Pillar of Light

by Gerald N. Lund

  Joshua’s back was sore from a hundred hands slapping him in congratulations. His right hand ached from the grip of iron-fisted men who felt as if the measure of their sincerity was the power by which they shook his hand. But in spite of the soreness, Joshua was deeply touched and welcomed each new person with a broad smile. It was a great, tremendous outpouring of affection, and it completely amazed him.

  Now they were at the river’s side. Brigham had picked a spot where the bank gently sloped into a quiet spot of the Missouri River. The water eddied and swirled but moved slowly by. There were five or six hundred people in all, lined up six and seven deep. Only a few of the older boys had been left behind to watch the stock. Every other member of the camp had come to see. Joy came hard on the trail; no one was about to miss its welcome visitation.

  Had Benjamin still been alive, Joshua would have picked him. But with him gone, there was no question in his mind as to whom he wanted to baptize him. They both wore white shirts—Nathan had one in his possession; Heber Kimball had found another one for Joshua. But they wore only workaday trousers. The company was not carrying any special baptismal clothing. Neither wore shoes or socks.

  As Joshua and Nathan walked gingerly toward the water, Elder Kimball nudged Josh. “Did you stop to think that this might be the first baptism in the Missouri River in over a thousand years?”

  Josh turned in surprise. “A thousand years!”

  “Yes. Perhaps the Nephites or the Jaredites got up this far and baptized people here, so you can’t say for sure it is the first time ever. But I think it would be safe to say there hasn’t been one since the time of the Nephites, not by proper authority anyway.”

  Josh was awed by that thought. “You think the Nephites once lived around here?”

  “Don’t know for sure, of course, but it’s possible. The Book of Mormon says they spread across the whole face of the land.”

  “That’s right,” Josh said in wonder. He turned and whispered that thought to Rachel and Luke and Emily.

  Lydia and Mary Ann had Caroline between them. Rebecca and the older girls were just behind them. As Nathan and Joshua reached the water’s edge and stopped, Lydia slipped an arm around Caroline’s waist. “Does this even seem real to you?” she asked.

  Caroline shook her head. “I’m still in a daze.”

  “You’re in a daze?” Rebecca exclaimed. “At least you had some signs that it might be coming. When Joshua told us he had taken Lydia’s Book of Mormon and was reading it, I nearly fell off the log. I thought for a minute I was going to faint.”

  “Me too,” Rachel exclaimed. “Oh, I wish Mama could be here to see it.”

  Caroline nodded sadly. “That is Joshua’s one regret. Of all people, he would like Jessica to be here today.”

  Brigham raised his arms then, and immediately the crowd grew quiet. He waited for a moment, then spoke loudly. “Brothers and sisters, we welcome you here at the water’s edge on this beautiful Sabbath evening. As you know, we are about to witness a momentous event.” He looked at Joshua. “One of the great giants of the forest has fallen”—there was a sudden impish grin—“and I’m happy to say that he has fallen right into our hands.”

  The group laughed heartily at that. Joshua was smiling too and raised one hand in acknowledgment.

  Then Brigham grew serious. “I’d like to say a few words before we proceed, if I may. As we all know now, life along the trail, though difficult and challenging, is still life. It contains the normal events that are part of any community—birth, death, sickness, celebration. We have even had a few courtships and one marriage that we know of since we left Nauvoo.”

  People were nodding, sobered now too as they thought back over the past four months of their lives.

  “It has not been an easy journey to where we are today. With the incessant rain, hillocks became mountains, low spots became mile-long bogs, creeks became rivers, and rivers impassable torrents. When the rain stopped, it was replaced by prairie fires and rattlesnakes. We have had times of sorrow and we have had times of joy. We have wept and we have laughed, we have toiled and we have danced.

  “As you know, most of us here left Nauvoo in February. The winds were cold; the river was frozen for a time. And we have come across Iowa in the worst spring in known memory. Why is that so? Why hasn’t the Lord tempered the weather for us?”

  He waited a moment. Every eye was on him. “Some of you have already heard. Those leaving Nauvoo now are covering the same distance in three weeks that it took us four months to cross. Some of you may be wondering, ‘Why didn’t Brother Brigham wait? Why didn’t the Lord let us leave when the weather was warm and the grass was high?’ Well, I’ll tell you why, and it has a lot to do with Joshua Steed being baptized today.

  “We underwent great preparations before leaving. We built wagons and filled them with provisions, we found the best teams, we searched out maps and compasses, and talked with those who had traveled the road before us. All of that was fine, and expected of the Lord. But the most important factor in preparing to go west is obedience. No amount of preparation, no amount of provisions, no wagonloads of tools and seed will take the place of our obedience. Only when we do what God requires of us, no matter how difficult or how trying, will we be blessed. God whispered to me, ‘Brother Brigham, wait no longer. Cross the river and head west.’ And so we did and we have been richly blessed.

  “In an epistle written under the influence of the Spirit by our beloved brother Joseph, a question was asked of all of us. It has much to do with obedience. It has much to do with why we are here where we are today.

  “Here is the question and the inspiring answer that follows: ‘Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory!’ ”

  Not a sound broke the silence of the moment. Then Brigham Young turned and looked at Joshua. “Here is a man who has gone on with us in so great a cause, even though he was not one of us. He has stayed with us—through the rain, through the mud, through the fires and snakes and floods. And now he will become one of us. Why? Because his family was obedient to the call of the Lord and did not hold back. Why? Because the Lord heard their cries in behalf of their husband and father, their brother and uncle and son. Why are we privileged to witness this event today? How is it that the Steeds have won this great victory? Because the Lord is pleased with Joshua’s obedience and has softened his heart and given him answer to his prayers. It is a lesson for all of us. May we use this occasion, wherein we celebrate the obedience of Joshua Steed, to renew our own covenants with the Lord. Let us set in our hearts a greater determination to do his will so that he can surely call us his people.”

  Joshua was looking at the ground now, not out of embarrassment but because he was touched by Brigham’s words.

  “And so, my brothers and sisters, we come now to this glorious moment. We have seen life on the trail. We have seen babies born and people die. We have seen young people fall in love and be married. But as yet we have not had a baptism other than of our children who have reached the age of accountability. It is time to rectify that situation. Before we proceed, however, I would like Brother Steed to say a word to all of us. I want you to have a chance to see into his heart, as I have done.” He motioned for Joshua to join him.

  Surprised, Joshua moved away from Nathan and went to stand by Brigham’s side. Brigham put his arm across his shoulder. “Joshua, tell us what is in your heart.” Then he stepped back away from him.

  Joshua stood there for a long moment, feeling the eyes of the crowd upon him, wondering what he could possibly say to people who had known for years what he had just found out for himself that morning.

  Finally he looked up, letting his eyes move from face to face. “Well, for one thing, I want you to know that if it weren’t for my family, this would never have happened. They have never lost hope when I myself found no reason to hope. They never lost faith, even when I ridiculed that faith. They never stopp
ed praying for me, even though I could not pray for myself.”

  He looked at Caroline. Her eyes were shining, but she was not crying. “I love you,” she mouthed to him.

  “I love my wife,” he said back, speaking to her now. “That was how I finally got my answer. God reminded me that if he had given me a family like this, that was proof enough that he loved me.”

  He took a breath, then another, fighting for composure. Finally, he went on slowly. “I do know that God loves me. I know that he is there. I know that he is more than my God. I better understand now why he is called our Heavenly Father.”

  Now he turned to look at Nathan. “I still can’t comprehend why Jesus would die for me, or how he could actually pay for my sins. I have many. I did many terrible things when I was younger. But then I don’t fully understand the love of my children either. But I know it’s real and I am warmed by that reality. In that same way, I trust in God’s love and in the love of his Son. It is like a great burden has been lifted from me and taken away.”

  Now he turned back to look at his wife. “You were right, Caroline. This is the greatest miracle of all. I have never felt such peace and joy.”

  He was overcome now and reached up to wipe at the tears with the back of his hand. He looked at Brigham. “It’s been a long time in coming, Brother Brigham, but I’m here now. I want to be part of the kingdom. Just tell me what needs to be done.”

  Brigham nodded somberly. “You are about to take the first step, my dear brother. And I find it significant that it shall happen here in the Missouri River. Why? Because the Missouri River marks the beginning of the wilderness. Once we cross it, we shall be as Israel of old, wandering in the wilderness on our way to the promised land. Therefore, I think it is only fitting that you should be baptized in the Missouri River, symbolizing your willingness to become part of Israel and accompany us as we go to our new home.”

  He raised his head. “Nathan, are you ready to take this man into the water?”

  “I am, President,” Nathan called out.

  “Then let us proceed.”

  Nathan moved the few feet to the water’s edge. He gasped a little as the cold water hit his flesh, but he moved out until he was nearly up to his waist. Joshua followed behind him without hesitation. As Joshua reached him, Nathan couldn’t help but smile. “You know how long I’ve been waiting for this day, big brother?” he said softly.

  “Not nearly as long as I have, little brother,” Joshua said with an answering grin. “I just didn’t know that I was waiting, that’s all.”

  Nathan nodded and took one elbow. His right hand came up to form a square. He bowed his head. Joshua did the same. All those on the banks of the river also bowed their heads. Amid the Steeds, several eyes closed on tears.

  “Joshua Steed,” Nathan said in a clear, ringing voice, “having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.”

  He grasped Joshua’s arm firmly, put his other hand behind his back, then lowered him into the murky water.

  When Nathan pulled him out, Joshua was gasping. Nathan let go and stepped back, giving him a moment to wipe away the water that streamed from his hair into his eyes. Then Nathan opened his arms and stepped forward. There in the Missouri River, some three hundred twenty-seven miles and one hundred and thirty days out of Nauvoo, two brothers embraced without a word, holding each other tightly for a very long time.

  Book Nine: The Work and the Glory - All Is Well

  The Work and the Glory - All Is Well

  Text illustrations by Robert T. Barrett

  © 1998 Gerald N. Lund and Kenneth Ingalls Moe

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher, Deseret Book Company, P. O. Box 30178, Salt Lake City, Utah 84130. This work is not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The views expressed herein are the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the position of the Church or of Deseret Book Company.

  Bookcraft is a registered trademark of Deseret Book Company.

  First printing in hardbound 1998 First printing in paperbound 2001 First printing in trade paperbound 2006

  Visit us at DeseretBook.com

  Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 98-74085

  ISBN-10 1-57008-563-3 (hardbound) ISBN-13 978-1-57008-563-5 (hardbound) ISBN-10 1-57345-878-3 (paperbound) ISBN-10 1-5903-727-9 (trade paperbound) ISBN-13 978-159038-727-6 (trade paperbound)

  Printed in the United States of America

  Publishers Printing, Salt Lake City, UT

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  To my mother—

  Evelyn Mortensen Lund—

  whose gentle spirit and manner

  have influenced me more deeply

  than even I fully recognize

  Preface

  The story told by The Work and the Gloryseries began in the spring of 1827 in Palmyra Township in western New York. There we were introduced to the family of Benjamin and Mary Ann Steed. In looking for help to clear his newly acquired farmland, Benjamin Steed hired two brothers, Hyrum and Joseph Smith, who lived on a farm a short distance south of the city of Palmyra. Thus did the lives of the Steeds come to be intertwined with Joseph Smith, the work of the Restoration, and the unfolding destiny of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

  We moved with the Steeds to Kirtland, Ohio, and Jackson County, Missouri; to Far West and Adam-ondi-Ahman and Haun’s Mill. We went with them as they were driven from Missouri to Commerce, Illinois, and watched them help transform a swamp into Nauvoo, the City Beautiful. Then, when once again their enemies threatened to exterminate them, we saw them abandon that beloved city in the spring of 1846 and start across the muddy vastness of Iowa Territory.

  Through the eyes of the Steeds we have watched as the Book of Mormon came forth, as the Church was organized, as persecution and ridicule against Joseph Smith swelled in a bitter crescendo. We marched with them on Zion’s Camp, took hammer and saw and trowel in hand with them as they built first the Kirtland Temple and then the magnificent edifice called the Nauvoo Temple. Through their eyes we came to know the Prophet Joseph Smith and saw his quick humor, his deep love of people, his great vision, and his tragic end in a jail in Carthage, Illinois. We accompanied the Steeds on missions, trekked with them as they were driven by their enemies, laughed with them in their times of joy, and wept with them in their times of sorrow.

  In So Great a Cause,volume 8 of the series, we left the Steeds on the banks of the Missouri River at Council Bluffs, Iowa. They had no permanent homes. Thousands upon thousands of Saints were leaving Nauvoo and its surrounding communities and heading west to join Brigham Young and the Twelve. They started out from Nauvoo thinking they would go all the way to the Rocky Mountains that year. They soon learned that there was no choice but to change their minds. The three hundred twenty-seven miles across Iowa in the spring rains took them one hundred and nine days! They averaged only three miles per day. If they had continued at that rate it would have taken them almost another full year to cover the remaining one thousand sixty-seven miles to the Salt Lake Valley.

  Throughout the series, the events of the Restoration led the Steed family down numerous roads. Often these roads separated and went in different directions. Then, at Nauvoo, the paths began to converge again, and for a wonderful time of peace and happiness the family was together. But it was not to last. The golden years in the City Beautiful were quickly coming to an end in sharp, hostile, violent jerks. Once again fate began to have its way with the family, and once again the Steeds began to be pulled in different directions. Peter and Kathryn Ingalls decided to find another way west so that they would not be a burden to the family. They hired on with the family of James Reed and started west with the Donner Party, a name that would forever be linked with tragedy. Will and Alice were asked by Brigham Young to go to New York an
d join the group led by Samuel Brannan. Their road would be across the sea, a ten-thousand-mile journey around the southern tip of South America.

  In All is Well,volume 9, we quickly see that the forces of divergence have not yet run their course in the family. Within a few days of their arrival at Council Bluffs, Iowa, Captain James Allen rides in and asks Brigham Young for five hundred of their best men to march to California. Can the Steed men ignore such a call? When the time finally comes for the move west in the spring of 1847, Brigham decides that a Pioneer Company must lead the way for the thousands who will follow. Other companies will come later that same season. The majority will wait until 1848, 1849, even as late as 1852. What does all of this mean for the Steeds? Nor does the fact that the Saints are in exile set aside the duty to proclaim the gospel to the world. Even as they struggle for survival, some Latter-day Saints are called to the eastern states, the southern states, England, the Sandwich Islands. The Steeds have been separated by the call to serve before. Will it once again set some on roads that lead far away from the family?

  In many ways, volume 9 will be significantly different from previous volumes. For one thing, most of this volume covers a people on the move. Any sense of permanence is gone. Even when they stop to build cabins and houses, there is no purpose but to make shelter until it is time to move again. Canvas and open sky become the norm now. The days are counted in miles and landmarks. The nights are spent preparing for the next day’s march.

  In some ways—particularly from the perspective of a novelist—the story of Brigham Young’s Pioneer Company of 1847 is anticlimactic. After Iowa, it is almost deadly dull. There are no deaths. No battles. No tragedies. They moved forward with endless monotony across a thousand miles of plains and deserts and mountains, with nothing more exciting happening than having to ferry across the river or lock the wagon wheels when they went down a particularly sharp decline. But this is exactly what Brigham hoped for. This was the result of his months of careful planning and preparation. In the novel, whole blocks of days are completely skipped because there is not much to say except that they kept moving on. So complete and thorough were President Young’s preparations that not until 1856, when the Willie and Martin Handcart Companies left very late in the season, would any real tragedy strike the Mormon pioneer trains, even though thousands upon thousands would follow across the trail blazed by the Pioneer Company.