twelve.
At 6 p.m., Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and their wives left the temple to attend a party at Elder John Taylor's home. He held a supper with "was prepared in the most sumptuous style." The dinner concluded around 8 p.m.
In the evening, at the temple, another dance was held. Hans C. Hanson, Jacob F. Hutchinson, and Levi W. Hancock played the violin. James Smithies played the bass viola, and Elisha Averett played the flute. After dancing two figures, Joseph Young addressed the group for quite awhile. Brigham Young returned to the temple at 10 p.m. and organized a French four. Erastus Snow and Levi W. Hancock sang hymns. The dancing continued until midnight. Frost again fell overnight.
Ninety people received their ordinances in the temple this day.
Sources: History of the Church, 7:565; Smith, ed., Heber C. Kimball Journal in An Intimate Chronicle; "Thomas Bullock Journal"; Jenson, LDS Biographical Encyclopedia, 1:188-89; information from the preceeding sources was compiled by David ..... into the book Saints in Exile.
Last Updated 6 October 2006