Elder Dunn noted that the block in Salt Lake City where the City and County Building now stands was originally supposed to be the center of the budding community. However, the Salt Lake Temple block became the center instead.
?We have historical evidence to point out that Brigham Young came here and got a reading of the valley, looked over the entire valley. He told various people later that before he entered the valley, he had seen the city of Salt Lake in a vision, and where the temple was to be located, and it was pointed out to him by an angel standing on a conical hill. The inference is that Brigham Young probably came here to get his bearings and to find out how the city would be laid out and where the temple would be located.?
An Ensign Peak project currently scheduled for completion in 1996 includes a nature park, trail system, and information stations around the peak.
[photo] President Gordon B. Hinckley addressed almost 1,500 people at the base of Ensign Peak. (Photo courtesy of Church News.)
On Monday, July 26, Brigham and the Twelve climbed the high peak a little north of the city. Here they raised the American flag, the "Ensign of Liberty." Although they were, at the time, technically standing on Mexican soil, this was a symbol of their love and faith, their loyalty to the government which had abused and abandoned them, but which they believed, nevertheless, to have been divinely inspired of God. Brigham named the place "Ensign Peak."
George A. Smith, speaking in Salt Lake City in later years, told the people:
After the death of Joseph Smith, when it seemed as if every trouble and calamity had come upon the Saints, Brigham Young who was President of the Twelve, then the presiding quorum . . . sought the Lord to know what they should do, and where they should lead the people for safety, and while they were fasting and praying daily on this subject, President Young had a vision of Joseph Smith, who showed him the mountain that we now call Ensign Peak . . . and there was an ensign fell upon that peak, and Joseph said, "Build under the point where the colors fall and you will prosper and have peace." The pioneers had no pilot or guide, none among them had ever been in the country or knew anything about it. However, they travelled under the direction of President Young until they reached this valley. When they entered it President Young pointed to that peak, and, said he, "I want to go there." He went up to that point and said, "This is Ensign Peak."
Brigham himself often reminded the Saints that "in the days of Joseph we have sat many hours at a time conversing about this very country. Joseph has often said, 'If I were only in the Rocky Mountains with a hundred faithful men, I would then be happy, and ask no odds of mobocrats.'"
On July 28, Brigham, in company with the Twelve, "walked to about the center between the two creeks," waved his hand and said, "Here is the forty acres for the Temple. The city can be laid out perfectly square, north and south, east and west."
Monday, 26th. Morning cloudy and pleasant. The brethren commenced plowing early, others are gone to planting, etc., and the brethren appear to feel well. Some of the sick have been to bathe in one of the hot springs and pronounce the effects wonderfully beneficial. Others are going this morning to try the same experiment. Another company are gone to make a road to the timber through a ravine a little north of this. About ten o'clock, President Young sent me a horse with instructions to join him and some others going on a short exploring expedition. I immediately started anti found the company consisted of President Young, Elders Kimball, Woodruff, G. A. Smith, Benson, Richards and Carrington. We took a course northward passing by the land where the brethren are plowing and planting. The land indeed looks rich and light. About three-quarters of a mile north of the camp, we arrived on a beautiful table land, level and nicely sloping to the west. Here we halted to view it and the more we viewed, the better we were satisfied that it is as handsome a place for a city as can be imagined. At the east part there is a considerable creek of clear cold water descending from the mountains and just above this place it branches into two forks, one running northwest the other southwest and the two nicely surrounding this place, and so well arranged that should a city be built here the water can be turned into every street at pleasure. We passed on and began to ascend the mountains, the President signifying a wish to ascend a high peak to the north of us. After some hard toil and time we succeeded in gaining the summit, leaving our horses about two-thirds the way up. President Young felt pretty well fatigued when he got up. Some of the brethren feel like naming this Ensign Peak. From this place, we had a good view of the Salt Lake and could see that the waters extend for a great many miles to the north of us. There appears to be land, although white with salt, all the way to the mountain on the northwest which we had previously supposed was surrounded by water. We can see a pretty large stream winding from the south to the north through the valley but keeping not many miles distant from these mountains towards the lake. After satisfying ourselves we began to descend, President Young and Lorenzo, who joined us a while before we went up, going down on the east side where they were joined by Elders Woodruff, Benson, and Richards with the horses. Elders Kimball, Smith, Carrington and myself descended on the northwest corner and found the descent very lengthy and difficult. These hills are mostly rocky of a kind of soft stone in some places, in others a harder kind of flint stone. On arriving on the level again, we wound our way southward to nicer the other brethren and after passing a little way saw one of the sulphur springs where a pretty large stream of sulphur water boils out of the rock at the foot of the mountain and thence branches out into several smaller streams for some distance till these enter a small lake. This water is about as warm as dish water and very salty. There is much filthy kind of substance collected on it and the smell arising from it is truly nauseating and sickly, though generally supposed to be in no way unhealthy. Elder Kimball left us here on seeing Elder Woodruff's carriage and the other brethren returning back towards the camp. In the meantime, Elders Smith, Carrington and myself went lower down towards the lake in search of some fresh water to quench our thirst. We found a nice clear stream of cold water but a little way from the sulphur spring and having drunk of it, we concluded to go on and see the river which we had noticed from the mountain. We look nearly a west course and soon struck the old road made by emigrants last year. We found the land exceedingly rich all along, good grass and abundance of rushes. We found many wet places but no signs of swamps, nor danger of miring. Aftertraveling about two miles, we arrived at rite river having followed the road to the ford. This river is about five rods wide on an average, three and a half feet deep at the ford but in other places much deeper. The current is slow and the water of a dark lead color. The banks are about five feet high and the soil to the water level of a rich, black alluvial. There is no timber on the banks here and not many willow bushes. We went over the river and found the soil equally good on the other side. While here we observed Elder Woodruff's carriage and the brethren again proceeding northward. We started back to meet them, it being the intention to go to the large, hot sulphur spring. We could but remark all along, the richness of the soil and the abundance of high, good looking grass. On arriving at the foot of the mountain beside another sulphur spring, we saw the carriage come on to the first spring but apparently judging it unsafe to cross, they wheeled around and returned back to camp. Elders Smith. Carrington and myself then concluded to go on and view the big spring which we found to be about two miles farther. Before arriving at it, there is a large shoat salt lake and on the banks are numerous sulphur springs varying in the appearance of the surface and losing themselves in the lake. There were many plovers on and around this lake. We arrived at the big spring about four o'clock and making our horses fast, we went down to where it boils out of the rock. This spring is also situated at the foot of the mountains and at the base of a largo rock, perpendicular on the west side and gradually losing itself on the east in the mountain. The spring, as I flare said, is at the base of this rock. There is a circular hole about four feet wide and a yard high from the top to the surface of the water from whence the water boils out in a considerable stream. The water itself in the spring seems to be about two feet deep. There is a rock at the mouth of the spring where a person can stand and see inside. Standing on this rock with your face near the mouth of the spring a strong warm sulphurous air is fell to come in gusts out of the rock and it is so hot that it requires only a few minutes to start the perspiration. On putting my hand in the spring, I was startled with the heat and found I could not bear to hold my hand in five seconds. It is as hot as the hottest dish water ever used for dishes. Immediately on emerging from the rock, the water forms a lake about three rods in diameter and evidently pretty deep. The water is exceedingly clear and nice to look at but very salty indeed. We could see the water boil up in many parts of the lake. The water escapes at the north side of the lake at the base of the rock and there forms a stream about four feet wide and eighteen inches deep. We concluded we would go down the stream six or eight rods to wash our feet, naturally expecting the water to be cooler, but on taking off our boots and socks we found it impossible to hold our feet in it a moment and could barely wash by dashing the water on with our hands and suddenly dipping them in and out. It is supposed this would boil an egg in about ten minutes. At five o'clock we returned back to camp and supposed that the spring is about four miles distance. We arrived in camp at six o'clock. The brethren have planted about three acres of potatoes, some peas, beans, and are now planting four or five acres of corn. Elder Kimball stated that on returning with the carriage to the creek near the camp to get some water, he discovered that he had lost his spy glass. He retraced his steps on foot to the top of the peak and back without finding it, and on arriving at the bottom he saw Elders Richards and Benson bathing in one of the warm sulphur springs. Although wet with perspiration he took off his clothes and plunged in and found the effects very pleasant and beneficial. After bathing they started back for camp and but a few rods distance found the glass near the road. Some of the brethren have commenced making a garden about two miles to the sutheast and indeed their operations and industry are truly pleasing and noble. The more I view the country, the better I am satisfied that the Saints can live here and raise abundant crops. Elder Kimball has kindly offered me a horse to ride and view the country as much and when l have a mind to while we stay here. This morning Joseph Mathews and John Brown started west to go to the mountain. They returned this evening andreport that they have been at the foot of the mountain and judge it to be about sixteen miles distance. They say the wild sage is very plentiful on the other side the valley. showing that the land is not so rich there as here. They found a horse, near the mountain anti have brought it to camp, supposed to have strayed from emigrants who have previously passed this way. Towards sundown heavy clouds were noticed in the south and southwest. We expected a shower, but it passed off to the east.
This plaque makes reference to the Latter-day Saint belief that Ensign Peak represents the fulfillment of a biblical prophecy by Isaiah that "an ensign for the nations" would be raised, marking the place where people would gather from "the four corners of the earth."
(Isa 5:26; 18:3).
Ensign Peak
By:
I grew up in the L.A. area and Ensign Peak was forgotten until I moved into the Salt Lake area in 1997. At this time the "Faith in Every Footstep" Utah Sesquicentennial programs were in full swing. I was asked to go with the boy scouts to hike up Ensign peak one Saturday. So I said sure, and drove a group of rowdy scouts to downtown Salt Lake City.
The entrance to the Ensign Peak trail is located North of Temple Square and the State Capitol on the bench in a quiet neighborhood. A small park is located at the trail head with historic plaques and information to be read for the visitor to learn more of the history.
In the scriptures some of the prophecies of "last Days" state:
Isaiah 5:26
And he will lift up ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold they will come with speed swiftly.
Isaiah 18:3
All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains....
"President (Brigham) Young , in the company with several of the Twelve and others, ascended a peak in the north. It was suggested that this peak was a fitting ensign to the nations, so Brigham Young named it "Ensign Peak" It was the ensign of Christ's Kingdom. To the Saints gathered upon the peak it seemed that the ancient prophecy of Isaiah was about to be fulfilled."
See Isaiah 2:2-3
The Restored Church by :W illiam E. Berrett , Deseret Book Co. 15th ed. 1973, SLC Utah p.265
Inspired by this Parley P. Pratt later wrote:
See on yonder distant mountain
Zion's standard wide unfurled,
Far above Missouri's fountain.
Lo! it waves for all the world!....
Sacred and spiritual songs by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 1851, London p.102
As I said before all this was somewhere in the teachings of my childhood but I had burred it with the baggage of years and lack of understanding. The hike takes about ten minutes and is a real hike on an unimproved trail that at points almost vertical, I would recommend a small container of water and not your Sunday best for the hike. Not remembering any of the history of this peak as I climbed on, I enjoyed the beauty of the springtime grasses and flowers along the side of the trail and the hike itself being a hiker myself.
At last we rounded a rocky skree and we were there. Upon the top of the peak was a cement area with a pillar of sand stones. Each sand stone had etched in it the name of a Utah Stake/Ward that placed the stone there.
A member of our Stake Presidency then read to us the history of the peak, and I was touched to be on the peak that is the ensign to the nations. I remembered that Brigham Young was ill just a few days earlier and to make this trip up this which must have been hard for him and difficult as it was for me. I marveled at the Pioneer sprit of the people who settled this valley and I caught a glimpse of the hardships and the beauties they had as part of their lives and it made me grateful for them and their sacrifices.
To stand in the place where prophecy was fulfilled touched me as few experiences in my life I remembered my Danish ancestors "flowed unto" this valley not long after the ensign was raised.
I will remember that trip all my life as a faith promoting experience and a testimony to the fulfillment of prophecy. That day on the peak I received a witness of the Sprit that this place was the place that Isaiah foretold of in the scriptures and I will never deny it.
Christopher W. Roberts Sr.
07/26/1847 - Crockett
Date: July 26, 1847
Salt Lake Valley, Utah:
The pioneers arose early at the sound of the bugle at 6 a.m. and went back to work plowing and planting. Some of those who were still sick went to bath in one of the warm springs and said the effects were greatly beneficial. Others left in the morning to also try out the springs which were 109 degrees. A company of fifteen men left to make a road to the timber in City Creek Canyon. A tent was raised in a grove near the camp for men to work in making clothes. Robert Baird made buckskin pants and Thomas Cloward mended the pioneers' shoes. Joseph Matthews and John Brown headed toward the mountain to the west.
It was probably on this morning that an historic event took place. Wilford Woodruff later said: "He [President Young] said to me in the morning, "Brother Woodruff, I want to take a walk." "All right," said I. A number of the Twelve Apostles were there and they got together. He commenced to walk from our encampment across this barren desert, this sage plain without any guide to mark anything appertaining to the future of the children of men in this land. President Young was quite feeble. He wore his little green cloak upon his shoulders and he walked slowly along. As we advanced from below on to the rising ground we came to a certain spot where he stopped very suddenly. He took his cane, which had a spike in the end of it, and stuck it down into the ground, and said, "Here shall stand the Temple of our God." . . . I asked him to stop there till I could break a piece of sage brush or something that I could drive down into the place. I did nothing else until I put a stake in that spot that he marked with his cane, and then we went on about our business."" [He also noted on another occasion that the place they marked was nearly in the middle of the Temple as it stands to-day.] Wilford Woodruff also took Brigham Young in his carriage about two miles to the north to choose a nice spot for a garden.
At 10 a.m., an exploring company left consisting of Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Wilford Woodruff, George A. Smith, Ezra T. Benson, Willard Richards, Albert Carrington, and William Clayton. They traveled to the north and climbed the bench of land which would later be "Capitol Hill." William Clayton wrote: "We arrived on a beautiful table land, level and nicely sloping to the west. Here we halted to view it and the more we viewed, the better we were satisfied that it is as handsome a place for a city as can be imagined. At the east part there is a considerable creek of clear cold water descending from the mountains and just above this place it branches into two forks, one running northwest the other southwest and the two nicely surrounding this place, and so well arranged that should a city be built here the water can be turned into every street at pleasure."
Brigham Young wanted to climb the peak to the north. His brother, Lorenzo had joined in with the company. William Clayton further recorded this historic climb: "After some hard toil and time we succeeded in gaining the summit, leaving our horses about two-thirds the way up. President Young felt pretty well fatigued when he got up. Some of the brethren feel like naming this Ensign Peak. From this place, we had a good view of the Salt Lake and could see that the waters extend for a great many miles to the north of us."
Wilford Woodruff's record of this hike reads: "We all went onto the top of a high peak in the edge of the Mountain which we considered a good place to raise an ensign upon which we named Ensign Peak or Hill. (I was the first person that ascended this hill.) Brother Young was very weary in climbing the peak, he being feeble."
[In later years, histories would be record that on this occasion the brethren unfurled the American flag as the Ensign of liberty. There is no evidence for this and it is generally considered false. At the time of the Pioneer Jubilee in 1897 the "Salt Lake Herald" erected a tall liberty pole on the top of the mountain from which the "Stars and Stripes" were unfurled. On July 26, 1934, a monument was erected there commemorating the alleged raising of Old Glory.
In 1910, William Smoot, one of the last surviving pioneers spoke of this event: "Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball and his associates went up on the hill and toward Ensign Peak which was the name they gave it, as Kimball said: 'We will someday hoist an ensign here.' . . . While they were up there looking around they went through some motions that we could not see from where we were, nor know what they meant. They formed a circle, seven or eight or ten of them. But I could not tell what they were doing. Finally they came down in the evening. . . . They hoisted a sort of flag on Ensign Peak. Not a flag, but a handkerchief belonging to Heber C. Kimball, one of those yellow bandana kind."
On July 26, 1996, near the foot of Ensign Peak a park was dedicated by Presdient Gordon B. Hinckley. He said: "We pray that through the years to come, many thousands of people of all faiths and all denominations, people of this nation and of other nations, may come here to reflect on the history and the efforts of those who pioneered this area. May this be a place of pondering, a place of remembrance, a place of thoughtful gratitude, a place of purposeful resolution."]
They divided into two groups to descend Ensign Peak. Heber C. Kimball, George A. Smith, Albert Carrington, and William Clayton descended on the northwest corner, while the rest went back down on the east side and visited the warm springs. Elder Kimball's group had a long hike down and then wound their way around the hill and came to the warm sulphur springs where water was boiling out of a rock at the foot of the mountain. [This warm spring was located near present-day Children's Museum of Utah. In 1850, a bathouse 15 X 30 feet was dedicated and a grove of Locust trees planted. Jesse C. Little built a hotel there in the 1850's. James Townsend later leased the Warm Springs until his death in 1886. In 1932 it was named Wasatch Springs Plunge.]
After a cool drink of fresh water from a stream, George A. Smith, William Clayton, and Albert Carrington decided to go on and see the river [Jordan River] which they had seen from the top of Ensign Peak. They soon found the road used by the Donner-Reed party and others during the previous year. After traveling about two more miles, they came to the river which was about 80 feet wide and three and a half feet deep at a crossing point. The soil along the river was good. While at the river, they saw Wilford Woodruff's carriage in the distance heading to the north, so they started to follow them. The carriage headed to a large hot sulphur spring near the mountain. Before George A. Smith's group caught up, the carriage had already head back toward camp. The group decided to go ahead and visit the hot spring.
William Clayton wrote about this visit to the hot spring: "We arrived at the big spring about four o'clock and making our horses fast, we went down to where it boils out of the rock. This spring is also situated at the foot of the mountains and at the base of a large rock, perpendicular on the west side and gradually losing itself on the east in the mountain. The spring, as I have said, is at the base of this rock. There is a circular hole about four feet wide and a yard high from the top to the surface of the water from whence the water boils out in a considerable stream. The water itself in the spring seems to be about two feet deep. There is a rock at the mouth of the spring where a person can stand and see inside. Standing on this rock with your face near the mouth of the spring a strong warm sulphurous air is felt to come in gusts out of the rock and it is so hot that it requires only a few minutes to start the perspiration. On putting my hand in the spring, I was startled with the heat and found I could not bear to hold my hand in five seconds. It is as hot as the hottest dish water ever used for dishes." Thomas Bullock also visited this hot springs earlier and wrote: "The water was so very hot that I was unable to bear [keeping] my fingers in four or five seconds."
They saw that the spring water formed a little, deep lake, and then flowed in a little stream to the north. They went downstream about a hundred feet, thinking they would dip their feet in the warm water. "but on taking off our boots and socks we found it impossible to hold our feet in it a moment and could barely wash by dashing the water on with our hands and suddenly dipping them in and out. It is supposed this would boil an egg in about ten minutes."
[This spring, later known as Beck's Hot Springs, was later destroyed and no longer exists. It was located near the US 89 and I-15 junction. In the early days the property was owned by Richard Jones. He built a resort there serving clubs, weddings and other gatherings. There was boating, bathing, and fishing in the summer, and skating in the winter. In 1883, the property was sold to John Beck. First class hotel accomodations were provided along with private cottages. It was a very popular resort. In 1896, the hotel, swimming pool, laundry, and boiler house were destroyed by fire. The resort was rebuilt, but fire again destroyed it in 1924. There were plans to again revive the resort, but the Utah State Highway Commission notified the owners that a highway would be built there and the land was aquired by the commission in 1953.]
At 5 p.m., they returned back to the camp, four miles away. They saw that the brethren had finished planting about three acres of potatoes, peas, and beans, and were now planting four or five acres of corn. Two miles to the southeast, some of the brethren started to make a garden.
When Heber C. Kimball had returned to camp in the afternoon, he discovered that he had lost his spy glass during his hike to and from Ensign Peak. He retraced his steps and hiked all the way back up Ensign Peak but could not find it. When he came down, he saw Willard Richards and Ezra T. Benson bathing in the warm springs. He joined them and found the effects of the warm water "pleasant and beneficial." After the bath, they started back toward camp and Elder Kimball soon found his spy glass near the road.
Brigham Young directed some men to start working on a boat which would later be called "Mud Hen" and would be used to explore the Great Salt Lake.
Joseph Matthews and John Brown returned from the mountains to the west which ended up being about sixteen miles away. They found a horse near the mountain and brought it back to camp. It was believed to be a stray horse from the previous year's emigrants. The country was quite barren toward the west.
On the North Platte River, Nebraska:
With permission to travel in smaller groups of "fifties," the companies were free to depart from camp whenever they were ready. They ascended some sandy bluffs during the day, "the hardest sand hill we have found." Large numbers of Indians were seen traveling on the other side of the river. Eliza Snow, traveling back in the Grant company wrote: "Many Ind[ians] pass us with tents & baggage fasten'd to mules, horses & on drays form'd of tent poles drawn by horses, mules & dogs. Covers for the little ones made by fastening skins over bows which are fix'd to the upper side of the drays." Her company traveled into the night under the moon. They passed by the Indian camp. "Come up to the Ind[inan] tens where they come out in scores -- some shake their blankets which frightens the cattle."
Sources:
William Clayton's Journal, p.318-23
Wilford Woodruff's Journal, 3:236-37
Watson, ed., Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 565-66
Howard Egan Diary, Pioneering the West, 108-09
Bagley, ed., The Pioneer Camp of the Saints, 238-39
The Historians Corner, BYU Studies, Vol. 14, No. 1, p.110
Salt Lake Tribune, 18 March 1910, p. 2.
Deseret News, August 3, 1996
Andrew Jenson, Encyclopedic History of the Church , p.231
Isaac C. Haight Journal, typescript, 45
Jesse W. Crosby Journal, typescript, BYU, 38
Beecher, ed., The Personal Writings of Eliza Roxcy Snow, 187
Smart, ed., Mormon Midwife, The 1846-1888 Diaries of Patty Bartlett Sessions, 93
Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol. 16, p.114-16
Collected Discourses, Vol.5, Wilford Woodruff, Afternoon, August 29, 1897
Source:
?These materials have been created by David R. Crockett. Copies of these materials may be reproduced for teacher and classroom use. When distributing these materials, credit must be given to David R. Crockett. These materials may not be published, in whole or part, or in any other format, without the written permission of Mr. Crockett, Tucson Az, .
Narrator: President Hinckley
Rising above the Salt Lake Valley is a dome-shaped peak. Brigham Young saw it in a vision before the Saints left Nauvoo. He saw an ensign descend upon the hill and heard the voice of Joseph Smith say, "Build under that point . . . and you will prosper and have peace."
When Brigham Young first arrived in the valley, he immediately recognized the peak. On the morning of July 26, 1847, the men who would eventually comprise the new First Presidency, along with several members of the Twelve, climbed its slopes.
This small group of priesthood leaders gazed out upon the valley below. "This is where we will plant the soles of our feet," President Young said, "and where the Lord will place his name amongst his people."
As I now stand at Ensign Peak and see the valley below, I marvel at the foresight of that little group. These prophets, dressed in old, travel-worn clothes, standing in boots they had worn for more than a thousand miles, spoke of a millennial vision. It was both bold and audacious. It was almost unbelievable.
Here they were, almost a thousand miles from the nearest settlement to the east and almost eight hundred miles from the Pacific coast. They were in an untried climate. They had never raised a crop here. They had not built a structure of any kind.
They were exiles, driven from their fair city on the Mississippi into this desert region of the west. But they were possessed of a vision drawn from the scriptures and words of revelation: "And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth" (Isa. 11:12).
This great pioneering movement of more than a century ago goes forward with latter-day pioneers. Today pioneer blood flows in our veins just as it did with those who walked west. It's the essence of our courage to face modern-day mountains and our commitment to carry on. The faith of those early pioneers burns still, and nations are being blessed by latter-day pioneers who possess a clear vision of this work of the Lord.
The footsteps that made such a deep impression over the heartland of America make similar impressions in countries across the world--from Belgium to Brazil and France to the Philippines. Step by faithful step, we walk together toward a glorious destiny, building the kingdom of God on earth and preparing the minds and hearts of people everywhere to come unto Christ, the Redeemer and Savior of the world.
