Thursday, February 4, 2010

Our experience with the exodus

Unlike the early Saints, we met this morning in a nice warm building, the Family Living Center, where we feasted on breads, muffins, cinnamon rolls, orange juice and hot chocolate. We each put on the name of a relative or someone who made the walk (notice the pink card on the sister behind the table). I represented my third great grandmother Hannah Workman Chadwick. We sang "Come Come Ye Saints" although it hadn't been written yet when the Saints left their beautiful Nauvoo and then we put on our coats, gloves, hats, boots and headed out to make the "long walk down Parley Street". It was once called the Trail of Tears, but President Hinckley, being the man of optimism and vision that he was, called it the Trail of Hope. As I started to leave, I thought of the great anticipation they must have felt. Yes, they were sad to leave their beautiful homes and especially the temple for which they had sacrificed, but they must have felt some joy knowing that Heavenly Father had selected a place for them, where they could worship in peace and build another temple. (I'm sure they had no idea how many temples would be built)
And we stepped off into the cold (albeit, not as cold as they did--it was 30 degrees this morning).

1 comment:

Mr C said...

30 above--muffins and donuts???? I'll bet the early saints were there just to giggle a little!