'Now it is time to quit it. There have been trials and lawsuits upon every nonsensical thing; and if this is suffered to go on, it will be but a short time before you are fighting, knocking each other down and taking life. It is time it was stopped.
'I do not want to hear any more such reports as I heard last Sunday of men going to meeting and preaching to the rest after playing cards until meeting time. You are a pretty set of men going to look out a location among the mountains for a resting place for the Saints—even the whole Church of God—who have been driven out from the Gentiles and rejected of them. And after you have established a location, you are then going out to preach the Gospel, seal salvation upon the house of Israel, and gather the nations.
'How would you look if they should know your conduct and ask you what you did when you went to seek out Zion and find a resting place for the Saints where the standard of the Kingdom of God could be reared and her banners unfurled for the nations to gather unto?
'Did you spend a good deal of your time in dancing, pitching quoits, jumping, wrestling, and the like? Yes, yes. Did you play cards, dice, checkers, and dominoes? O, yes. What could you do with yourselves? Why you would shrink from the glance of the eyes of God, angels and men—even wicked men. Then are you not ashamed of yourselves for practicing these things? Yes, you are, and you must quit it.'
"After speaking somewhat lengthily upon these matters, President Young called the Twelve together, and the high priests, seventies, and elders. There were present eight of the quorum of the Twelve, eighteen high priests, eighty seventies, and eight elders. After this was done, President Young said unto the Twelve:
'If you are willing to humble yourselves before the Lord and consent to the right, and walk humbly before Him, make it manifest by raising the right hand.'
"Then each one raised his hand. The same question was put to the high priests, seventies, elders, and members and all consented with uplifted hands to humble themselves before the Lord, repent of their sins and keep His commandments.
"President Young then spoke of those who were not in the Church, as there were some present. They would be protected in their rights, but they must not introduce wickedness into the camp, for it would not be suffered. He also spoke of the standard and ensign that would be reared in Zion.
"Elder Kimball followed and said that the words of President Young were as the words of the Lord unto him and just as binding as though they were a written revelation, and that they were just as binding upon the whole camp as they were upon him, and he urged the pioneers to give heed to the teachings that had been given.
"Orson Pratt remarked that if the Saints had leisure hours, they could spend them to much better advantage than playing cards, as there was a world of knowledge and science to be obtained and every moment should be improved in storing the mind with some good principle. He acknowledged the teachings we had received to be of the Lord."