Music for "We Became Acquainted With God

My Music; We Became Acquainted With God

This is the song for our handcart musical based on the words of Frances Webster.

We Became Acquainted With God

The Spirit of God rested on our hearts
That spirit saw us through,
Helping us through times of doubt,
Because we traveled for Thee.

In God there is great power
You can feel it hour by hour.
God's miracles are real
We thank him when we kneel.

The angels of God helped us on our way,
Giving us health and strength
To push and pull our handcarts,
Because we traveled for Thee.

You'll not hear us complain,
With God we did acquaint.
The price we paid was small
To heed a Celestial call.

We know God is there we felt Him in our bones
With every step we took
And in our extremnities
We became acquainted with God.

Your Heart Will Burn: Act 2 scene 12

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iloudBbiNUQ
This scene portrays a Cedar City Sunday School many years later, and the comments of Francis Webster.  The song "We Became Acquainted With God" is based on his words.  Duane McGhie portrays this roll.  He is the descendant of handcart pioneers.  I have William Ashton joining his family at the end of the song.  By this I was trying to represent that even though he left the company, he did eventually join the Saints and his family.

Francis Webster: HandcartPioneer

I am enclosing the famous story of Francis Webster.  The interesting thing to note about his story, is the angels seem to have come even before the snow.  Not that he talks about making it to a  "patch of sand"  He was likely referring to the hills of Western Nebraska, before the snows came.  The Black Hills area was one of the most difficult of the journey.  The article linked at the end from Chad Orton talks about this.  

Some years ago president David O. McKay told from this pulpit of the experience of some of those in the Martin handcart company. Many of these early converts had emigrated from Europe and were too poor to buy oxen or horses and a wagon. They were forced by their poverty to pull handcarts containing all of their belongings across the plains by their own brute strength. President McKay relates an occurrence which took place some years after the heroic exodus: “A teacher, conducting a class, said it was unwise ever to attempt, even to permit them [the Martin handcart company] to come across the plains under such conditions.

“[According to a class member,] some sharp criticism of the Church and its leaders was being indulged in for permitting any company of converts to venture across the plains with no more supplies or protection than a handcart caravan afforded.

“An old man in the corner … sat silent and listened as long as he could stand it, then he arose and said things that no person who heard him will ever forget. His face was white with emotion, yet he spoke calmly, deliberately, but with great earnestness and sincerity.

“In substance [he] said, ‘I ask you to stop this criticism. You are discussing a matter you know nothing about. Cold historic facts mean nothing here, for they give no proper interpretation of the questions involved. Mistake to send the Handcart Company out so late in the season? Yes. But I was in that company and my wife was in it and Sister Nellie Unthank whom you have cited was there, too. We suffered beyond anything you can imagine and many died of exposure and starvation, but did you ever hear a survivor of that company utter a word of criticism? Not one of that company ever apostatized or left the Church, because everyone of us came through with the absolute knowledge that God lives for we became acquainted with him in our extremities.

“‘I have pulled my handcart when I was so weak and weary from illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one foot ahead of the other. I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and I have said, I can go only that far and there I must give up, for I cannot pull the load through it.’” He continues: “‘I have gone on to that sand and when I reached it, the cart began pushing me. I have looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart, but my eyes saw no one. I knew then that the angels of God were there.

“‘Was I sorry that I chose to come by handcart? No. Neither then nor any minute of my life since. The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay, and I am thankful that I was privileged to come in the Martin Handcart Company.’” (Relief Society Magazine, Jan. 1948, p. 8.)

http://lds.org/general-conference/1979/04/the-refiners-fire?lang=eng&query=refiner%27s+fire

http://www.archive.org/stream/reliefsocietymag1948reli#page/8/mode/2up

http://byustudies.byu.edu/PDFLibrary/45.2OrtonWebster-c4eaddd1-1d48-4c17-b75b-2228698fc564.pdf

The Black Hills; The Martin Handcart Company

After leaving Fort Laramie, the Handcart Company had to travel through the Black Hills.  For this part of the trek, they left the Platte River, which passed through several narrow canyons, not passable by wagon.  This would have presented a most difficult haul.  The only good thing about this part of the journey, would have been that the Handcarters would not have had extra flour on their carts, as the flour was almost depleted, and what was left could have been carried on the wagons.  However they had reduced their rations by half since leaving Fort Laramie, so when nourishment was most needed, they did just the opposite and reduced rations in an effort to preserve themselves. I think very likely, it was this part of the journey Francis Webster was referring to when he made this famous statement:
     I have pulled my hand cart when I was so weak and weary from
     illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one foot ahead of the
     other. I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and I
     have said I can go only that far and there I must give up for I cannot pull
     the load through it. I have gone on to that sand and when I reached it the
     cart began pushing me. I have looked back many times to see who was
     pushing my cart but my eyes saw no one. I knew then that the Angels of
     God were there.
It was after this experience that the pioneers decided to further lighten their loads.  They went from 17 pounds per person to 10, and left on the Wyoming plains many items which would shortly be needed, blankets and warm clothing.  However when the left them, they did not know that winter would come early, and with such force.
Isaac pulled Langley Bailey through the Black Hills.  Langley shared his rations in turn with Isaac.  The food was going right through Langley and did not do him much good.  That little extra gave Isaac just enough energy to make it through this part of the journey.