170 years ago today - Dec 20, 1848

[Wilford Woodruff]
In the midst of this order of things, the Latter Day Saints discover vast quantities of Gold at the base of the mountains of Israel in the valley of the sacramento in upper Calafornia. And not ownly the people of the United States but of other nations ketch the sound of Gold Gold & tens of thousands are rushing forward evry way in their power to get to the gold country as A Horse would rush to Battle. But the Amount of Gold, silver, Coper &c discoverd in that Country indicates that the word of the Lord spoken by Isaiah will be fulfilled, when He says that "for Brass He will bring Gold "for Iron I will bring silver, for wood brass for stones Iron, &c. Truly this is an age big with Events.

Companies Are forming in all most all parts of the United States And ships in all our ports pre-pareing to take the people to the Bay of San Francisco which is ownly 20 miles from Capt Sutters Fort whare the Mormon gold digings commenced. And It seems As though all the world thought of at the present time was to obtain gold. Though the Cholera has commenced spreading in New York once more yet the gold panic is so much greater then the fear of the Cholery that it is hardy noticed.

Among the letters which I obtained yesterday was one from O Hyde who informed me that Olever Cowdery had come back to the Church had made satisfaction And was voted to come in by the door of Baptism. He was the first man baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in this last dispensation, under the Hands of Joseph Smith the Prophet but after being out of the Church Eleven years He had now returned again. And may the Lord bless him & Keep him steadfast unto the end.

The following is A Fac similae of the Alphabet used in conveying intelligence by the magnetic telegraph:

A.- B-... C... D-.. E. F.-. G--. H .... I.. J-.-.K-.- L- M-- N-. O[..] P----- Q..-. R.-. S... T- U..- V...- W.-- X.-.. Y.. Z--- - &- -- 1.--. 2..-.. 3...-. 4....- 5--- 6...... 7--.. 8-..... 9-.-- 0- [sic]. [One line of dots and dashes not decipherable.] <Remember the [law?] [-] of [-].>

[Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]

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