The troubles of those days are frequently referred to in Elder Woodruff's journal. The spring of 1860 was stormy. There was much snow and frost. Much of the fruit was killed. Then socially, the times were stormy. The country was infested by thieves and outlaws. There were frequent brawls in the streets and several bad characters were killed.
From the first to the middle of June, Elder Woodruff in company with President Young and party made a journey to the far north, to the land of snow and frost. Cache Valley in those days was looked upon with many misgivings as a suitable place for colonization. Lorenzo Snow had been called to preside over Box Elder stake and Ezra T. Benson in Cache Valley. Franklin seems to have been the extreme outpost in the north in those days. On this visit, Preston Thomas was made its first bishop. Still, those settlements had so prospered that Apostle Woodruff expressed his great delight with the advancement which had been made.
After his return from this visit, Elder Woodruff devoted some time to the investigation of the school system as it then existed. He and Robert L. Campbell visited a Brother Mousley's school which was pronounced the best they had seen. Elder Woodruff was a strong advocate of education. He had been deprived of its advantages in his youth, but the spirit and revelations of God had created within him a desire to make good in learning as far as possible what had been denied him in his youth.
The summer of 1860 brought some relaxation from the strain under which the people had been placed by the approach of the army. They now indulged in patriotic and social pastimes which characterize the celebrations of the Fourth and the Twenty-fourth of July. On the occasion of the Twenty-fourth, hundreds of people went to Cottonwood Canyon where three large boweries were built, and where speeches, songs, dancing, music, fishing, and other diversions were enjoyed by the Saints who felt that peace had come to them. At this celebration, Wilford Wodruff wrote, "There are 1,120 persons with 56 carriages, 163 wagons, 235 horses, 179 mules, and 168 oxen. The animals were in good condition, were well treated, and the people were happy."
It was here that three years before the Saints received word that Johnston's army was coming. They had reason to feel grateful over the change that had taken place. They had been permitted to enjoy their homes in peace.
In the opening of the year 1861, Elder Woodruff referred to the prophecy of Joseph Smith relating to the war and calamities which should befall the nation. He said: "The United States, this year, will be visited with much greater afflictions than they have ever experienced since they became a free government. The Lord is about to vex the nation as He has declared He would do twenty-eight years ago." Speaking of the prophetic character of Joseph Smith in this connection, he related the circumstance of a man who cursed Joseph Smith and also the God who called him to be a prophet. The man was seized with insanity on the spot and was taken home and died insane.
As time went on, in the memorable year of 1861, the news from the front was looked for with intense interest by the Latter-day Saints. Those were days of the pony express, and the events of the secession were naturally greatly delayed. They looked upon the movements then taking place in fulfillment of the prophecy uttered by Joseph Smith in 1832. In the midst of the war news, Elder Woodruff recorded the current events on all important subjects.
He was careful, however, to write down the teachings of President Young. He recorded a sermon delivered by him at the funeral of Charles Little, in which President Young is quoted as saying: "Some one asks, Where is the spirit world? It is here on the earth where they lived and where we live. I believe all spirits live here after death and nowhere else. At least, those who have tabernacled in the flesh, whether they be good or bad. Satan has no power in the spirit world over those who have overcome him in the flesh, but he will have over those who have served him all their lives in this world.
"When Joseph had a revelation, he had, as it were, the eyes of the Lord. He saw as the Lord sees. How did I know what was going on in Washington? I have known what was going on there all the time, and I know what is going on in other places. I know it by the spirit of God. It is revealed to me. Spirits administer to us but we do not know it. Charles Little here, will administer to his mother, but she will not know it. She will see in the spirit world the wisdom of the Lord in placing a veil between the living and the dead, that the living may be tried and have a greater glory than they otherwise would have. The living cannot see the departed spirits, but the latter can see and administer to those in the flesh, even though the latter know it not. My wife awakened the morning that Charles Little died and said to me: 'I think Charles Little is dead, for I have seen him with Joseph, in a dream; and if Brother and Sister Little could see what I have seen, they would not wish him back. He was very happy with Joseph, and Joseph said he wanted him; that he had a particular place for him. He looked glorious.' We should be satisfied with the principle that our children will be restored to us in their glorified bodies."
Elder Woodruff recorded that on the 8th of February, Elder Taylor and he went on a mission to the northern settlements. At South Weber they found a number of the Saints in a condition of apostasy. Richard Cook, the bishop, and fourteen others were cut off the Church for rejecting the Prophet Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, and for upholding Joseph Morris as the man holding the keys of the Kingdom.