Description
I Have Had a Peculiar Dream
It was about the end of June 1855 in Aberouchen Scotland, Elders Andrew Galloway and Edmund Lovel Ellsworth were laboring in that area and spending the night at the home of a brother Powell. Sometime toward early morning, Elder Ellsworth said:
“Brother Galloway, are you awake?” Galloway answered that he was to which Elder Ellsworth then said:
“I have had a peculiar dream during the night, it has been repeated to me three separate times. Would you like me to repeat it to you?” Galloway answered “Yes.” To which Ellsworth said:
“I dreamed I was at home in Salt Lake City, Utah and went to the president Brigham Young’s office, I saw President Young and he said: ‘Why Edmund, we have just been talking about you. We are thinking of having a company of Saints cross the plains with handcarts next year. We would like you to take charge of the company. Will you do it?’ I said, if you say so I will.”
Then Edmund asked: “What do you think of the dream.”
Elder Galloway said: “Well, I think it’s more than a common dream. I would write it in your journal and see what comes of it.”
Elder Ellsworth wrote the dream down in his journal evidently in very specific detail. Six weeks later, Elder Ellsworth received a letter from church headquarters from Brigham Young. He opened it up and he read it. Then he retrieved his journal and handed the letter to Elder Galloway, his companion, who read it. Then Edmunds showed his letter to his companion. They were alike. Word for word.
Now, you should know about this prospect of crossing the plains with a handcart. In 1855, that was considered a bold, daring venture, and it would prove a great trial to many of the Saints in Europe. Many refused to even consider and ridiculed the idea. Are you crazy? A thousand miles across the plains with a handcart you’re all going to die.
And yet, Elder Edmund Ellsworth was called to organize and lead the first of 10 companies that would come that way. Edmund Ellsworth was to be the handcart trailblazer.
Turning to brother Galloway, Edmunds said there in Scotland: “Well brother Galloway, what do you say about crossing the plains with a handcart?”
And bless his heart, Elder Galloway said with typical Scottish nerve: “There is a motto of a highland clan which is my answer. What other men dare; we can do. The Lord helping us.”
Elder Ellsworth then turned to Sister Galloway, and asked: “well sister Galloway, what do you say.”
Her reply says it all. “I will follow my husband.”
They did. The Galloways followed Captain Edmund Ellsworth in the first handcart company of 1856, which departed Iowa city on June 9 with 273 people. To great fanfare and celebration, it was a success. They arrived in Salt Lake City Sept 26, 1856.
Sometimes rarely, the Lord asks us to move mountains by our faith. But most of the time, my friends, He just asks us to climb them and cross them and He will help us.
Sources:
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/memories/KWNK-QMM
