Brigham Young Page #5

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and wanting to know

what we're going to do next.

Well, in the first place,

we're gonna start acting like

we've got some common sense.

We're gonna build

some strong new wagons,

gather in all the food we can...

get enough guns and ammunition,

warm clothes and whatever else

we need...

and then we're gonna

get out ofhere.

And we're gonna keep going

until we're clear out of

the United States...

across the RockyMountains

into Mexico.

- Hallelujah.

- Mexico?. Across the Rocky Mountains?.

When it's got to the place

a man can't stay in the United States...

and believe what he wants to,

then he's got to get out.

- (Man ) That's 1,500 miles.

Take us fouryears to get there.

- ( Young)Just about.

It took Moses 40 years

to get where he was going.

- (Man )

But 1,500 miles! We'dstarve!

- ( All Chattering )

Doggone you, Brigham Young.

We've stood for all your

foolishness we're aimin' to.

I'm through, through with

the whole dang setup.

I'm quittin'. You understand?.

Quittin' you and the church.

I'm goin' someplace

where me and myfamily can live.

( All Chattering )

I know. I know it's not

an easy thing I'm asking you to do.

But we can do it

ifwe've got faith enough.

There's good stock

here, Lord.

They're about as fine

a bunch of men and women as ever lived.

All they need

is a little bucking up...

and a kick in the right direction so's--

so's they'll know their own strength.

And then you'll see how soon

they'll stop all this infernal whining...

and all this talk about running off,

quitting the church.

First thing you know,

they'll be letting their beards grow.

They'llbe getting dirt

undertheirfingernails...

and calluses on theirhands

as big as hoecakes.

And they'll be ready to whip

the tar out ofthe first fellow...

that says

we'l I never make it.

I f there's anybody here

doubts that, they'd better

haul tail right now...

because we don't want 'em.

We'll build ourwagons,

and we'll scratch for our food.

We'll shiver, and we'll

go hungry ifwe have to.

And maybe some of us

will keel over and die in ourtracks...

but that won't

stop us neither.

Because the rest of us

will keep going,

and we'll never stop.

Never, not until

we've found the place.

(Young's Voice )

Well, Lord, we're on ourway.

Just as faras the eye can see,

theykeep comin'.

I doubt ifthere's been

anything to equal this...

since the children oflsrael

set out across the Red Sea...

andyou--

you had to open up the waters

to let 'em through.

And talk about miracles.

Just take a look at the way

some ofthese wagons

have hung together.

Ofcourse, it took

plenty ofscurrying around

to get together what we did.

But I knew that as soon

as we stopped arguin'...

and grumblin'about

what had to be done...

and started findin' ways

to do it, that we'd manage all right.

Some ofour folks aren't really

in shape to travel.

Some, like Eliza,

with bullet holes in 'em.

Everybody, young or old,

has his or her work cut out.

The women are busy

sewing, mending, weaving...

or taking care ofthe babies,

doing the cooking.

And the men

who don 't have to drive

or look after the livestock...

are turning out new shoes

and seeing that

our harnesses hold out.

And we don 't aim to let

our children get far behind

in their lessons either.

Classes are being held

every foot ofthe way

so 's it'll never be said...

that a Mormon

can 't read and write

with the best ofthem.

( Woman )

Seventy-two--

Yes, sir, we're on our way.

Load your wagons

and get ready to start.

There's only about

five feet ofwater.

(Man )

Ho there!

It's all right,Jonathan.

We can make it.

It's only about five feet deep.

Take care ofhim.

It's only about five feet deep.

Come on!

( Cattle Lowing )

- Can you swim?.

- No.

- You will.

- ( Screaming )

(Woman Screams )

( Screams )

Whoa, boy!

(Jonathan ) All right.

Now straighten it out.

- There. All right.

- We should've built

arks instead ofwagons.

Ifwe had, we could've floated

clear to the Rocky Mountains.

Has this wagon

grown roots?.

Angus, I didn't know

you were here.

- Yep. In the mud with the rest of us.

- It's my church too, Brigham.

Sure it is.

Ifwe all push together,

we'll get someplace.

- All right. All together.

- All together.

Heave! Heave!

(Young)

Lord, the waythese sisters

swing an ax is a caution.

Theygo at it as iftheyhad

the devil himselfon the ground...

fixin' to lop offhis tail.

In the meanwhile,

we keep jogging along...

putting plenty

ofgood Iowa mud between us...

and those scoundrels

back in Carthage.

It's rough country

we're going through...

and it's just as hard

on the wagons as it is

on them inside.

zi na, come here.

What do you want?.

I want her to drive, Ma.

I want to find Brigham.

Tell him we're gonna

drop out for a little while.

We can catch up later.

- All this jolting--

- You keep going.

Ifyou let one stop, then somebody else

will want to stop too.

Then a third and a fourth,

and, beforeyou know it...

the whole shootin' match

will be fallin' out.

I don't want it said

that we were the first to give up.

Not for anything.

Understand?.

zina, you go and sit

with Jonathan.

It ain't right

you cooped up in here...

and all that springtime

outside.

Go on now, dear.

(Young)

We've beenseeing Indians, Lord,

forseveral days now.

Sometimes there'sjust one.

Sometimes

there's two or three.

Sometimes a whole tribe

just lookin'.

Porter Rockwell says that...

their main village

is up ahead at Council Bluffs...

and there must be a couple

ofthousand around here

and with more comin '.

Kind ofgives you

a creepy feelin '...

knowing they've got

their eyes on you.

Some ofour folks are getting

downright uneasy...

but I tell them,

""Indians can 't be any worse...

than some Christians

I know. '"

Till we find out

a little bit more about them...

we mean to trust

in you, Lord...

and to keep

our powder dry.

zi gzaggi ng. That means

he wants to talk in peace.

You zigzag out

to meet him.

My name's

Brigham Young.

We folks have been run

out of our homes...

and some of us

are pretty tired and sick.

We'd like to stop

in Council Bluffs for a while.

My people knows

ofyour coming.

We know whyyou are here.

As Superintendent oflndians,

my advice is to say no.

Not manyyears ago,

we were driven out of our homes.

You are welcome here.

Chief, those are the first words

of real welcome...

we've heard

in 1 6 years.

And don't think

we're going to forget them.

You can count on us

for anything you want.

( Young )

We're welcome here!

We can stay here

as long as we want to.

Unhookyour oxen,

turn them out to graze.

Clara. Mary.

We're welcome here.

We can stay as long as we want to.

Oh, I'm so glad,

Brigham.

Tell everybody to unhook

their oxen and horses.

Theycan hunt too.

This countryis running

overwith wild game.

Look, Brigham,

good, rich earth.

Sure.

Anything would grow here.

I think I'll let the main body

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