Apostle Orson Hyde offered this counsel late in 1850, warning against marriage and even social contact between Mormon women and men who were headed to the gold mines in California, who were spending the winter in Salt Lake City, many of them joining the Church. His advice was based on Mormon experience of the previous season, when Gold Rushers who had spent the winter in relative comfort in Salt Lake City turned out to be “Winter Saints,” their supposed religion forgotten, their wives abandoned, when they hurried off to the gold fields as soon as spring weather opened the routes. ( think it’s worth struggling through the formal 19th century language to get to the key paragraphs addressed directly to women.)

Advice to Females

The most wise, judicious and intelligent people in the world, have all the misery and sorrow they are willing to endure, when their course of life is regulated by all the combined excellencies of their character.

This Valley proves to be directly on the Great Western thoroughfare leading to the golden mountains and shining vallies of the far-famed California. Thousands and tens of thousands swarm along its course, and call at this Half Way House to rest and recruit themselves and their animals.

Many conclude, on arriving here, to go no further, – to make this place their home, and embrace the religion of this community by being baptized, &c. It is highly gratifying to every Saint to learn that such is the fact, provided they come with honesty in their hearts, and sincerity upon their tongues; but as different men are actuated by different motives, it becomes the females of this Valley to be on their guard; and to suffer no man to gain a seat in their affections, until he has gained the confidence of the Church, and of the authorities of the same by a high minded and honorable course of virtuous actions.

Will you, young ladies, give yourselves to the stranger – the transient and uncertain traveller, whose intention may be to remain here only until the yielding snow will admit his egress through the mountain passes in the coming spring? Will you thus hazard your person, your character, and perhaps your salvation, and join your destiny with a man who, for aught you know, has a family in the States, or in some other country? Remember that it requires something more than baptism to constitute a Saint; and my advice to every unmarried female in this country is, to wait till the proof of established righteousness, virtue, sincerity, honesty and integrity shall appear in the man, before she consents to enter into any marriage covenant with him.

If you regard this counsel of a friend, in the spirit by which it is dictated, you may rest comparatively safe; but if you do not, in four cases out of five, your union will only last long enough to accomplish your ruin, and you left to welter under the shame and mortification of your hasty and ill-advised marriage.

Fathers and friends ought to interpose in behalf of the simple in such cases, – (the wise will never become thus ensnared.) Every virtuous and good man, whether he be Jew or Gentile, will not only honor this advice and counsel, but will see, at once, its propriety and acknowledge it; but the libertine, the hypocrite, the false-hearted and the unprincipled man may rail against it.

While good wishes are reserved in the breasts of this people for the sincere and honest stranger, who seeks among us the words of life and salvation, duty calls upon us loudly to guard against the encroachments of worthless and unprincipled adventurers, – against the serpent in the grass who, in a moment least expected, thrusts his deadly fangs into our heel.

Respectfully submitted by

Orson Hyde.