Left heritage of love

      - Set example of courage

      - Remained obedient

      Elder James E. Faust Sunday afternoon spoke of what he called "the priceless legacy that belongs to the descendants of all pioneers, but especially to those who came into [the Salt LakeT valley, and settled in Utah and other parts of western America."

      Elder Faust of the Council of the Twelve recounted a trip he took on July 24 with members of the Riverton Wyoming Stake, re-enacting part of the handcart trek of 1856. He said they visited Martin's Cove, where the members of the Martin Handcart Company, freezing and starving, waited for rescue wagons to come from Salt Lake City, and where about 56 members perished.

      "It was an emotional experience," he said, "to see the Sweetwater River Crossing, where most of the 500 members of the company were carried across the icy river by three brave young men. Later, all three of the boys died from the effects of the terrible strain and great exposure of that crossing."

      Elder Faust described their visit to the rescue site of the Willie Handcart Company. "We felt that we were standing on holy ground."

      He told of visiting Rock Creek Hollow, where 13 members of the Willie company who perished from cold, exhaustion and starvation are buried in a common grave, and where two additional members who died during the night are buried nearby.

      He told of Bodil Mortinsen, age 9, from Denmark who had been assigned to care for some small children as they crossed Rocky Ridge. Choked with emotion, Elder Faust said: "When they arrived at camp, she must have been sent to gather firewood. She was found frozen to death leaning against the wheel of her handcart, clutching sagebrush."

      "These excruciating experiences developed in these pioneers an unshakable faith in God," he commented.

      In addition to the legacy of faith they left, they also bequeathed a heritage of love for God and mankind and a birthright of obedience to commandments and of forsaking evil, he said.

      "Here in Utah there is a voter decision about gambling to be made in a few weeks. The Church is not retreating from its stand on this issue. But as contests and issues heat up, we counsel members of the Church to be tolerant and understanding. We all have our moral agency, but if we use it unwisely, we must pay the price. President J. Reuben Clark Jr. said, `We may use our agency as to whether we will obey or disobey; and if we disobey, we must abide the penalty.' "

      Elder Faust said descendants of the pioneers have a priceless heritage of faith and courage. "If there are any of you who do not enjoy fellowship with us in the gospel of Jesus Christ, we invite you to seek to know what instilled such great faith in your ancestors, what motivated them to willingly pay such a terrible price for their membership in this Church."