History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

416 MISSIONS AND IMMIGRATION.
tinued in operation for nearly forty years, and through
it fifty thousand persons have been assisted in removing
to Utah. "The fund was gotten up," says Woodruff,
"on the principle of perpetual succession, to continue
increasing on condition of the people acting
honestly, and in accordance with their covenants
repaying the amounts. . .which had been advanced. 47
The sum thus loaned was usually refunded as soon as
possible, for this obligation was held sacred by most
of the saints, some working out their indebtedness at
the public ateliers of the tithing office, and receiving
meanwhile half the value of their labor, besides being
supplied with food. There were many, however,
who neglected or were unable to pay the advance,
the amount due to the funds increasing gradually,
until, in 1880, it had reached, with interest, $1,604,-
000. At the jubilee conference, held in April of this
year, one half of the debt was remitted in favor of
the most worthy and needy of the assisted emigrants. 43
On the 1st of May, 1852, Samuel W. Richards was
placed in charge of the British mission, and on September
30th was appointed agent of the emigration company.
During this and the following year emigration
parties were organized with better system, and the
benefits of the fund extended to larger numbers than
during any previous period. On July 17, 1852, was
published in the Millennial Star the seventh general
epistle of the twelve. "Finally, brethren, fear God;
grating Fund, MS. For further particulars concerning the fund, see Snow's
Voice of Joseph, 16; Frontier Guardian, Apr. 3, 1856; Deseret Neios, Sept.
18, 1852, Dec. 1, 1853; Contributor, ii. 177; Ferris' Utah and the Mormons,
163-4; Maclean's The Mormons, 260-2; Olshausen, Alormonen, 167; Bcrtrand,
Mem. d'un Mormon, 73-4; Hist. B. Young, MS.; Linforth's Route from
Liverpool, 13; Young's Jour, of Disc, ii. 49-74; Todd's Sunset Land, 182-4.
41 Utah Pioneers, 1880, p. 47. In a letter to Orson Hyde, Brigham says:
'When the saints thus helped arrive here, they will give their obligations to
the church to refund the amount of what they have received as soon as cir-
cumstances will admit, . . .the funds to be appropriated as a loan rather than
a gift.' Hist. B. Young, MS., 1849, 152-3. Immigrants nearly all came to
Salt Lake and were distributed from this point.
48 Uta h Emigrating Fund, MS.; Circular from the Twelve Apostles, in
Mormon Pamphlets, no. 3.