trail of hope

tomorrow i will visit winter quarters the place the saints had to stop for the winter prior to their final push into the Salt Lake valley.

In February 1846, the first party of Mormon pioneers, WILLINGLY left their beloved city of Nauvoo. It was important to Brigham that the saints leave voluntarily demonstrating a desire to be a peaceful people in search of a safe place to worship freely.

articles in illinois newspapers editorialized on the injustice being shown the saints.

Great injustice inflicted by a lawless and irresponsible mob. Can these things be done in a republic and not be rebuked by an efficient expression of public sentiment? ... Bloomington (Illinois) Herald, October 30, 1846

The great body of Mormons removed voluntarily, but a small remnant of them were barbarously expelled with force, and in a manner which reflects but little credit on the state or its institutions... Illinois Governor Thomas Ford, December 7, 1846.

the initial plan was to leave in the spring of 46, or when the grass was high enough to feed the cattle, targeting late april or early may. Brigham however called for a hasty retreat in Feb. fearing the mobs were about to come upon the saints.. in an effort of good faith he called upon a selected few, including the leadership of the church, to evacuate immediately showing they were serious about the promised spring migration, hoping to deflect further attacks by the mobs. (Geoff, again i am sure the Steeds were numbered among that group, i just can't find a record which has their name on it. )

The first train of wagons ferried across the Mississippi on February 4 and then camped for nearly a month waiting for Brigham to finish business in Nauvoo, and allowing others to join them for the initial push. March 1, some 500 wagons left camp heading across Iowa toward the Missouri River, if all went well they would cross the river by late April and arrive in the Rocky Mountains by fall.

We all know the story too well. Wagons lined parley street for over 2 1/2 miles waiting to be ferried across the mile wide Mississippi. Each ferry would only handle one wagon and team at a time... thus the long wait to finally get started. Harsh weather, froze the Mississippi so more could cross... but many of the saints who left in a panic, were poorly supplied or equipped for the trek... failing to heed Brigham's instructions on what to bring.

Bad weather, heavy rains, early thaws and thick mud brought wagons to a halt. Families waited in miserable camps while men fanned out across the territory to work for food or pay hoping to build supplies for those who were so terribly unprepared.

the initial camp spent a month crossing the first 100 miles, a distance that should have taken 10 days. Eventually they would end up here, from Counsel Bluffs to Winter Quarters... a time to regroup, replenish, and prepare. By Winter, some 2500 Mormons would settle into make-do shelters along the east bank of the Missouri River. It was a long, hard, sad winter. More than 700 perished of exposure, malnutrition, scurvy, pneumonia, malaria and other diseases. "Scarcely a family escaped sickness and very few where death did not make an inroad, stated Lorenzo Snow....the rest pressed forward.

Heber J. Grant said of Winter Quarters, " There are times and places in the life of every natiion when great spiritual heights are reached, when courage becomes a living thing, when faith in God stands as the granite mountain wall - firm and immovable - while hardships, want, hunger, sickness , sorrow, and death beat down to crush. Winter Quarters was such a time and place for the Mormon people.

Somehow these pioneers comforted and helped each other along; those who had food, bedding, and shelter shared with those who had none; those with musical or literary talent used them to try to comfort and inspire others. As Pres. Grant indicated their hardships brought the people together, forging their faith and identity. I've heard about the refiners fire, but with all they had already endured??? the Lord wanted a solid foundation on which to build his church in the latter days. He DID NOT make it easy.

These early pioneers became a Zion people, relying on the strengths of each other, relying on their new leader and newly sustained prophet of the church, Brigham Young, relying on the Lord to take them to a safe place a top the rocky mountains.

On a cold winter night in south central iowa, William Clayton, penned the now famous hymn celebrating the birth of his son and showing courage and good cheer to the saints around him... "Come, come ye Saints, no toil or labor fear; But with joy wend your way. Though hard to you this journey may appear, Grace shall be as your day... All is well, All is well.

i look forward to tomorrow..

pictures...

top left... brigham and joseph overlooking the mississippi with maps of the trail they would take.