One of the evils of our time is taking for granted so many of the things we enjoy. This was spoken of by the Lord: “For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift?” (D&C 88:33). The Apostle Paul described our day to Timothy when he wrote that in the last days “men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy” (2 Tim. 3:2). These sins are fellow travelers, and ingratitude makes one susceptible to all of them.
How
can we pay our debt of gratitude for the heritage of faith demonstrated
by pioneers in many lands across the earth who struggled and sacrificed
so that the gospel might take root? How is thankfulness expressed for
the intrepid handcart pioneers who, by their own brute strength, pulled
their meager belongings in handcarts across the scorching plains and
through the snows of high mountain passes to escape persecution and find
peaceful worship in Utah’s valleys? How can the debt of gratitude
possibly be paid by the descendants of the handcart companies for the
faith of their forebears?
One
of these intrepid souls was Emma Batchelor, a young English girl
traveling without family. She started out with the Willie Handcart
Company, but by the time they reached Fort Laramie, they were ordered to
lighten their loads. Emma was directed to leave the copper kettle in
which she carried her belongings. She refused to do this and set it by
the side of the road and sat down on it, knowing that the Martin Company
was only a few days behind. When the Martin Company caught up, she
joined the Paul Gourley family. A young son wrote many years later:
“Here we were joined by Sister Emma Batchelor. We were glad to have her
because she was young and strong and meant more flour for our mess.” At
this time, Sister Gourley gave birth to a child, and Emma acted as the
midwife and for two days loaded the mother and the child into the cart,
which Emma helped pull.
Those
who died traveling with the Martin Company were mercifully relieved of
suffering from frozen feet, ears, noses, or fingers, which maimed others
for the rest of their lives. Emma, age 21, however, was a fortunate
one—she came through the ordeal whole.
When
a year later she met President Brigham Young, who was surprised that
she was not maimed, she told him: “Brother Brigham I had no one to care
for me or to look out for me, so I decided I must look out for myself. I
was the one who called out when Brother Savage warned us [not to go]. I
was at fault in that, but I tried to make up for it. I pulled my full
share at the cart every day. When we came to a stream, I stopped and
took off my shoes and stockings and outer skirt and put them on top of
the cart. Then, after I got the cart across, I came back and carried
little Paul over on my back. Then I sat down and scrubbed my feet hard
with my woollen neckerchief and put on dry shoes and stockings.”
The
descendants of these pioneers can partially settle the account by being
true to the cause for which their ancestors suffered so much to be part
of.
As
with all commandments, gratitude is a description of a successful mode
of living. The thankful heart opens our eyes to a multitude of blessings
that continually surround us. President J. Reuben Clark, formerly a
First Counselor in the First Presidency, said: “Hold fast to the
blessings which God has provided for you. Yours is not the task to gain
them, they are here; yours is the part of cherishing them” (Church News,
14 June 1969, 2). At this Christmas season, I hope that we may
cultivate grateful hearts so that we may cherish the multitude of
blessings that God has so graciously bestowed. May we openly express
such gratitude to our Father in Heaven and our fellowmen.
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