When I read this account of Millen Atwood from the Willie Handcart Company I think of our trek theme, "But with joy wend your way":
"I never enjoyed myself better than in crossing the plains in a hand cart company. The Spirit of the Lord did accompany us and the brethren and sisters enlivened the journey by singing the songs of Zion. They would travel 16, 18, 20, 24 miles a day and come into camp rejoicing, build their fires, get their suppers, rest, and rise fresh and invigorated in the morning. I have seen some so tired in England, after traveling only 5 or 6 miles to a conference, that they would have to go to bed and be nursed for a week. We stimulated the hand cart companies with the words of Brother Brigham, which went through me like lightning. He said, "If they would rise up in the name of the Lord, nothing doubting, no power should stop them in their progress to reach this place." It was in his words that they trusted to perform the journey, and they were determined to see his words fulfilled.
"I have walked day by day by the side of the hand carts as they were rolling, and when the people would get weary I have seen them by dozens on their knees by the road side crying to the Lord for strength, and there are scores now in this city who walked from Iowa City to Fort Bridger, and some who were weak and feeble at the start grew stronger every day. So long as you kept the bundle on the hand cart and stimulated them to lay hold of it, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and it seemed as though angels nerved them with strength; we could out travel the cattle and might have camped 15 miles ahead of them every night if we had had the provisions with us. I told Brother Brigham that I believed we could beat ox, horse, or mule teams. The gentiles prophesied as we came along that we should never see the Valleys of the Mountains, and laughed us to scorn, and ridiculed the idea of men and women's traversing 1200 miles with hand carts, and they marveled to see the Saints travel on so cheerfully. I said the them, "I defy you and your rulers, with all your gold, to gather up a set of men, women and children that will travel with hand carts. You have not the influence to do that, but when Brother Brigham speaks the word, see how they go".
When I think of how positive these pioneers were traveling 1200 miles, then I can easily be positive and cheerful for under 20 miles! I also learned from reading this excerpt that I need to completely depend on the Lord during the trek experience and always.
-- Renee Crandall
This thought was taken from the book "Tell My Story, Too" by Jolene S. Allphin
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