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I Never Felt So Much Interest

Sunday October 5, 1856, President Brigham Young stood up in General Conference and called for the strictest attention. He then said, 

“I will now give this people the subject and the text for the Elders who may speak today and during the conference. It is this, on the 5th day of October, 1856, many of our brethren and sisters are on the plains with hand-carts, and probably many are now 700 miles from this place, and they must be brought here. We must send assistance to them. The text will be ‘to get them here…. That is my religion. That is the dictation of the Holy Ghost that I possess. It is to save the people! …  I shall call upon the Bishops this day. I shall not wait until tomorrow nor the next day, for 60 good mule teams and 12 or 15 wagons…. I will tell you that all your faith, religion, and all your profession of religion, will never save one soul of you in the celestial kingdom of our God, unless you carry out just such principles as I am now teaching you. Go and bring in those people now on the plains, and attend strictly to those things which we call temporal, or temporal duties, otherwise your faith will be in vain; the preaching you have heard will be in vain to you, and you will sink to hell, unless you attend to the things we tell you.”

On October 7, 1856, a volunteer rescue party departed Salt Lake City, headed east– searching. It was captained by George D. Grant and consisted of 27 men and 16 wagons. By October 21, 1856, the howling blizzards had come and the rescuers had already traveled many more miles than they had expected, but they found the Willie Company and got them on their way to the Valley. 

Captain Grant and his men then turned east in search of the Martin Handcart Company and the two wagon companies remaining. By November 2, 1856, most of the lost ones had arrived at Devils Gate Wyoming—more than 300 miles from Salt Lake City. A council was held to decide if they should make winter quarters at Devils Gate or push on to the Valley. The people were too weak to travel on and too sick and wounded to last out a Wyoming winter. The decision was made to shelter temporarily at Martin’s Cove and push on when the weather cleared. 

George D. Grant wrote a letter to President Young and sent it by express riders to inform him of their dire circumstances. He wrote,

“Devil’s Gate Nov. 2, 1856, President Brigham Young Dear Brother: Knowing the anxieties you feel for the companies still out, and especially for the handcart companies. I have concluded to send your son, Joseph Young and Brother Abel Garr on an express from this place. We had no snow to contend with until we got to the Sweetwater. On the 19th and 20th of Oct. we encountered a very severe snowstorm. We met Brother Willies Company on the 22nd. The snow was from six to ten inches deep where we met them. They were in a bad situation. We rendered them all the assistance in our power. Brother Wm. H. Kimball returned with several other brethren….

We sent on another express to the Platte bridge. When that express returned, to my surprise, I learned that the [Martin] company were all on the Platte River, near the upper crossing, and had been there nine days, waiting for the snow to go away, or as they said, to recuperate their cattle. As quick as we learned this, we moved to meet them. We met Brother Martin’s Co. at Greasewood Creek, on the last day of October…. The snow began to fall and continued until late at night. It is now about eight inches deep here, and the weather is very cold. It is not much use for me to attempt to give a description of the situation of these people, for this you will learn from your son Joseph A. and Brother Garr who are the bearers of this express, but you can imagine between five and six hundred men, women and children, worn down by drawing handcarts through snow and much cold, fainting by the wayside, falling chilled by the cold, children crying, their limbs stiffened by cold, their feet bleeding and some of them bare to the snow and frost. 

The sight is almost too much for the stoutest of us; but we go on doing all we can, not doubting nor despairing. Our company is too small to help much. It is only a drop in a bucket, as it were in comparison to what is needed. I think that not over one-third of Brother Martin’s company able to walk. This may be extravagant, but it is nevertheless true. Some of them have a good courage and are in good spirits, but a great many are like children and do not help themselves much more or realize what is before them. 

I never felt so much interest in any mission that I have been sent on, and all the brethren who came out with me, feel the same. We have prayed without ceasing and the blessings of God has been with us. 

Brother Charles Decker has now traveled this road forty-nine times and he says he has never before seen so much snow on the Sweetwater at any season…. Brother Hunt’s Co. are two or three days back of us, yet Brother Wheelock will be with them to council them, also some of the other Brethren who came out. 

We will move every day toward the valley, if we have to shovel snow to do it, The Lord help us. I have never seen such energy and faith among the “BOYS” with so good a spirit as among those who came out with us. 

We realize that we have your prayers for us continually, also those of all Saints in the valley. I pray that the blessings of God may be with you and all those who seek to build up the kingdom of God on the earth. Captain George D. Grant “

Would to God that every one of us called to minister felt that same interest and prayed without ceasing for those they had been called to help. 

Source: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/memories/KWJ6-MCK