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Show 112 Brigham Young then rose to address the congregation a second time, saying "There are a few more items I wish to present to the people. "23 He then asked all those in the congregation who had never been driven from their homes to stand. Three fifths Of those assembled in the Tabernacle rose to their feet. "Now who will go first? Shall we call upon those who have been driven, or those who have not?" asked the prophet; "Shall I leave it to the congregation to decide, or shall I decide for you?" "You decide!" came the voice of the people. "I should decide that those who have never been pioneers shall be pioneers this time..." That evening, the bishops were to select about five hundred families from the class indicated to be the vanguard of the new gathering. Young closed his speech with this timely warning: "Bishops and military officers, take due notice and govern yourselves accordingly; it is clear in the south." The course of action was now set. A tactical retreat into the desert wilderness was no longer the contingency plan-it was THE PLAN. The military would fight only a rear guard action if required and possibly a guerilla war for the preservation of the gathering; but no longer was open, full-scale warfare a policy. If God would not give them a smashing military victory, he would at least overrule the situation for good. Reactions to the change in policy were generally positive. Bishop Charles B. Hancock of Payson wrote to Young that there were several from his settlement who wished "to go as pioneers to the Desert should you deem it wisdom for them to go."2^ And Mary Ann Young, a wife of the prophet, philosophically declared on March 23: I am in favor of leaving here without fighting. I am very comfortably situated, but I would be sorry to think that one good brother's life was lost in defending my home. I would rather leave peaceably, We shall |