Thursday, January 26, 2012

Come Come Ye Saints

I love the movie 17 Miracles... it is a very inspirational movie that really strengthened my testimony and made me very, VERY grateful to the saints who sacrificed so much so that we can have the gospel today. So many people take the knowledge that the gospel brings us for granted...



 The Martin Willie Handcart Companies suffered the highest percentage of deaths of any emigrant parties to go west...

"Our pioneer ancestors sacrificed virtually all they had, including their lives in many cases, to follow a prophet of God."
-M. Russell Ballard

     It amazes and humbles me that these people were SO faithful- that they were willing to do whatever the prophet asked them to... no matter what. 
   
     They suffered SO much... there were deaths every day, people who became incredibly ill... they were also persecuted constantly... I have no doubt that all of those saints were changed forever from those experiences.

D&C 101:15- And all they who have given their lives for my name shall be crowned.

     I know that we question all the time why people doing good things- people following the prophet- suffer, and sometimes die... that last powerful scripture is why.

     Sometimes God also lets the righteous suffer and maybe die so that the wicked will be condemned. The terrible things that they did to the saints will be a witness against them at the last day.


     Another thing that always amazes me is how courageous and positive the pioneers always seemed to be. Of course they questioned, and were sometimes probably angry and frustrated and confused.

But they were also oh, so faithful and obedient. And they also turned to God in their trials.


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Come, come, ye Saints, no toil or labor fear;
But with joy wend your way.
Though hard to you this journey may appear,
Grace shall be as your day.
'Tis better far for us to strive
Our useless cares from us to drive;
Do this and joy your hearts will swell —
All is well! All is well!

Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?
'Tis not so; all is right.
Why should we think to earn a great reward
If we now shun the fight?
Gird up your loins; fresh courage take.
Our God will never us forsake;

And soon we'll have this tale to tell —
All is well! All is well!

We'll find the place which God for us prepared,
Far away in the West.
Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid;
There the Saints will be blessed.
We'll make the air with music ring,
Shout praises to our God and King;

Above the rest these words we'll tell —
All is well! All is well!

And should we die before our journey's through,
Happy day! All is well!
We then are free from toil and sorrow, too;
With the just we shall dwell!
But if our lives are spared again
To see the Saints their rest obtain;
Oh, how we'll make this chorus swell —
All is well! All is well!

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“I will never get over being thankful to them; I hope you never get over being thankful to them. I hope that we will always remember them. . . . Let us read again and again, and read to our children or our children’s children, the accounts of those who suffered so much.”
- Gordon B. Hinckley  


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