Mormonenpioniere - Widrigkeiten, Krankheit und Tod erzeugten wertvolles Erbe

Achim Erlacher 1. Ratgeber in der Präsidentschaft des Pfahles Salzburg erzählte heute davon, dass er im Sommer mit seiner Familie 6 Wochen lang in den USA weilte. Er hatte sich auch 6 Jahre darauf vorbereitet und gespart. Seine Familie hatte den Wunsch zu historischen Stätte der Geschichte der Kirche Jesu Christi der Heiligen der Letzten Tage zu reisen und das persönlich zu sehen, was in der Regel nur durch Erzählungen, Geschichten Fotos und Videos bekannt war.

Tief beeindruckt kehrte er nun zurück mit der festen Absicht, sich wieder intensiver mit diesen beispielhaften und unglaublichen Geschichten von Glaubenstreue, Wundern aber auch tiefem unvorstellbarem Leid, Krankheit und Tod zu befassen. Auszugsweise erwähnte er die berühmte und zugleich traurige Geschichte des "Martin Handkarrenzuges" (http://www.mormonismus-enzyklopaedie.de/Handcart.html)
Von 576 Personen waren mindestens 145 ums Leben gekommen und viele litten an schrecklichen Erfrierungen und Unterernährung.

Die Überlebenden hätten nicht überlebt, wenn ihnen nicht auf Geheiß des Propheten Brigham Young Rettungstrupps aus Salt Lake City entgegengeschickt worden wären. Einer dieser Retter war Ephraim Hanks. Nachfolgend ein Auszug aus seinem Tagebuch:

“Being deeply concerned about the possible fate of the immigrants, and feeling anxious to learn of their condition, I determined to start out on horseback to meet them; ............ I camped in the snow in the mountains. As I was preparing to make a bed in the snow with the few articles that my pack animal carried for me, I thought how comfortable a buffalo robe would be on such an occasion, and also how I could relish a little buffalo meat for supper, and before lying down for the night I was instinctively led to ask the Lord to send me a buffalo. Now, I am a firm believer in the efficacy of prayer, for I have on many different occasions asked the Lord for blessings, which He in His mercy has bestowed upon me. But when I, after praying as I did on that lonely night in the South Pass, looked around me and spied a buffalo bull within fifty yards of my camp, my surprise was complete; I had certainly not expected so immediate an answer to my prayer. However, I soon collected myself and was not at a loss to know what to do. Taking deliberate aim at the animal, my first shot brought him down, he made a few jumps only, and then rolled down into the very hollow where I was encamped.
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I think the sun was about an hour high in the west when I spied something in the distance that looked like a black streak in the snow. As I got near to it, I perceived it moved; then I was satisfied that this was the long looked for hand-cart company, led by Captain Edward Martin. I reached the ill-fated train just as the immigrants were camping for the night. The sight that met my gaze as I entered their camp can never be erased from my memory. The starved forms and haggard countenances of the poor sufferers, as they moved about slowly, shivering with cold, to prepare their scanty evening meal, was enough to touch the stoutest heart. When they saw me coming, they hailed me with joy inexpressible, and when they further beheld the supply of fresh meat I brought into their camp, their gratitude knew no bounds. Flocking around me, one would say, ‘Oh, please, give me a small piece of meat;’ another would exclaim, ‘My poor children are starving, do give me a little;’ and children with tears in their eyes would call out, ‘Give me some, give me some.’ At first I tried to wait on them and handed out the meat as they called for it; but finally I told them to help themselves. Five minutes later both my horses had been released of their extra burden—the meat was all gone, and the next few hours found the people in camp busily engaged cooking and eating it, with thankful hearts.
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http://history.lds.org/overlandtravels/trailExcerptMulti?lang=eng&sourceId=97569