“A group of pioneers who traveled together was called a company. Companies took their name from the man responsible for leading them. Some companies established rules to follow while traveling together. There were practical rules, like returning lost property to the Captains for safekeeping, tying dogs to wagons at night, and bringing horses and mules into camp before sundown. Other rules of not leaving camp without permission and pledging implicit obedience to the leaders were attempts to keep order in place.”
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Chapter 8 – Journey To Utah
“Assassinating a leader is a powerful way to send a message.
The message sent with Prophet Joseph Smith’s murder was, “Mormons are not welcome here.”
Chapter 7- Buying Cows
“I have come to believe
that racism gets into all of us.
On that day,
some of Daniel’s came out.”
Chapter 6 – A Persecuted People
“Unfortunately, instead of being left to practice their faith peacefully, the saints faced intense mistreatment for nearly fifteen years before beginning their mass exodus to Utah.
Their beloved prophet, Joseph Smith, was murdered in Carthage jail while awaiting trial. Shot in the back while trying to flee the assassination attempt by an angry mob.”
Chapter 4 – Missionaries
Once upon a time, a boy named Joseph said he talked to angels. He claimed he began receiving holy revelations as a teenager. In 1830, at the age of twenty-five, those conversations became the foundations of the church he built, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints also called the Mormons.
Chapter 3 – Settling In
“Settled” is such a cozy word. I like to settle into a comfortable chair or settle down for a warm winter nap. But for eager settlers like Henry and Elizabeth Wood, there was nothing cozy about settling into the raw Canadian land which Britain had given in exchange for their allegiance.”
Chapter 2- Loyalty and Revolution
“Those who remained loyal to the crown during the war were called Loyalists. In 1783, after England lost, many Loyalists were offered land or monetary compensation both to lessen the blow of losses suffered and as a reward.”
Chapter 1- Sailing Ships
“I admire a tree’s solid footing in a spinning world.
Walking in forests anchors me.
Placing my palms against a tree’s rough bark, I wonder what secrets it holds.
A tree’s fall leaves are rich with colors of death, and its spring leaves bursting with renewal remind me of the impermanence of life.”
Schedules and Social Distancing
TERESA’S THOUGHTS: I live in Washington state which apparently is the epicenter of the Coronavirus outbreak in the United States. I have gone from believing I could carry on life as usual, to hunkering down at home for the foreseeable future. The common threat of this virus makes our world seems smaller and more intimateContinue reading “Schedules and Social Distancing”
Writing With Others
TERESA’S THOUGHTS: On Monday I attended a writing group which meets in a conference room at our local library. This is not a critique group where writers share their work in progress. Instead, this group meets to write. Most bring laptops we plug into a shared outlet at the center of the room. A fewContinue reading “Writing With Others”