Wilfords Personal Journal Entry 24 July 1847: "We gazed with wonder and admiration upon the vast rich fertile valley which lay for about 25 miles in length and 16 miles in width. Clothed with the Heaviest garb of green vegitation in the midst of which lay a large body of salt water...After gazing awhile upon the seenerywe travelled across the table land into the valley 4 mile to the encampment of our Brethren who had arrived 2 days before [-] 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"
BUT
Wilford Woodruff in 1880: "When we came here thirty-three years ago we found this place a barren desert. There was no mark of the white man here. It was a desert indeed, hardly a green thing to meet the eye."
Discourse by Elder Wilford Woodruff, Delivered in the Salt Lake Asembly Hall, at the semiannual conference of the Salt Lake Stake of Zion,
See Elder, President Woodruff was misquoted the second time. Just as our beloved President, Brigham Young, was misquoted at the mouth of Emigration Canyon. What he really said was, "This is a disgrace, drive on."
Man alive, I'm so glad I live where nobody has heard of Pioneer Day!!! It's just a nice summer day for going to the lake or pool. Nobody is setting off firecrackers either. I don't even mind that it's not a holiday with time off from work. I have a permanent holiday from Mormonism and that's WAY better than Pioneer Day!