From the lady, herself.

{A word from my mama, Lorrie Rae, about the pioneer trek trip}

{see this post for a little background on their trip}

Prophets, People, Dogs and Diamonds. That's what I kept thinking about as we prepared, traveled and trekked along.

Joseph Smith is the one who started this whole thing rolling. Because he needed an answer to a question that would affect him eternally, because he had read the scriptures enough with his family to be familiar with James 1:5. Because he had faith enough to experiment upon the word of God and kneel to pray, he started the gospel ball rolling forth out of the mountain, instigating wonderful and not so wonderful events for his family and the rest of humankind. The Book of Mormon is his greatest gift to us. The inspiration it required to translate this wholly writ could be done only by a person who was tuned to the things of God. It is the most important and correct book on the earth today.

Brigham Young was the bold, multi-talented prophet who called the people to gather to Zion. This was important in order to receive the sealing covenants that would bind families together for eternity, therefore preventing the emotional waste of human love by making possible families being together forever. There was a young man and woman on the trek who were determined to wait until they reached Salt Lake to be married. He died at Martin's Cove. She could not stand the idea of the wolves eating his body so she asked he be hung in her shawl from a tree. Remnants of her shawl have been recovered that proved her story true. Eternal marriage is worth any sacrifice necessary!!

President Hinckley taught us "It is good to look to the past to gain appreciation for the present and perspective for the future. It is good to look upon the virtue of those who have gone before to gain strength for whatever lies ahead. It is good to reflect upon the work of those who labored so hard and gained so little in this world but out of whose dreams and early plans so well nurtured has come a great harvest of which we are the beneficiaries. Their tremendous example can become a compelling motivation for each of us. For each of us is a pioneer in his own life, often in his own family and many of us pioneer daily in seeking to do God's will to lift and serve."

President Monson recently taught us to find joy in the journey. He says, "This is our one and only chance at mortal life--here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lesson we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that distinguish between what is important and what is not. He then quotes Sara Ban Breathbach, " Both abundance and lack of abundance exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend...when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that's present--love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us happiness--the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth." He pleads with us not to let the important things pass by us but to find joy in the journey--now!

Our trek scripture was from Phillipians 4:13. I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me. I know this to be true. Maybe not as well as we want to be able to do things but it is sufficient for the Lord when we give it our best.The only thing that kept me going on the 14 mile day after only 5 hours of sleep was the proud, triumphant feeling I would have when I could tell my family, especially my brother, that I DID IT!!!!!!! (barely)

President Faust taught us that living the gospel EVERY DAY may be harder than dying for the church and the Lord. He said that in some ways it will be more challenging and harder to be faithful in our day than pulling a handcart across the plains. He warned us that a moral blackness was settling in. But our youth will be the diamonds that will shine bright against the dark background of moral decay.

I saw many diamonds in action on this trek. I saw preppy girls transform into servants of the their fellow sisters, carrying them in their arms when the blisters were so bad on their feet they couldn't walk themselves. I saw 12 year old boys loose shoes in mud knee-deep as they pulled handcart after handcart through the muck. I rejoiced when those who had snacks were willing to share with those who did not. I cried when a Ma sang a lullaby to her dead 'baby' as her baby was taken from her arms and thrown overboard to a watery grave. I laughed when one 'baby' was 'kidnapped' by a prankster and the young lady who had tenderly been caring for the baby searched frantically, even on top of the car, to find her lost infant sister. The compassion of the other trekkers when one young lady was laid on the trail to have numbing injections in her big toe, two different times so she could continue to walk with an ingrown toenail. Some experienced bloody noses quickly accompanied by frantic searching for hankies, tissues or whatever could be used to stop the bleeding. An attentive girl noticed a tick (my second) crawling up my blouse.

After that, I couldn't help but feel they were burrowing in all over me! Our food chairman took a lot of heat cheerfully, for not serving 'good' food. Instead he prepared cornmeal mush one morning for breakfast and 2 hard biscuits and broth for after the 14 mile trek to give the people an idea of what it must have been like for the Willie and Martin companies on their 4 ounces of flour rations a day. How blessed we are!!!!

It was a revelation to me when I read on the memorial in the Rock Creek Hollow Cemetery that of the 404 Willie Handcart members, 77 died. There were exactly 77 in our group. It gave me a precise visual of exactly how many 77 people are, ten carloads full. A few blisters, growly tummies, 4 days of no electronics or make-up, and some stinky bodies, but no deaths from our 77 is food for gratitude!!!

Love to All,
Lorrie

PS. IF you want to know about the dog read your July Friend. He is featured there. WE got to pet him but failed to get a picture of him with any of the kids. BOOHOO!!! He is, already, quite the legend and one smart, kind creature who knows, feels and does the job of a tender caretaker. The missionary told us he usually chooses a group to walk with that has a member who is struggling in some way. How I yearn for the day of the Lamb and the Lion!!! Oscar is just one of the many members of the animal kingdom who reminds us this great day is not far off. Hallelujah!!!