Chapter 536: Devout Christian Stanford

May 1857.

After going north, the word "going east" appears more and more frequently in newspapers across California, and is expected to become California's hot word of the year.

"Extra number! Extra number!

Great news! Great news!

The federal government appointed Mr. Stanford as the Governor of the Utah Territory. Mr. Liang Shaoyu served as Mr. Stanford's assistant and chairman of the Utah Territory Immigration Committee, responsible for supervising Utah Territory immigration matters!

"

"Extra number! Extra number!

From now on, all train tickets to Utah Territory are on sale at San Francisco, Sacramento, and Los Angeles train stations at a 40% discount!

"

"Extra number! Extra number!

From now on, the Americas Bank and the Boston Bank will provide three-year interest-free loans to new and old immigrants going to Utah to colonize. Old immigrants can enjoy higher loan amounts if they can provide asset mortgages!

"

"Extra number! Extra number!

Members of the Brigham Mormon cult in Utah attacked immigrants on our west coast for no reason. Colonel Kruger has arrested 28 cult members involved. The number of dead and injured is unknown.

Once again, I would like to remind fellow immigrants that Brigham is a demonic den, so be careful when immigrating here!

"

"Extra number! Extra number!

Mr. Stanford selected 36 elite judges from across California to form the Utah Special Trial Court!

"

News that was good for immigrants to the Utah Territory spread like wings to the streets of every town.

People can't help but think of the brave immigrants who responded to the call of the state government and went north to develop Oregon and Liangzhou.

These people have now become prominent figures such as mayors and councilors.

Whenever I think about this, Californians who failed to respond to the government's call to go north due to various reasons can't help but beat their chests and sigh.

I wonder if they had gone to Oregon or Liangzhou, would the trajectory of their lives have changed?

In California today, it is not difficult to find a job with a monthly salary of about US$20 and make a living.

But if you want to continue to climb up and become a higher-level person, it will be difficult.

California has long passed the rough days when gold was everywhere and everyone had the opportunity to make a fortune.

The Utah Territory is now in its own reckless era.

Although Utah is in chaos, wasn't California seven or eight years ago in chaos?

This was the thought of many old settlers who were determined to go to Utah Territory.

Unlike the new immigrants, some old immigrants from some backgrounds are no longer satisfied with their current mediocre life, and can see the end of their lives at a glance.

They decided to mortgage their property and go to Utah to make a living.

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Stanford, who received the federal appointment as governor of the Utah Territory, took his team to Utah in a hurry by train.

The composition of the team he led was very complex, including 36 elites in California's judicial circles, members of the Loyalty Association, his privately trained thugs, and two pairs of shackles put on him by Liang Yao.

As the train entered Utah, what Stanford could see was a vast expanse of land that seemed to stretch to the end of the world. The sky is like a pure blue dome with few clouds.

The smell of drought is coming, and this place seems to be unable to tolerate even a drop of water. The natural wonders composed of vast arid deserts and majestic mountains were the impression left on Stanford when he first entered the Utah Territory.

Not far from the railway, you can often see grave bags of different sizes. Some grave bags still have paper money and sacrifices left in them. It seems that someone paid homage not long ago.

In order to build this railway, 685 brave and hard-working railway workers were buried here, including 6 valuable railway engineers.

Of course, the actual death toll is far higher than that, and these are just the registered deaths.

In the middle of the project, the Umbrella Company transported tens of thousands of slave workers from Southeast Asia. In the end, only about 4,000 slave workers were able to return to Borneo by ship.

The matter was a tacit secret among California's top brass.

When the train leaves the mountains, there is a plain in front of it, and there is a bit of life on the plain. Lonely dwarf trees, grass taller than a person, and rocks stacked like sculptures have become the symbols of this area. Occasionally, a breeze passes by, and the only sound it brings is the vibration of the wind blowing through the gravel, like the whisper of the Creator.

In this desolate place, life has a tenacious viability. Elk danced their hooves gracefully on the hillside, their fur blending almost imperceptibly into the dry grassland. In the distance, a herd of wild horses galloped past, sending up a burst of flying smoke.

Stanford felt like a free and happy wild horse galloping in this vast world.

"Mr. Liang, Mr. Pan, are you interested in hunting together?"

Wild horses, elk, mountain lions (cougars), and wolves galloping in the wilderness, as well as eagles, vultures and other birds soaring in the sky aroused Stanford's desire to hunt.

Stanford closed the Book of Mormon in his hand. Over the past week, he had read the book over and over several times, and he already knew the contents of the book.

"Hunting?" Pan Baolin felt confused. What kind of hunting was on the train?

Without waiting for Liang Shaoyu to respond, Stanford suddenly raised the volcanic stone lever rifle and skillfully pulled the trigger at the living creature outside the window.

Stanford's shooting skills were very good. On a high-speed train, he could hit the heart and lungs of an elk with two bullets in a row. The elk was dragged bloody and collapsed before it took a few steps.

"Sir, you are simply killing, not hunting."

The fledgling Pan Baolin couldn't stand Stanford's killing for fun. There was a reason why Stanford was not welcomed by the senior officials in California, Pan Baolin thought.

"Hey, you lucky fool."

Stanford was very jealous of Pan Baolin. He was appreciated by Liang Yao at a young age and started his political career as an assistant to the governor of the territory.

"Now we are only killing animals on the train. When we get to Salt Lake City, we will kill people."

Pan Baolin was speechless and couldn't refute.

"Mr. Speaker must have sent you to me to train you." Stanford put the gun into Pan Baolin's hand.

"Today I will teach you the first lesson, cruelty."

"I won't"

Pan Baolin refused. Now the picture in his mind was all about the bloody elk, and he couldn't do it.

"If you don't shoot, I will push you off the train." Stanford grabbed Pan Baolin's neck.

Liang Shaoyu on the side drank tea calmly.

Having been a housekeeper in Tingtao Garden for so many years, he has come into contact with all kinds of people. He knows Stanford very well.

Although this man is annoying, he is still very sensible.

"Shoot or not?"

Stanford pressed Pan Baolin's head outside the car window.

"No!" Pan Baolin was still very stubborn.

"Shoot or not?"

This time, Stanford pressed half of Pan Baolin's body outside the car window.

"Let me go!"

Pan Baolin shouted.

"No! Are you going to shoot now?"

Stanford laughed meanly.

"I'll shoot your mother!"

Pan Baolin made up her mind, put the muzzle of the gun on Stanford's forehead, closed her eyes and pulled the trigger.

But there was no gunshot, only a crisp metal collision sound in Pan Baolin's ears.

Stanford let go of his hand, Pan Baolin's mind was blank, he felt weak all over, he gasped and collapsed to the ground.

"That's more reasonable." Stanford took back the volcanic rock rifle from Pan Baolin and threw it to the bodyguard beside him.

"Stanford, stop it." Liang Shaoyu walked over with a sullen face, pulled Pan Baolin up, and taught him a lesson.

"You don't even dare to fire the gun, you really bring shame to your grandfather! In a place like Utah Territory, the legal provisions you learned in school are just waste paper."

Arriving in Salt Lake City, Stanford wanted to pay a visit to Brigham Young, but he didn't expect that since Kruger led the Arizona Infantry Regiment to enter Utah Territory, Brigham Young was like a cat seeing a mouse, and he left the Salt Lake City headquarters directly and hid in Brigham without leaving the house.

The first thing Stanford did was to publicize that he was a loyal believer of Mormonism and went to the Mormon church to pray devoutly.

At the beginning, the Mormons in Salt Lake City sneered at Stanford who claimed to be a Mormon.

What kind of Mormon believer is he without being baptized by a bishop?

But soon, the Mormons who had contact with Stanford found that Mr. Stanford was more familiar with the Mormon doctrines than the old believers.

Gradually, more and more Mormons in Salt Lake City believed that Mr. Stanford was a loyal Mormon.

Stanford went to church to pray every day and never missed it. It seemed that prayer was more important than his job.

Stanford's actions made the Mormons who were hostile and wary of Stanford feel ashamed.

Mr. Stanford did not smoke, drink, or have sex with women. It seemed that Mr. Stanford was indeed a loyal believer who abided by the rules of the church.

"Since you are humble, obedient, look up to God, and endure everything, then I tell you that after we have gone through our advice to God, everything is good for you.

You have also seen with your own eyes that what Aaron said is true. I have seen all the sins you have committed. Let me lead you back to the fountain until your sins are washed away.

Look, everyone seems to be lost in my eyes, which is proved by your heavenly Father, so I have been urging you to turn to him.

Look, my son, I tell you that human beings are fragile and sometimes make mistakes, but I will forgive them because of my mercy as long as they sincerely repent."

In the Mormon Cathedral in Salt Lake City, Stanford recited the Book of Mormon selflessly and devoutly.

For a whole half month, Stanford appeared in the church every day regardless of rain or shine, as if only here was the place where his soul could rest.

"Sir Stanford, I knew you were here!"

Pan Baolin rushed into the church angrily and accused him unceremoniously.

"You are the Governor of Utah Territory! I hope you don't forget your identity!"

They have been in Salt Lake City for half a month. In the past half month, Pan Baolin has been handling all the trivial matters of the Governor of the Territory. Stanford, apart from eating and sleeping every day, stays in the Mormon Church in Salt Lake City every day to sit and talk with a group of Mormons.

This made Pan Baolin very angry. He reminded Stanford not to forget his identity and the purpose of coming to Utah Territory.

"First of all, I am a believer of God, and secondly, I am still a believer of God." Stanford looked extremely pious.

"The secular affairs of the world, you, an ordinary person, will handle them for me."

After that, Stanford drove Pan Baolin out of the church without saying anything.

"Mr. Stanford, thank you for your recent support for our religion." Salt Lake City Bishop Burton Beth said to Stanford very politely.

These days, Stanford either donates money to the church or distributes expensive and scarce living supplies to the believers, which makes Beth very confused.

Beth doesn't know how much the living supplies Stanford distributes to the believers are worth, but she knows that Stanford has donated as much as 32,000 US dollars to the church in the past half month.

These money are not blank checks, but all golden gold coins minted by the California Mint.

The gold coins minted by California are real hard currency, which cannot be compared with the inferior coins minted by other states.

The property donated by Stanford alone to the church has exceeded the assets donated to the church by other believers in Salt Lake City this year.

Most of the Mormons in Utah are poor immigrants without much assets. Stanford is the richest person Beth has ever seen.

Such a high-quality believer must be won over to her side. Beth thought so.

"Bishop, it seems that I am deeply sinful, and you are still unwilling to accept me and treat me as a believer." Stanford said sadly and very disappointedly.

"Stanford's piety is obvious to all believers in Salt Lake City, but..." Beth hesitated.

"But what? I hope the bishop can give me some advice." Stanford asked.

"It's just that you haven't been baptized and officially joined the church." Beth said.

"Please baptize me, Bishop! Only by converting to Mormonism can I find peace in my heart." Stanford's eyes lit up, and he begged in a humble and pious tone.

"I, I can't baptize you." Beth shook her head and refused to baptize Stanford.

"Why?" Stanford was emotional.

"Is it because I'm not pious enough? I am willing to donate all my property to express my piety to the church!"

All property

Beth was shocked, Stanford was a wealthy man in California.

Beth had heard about Stanford's business, although many of Stanford's businesses were shady businesses. But these businesses were real and profitable businesses.

Stanford's total property was at least millions of dollars.

How many new churches can be built with millions of dollars, how many believers can be recruited, and how many beautiful female believers can be supported.

Thinking of this, Beth's heart almost jumped out of her chest with excitement.

"No, it's because you are too pious and your status is so noble that I am not qualified to baptize you. Only the prophet is qualified to baptize you." Beth said solemnly.

If an ordinary person wants to join the church, Beth can baptize him now.

For a heavyweight like Stanford to join the church is beyond the authority of him, the bishop of Salt Lake City. Only the prophet, that is, the Mormon Archbishop Brigham Young, is qualified to baptize Stanford.

The Mormon Church has a strict hierarchy, and Brigham Young treats believers harshly and cruelly. Beth dared not baptize Stanford without permission.