Let us never forget that we have a marvelous heritage received from great and courageous people who endured unimaginable suffering and demonstrated unbelievable courage for the cause they loved. You and I know what we should do. God help us to do it when it needs to be done.” -Gordon B. Hinkley
Recently a movie called 17 Miracles came out to select theaters. 17 Miracles is about the Willie Handcart Company who started their trek to Zion (the Salt Lake Valley) two weeks later than they planned. It showed the pioneers hardships and trials as they go through rain and snow, losing loved ones everywhere they went. I learned alot from the movie. How I should be more greatful for the things that I have in this world. For example, this morning I had 2 pancakes which was a common meal for the pioneers, but they had half of what i had. The movie really made me think and wonder if I had gone through that trial if I would have gotten to Zion or if I would have given up early in the trek. I admire all of the pioneers that went through what they did not only to get to zion but to get peace from the mobs that hated the mormons, which I dont understand at all. How could someone hate another so much that they tarred and feathered members, executed members and ruined their lifes. Us mormons have a horrible past, full of abuse by fellow citizins and the government. But we have also had our ups. Little everyday miracles.
“What I have said I know to be true; but seeing you are to go forward, I will go with you, will help all I can, will work with you, will rest with you, and if necessary, will die with you. May God in his mercy bless and preserve us"-Levi Savage
Because of this movie I have found a new hero, Levi Savage. Levi Savage was called on a 3 year mission and had to leave his son in the care of his sister because his wife had recently died. You can imagine the pain he must have gone through having just lost a wife and now he has to leave his very young son. He won't be able to see the first walk, the first talk and all the other firsts. Thats always going to be tough on a father. After his three years were up he was waiting for the train to go home he heard his name being shouted by a man named Willie who wanted Levi to be a co-captain of the Willie Handcart Company. He didn't want to because he missed his son so very much but in the end he said yes. So they gathered up everyone who wanted to go to Zion and started making handcarts. They left two weeks too late and Levi knew that. He had travled the very trail and knew that if you left too late you would be in rain, snow and many people would die. So he spoke his mind. He proposed that the saints stay until the following spring so that they wouldn't risk the suffering, but Willie went against Levi's proposal, even though Levi knows more than Willie about the trail. Levi had many people publically criticize his proposal. Willie and other high church leaders said that Levi needed to repent in front of a whole congragation! How rude is that? So, not listening to Levi's advice, they left and there was much pain and suffering on the trail. On a side note Levi Savage was part of the Mormon Batallion which was in charge of handleing the Donner party mess. They were another handcart company who got so desperate that they started eating the people who died just to stay alive for another day. So going out of that experience and into another experience would have been so hard. He kept looking for things that might make them do what the Donner party did and fix the problem. But because of Levi they made it safe. One time a little boy was standing in front of his family when all of a sudden two wolves (wolves were a problem on the trail) appeared and started stalking the boy and when Levi saw them he threw down his handcart and started running to the boy. Fortunently he made it there and scared the wolves away and they never did return after that. The pain that Levi had to go through was emmense and that is why he is my hero. He thought of everyone in the company before himself. He gave one of his best friends his one meal when his friend was starving to death. Turns out that he had been giving his meal portions to his family. He died the next day. It is selfless acts like that that make me really look up to him. He is a very Christ like figure. When the long and painful journey was over Levi finally made it back to see his son. He was so happy he couldn't hold his tears, nor could I.
One more thing this couple right here has one of the best love stories ever made according to President Faust. When President Faust heard this story he wept. This young couple was deeply in love. They decided to go to Zion together but chose not to get married before they got there. They didn't want to get married before because they wanted to be sealed for time and all eternity, there were no temples where they lived so they decided to wait till they got to Zion, risking life and death to get there. On the trail the girl (sorry I can't remember her name) got very sick with the fever and almost died and her boyfriend was always there for her. He gave her all his food and he would have given his life for her. But she got better and they journeyed on. But then he got sick and cold and he died. They were almost to Zion and he died. He wrote her a letter explaining all the reasons why he loved her. It was so cute! The girlfriend didnt want to bury him in the ground so that the wolves would get to him so she decided to put him in a tree and cover him with her shawl. They were eventually sealed in the temple when she died. They were sealed for time and all eternity. But the weird thing was that when people were traveling a few months later that knew the story saw the shawl but there was no body in it. No bones or anything and the shawl was in perfect condition, the condition that it was in when he was buried. There is alot of speculation of what happened to the body. Was he resurrected? I don't know but I personally believe so. I mean the shawl was perfect and right where the body was. If the body fell then the shawl would have to. But who knows!
Overall this was a very touching movie. I loved every minute of it and cried my way through the whole movie! Thats it for now!
~Amanda~
