23 September 2018 - Sunday

23 September 2018 - Sunday

Before I get started on tonight's blog, I wanted to let you know I did not get all the details of mom's experience at the Visitors' Center correct last night.  So, take a re-look at her experience, on yesterday's blog, as you get the opportunity.  It is really hard to report on someone else's experiences!  

On this Sabbath Day, we broke our weekly fast with prayers for Cameron Heiner, and for each of our family members.  What a sweet opportunity it has been to fast each Saturday for various things we are trying to improve upon, or what we are trying to assist others with.  This all began in 1994 when I was first called as Bishop of the Creekside Ward in California.  I wanted desperately to follow the will of the Lord, in that sacred calling, and mom and I have stayed with that effort almost every Saturday since then.

A beautiful Fall plant in from of the Visitors' Center this morning!

Today, mom and I served in the Visitors' Center.  Our shift started at 8:30am and ended at around 11:30am.  The brethren brought us the Sacrament around 9:00am just after I had welcomed a family of six, and got them through the Visitors' Center and into a 16 minute movie.  This was a family with four children under the age of about twelve years, from Utah, and I invited them to attend Sacrament Meeting right after the movie ended.  I also had a group of women from Utah that came around 10:30am to hike to Martin's Cove.  I could not invite the women to the Sacrament Meeting since it had started at 10:00am.  

Now here is a wonderful story, and tender mercy, for this senior missionary.  The first family I was hosting had two connections to the Martin Handcart Company.  The dad was a descendant of Isaac Wardle, and the wife was a descendant of Langley Bailey.  Some of you may remember that Langley got too sick to walk, at Florence, and had to be carried by wagon, or handcart, all the way to Salt Lake City.  He rode in Isaac Wardle's handcart for over 600 miles!  How did these two ever get together with both being sixth generation descendants?

This family had been to Martin's Cove in 2012 as part of their Stake trek.  However, their four children had not been to Martin's Cove until today.  And they were dressed for trekking and not for Sacrament meeting, but both mom and I encouraged them to attend the meeting anyway.  After attending the full Sacrament Meeting, they came over to the Visitors' Center for further instructions on the trek where both Isaac and Langley had been a part of in 1856.  And, as a side note, they were so grateful they had attended the Sacrament services with their family today!

Now here is a sweet tender mercy for this family, and especially their children.  Their youngest child was a boy named Porter.  He was probably McKenzie's age.  I made him the Captain of their trek and gave them this sweet piece of family history;  Isaac Wardle was baptized on Friday September 23, 1853!  That was exactly 165 years ago today!  And here was this precious family re-enacting the trek with their family in honor of both Isaac and Langley.

Then I found out the four women were trekking for another descendant, James Bleak.  He kept a rather detailed journal of his emigration with the Martin Company and much of his record is used in the mission today.  When I told them that there were also descendants from Isaac Wardle and Langley Bailey at Martin's Cove, today, they were excited to meet them.  Well I got the women off on their trek about 10:30am ,and then the family, with Captain Porter, off at around 11:30am, and then mom and I went to our other meetings rejoicing in our morning's activities.  

When we were done with Priesthood and Relief Society, I walked by the Visitors' Center, and one of the four women had just come off the trail.  She asked me if I had seen the descendants from Isaac Wardle's family and Langley Bailey's family.  I told her they were probably still out on the trail, and  then she identified them from meeting them coming back in.  It was then that she realized that she had gone to high school with both the mother and the father, and did not know they were of pioneer bloodlines.  She was so excited because she knew where they lived and would see them back in Utah!  How is that for a wonderful shift at the Visitors' Center!  

This was one of my favorite days serving here.  I absolutely love the story about Isaac Wardle cutting down those trees in the ravine on that cold November 4, 1856 day.  He was ready to die in this area after coming up with the handcart group from Fort Seminoe.  That is when that rescuer "motivated" him to cut down those trees and how it saved his life.  This brother told me where those stumps are reportedly located, and I will probably walk back up there before we leave and check it out.

I am also very impressed with Langley Bailey and the love he had for the sacrifices that Isaac Wardle made just for him.  Ministering to Langley was never a "burden" for Isaac, but Langley would never forget his service rendered during that experience.  In fact, Langley Bailey wrote a poignant letter to Isaac Wardle in November of 1916, with an eternal gratitude still overflowing in his heart for the effort Isaac made in bringing him to Zion.  

I think that says it all about ministering.  This effort, on our part, that is now the way of our Prophet, President Nelson, has taught us to look after one another, and should be the hallmark of our daily lives.  I am convinced that this is the Celestial way of  how we can raise the level of our outlook, and performance in the Church, as we prepare for those marvelous things to come!  We are so excited!