The Kinder side of Grant

I was really impressed this last weekend when I was reading about a story about the handcart immigrants coming into the valley. I guess their was a young man or boy ( I don't have my notes in front of me right now) who came into the valley with hardly anything, as many of these handcart comapanies did. They had such high hopes of coming to zion of this great and wonderful societ. When he got up that first morning he didn't have any food to eat for breakfast and he went out looking for work. He chopped wood and did odd jobs for a store keeper for a couple of hours. After a while the store keeper came out and told him that he decided that he didn't have any more work for him and that he couldn't pay him and sent him on his way. Can you imagine how disillusioned this young man must have been. He had traveled half way around the world from England to come to a land that was supposed to be better and the people were supposed to be living better and then to be treated like he was. He kept on knocking doors looking for work and didn't know whose doors he was knocking on. He knocked on Grant's home and Grant put him to work and upon hearing the boys earlier experience fed him and was very upset with the whole incident. He allowed the boy to work for another couple of weeks and payed him with food for his family. I looked at this story and realized that Grant was much more than the fiery preacher. He could speak with immense power and come across as a bit intolerant, but he really did live his religion. He loved it and loved the people despite what some of his talks may have painted him out to look like. He definetely had a kind soft side also.

With Sympathy

I'm sure that all Mormon Trail Seminar participants join me in sending our deepest sympathy to Tim Strebel on the untimely death of his son, Blake, this past week. Blake was a student at Weber State University. Tim, we wish you the best during this difficult time.

Emigrants' Guide

I have been reading the Emigrants' Guide book. I think this book will be most useful in a classroom setting for the photographs it contains. The text seems a bit scattered now, but hopefully it will mean more when we get "on site." We recently studied the Transcontinental Railroad in my Westward Expansion unit, so I was rather interested in the railroad stuff on pages 57-60. I knew that some Mormons worked on the railroad, but didn't know that this particular work crew was replaced by the Irish, and then reinstated to complete the job. I have passed the sign on I-80 for Wasatch near Evanston many times, but didn't realize that it was the site of an old railroad town. I don't think I've ever gone through Echo Canyon and up the road to Evanston without seeing trains, so all of the railroad stuff is interesting. I will look at that route with more appreciation from now on. I also was unaware that there were many "registers of the desert" where the emigrants recorded their names. I know that Independence Rock is famous for names. Apparently the Cache Cave also is.

If anyone wants an additional book recommendation, I've been reading Trail of Hope by Slaughter and Landon. This is the book that was published to accompany the PBS documentary about the Mormon Trail. The photos of trail artifacts are worth the (free) price of checking out the book from the library. The book is fascinating, and has a lot of specific trail information. My next search will be to see if the documentary is still available. It dates back to about 1997, the time of the 150th anniversary of the vanguard company. It would also be interesting to see William Clayton's journal. He is quoted extensively in most other books about the trail.

Mormon Thunder

I read a lot this last weekend. This Jedediah is a very interesting character. I can only wish to have the faith that he had. It is amazing how much things have changed since this time. I served as a missionary and while reading this contemplated how things might be different if you did this later on in life. I know that my wife's grandfather served a mission after he was married. I love the families conversion stories and the Zion's camp incident. Jedediah is an amazing speaker. I wish I could be more that way. I love his no script incident with the preacher and other important people.

There are several things that I would like to know more about after reading this book. Obviously we don't practice polygamy anymore. Jedediah has some pretty strong statements about commitment to the Lord. One that I had questions about was the idea of Joseph Smith asking the men to give them their wives hands in marriage. I had read something similiar in a few other times, but polygamy isn't talked about anymore atleast in the church very much. That would be quite a sacrifice. This idea of blood atonement that he expounds on is a little frightening to me also. He says that he believes that the apostates should be killed to save themselves from their sins. Yikes! I know that the Bible talks about many of these ideas. You look at the Old Testament and stoning people was common practice. I need some more time to absorb all of this. There is a lot of history I would like to know more about now. I would also like to know more about the time period right after Joseph Smith's death.

Reading Response

I hope that I can meet Jedediah (Jeddy) many years from now. I love his strong convictions to the gospel. I was so surprised that he was alone preaching the gospel so much. Now days you have to have a companion with you at all times. When I read about Charles Bird, I was so delighted because he is my distant relative. Then my husband had me look up James Allred and he was included in the sketches but not in the book(that is his relative). I love reading about the history and can't wait for the fieldtrip.

Response to Readings

I've started chapter 3 and find it very interesting that Jeddy would spend so much time in the mission field and not feel a need to go home. He does spend time with relatives in New York, etc. I guess that helps. Being a convert myself, I know the driving desire to learn as much about the gospel as possible. As a parent I wonder how his parents felt with him gone so much. Having 3 sons I know I miss them terribly when they are gone and have a hard time not seeing them frequently. I understand that times are different but love is still the same. The pioneers were extraordinary people.

Response to Kim

In response to Kim's comments, I think the way missions are handled has changed dramatically since the 1800's. I don't think their way of sending the men on missions for years and years would work too well in our day and age. I really admire not only the men for dedicating so much of their lives to preaching, but also the women who stayed home and took care of everything else - earning money, keeping the farm, keeping house, and raising all of the kids. Maybe in that sense, some of the polygamous families provided an extra support system for the women while their husbands were away. Many people probably aren't aware that after World War II, some men were called on missions after they were married. Their wives stayed home and earned money to support them. This happened with my parents; my dad had been in the war for years, and decided later on to serve a mission after his marriage. This, of course, doesn't happen any more. Some practices have to evolve with changing times.

Feelin the Thunder

I'm loving learning more about the early Church history from the perspective of Jedediah (Jeddy) Grant. I am friends with some of his descendants and I can see characteristics of him in them. As the mother of a 19 year old, I'm amazed at his dedication to the preaching of the Gospel and how he loved being out proselyting more than he wanted to be home. Personally, I find it a little strange. I wonder at how our world has changed in the nearly 200 years. Or has it? I know we send out 19 year old boys to preach the gospel, but when Jeddy was doing it, he wasn't necessarily specifically called nor was it a "rule" that 19 year old boys serve missions, and such long ones at that. I wonder about the role a female will play in his life. I look forward to reading more and finding out.

This is all new to me.

Outside of posting on KSL.com, I don't make posts. I have joined and ready to go. I have been reading Mormon Thunder, and I am excited to read more. I really like this kind of book. It is very interesting, and easy to read. The only problem with this whole seminar is that we have to wait until the end of July. I want to go now.

Is There a Thread Here?

J.M. Grant gave a speech (quoted on p. 205) that has a familiar theme. He told the people to be happy and accept things as they were. This theme is similar to two messages given in last October's LDS general conference - one by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin and one by Pres. Thomas S. Monson. The modern versions are available for perusal on lds.org. I was trying to decide whether there were any modern-day equivalents to the barn-burning discourses given by Pres. Grant in his day. I think today's LDS leaders try to be a bit more gentle in their approach. One person in today's church leadership who can be rather direct is Elder Dallin H. Oaks. He doesn't beat around the bush, either. (But I do like his talks).