The Hallowed Grounds of Martin's Cove

I've been to Martin's Cove long ago, looked over the graves, tied burlap to my feet and walked up Rocky Ridge, and camped near the gravesite along the creek. This was not a new experience for me, yet it was a renewal of my appreciation of the amazing pioneer heritage shared by the members of the Mormon church.  I went on a road trip with my sister Katie and her six lil tikes through Wyoming. We drove past Martin's Cove, a particularly significant site in Mormon Pioneer history where the Martin Handcart company sheltered under the early winter storms. Late leaving England, late starting their trek across the plains due to many set backs, they had a lot against them. The story is a sad one with many deaths, yet many more survived than died even though they ate 1/2 cup of flour a day and had burned all their extra blankets to lightened their loads before the snow hit. Freezing and hungry yet with the aid of many rescuers from the Salt Lake Valley hundreds of miles away, they made it through. There was a hallowed feeling even from the freeway. We stopped and visited on our way back. One of my favorite parts was when the guide asked if there were any deer hunters among our group. My niece Diana raised her hand. Curious. She said "We killed a deer with our car" and looked at me. Indeed I'd hit one a few days before that did much more damage to the car than the deer. It was funny!! Especially when you consider I'm the girl who dropped out of the hunter safety course just before the shooting range cuz the guns scared me.
Three of our ancestors crossed the plains by handcart. In the Willie Handcart company, which was a little ahead of the Martin, were Ann Herbert came with her sister Hannah and her son Charles. Ann lost most of her toes.  Hannah is thought to have been a stow away on the boat from England and then married one of the company at the start of the trail to secure funding to go. Character. Ann married Andrew Jackson Rynearson when she got to the valley. He had run away from home, prayed to know where to go and followed his feelings right into Brigham Young's wagon train in 1847. That's how he came to find the Mormon Church.
It was a very deeply moving moment to stop and reflect on what they had done. These people went through soo much to follow the leaders of the Church and come to Zion. It made me think that the small sacrifices I make to live the gospel are really quite insignificant in comparison and the blessings are far more than anything we may go through to get them.

 The Handcart

 The typical bundle of a woman's belongings packed for the trip

"Francis Webster was a survivor of the Martin Handcart Company who found spiritual strength from what e endured on the plains in 1856.  In his old age, he spoke of the journey during an adult Sunday School class discussion about the ill-fated handcart companies. In 1943 William R. Palmer wrote his memories of what Francis Webster had said:

"He (Francis WEbster) said in substance..."I was in that company and my wife was in it...we suffered beyond anything you can imagine and many died of exposure and starvation...we came through with the absolute knowledge that God lives for we became acquainted with him in our extremities. 

I have pulled my handcart when I was so weak and weary from lack of food that I could hardly put one foot ahead of the other. I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and have said "I can go only that far and there I must give up for I cannot pull my load through it" I have gone on to that sand and when I have reached it, the cart began pushing me. I have looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart but my eyes saw no one. I knew then that the angels of God were there. 

Was I sorry I chose to come by handcart? No. Neither then nor one moment of my life since. The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay and I am thankful I was privileged to come to Zion in the Martin Handcart company"

Diana pointing to Ann, Hannah, and Charles Herberts names