Winter Quarters

This is the last Midwest trip post, i promise. 

And this post is long and sappy.

 you've been warned.

In Council Bluffs, Iowa there is a building called the Kanesville Tabernacle. A small settlement was set up there by the saints after fleeing Illinois. It's where Brigham Young was called and sustained as the second Prophet-President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We stopped for about half an hour to watch a short film, hear all the historical facts and take pictures. I. Love. bronze statues, bytheway. 

This was inside the building. handmade rugs on the benches

 They had a giant plaque of the Living Christ, which i love.

After the Kanesville tabernacle we went to Winter Quarters, the place where  a lot of the pioneers stopped for the winter after crossing the Missouri river. There is a graveyard there, holding many. all the gravestones were made from wood except one. and that one stone was the key to finding out where all the other graves were. people were buried in a grid, and very detailed maps were made at the time of burial. So because we knew where one grave was, we know where all the graves are.

These are their names:

The cemetery was beautiful. and tragic; all those people died before they could get to zion. But they had so much faith! The Cemetery was one of my favorite places on the trip, because the spirit was so gentle. We were all very reverent there. It's a very special place. a Holy place.

A copy of this statue is here at BYU-Idaho, and i love it. 

This is a replica of the original stone, in it's place. the real stone is across the street in the museum.

These pioneers were incredible. They went through SO much. more than I'll ever understand. I admire and revere them more than i can say. I respect everything they did, and they did it all in the name of Zion. of gathering God's people. of following the Prophet. 

this song was written by the girl singing it. She wrote it about one woman who came through Winter Quarters, and who died before she ever made it to the Salt Lake Valley, but who never gave up her faith. 

In 2000 (i'm not entirely sure about that date, actually) a temple was built on the other side of the cemetery. It's cool, because it looks like the Fresno temple! Also, the windows were stained glass and gorgeous.

The museum across the street was incredible! Seriously i cannot say how much i love these people who gave literally all they had, some even their lives, so that they could come and gather together.

this song breaks my heart, but also gives me hope. Tells the story of a woman who trekked across the plains. the intro is good, but the song starts around 1:08

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDsm0gVEQVQ

There was a replica of the beds in the ship that carried many pioneers from England and the sign said to climb in and try to imagine what it was like to spend every night there for months at a time....so i did.

In all seriousness, Winter Quarters was beautiful and peaceful just like Adam-Ondi-Ahman and Far West. and I loved feeling the spirit here. and it was our last stop, which was very bitter sweet. 

We were supposed to go to Martin's cove in Wyoming, but there had been tornadoes and storms all night and our professors had literally been praying all night for us to be safe from harm. there were tornadoes surrounding us on all sides. this was the same night that the tornado hit Oklahoma.

I woke up at about 4 in the morning that day because the wind was so loud, and when i did, i literally had to rub my eyes because i thought there was gunk in them. I couldn't see out any of the windows, everything was brown. It was like the foggiest highway in Madera, but brown and dark and terrifying. I looked and saw the bus driver, focused, driving steadily. His brother, the second bus driver, was sitting behind him, head bowed, hands clasped in front of his face, praying. The two professors were seating in the two front aisle seats, facing each other with heads bowed, arms folded. also praying. I was only a couple rows behind them, and i could hear the murmur of brother black's voice praying but i couldn't make out what he was saying because the wind was so loud. I turned around, everyone else was asleep, but i don't know how they were sleeping through that noise. I looked out my window and could see only brown dust swirling wildly. a chunk of mud flew right up and splattered against my window and i jumped. Brother Baggot saw me jolt out of the corner of his eye. I must have looked frightened because he stretched out his hand toward me and said, "It's going to be okay." I could barely hear him, but i saw his mouth move and i saw the comfort in his eyes. I nodded. He smiled weakly before turning back to brother Black and bowing his head to pray again. When they lifted their heads, brother Baggot said something i couldn't hear, but Brother black nodded. The drivers had been watching them anxiously. Brother Black shouted over the wind, "keep driving, we'll be okay if we can push through." Brother Baggot nodded in support and then added, "would it be alright if we turned out the lights? I don't want anymore of the students to wake up and be frightened."

He glanced back at me with a reassuring look. 

I nodded, letting him know that i understood. he wanted me to go to sleep so i wouldn't worry. I looked back out the window, still brown and gusting. I looked forward at the driver whose face was still set and determined. I decided to trust them. 

I said a quick prayer, pleading for safety and peace. 

and i don't remember falling asleep, but i did, so it must have happened quickly.

I woke up two hours later, and we were pulling into a gas station. The air was clear, but it was pouring rain. We were still in Nebraska, but almost to Wyoming. Brother Baggot got on the microphone and told us that we couldn't go to Martin's Cove because the storms had ruined the trails we were supposed to walk. I hid my face in my pillow and cried. I'd really wanted to go to Martin's Cove. My ancestors went through there. in the dead of winter, too in a storm. 

As everyone was filing out of the bus into the gas station, i ran up to Brother Baggot and asked him if he was sure we couldn't go to Martin's Cove. He said, "I'm sorry, but we can't. I mean, even if we did, we couldn't do the trail, and that's the whole point of going. But i promise we'll talk about it when we get back on the bus. I'll read you all some really great stories and testimonies from people that were there. We'll watch '17 Miracles' and you all can ask questions, it'll be good."

"But we're really not going?"

"No, Melissa, I'm sorry, we're not."

and i cried right there in front of him. 

I felt silly, but i really wanted to go! Even if we couldn't have gone on the trail, i just wanted to go. to stand where my ancestors stood and take it all in and say, "I'm here! And I'm only here because they were here so many decades ago!" Brother Baggot put his arm around me and apologized. I knew it wasn't his fault, and i knew my breath smelled, because i hadn't yet brushed my teeth. So i wiped my eyes and explained that my family had been through there. He apologized again. I said it was okay even though it wasn't. 

it was quiet for a second, and i stepped away to grace him from my morning breath.

I remembered the storm and i asked, "last night? why didn't we just stop? wouldn't that have been safer than driving through when we couldn't see?"

Brother Baggot's eyes teared up, "You saw us pray?"

"yes. I prayed too."

"So then you know that for some reason, God wanted us out of that area. He told us to drive through it instead of stopping to wait it out."

"even though we couldn't see?"

"Isn't that how He is sometimes?"

My eyes teared, too, "yeah. ...i guess it is."

We started walking toward the gas station and he said,  "I'm so sorry you were awake during that, it was the worst part. Don't tell brother Black, but i was very scared."

"I was scared too! it was so windy! But I'm glad i was awake. I'm glad I saw it."

He didn't say anything else. Just looked at me and nodded as we stepped into the gas station.

Maybe he thought i was talking about the storm. I guess i was, kind of. Because if i hadn't seen how bad it was, i think i would have been bitter about not going to Martin's Cove. but i was really saying that i was thankful I'd seen them pray. prayer is very sacred to me. I know God hears prayers. and I'm incredibly grateful to have seen those good men pray for our safety through that storm. It was a miracle that we were safe. literally a miracle, i promise that dirt and wind was so thick and strong, i could not see a single thing ahead of us, not even the lane lines on the highway. God led us through that storm. I know it. He led us because those men had faith and prayed, and then they humbly listened to His council. 

I love seeing faith in action.

I love seeing prayers happen and i love seeing them answered. 

I was still sad that i didn't get to go to Martin's cove. but it's only a few hours away from Rexburg, i can go some other time.

I was scared during the storm. but Brother Baggot was right. and i don't think i'll ever forget what he said. 

"He told us to drive through it...."

"Even thought we couldn't see?"

"...Isn't that how He is sometimes?"

Isn't it? Someday I'm going to be 'driving through a storm' and i won't be able to see, and I'll turn to God for help. And even though i won't understand why, He will tell me to keep going. to keep walking. He told those pioneer saints to keep walking. through Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, and all the way across the west to Salt Lake City. He told them to keep walking across rivers, and over mountains, and through deserts. And He never forsook them. not ever. And we will never forsake me.
He'll stretch out his hand and say, "It's going to be okay."
and it will be. 

Years after the mormons settled in Salt Lake, several groups from England were pulling handcarts across the country trying to get to get Utah. In dead winter they were caught in Wyoming. One company found some refuge in "Martin's Cove". Brigham Young heard of their dire situation and sent his son and a dozen others from the Salt Lake Valley, including Ephraim Hanks, to rescue them. To bring them in from the plains.

If you ever get the chance to listen to any "Nashville Tribute Band" songs, i highly recommend them. All of them. But right now I've been listening to the albums "tribute to Joseph" and "Trek" because they tell the stories of all the places i went on my tour, and they express so much emotion that i can't.

My Midwest trip changed me. It changed the way i think about my church, for the better. I feel more connected to the people who started it, and the events that propelled it. I think i better understand a lot of the emotions going through the people, and I have such a desire to learn more! I appreciate these faithful people so much. I really owe them everything.

And I love the song, "Come Come Ye Saints" more than i ever thought i could.

"Come, Come, Ye Saints, no toil or labor fear; but with joy wend your way. 

Though hard to you this journey this journey may appear, grace shall be as your day.

'Tis better far for us to strive our useless cares from us to drive; do this and joy, your hearts will swell: 

all is well! All is well!

Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard? 

Tis not so; all is right. 

Why should we think to earn a great reward if we now shun the fight?

Gird up your loins; Fresh courage take. 

Our God will never us forsake.

And soon we'll have this tale to tell: All is well! All is well.

We'll find the place which God for us prepared, far away in the West.

Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid; there the saints will be blessed.

We'll make the air with music ring, shout praises to our God and King.

Above the rest, these words we'll tell: All is well! All is well."

"And should we die before our journey's through, Happy day! All is well!

We then are free from toil and sorrow, too. 

With the just we shall dwell!

but if our lives are spared again to see the saints their rest obtain, oh! How we'll make this chorus swell: All is well! All is well!"

I know. I know. That God lives. and that He loves me. I know He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die for me. I know that God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith and gave him a great work to do. I know that that work, the Book of Mormon, was translated by Joseph Smith through the power of God. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that every one of his successors, including Thomas S. Monson, has been a prophet under the same authority. God's authority. I know it's true. with all of my heart. 

I am happy. 

and it is because of the gospel of Jesus Christ that has been brought back to the earth. and it is because through God's temples, families can be together forever. and it is because i can pray and be heard, and given answers. And it is because I have a fire in my heart right now, telling me that this is all true. 

It is all so, so, true.

"Happy day! All is well!"