About this time President Young felt impressed that he and the brethren of the camp should renew their covenants by baptism. August 6th, the Twelve were rebaptized by President Young. Elder Kimball baptized President Young and the latter confirmed his brethren and re-sealed upon them all their former blessings. Following this, the brethren selected their inheritances. Brother Woodruff's was the corner diagonally across the street from the south-west corner of the Temple Block, facing the east and north.
In the evening Elder Kimball baptized fifty-five members of the camp. Elder Woodruff assisted in their confirmation. August the 8th the general work of rebaptizing continued. Elders Kimball, Snow, Lewis, Goddard, Everett, and Shumway did the baptizing, while President Young and the Twelve confirmed. "This made 288 in all who had been rebaptized during the last three days. The camp assembled as usual at 10 o'clock for public meeting and was addressed by Heber C. Kimball, much to our edification. I followed and was never blessed with greater liberty of speech."
The practice of the Saints coming into the Valley to renew their covenants by baptism was followed for many years, but later, when the organizations abroad became more perfect, and the Saints came with speedy and direct transportation from their native lands to the stakes of Zion, this practice has been discontinued as not being of the same necessity as in the early pioneer days.
Sunday, August 15th, Elder Woodruff attended the services and reported a lengthy and very interesting discourse by President Brigham Young. On the 11th a little child of Brother Crow was drowned and President Young offered some consoling remarks bearing upon this sad event, and he also spoke upon the resurrection. Much of his discourse was upon the authority of the priesthood, from which we quote a few lines: "Brother Joseph received the Patriarchal or Melchisedek Priesthood from under the hands of Peter, James, and John. From those Apostles Joseph received every power, blessing, and privilege of the highest authority of the Melchisedek Priesthood ever committed to man on the earth. Some have had fears that we had not power to obtain revelations since the death of Joseph, but I want this subject from this time and forever to be set at rest. I want the Church to understand from this day henceforth and forever, that an Apostle is the highest office and authority that there is in the Church and Kingdom of God on the earth. Joseph Smith gave unto me and my brethren, the Twelve, all the priesthood, power, and authority which he held, and those are powers which belong to the Apostleship. We shall take time, and each step the Saints take, let them take time enough to understand it. Everything at Nauvoo went with a rush. We had to build the Temple with the trowel in one hand and the sword in the other, and mobs were upon us all the while, and many crying out, 'Oh! the Temple can't be built.' I told them it should be built. This Church should not fall; and the Lord said if we did not build it we should be rejected as a Church with our dead. Why did He say it? Because the Saints were becoming slothful and covetous, and would spend their means upon fine houses for themselves before they would put it into a House of the Lord; but we went at it and finished it and turned it over into the hands of the Lord in spite of earth and hell, and the brethren were so faithful that we labored day and night to give them their endowments.
"When I look upon the great work the elders of Israel have to perform, and look around upon them, and see them vain and foolish, it makes me sorrowful. They forget their calling. O, ye elders of Israel, think for a moment what manner of persons ought ye to be—men who hold the priesthood and keys of salvation, who have power to go to the nations of the earth and say to the people, 'We have salvation for you if you will receive it, and celestial glory awaits you; or condemnation, if you reject it.' It is no trifling affair to have power put into your hands to deal with the eternal destinies of the sons and daughters of Adam who form the nations of the earth."
In the afternoon Elders Orson Pratt and Erastus Snow edified the people under the influence of the spirit of the Lord. In conference of the leading men, they gave to the city the name of "The City of the Great Salt Lake." It has since been abbreviated to Salt Lake City. The stream running westward was given the name of "City Creek," which it still bears; the river on the west, "Western Jordan," to distinguish it from Jordan in Palestine; the two streams from the mountains on the east, "Great Canyon Creek" and "Little Canyon Creek." In the main, these names have been preserved. It was also decided to fence the city, and to appoint a president, and high council for the new stake of Zion.
Elder Woodruff and his associates were occupied until August 26th in setting things in order and preparing for the pioneers' return to Winter Quarters.
On the way, they met Elder Benson as a messenger from the moving camp of Israel, and later on met the camp itself in different bodies, chiefly in charge of Elders Parley P. Pratt and John Taylor. The whole company consisted of 600 wagons. President Woodruff met his father in the train but his step-mother had gone back to Iowa to live with her daughter Emma. On the journey many interesting meetings were held and much choice instruction given and some reproofs meted out, especially by President Brigham Young. It was a constant schooling. Like ancient Israel, the Saints were not free from faults, and needed training and reproving to prepare them for greater things.
Brother Woodruff recorded in his journal nearly all the counsels, teachings, and ministrations of President Young which occurred on the journey. A few incidents of an exciting nature occurred on the route. On the 10th of September, near the Sweet Water, the horses were stolen, and also those belonging to the Saints on their way to the Valley. Of this episode Elder Woodruff writes: "The alarm was given early next morning that a lot of our horses and mules were stolen. Bells were found cut from the horses, also lariats cut off, an arrow picked up, and other signs of Indians were in evidence. The trail was finally found and a company of 200 horsemen started in pursuit of the Indians. It looked gloomy to see so many women and children here in the mountains with their horses and cattle stolen. Thirty horses were taken from the pioneer camps, and twenty from the other camps.
"The company remained together during the day, and in the evening assembled for meeting and was addressed by Orson Pratt. Heber C. Kimball, and Brigham Young. During the evening, two of the brethren returned from the pursuit of the Indians and brought back five of the horses.