Life At Sixth Crossing

Hiking the Seminoe Cutoff Trail

The Sweetwater River

As noted in the previous post, the winters in Wyoming can be brutal.  The winter of 1856-1857 was the worst winter on record, as the Willie and Martin Handcart Companies made their way to the Great Salt Lake Valley.  It is not unusual for winter storms to blow through this area every five to seven days.  We have been here at the Sixth Crossing of the Mormon Handcart Historic Site for eleven days.  During that time we have seen two storms come through, dropping 1-2 inches of snow, closing roads and disrupting power.  In between these storms the weather becomes quite pleasant, with temperatures reaching the lower sixty degrees, melting off any accumulated snow. 

The wind often blows here with the prevailing winds coming from the west-southwest.  Wyoming is ranked first in the United States with an average annual wind speed of 12.9 mph.  

Building and Painting Benches

When the days are nasty we spend our days indoors learning about the area and the pioneers who emigrated through here on their way to California, Oregon and Utah.  In between the wintery storms we head outdoors to work on projects such as cleaning up campsites, trimming willows, spreading native grass seed, painting picnic tables and benches, as well as familiarizing ourselves with the trails.  This may sound unusual for missionaries, but because winter can be so cruel here in Wyoming, the weather takes its toll on outdoor facilities. Plus, we want to ensure that visitors who come to Sixth Crossing have an enjoyable, pleasant experience and we can answer their questions.  

The Painting Crew

Loading Willow Cuttings

Currently we are in the off season, but expect to have trek groups arriving early June.  It is estimated that hundred and thousands of people will come this summer to enjoy the historic site and to hike the trails, and we want to be ready for them. So until then, we will continue working on stories and projects and hiking the surrounding trails.  I must admit, these past few days have been very fulfilling for us.  We have enjoyed getting to know the other missionaries we are working with. The surrounding scenery is absolutely beautiful with its wide open space and far off mountains.  Plus, there is a special spirit here, just to be able to walk where so many early pioneers walked before us.  We are coming to love Wyoming and its people.

Moon-rise over the Sagebrush

Remember: "You can't buy happiness, but you can live in Wyoming"

Elder and Sister Bowden

Some Must Push and Some Must Pull

Mormon Handcart Historic Sites
Sixth Crossing

We left the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah on April 13, 2016 and drove to our assigned area at Sixth Crossing, Wyoming.  Sixth Crossing is not easy to find as it is not on the map, but is located on US Highway 287 about 40 miles east of Lander, Wyoming.  Here, on the Sweetwater River more than 500,000 people migrating westward between 1843 and 1869 stopped to rest and recuperate before crossing over the Rocky Mountains.  Some of these emigrants came in search of land, some in search of gold and some search of business opportunities, while others came for religious freedom.   Most of them settled in California, Oregon, and Utah.

Handcart Replica

Of these 500,000 emigrants, between 60,000 – 70,000 were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as Mormons.  After being driven from Ohio, Missouri and Illinois, they were seeking refuge from religious persecution – and a place where they could build Zion.  Brigham Young led the first group of Latter-day Saint pioneers through this area in 1847, on their way to establishing a settlement in the Salt Lake Valley. Most of the subsequent Mormon emigrants traveled in wagon companies but some traveled by handcarts.

Mormon Handcart Trail

In the mid-1850s Brigham Young, the President of the Church, faced a dilemma: thousands of converts from Europe were eager to emigrate, but most of them didn’t have sufficient funds.  To make their emigration possible, he developed the "handcart plan".  According to this plan, church members would sail from Liverpool to the eastern United States. From there, they would travel by train to the end of the railroad line in Iowa City.  From Iowa City they would walk the final 1,300 miles to the Salt Lake Valley, pulling their belongings in two-wheeled handcarts.  In contrast to the more than $200 required to outfit a wagon, a handcart could be built for $10 to $20.

Crossing The Sweetwater River

The handcart plan was implemented in 1856. Five handcart companies crossed the trail that year. The first three traveled quickly, without difficulties. The last two handcart companies, however, suffered a terrible tragedy. The Willie Handcart Company made it to the Fifth Crossing of the Sweetwater River on October 18, 1856, camped for the night, and prepared for the next day’s journey. The company was exhausted and out of food.   The next day they were hit by the season’s first major winter storm near Ice Springs, about 10 miles east of Sixth Crossing.  That evening, when they stopped at the Sixth Crossing they killed the last of their cattle.   George Cunningham wrote:  “. . . they were as poor as we were.   We boiled the bones and drank the soup.   We ate what little meat there was, we greedily devoured the hide".

James G. Willie

Captain Willie knew he must save his company, so on October 20th, with snow blowing in their faces, he and Joseph Elder rode out in search of the relief wagons that had been sent by Brigham Young from Salt Lake City.   They thought they would find them 10 – 12 miles west, but did not locate them for 27 miles.   The rescue party was also stranded because of the winds and snow. Early the next morning, they all started for the stranded handcart company. 

One of the rescuers, Daniel W. Jones, described the condition of the Willie camp when they located it with these words:  “On arriving we found them in a condition that would stir the feelings of the hardest heart. They were out of provisions and really freezing and starving to death.”  Six of the rescue wagons stayed with the Willie Company and eight others rolled eastward to find the Martin Handcart Company which was struggling under similar conditions.  The Willie Company continued on westward, eventually arriving in Salt Lake City November 9th.

Rescue of the Willie Handcart Company

Despite the heroic efforts of James Willie, other emigration leaders, and the rescuers, around 69 members of the Willie Handcart Company died along the way.   Many survivors suffered effects of the journey throughout their lives, but even those who suffered the most, rarely expressed bitterness or complaint.  Much more prevalent in their writings is their gratitude for the restored gospel, for the blessings of the sealing ordinances, and for a loving God. Betsy Smith of the Willie Handcart Company expressed these feelings:  “I will not dwell upon the hardships we endured, nor the hunger and cold, but I like to tell of the goodness of God unto us.”  

That is one of many legacies left to us by these handcart pioneers – the ability to see the goodness of God even in times of trial and adversity.  Their stories are of faith, obedience, sacrifice and charity.  It these stories we will be sharing with the visitors who come to walk the California, Oregon and Mormon trails of Wyoming.  Come with us, as we journey with these pioneer saints,

Elder and Sister Bowden

Handcarts Lined Up and Ready To Go

  (Note: material for this posting came from the Wyoming Mormon Trail Mission site manual)

A Senior Moment

After leaving Florida and "Little Lara" we flew home to prepare for our next adventure -- 

a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  

Leaving for the MTC

On March 20, 2016 we were set apart as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  When we were set apart by our Stake President, he reminded us the Lord promised special blessings not only for senior missionary couples but also their families. Russell M. Nelson said, “When we think of missionaries, we generally picture in our minds young men with shirts and ties and young women dressed modestly. But along with them are marvelous senior missionaries who have answered the pleadings of prophets and apostles for more missionary couples." We too felt compelled to answer the Lord's call to serve.

Our room at the MTC

After visiting with family and friends we traveled to Provo, Utah where we entered the Missionary Training Center (MTC) on April 4th. Our MTC room is small and simple, with a queen size bed, two closets, a small private bathroom, and a desk. It’s fairly spartan in decoration, but we have not spent much time in our room.  At the MTC, senior missionary couples receive training in doctrine, conduct, and proselytizing methods. 

Our Name Tags

Plus, it was in the MTC we began using the titles of "Elder" (for the men) and "Sister" (for the women). These titles are reflected on our name tags. During our first week of training, we spent the majority of our time with other Elders and Sisters in class, with breaks for meals, temple attendance, fitness activities, and personal preparation time (for laundry, letter writing, etc).  

In our classroom
 with other Senior Missionaries

Full-time senior missionaries are called by the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We serve voluntarily and at our own expense in a wide range of missions, including proselytizing, humanitarian, health, education, genealogical, as well as leadership missions. A missionary’s purpose is to “invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end”. 

Elder and Sister Bowden
standing with the first Church missionary,
 Samuel Smith

 For us, we spent our first week learning different teaching skills. This included an opportunity to practice those skills in the "Training Resource Center" where we learned how to teach by the Spirit. Here we went into a situation ready to teach one thing, only to discover we needed to teach something entirely different, as we tried to follow the Spirit's promptings. We also learn how to work with members, and church wards and branches. Next week we will travel to Salt Lake City Temple Square to receive specialized training on working in visitor centers, since we will be serving for six months in the Wyoming Mormon Trails Mission with a specific assignment at the at Sixth Crossing visitor center. 

While at the MTC  preparing to serve our mission we have met many wonderful senior and young missionaries.  They have come here from all over the world and will be leaving from here for assignments all over the world, including: the United States, Canada, England, Switzerland, Mexico, Dominica Republic, Brazil, China, Mongolia, Taiwan, and Japan.  

Standing before a world map
pointing to our assigned Mission

We have had many spiritual experiences while in the MTC.  This is a special and unique place and we have made many new and wonderful friends.  We have grown to love them in a very short time. When we all leave, going our separate ways, we will miss them, but we find joy and happiness in knowing they too will be serving the Lord.

Just a few of the many friends we met at the MTC