At the beginning of his sacred record, the prophet Nephi identifies a central theme of his writing: "But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance" (1 Nephi 1:20).
The Book of Mormon is filled with accounts of God's delivering His people through their faith and by His tender mercies. Examples of deliverance are of two general types: temporal deliverance from physical captivity, destruction, and death, and spiritual deliverance from sin and hell. While direct means of deliverance — miracles, visions, and revelations — are dramatic, indirect means, such as compassionate service by and on behalf of His children, provide the usual way that God's power of deliverance is manifest in the mortal lives of His children.
The rescue of the Willie and Martin handcart companies 150 years ago this season is one of the most dramatic examples from early Church history of the power of deliverance. Stranded by a severe winter storm on the high plains of eastern Wyoming in the fall of 1856, the handcart companies of Edward Martin and James Willie were in critical want of food, shelter, clothing, and other necessities of life. Under the direction of Brigham Young, rescue parties from Church headquarters delivered needed supplies and sustenance in a coordinated and effective manner. Although some two hundred of the more than one thousand pioneers perished in the tragedy, the rescue efforts averted a total catastrophe and enabled the survivors to lead, in most cases, productive and long lives.
For both the rescued and the rescuers, the handcart tragedy became a defining moment in their lives. The rescue was memorable because of the intense suffering witnessed or experienced by all who participated. The ordeal was redeeming because of the power of deliverance amply manifested throughout.
The power of deliverance was not administered as a single heroic event. Rather, it was an extended process whose eventual success required years of preparation: acquiring serviceable equipment and supplies to effect the rescue, raising dependable livestock to convey the needed personnel and material to and from the rescue sites, and having available for such an emergency the surpluses of food, clothing, bedding and other necessities.
In addition, the rescue itself took months to complete. President Brigham Young issued the call for a rescue party at General Conference in early October, and within days the rescue parties were under way. However, with the inherent slowness of frontier travel, combined with the rough terrain and difficult weather conditions, the rescuers took weeks just to get to the stranded pioneers. Several additional weeks were required to minister to their immediate needs and return the survivors to safety. Hence the rescuers had to be willing and able to interrupt their normal lives to execute the extended mission.
Once the handcart pioneers were out of immediate danger, many more weeks, months, and, in some cases, years were required by friends, neighbors, and extended family members to see to the survivors' long-term needs. These efforts — from the preparation to the execution and follow up — were motivated and characterized by such tender mercies as patience, compassion, forgiveness, perseverance, dedication and cooperation.
As dramatic as the handcart rescue was, it is only one among many examples of the power of deliverance that constitute the legacy of the Latter-day Saints. Many in our families, congregations, neighborhoods and work places suffer the consequences of broken homes, sin, neglect, crime, abuse, disease, disability, poverty, ignorance, natural disaster and a host of other contemporary ills. The signs of this suffering may not be as readily apparent as those of the handcart tragedy, and the needy are certainly not as concentrated in a given area. Nevertheless, the need to deliver God's children from contemporary temporal and spiritual disasters is no less critical. In many cases, modern-day rescue efforts are as demanding in terms of advance preparation, coordinated execution and extended follow-up as were those that delivered the handcart pioneers of 1856. And the tender mercies of the Lord are no less central. While modern-day rescues are seldom the subject of media headlines, popular presentations and re-enactments, and extended historical research, it is certain that this enduring legacy of deliverance is preserved and celebrated by the angels in heaven as much as the achievements of the past.
Delivering others from captivity is not for the impatient, selfish, faint of heart or "fair weather" Church member. It is hard work; it requires much personal sacrifice and the testing of one's character; and often the measures of success are not readily apparent. Yet, as with the handcart tragedy, the rescued and the rescuers realize untold benefits. Few who have sacrificed for the deliverance of another remain the same thereafter. The experience of rescuing a son or daughter of God not only extends and enriches the quality of that person's life, but also gives the rescuers a more profound understanding of their own eternal potential and divine identity, a firmer understanding of the promises of the gospel, and a more sure hope of the plan of salvation.
Because of their testimonies of the truth of the Restoration and the tender mercies of the Lord cultivated in their lives over years of service and sacrifice, I am confident that the Latter-day Saints will continue to strengthen and deepen their legacy of deliverance as the Church extends its influence throughout the world in accordance with ancient and modern prophecies for the eternal blessing of God's children. This unfolding miracle is an enduring legacy of the Willie and Martin handcart rescue. — Steven Olsen of the Valley Hills 2nd Ward, Heber City Utah North Stake, serves as the first assistant in the high priests group leadership. His article is adapted from his comments at the recent unveiling of sculptures at Martin's Cove, honoring the rescue of the handcart companies.