Anyone who has seen the Perry-Payne-Arrington production, Trail of Dreams, probably knows who Bodil Mortensen is. President Robert Scott Lorimer of the Riverton Wyoming Stake first heard of her after feeling drawn to the Rock Creek Hollow gravesite where fifteen members of the Willie handcart company are buried. Upon his calling to the position of stake president, he asked his stake members to pray about "the Willie project," even though, at the time, he didn't know what it was. Their prayers led to the temple baptism for Bodil on August 14, 1991 in the Ogden temple, and then her other temple work. They led to the completion of temple work for all of the people of the Martin and Willie handcart companies, as well as those in the Hunt and Hodgett wagon companies, who died without those blessings, and they led to a great spiritual experience for the members of the Riverton Wyoming Stake. This book is about that experience.

The author of this book starts out by saying that she has no Mormon pioneer ancestry, and yet this story is as important to her and others like her as it is to those with such ancestry.

She writes for those with no Mormon connection at all, but her explanations of things Mormon are not without interest to those who already know about them. The only problem in the book is that some of the sections read as if they were written separately or as if the author had forgotten what she'd already said, in that some explanations are repeated.

The book starts with the story of the handcart companies, goes on to explain the doctrine of temple work, and then follows the "Willie Project" as it grew. Each stake member who was interested in participating was given the name of a pioneer to research. The book tells how they went about this research, using new computer technology that had just become available, and how this effort brought them together as only love and service can. Thirty pages of the book are dedicated to the spiritual experiences connected with this endeavor, not only as told by the author, but in the words of some of the people who were involved. There are no overwhelming miracles described, no visitations, just quiet, humble growth in spirit and community, miracles enough on their own. The book then goes on to describe the other things that were done: land purchase, monument and bridge building, dedicatory services.

In the words of Robert Scott Lorimer: "The simple truth of the matter is that the Second Rescue was not a program in any sense of the word. It was a direct revelation to a stake president concerning temple ordinances that needed to be completed for members of the Willie and Martin handcart companies and faithful stake members who willingly sacrificed so this and other work would be completed. Included in the totality of the Second Rescue were more than 4,200 temple ordinances completed for the Willie and Martin pioneers in the Ogden Temple, the construction of three monuments in memory of the handcart companies, several blessings given to the members of the Riverton Wyoming Stake by their Church leaders, three dedicatory services under the direction of Presiden Gordon B. Hinckley, and the purchase of large tracts of land at the Willie and Martin sites."

The book ends with a listing of the members of the Willie and Martin handcart companies and the Hunt and Hodgett wagon companies. These lists give names, ages (as of May 1856), and birthplaces, at least. They are enough to bring tears to the eyes all by themselves.

Kathleen Dalton-Woodbury

workshop@burgoyne.com



Reviewed: 9 April 1998
Copyright © 1998 Kathleen Dalton-Woodbury <workshop@burgoyne.com>