The Signboard that “had done the work of salvation”— Willies Rescue Site

To watch on Youtube click here: https://youtu.be/EhIXLPlq4ls

To listen on Spotify click here:https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/krystine-stephenson/episodes/Willie-Handcart-Rescue--Sign-Board-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints-e32s8la

The Willie Handcart Company left late in the season and were caught in early snowfall. When the Willie company was going through Wyoming, they faced some of the most difficult obstacles imaginable. They were caught in a terrible blizzard, with very little food, and provisions. This group of handcart pioneers were starving and tired, but continued to push on. Towards the end of the journey the Willie Handcart company was simply not going to make it to Utah, if they did not get help quickly.

The Prophet Brigham Young, received word of the struggling Saints and had sent a rescue party out to look for this handcart company. The rescuers knew time was running out to save the people, but were not sure exactly where the Willie Handcart Company was located. People in the handcart company were dying every day, there would be no one left to help if the rescue party didn’t find these Saints in time.

Captain James Willie decided he could no longer wait for the rescuers to find them, and decided to leave the group and look for the rescuers himself. Captain James Willie and Joseph Elder rode out together to find the rescue party and(hopefully) hurry them along. The two men made it to Rocky Ridge, hoping that the rescue party was there waiting, but there was not rescue party waiting at Rocky Ridge. James Willie had to climb Rocky Ridge in a blizzard and pray that the rescue party was on the other side of the ridge.

At the end of the evening after looking all the day for the rescuers, they saw a signboard placed on the trail and pointed to the rescuers camp.

The group of rescuers believed the Saints would be closer to Salt Lake, and did not know the exact location of these struggling Saints. The rescuers saw the storm coming, and knew it would be difficult or impossible to find the Saints during the storm. They decided to make camped off the trail and try again later. One of the rescuers Harvey Cluff, uneasy about sleeping off the trail, and waiting, decided to place a signboard on the trail and direct, anyone searching, towards their camp. It was only a short time later when Captain Willie saw the signboard and found the rescuers! They would have missed each other entirely during the blizzard, without the help of God.

”The signboard had done the work of salvation.” Harvey Cluff went on to say ”Had Captain Willie and his fellow traveler. . . continued on the road, they certainly would have perished.”

The company and the rescuers were praying to find each other. The Lord had answered their prayers. All these men were inspired, some to keep looking and not give up and others to put up a signboard to direct. The Lord knew exactly what needs to be done to save His struggling people. The group of pioneers were without food and clothing with the blizzard coming for them. Although, their problems were not taken away, but the Lord did not leave them alone through these terrible circumstances.

The Rescue

Pic Credit: Julie Rodgers, Tell My Story Publishing

The members of the Willie handcart company were looking to the west for their captain to return with the rescuers, and their prayers were answered. When the handcart pioneers spotted the rescuers there were "shouts and cheers" from the camp. The women embraced the rescuers and the men wept.

John Oborn said ”Like a thunderbolt out of the clear sky, God answered our prayer.”

The rescuers distributed lifesaving clothing, food and bedding to the struggling Saints.

Gods Timing

The signboard is a miracle, if Harvey Cluff would not have put out the sign when he did James Willie would have gone on the trail and missed the rescue party. His company of Saints were dying, and did not have enough food or clothing for even one more day.

The Lord helped the rescuers find the company in time to help them.

If James Willie would not have made the decision to find the rescuers and tell them of their dire conditions, there might not have been anyone left to rescue. The search party had planned to wait out the storm and the weather to improve and leave to try again in a day or two.

Mary Hurren said "If help had not come when it did, there would have been no one left to tell the tale. . . They came just in time to save our lives."

Harvey Cluff said ”this was certainly the most timely arrival of a relief party recorded in the history for the salvation of a people.”

James Willie said ”We all felt rejoiced at our timely deliverance, and attribute it entirely to the hand of God, which had been over us during the whole of our journey.”

Leadership of James Willie

"From the day the 'Thornton' sailed from Liverpool more than six months earlier, James Willie had been tireless in caring fro those in his charge. "We all loved Captain Willie" Mary Hurren said "He was kind and considerate and did all that he could for the comfort of those in his company. Many times he has laid his hands upon my head and administered to me."

George Cunningham write:

"Our captain. . . did his duty. He was badly frozen and came very close to dying. . . He showed us all a noble example, . . . and the captains of hundreds followed him. They would crowd on ahead to be the first into the streams to help the women and children cross. . . They waded every stream. . . a dozen times between Iowa and Green River, with the exception of the Missouri River. [Towards the end] they were completely exhausted and had to be hauled the balance of the way, some of them not being able to stand on their feet."