President Gordon
B. Hinckley
“Whether you are
among the posterity of the pioneers or whether you were baptized only
yesterday, each is the beneficiary of their great undertaking.”
“Most noble, as we’ve
heard, among those who paid a terrible price were the Willie and Martin
Handcart Companies of 1856.”
“There were not
wagons enough to carry all who were converted in England and western Europe. If
they were to come to Zion, they would have to walk, pulling a small cart behind
them. Hundreds did so, and traveled faster than did the ox teams. But these two
companies in 1856 literally walked with death. They started late, and no one
knew they were coming. Their carts were not ready. A few who could afford
wagons were assigned to travel with them to give assistance. They started west
singing as they went. Little did they know what lay ahead of them.”
“They walked beside
the Platte, ever westward. Near Fort Laramie their troubles began. Snow
commenced falling. Their rations were reduced. They knew they were in desperate
circumstances as they slowly crept over the high plains of Wyoming. Some 200
perished in that terrible, tragic march.”
“Legion are the
stories of those who were there and who suffered almost unto death and who
carried all of their lives the scars of that dreadful experience. It was a
tragedy without parallel in the western migration of our people.”
“With so great an
inheritance, we can do no less than our very best. Those who have gone before
expect this of us. We have a mandate from the Lord. We have a vision of our
cause and purpose.”
“Let us seek out the
righteous of the earth who will listen to our message of salvation. Let us
bring light and truth and understanding to a generation that is prone in its
disillusionment to look for other things.”
“God has blessed us
with wonderful facilities in which to teach the living truth. We now have
meetinghouses scattered across the continents. Let us use them to nurture our
people with “the good word of God.” 6 “
