Sunday, September 22, 2013
5 Take Aways from the Willie and Martin Handcart Tragedy
If you are not familiar with the tragedy that befell the Willie and Martin Handcart Company, here's a short version:
In August of 1856, over 1,000 Mormon European immigrants, most of them poor and unfamiliar with the terrain, attempted to travel to Salt Lake City, UT by pulling hastily made handcarts. Due to late departure and low provisions, heavy snow and physical exhaustion eventually halted the immigrants who were forced to camp in Wyoming with little food and insufficient clothing to keep warm. Missionaries returning from Europe crossed by the handcart camps and rushed to Utah where a rescue mission was quickly dispatched. In spite of valiant efforts by the rescuers and the rescued, over 200 lives were lost and a great many survivors lived with permanent injury.
For more detail:
https://www.lds.org/ensign/2006/12/go-and-bring-them-in?lang=eng
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_handcart_pioneers#1856:_Willie_and_Martin_handcart_companies
Today the kids and I watched a video dramatization of the tragedy. I asked Kyle if he wanted to go on a handcart trip and he looked at me like I was crazy and let out a cry of shock. He calmed down when I explained how the church often keeps the memory of these events alive by taking teenagers on a 3-day handcart appreciation event sometimes called "Trek" in the summer time.
What will these kids learn from Trek? Perhaps an appreciation for those who built the legacy of the LDS faith and a sense of belonging to something not for sissy wimps. Seriously, it's a truly inspirational story that when thoroughly digested makes for great life lessons.
1. Don't get carried away.
Many of the emigrants were from the lower classes of Europeans. Land ownership was merely a dream for many. Hard work, not class distinction, could soon give them ample opportunity to rise to better circumstances with land they could call theirs. Their new faith in God who would protect them and perform miracles to save them added to their enthusiasm to press forward. This far outweighted any sour news or warnings that they might want to stay the winter somewhere safer. There's nothing wrong with taking risks and trusting God, just don't forget to use your mind, moderate, and honestly incorporate good information from "nay-sayers."
2. Speak up!
My hero of this story is Levi Savage, a returning missionary from Europe. Having experience travelling west, he knew the dangers these overzealous people where getting themselves into. He publicly voiced his opinion which in hind-sight may look like a prophecy of what was going to happen. His suggestion was apparently overruled by all other leaders and the emigrant's enthusiasm.
3. Help others, even if they behave foolishly.
Here's where Levi Savage demonstrates his heroism. Many get angry when voted down or just sit back hoping to watch the train wreck from a distance and look forward to saying "see I told you so." Not Levi Savage. He must have had a strong sense that people are worth loving and serving, even when they are willing to walking head-strong into a tragedy against experienced advice. Seeing that the company would move forward against his advisement, he publicly proclaimed:
"What I have said I know to be true; but seeing you are to go forward, I will go with you, will help all I can, will work with you, will rest with you, and if necessary, will die with you. May God in his mercy bless and preserve us."
4. Don't play the blame game
Who was to blame for this tragedy?! There are many opinions that may include:
There are so many variables in this story it's possible to pin blame on almost anyone connected with the tragedy. EVERYONE could have done something better to create a safer outcome and shares some blame. Now that the mistakes are obvious, it's best to fix the mistakes and move forward. This is exactly what happened. Handcart routes where better stocked with supplies, departure times were enforced, and better handcarts were made. Later handcart companies avoided the fate of the Willie and Martin Companies by leadership capable of learning from mistakes.
5. Avoid Us vs Them defined morality. (Also, if I die and you are starving to death, please eat me!)
The dramatization I watched today and the movie 17 Miracles proudly emphasizes that the Mormon handcart pioneers did not "descend" into cannibalism like the Donner party did under similar circumstances. 17 Miracles was particularly guilty of emphasizing this difference as a badge of honor worn by principled Mormon handcart pioneers that the feeble-minded Donnor party had not been worthy of. It is true that eating another human is repulsive and disgusting and will be under any circumstance no matter how desperate. However, can taking life-giving resources from a dead individual and giving it to a dying one so they can have a chance at life be wrong? The act of taking nourishment from the dead to save another life by eating them is no different in a moral sense than a modern-day organ transplant. So give us a break folks, don't make something bad because they did it and we did not do it. The award for doing the right thing in this case goes to the Donnor party.
In August of 1856, over 1,000 Mormon European immigrants, most of them poor and unfamiliar with the terrain, attempted to travel to Salt Lake City, UT by pulling hastily made handcarts. Due to late departure and low provisions, heavy snow and physical exhaustion eventually halted the immigrants who were forced to camp in Wyoming with little food and insufficient clothing to keep warm. Missionaries returning from Europe crossed by the handcart camps and rushed to Utah where a rescue mission was quickly dispatched. In spite of valiant efforts by the rescuers and the rescued, over 200 lives were lost and a great many survivors lived with permanent injury.
For more detail:
https://www.lds.org/ensign/2006/12/go-and-bring-them-in?lang=eng
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_handcart_pioneers#1856:_Willie_and_Martin_handcart_companies
Today the kids and I watched a video dramatization of the tragedy. I asked Kyle if he wanted to go on a handcart trip and he looked at me like I was crazy and let out a cry of shock. He calmed down when I explained how the church often keeps the memory of these events alive by taking teenagers on a 3-day handcart appreciation event sometimes called "Trek" in the summer time.
What will these kids learn from Trek? Perhaps an appreciation for those who built the legacy of the LDS faith and a sense of belonging to something not for sissy wimps. Seriously, it's a truly inspirational story that when thoroughly digested makes for great life lessons.
1. Don't get carried away.
Many of the emigrants were from the lower classes of Europeans. Land ownership was merely a dream for many. Hard work, not class distinction, could soon give them ample opportunity to rise to better circumstances with land they could call theirs. Their new faith in God who would protect them and perform miracles to save them added to their enthusiasm to press forward. This far outweighted any sour news or warnings that they might want to stay the winter somewhere safer. There's nothing wrong with taking risks and trusting God, just don't forget to use your mind, moderate, and honestly incorporate good information from "nay-sayers."
2. Speak up!
My hero of this story is Levi Savage, a returning missionary from Europe. Having experience travelling west, he knew the dangers these overzealous people where getting themselves into. He publicly voiced his opinion which in hind-sight may look like a prophecy of what was going to happen. His suggestion was apparently overruled by all other leaders and the emigrant's enthusiasm.
3. Help others, even if they behave foolishly.
Here's where Levi Savage demonstrates his heroism. Many get angry when voted down or just sit back hoping to watch the train wreck from a distance and look forward to saying "see I told you so." Not Levi Savage. He must have had a strong sense that people are worth loving and serving, even when they are willing to walking head-strong into a tragedy against experienced advice. Seeing that the company would move forward against his advisement, he publicly proclaimed:
"What I have said I know to be true; but seeing you are to go forward, I will go with you, will help all I can, will work with you, will rest with you, and if necessary, will die with you. May God in his mercy bless and preserve us."
4. Don't play the blame game
Who was to blame for this tragedy?! There are many opinions that may include:
- Brigham Young
- Franklin Richards
- Company leadership
- The people themselves for overzealous group-think
- Bad luck
There are so many variables in this story it's possible to pin blame on almost anyone connected with the tragedy. EVERYONE could have done something better to create a safer outcome and shares some blame. Now that the mistakes are obvious, it's best to fix the mistakes and move forward. This is exactly what happened. Handcart routes where better stocked with supplies, departure times were enforced, and better handcarts were made. Later handcart companies avoided the fate of the Willie and Martin Companies by leadership capable of learning from mistakes.
5. Avoid Us vs Them defined morality. (Also, if I die and you are starving to death, please eat me!)
The dramatization I watched today and the movie 17 Miracles proudly emphasizes that the Mormon handcart pioneers did not "descend" into cannibalism like the Donner party did under similar circumstances. 17 Miracles was particularly guilty of emphasizing this difference as a badge of honor worn by principled Mormon handcart pioneers that the feeble-minded Donnor party had not been worthy of. It is true that eating another human is repulsive and disgusting and will be under any circumstance no matter how desperate. However, can taking life-giving resources from a dead individual and giving it to a dying one so they can have a chance at life be wrong? The act of taking nourishment from the dead to save another life by eating them is no different in a moral sense than a modern-day organ transplant. So give us a break folks, don't make something bad because they did it and we did not do it. The award for doing the right thing in this case goes to the Donnor party.
# posted by Jon Young @ 9:52 PM 
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