The Price We Paid: The Extraordinary Story of the Willie And Martin Handcart Pioneers

by Andrew D. Olsen

The story of the Willie and Martin handcart pioneers is among the most compelling in the history of America's western migration. Though tragic, it is also a story of triumph that scarcely has an equal. It is one of history's great witnesses of the power of faith and sacrifice. Although this story is one of the most frequently told of all Mormon pioneer accounts, it is also among the least understood. This book provides the most comprehensive and accessible account of these pioneers' epic 1856 journey. In addition to painting a broad perspective of the trek, it includes dozens of personal stories from the pioneers themselves. Woven into the larger story of the journey west, these stories inspire, build faith, recount miracles, and reveal how these pioneers were able to endure such adversity. The book also includes chapters on the lives of many of these pioneers after the handcart trek. Immerse yourself in the challenges and miracles of this astounding odyssey as never before!

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Religion, Lds, Church, Biography, Historical

540 pages, Hardcover

First published September 21, 2006

Reviews

[Julie Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I get to go visit several of the sites of the handcart pioneers next week and I decided I wanted to read up on the stories and histories again. It's been several years since I last studied and learned about the Willie and Martin companies. I remembered many of the details but many more had escaped my memory. Once I started I had a hard time putting this down. I really liked the way the author presented the information and combined the two together. He breaks the book into two sections, a section for the Willie company and a section for the Martin company. There are a few little overlaps between the two as he talks about some of the different figures who helped before or after the onset of the pioneers heading out on their journey.

There are so many stories he could have pulled from, so the author selected a handful from each company and shared snippets from their background, some of their journal entries as they set out from England on the ships, journal entries from time on the journey as well as concluding with their lives after the journey. Many died but surprisingly when looked at it as a whole, not as many as you would assume to begin with. There were terrible hardships, lack of supplies, early winter storms and many other factors that caused the sorrow and loss of lives.

As I've been planning on this upcoming trip since last Oct/Nov. I've had plenty of time to contemplate and talk about these pioneers with others. A common thought and question was why did they leave so late in the season, why subject themselves to the weather. This was a great book that really looked at all sides to that question. I thought the author did a great job of being very subjective and not leaning more towards one person or another at fault for the decisions made, but he laid out lots of information for the readers to see all sides and perspectives. Of course in researching this, there is only information available that was written down and by bystanders sometimes instead of the source and I liked how Olsen pointed that out as to who his source was, but he gave multiple sources for multiple perspectives. Well done! I had moments in parts of the book(probably closer to the beginning before seeing all the information) that my opinion of certain key figures wasn't the best. But I tried to remain impartial as I wasn't there. I don't know all that happened. Sure I can read it and assume I know what happened but, I just wasn't and I can't. As I got closer to the end of the book the author includes more information on these figures that brought even more understanding and changed my thoughts and opinions again.

I really liked how he quoted from many of the pioneers who were a part of these companies, as well as the Hunt and Hodgetts wagon companies who followed very closely behind the Martin company. The quotes he used and from all his research he pointed out that those pioneers never once laid blame on anyone for who was at fault. I thought that was amazing. They worked together, they had to have known their greatest strength was togetherness and unity.

I'm sure I could go on and on with all my thoughts and feelings and opinions about this book. It's emotional, it's got humor and happiness and sorrow. My emotions were all over the place while reading this. I read quite a bit of it out loud to my hubby because he's coming on the trip too. I cried and could hardly speak to read aloud at several points. I've always been amazed by these pioneers.

We are going as part of a group on Trek with the young men and young women from our church to visit and reenact some of the walks, Rocky Ridge and Martin's Cove. I don't know how I'm going to feel standing in those places next week after reading about the suffering and heartache and sacrifices of these pioneers. Life today is so much simpler in many respects that it's difficult to imagine having to walk over 1,000 miles and subsist on 1 lb. of flour a day or wonder if I'll even have food to live off of. As well as sleeping on frozen ground, crossing frozen waters and not knowing if I'll live, or my family members and friends will live to see the morning.

I loved the couple of paragraphs about the bugle(or cornet). It was titled "The curse of the cornet". My hubby and I laughed about this one. Here's a couple quotes from that section:

"Oh, that bugle, that awful bugle. How disgusting it was to the poor, weary souls who needed rest...Tired and weary as they were, some of the older people would lie down on their hard beds and almost instantly be in the land of dreams. Then that accursed bugle would blow the call for prayers. Which, I ask, did the poor souls need the most?" ~John Southwell

"The undeviating regularity of all this for so long a time grew to be wearyingly...monotonous. How some of the emigrants did long for the time to come when they could be freed from the odious and relentless tyranny of those unfailing cornet calls, and be left to enjoy a little rest and quiet!...Each cornet call was some well-known air or tune. How hateful those tunes did become! I verily believe...that eventually they were abhorrent to every ear in camp. It was a shame to use good and innocent tunes in that way and render them forever after repulsive...There are different ways of murdering music. Those unfortunate tunes are hateful to this day." ~John Jaques

I loved seeing even through all the hardships, humor still abounded. One mother, after losing several family members to death, trying to save her daughters from freezing while staying in Martin's Cove, got up and did a funny dance only to fall down. Her daughters jumped up quickly to help her. She only laughed and said she did it on purpose to make her daughters move and not freeze.

Ok, I'll stop. I really could go on and on. All these thoughts and people and their stories are in my mind right now and I keep typing out more of those thoughts. I did thoroughly enjoy this book and the reminder that there have been many, oh so many sacrifices given by those who have come before us in every walk of life. I'm so grateful for those sacrifices! Now to continue on by being an example to our future generations. Here are two more quotes I liked(believe me I was highlighting and marking up my book like crazy, but I'll only share these two quotes).

"I will not dwell upon the hardships we endured, nor the hunger and cold, but I like to tell of the goodness of God unto us." ~ Betsey Smith ~ Martin Company

"We came through [that experience] with the absolute knowledge that God lives, for we became acquainted with Him in our extremities!... The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay." ~ Francis Webster ~Martin Company

If you enjoy history, I highly recommend reading this book.

Content: Aside from death and dying, this book also talks about God as the pioneers are gathering together with others of their faith and believe that God is directing them.

Happy Reading!!!

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this has to be the most in depth and complete telling of the Willie and Martin handcart companies.
The title of this book, The Price We Paid, comes from a quote by handcart pioneer Francis Webster. Years after his experience Webster was in a Sunday School class where there was a discussion criticizing the handcart tragedy and the church leaders for allowing it to happen. "When he could bear the criticism no longer, he stood and asked the people to stop. Speaking calmly but with emotion, he acknowledged that is was a mistake to send the handcart companies so late. He also acknowledged that he and others in these companies had suffered greatly. '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.' " (2-3)
Olson brought the experiences of these pioneers to life again by telling us the details of their life in their homeland, their conversion stories, their experiences on the trail and what happened to them after they arrived in the Salt Lake Valley. While learning all the historical details of these handcart companies you are also learning about the people and what was happening to them during each phase of the migration to Utah. This is also where my only criticism of the book comes in. Because there are so many stories of the different pioneers, Olson got repetitive at times in telling the stories. At times it was welcomed, and helpful in remembering who all the different people were but at other times I just kept thinking I already read this story about 50 pages back. I did appreciate the thorough telling of the lives of so many of these pioneers, especially the histories of Captains Willie and Martin. I don't think I have ever read about these men and their lives before and after the trek.
Unlike most of the books written about the Willie and Martin handcart companies, Olson separated the stories of these two companies, making the time line of events more clear. Most of the time the experiences of these handcart companies are lumped together as if they were one but they were in reality two completely separate groups that were only together for a few days in Iowa City. Each companies experiences were vastly different from the others in many respects.
One of the stories that stood out the most for me was the difference between Franklin D. Richards and Brigham Young. Franklin D. Richards was the president of the Great Britain mission and was in charge of implementing the first season of handcart treks. He worked hard and tirelessly to get all the saints who wanted to immigrate ready and on the ships to America. But when the last two arrived so late in the season he did not encourage them to pass the winter in the Midwest instead of starting on the trail so late in the season. He believed that since they were so righteous in their desires to get to Zion that the Lord would make the way easy and hold back the bad weather. Even when he reached the Salt Lake Valley ahead of the handcart pioneers and made his report to Brigham Young, he did not seem overly concerned about the safety and well-being of those on the trail. Brigham Young, on the other hand, was very concerned. I think it is interesting that even though it was in the 70s and the first winter storms were still two weeks away, Brigham Young knew that rescue teams with provisions needed to be sent immediately. Following the handcart tragedy Brigham Young made it very clear that in no case was anyone to leave the Midwest for the Salt Lake Valley after August 1. Faith is important but faith needs to be practiced with a little common sense. Olson writes about a meeting held in the old tabernacle after the handcart tragedy during which Brigham Young gave an address saying that "emigration leaders could have made the right decision if only a bird had chirped it in their ears. He [Brigham Young] concluded by saying that a spirit of pride and arrogance is what had caused 'men and women to die on the Plains, by scores.' How were pride and arrogance manifested? By expecting God to mitigate the consequences of an unnecessarily risky decision."
Olson did not hide or try to ignore the mistakes or human weaknesses that lead to this tragedy that left more than 1,300 people on the trail with low provisions, dealing with storms, starvation, frostbite, dysentery and death. Olson also gave us the beautiful and uplifting story of these handcart pioneers and their faith and the sacrifices they made, many with out criticism and complaint, to reach Zion.

The first thing I did when I picked this book up was to check the index for my ancestors names. They were there, just a short paragraph but they were there. "The rescuers who met the Martin company on Rocky Ridge were led by Anson Call. He had returned from a colonizing mission about a week after Brigham Young issued the initial call to rescue. Soon after returning home, he was asked to leave again to to lead a group of rescuers from Bountiful. It is significant that this group did not turn back despite what could be considered good reasons to do so. Anson Call's rescue team met the Willie company at Fort Bridger on November 3. Some of them felt that they had fulfilled their duty when they met the Willie company, but Anson encouraged them to keep moving forward...Their timeliness in meeting the Martin company on Rocky Ridge is clear from Anson Call's own words:'We found them starving and freezing and dying, and the most suffering that I ever saw among human beings.' " (391-392)
Below that is a little blurb that says "Anson Call later married Emma Summers of the Willie company and Margaretta Clark of the Martin Company."
Anson Call and Emma Summers are my 3rd great grandparents. I am also actually related to Margaretta Clark who is a sister to another of my 3rd great grandmothers.

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

"How were pride and arrogance manifested? By expecting God to mitigate the consequences of an unnecessarily risky decision."

The stories of the Willie and Martin handcart companies are familiar to most members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but not like this. Packed as they are with stories of sacrifice and real-life heroics, they are excellent material for inspirational talks and devotionals.

What is very rarely mentioned is that these heart-warming tales of the pioneers were born out of irresponsible decision making on the part of several trusted church leaders. These leaders made the determination to continue on with the journey to Salt Lake City from Florence, Nebraska in mid and late August despite having good reason to wait until spring.

Other church leaders, especially Levi Savage, argued against the late departure, predicting that if they did that "their bones would strew the way." For his warnings, Levi Savage was severely rebuked for lacking faith, while William Kimball dismissed the dangers by saying that he would "stuff into his mouth" all of the snow they encountered on the way.

In this book, Olsen does a good job of depicting the suffering and miracles endured by these pioneers, but occasionally fails to remain a disinterested historian and engages in a little too much defensive interpretation. Also, it is the job of a historian to parse his research into a condensed account, but Olsen decides to give a lot of space to retelling the experiences of numerous families, despite a significant amount of overlap.

[Lili · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm torn between 2 and 3 stars on this one. Seems to be well researched and I learned a lot about the Willie and Martin Handcart companies as well as the Hunt and Hodgett wagon companies that accompanied the Martin company. I'm glad to have learned more about these groups, particularly as Grandmother has ancestors who crossed in the Martin company. And I--like so many others--will always be moved and instructed by Francis Webster's (Martin company) oft-quoted defense "...the price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay...." However, the really tragic tale to me is not directly addressed--although Olsen, for the most part, doesn't try to sugar-coat too much. I'm referring to the fact that Franklin D. Richards, and others responsible for encouraging the emigrants to leave so late in the season, probably did so in an effort to show enthusiasm and support for BY's handcart plan, rather than through good sense. Nibley called this "zeal without knowledge." I think Olsen could have done more good by addressing this a bit more. Some of the more reasonable voices (urging the companies to wait until Spring) were rebuked as showing a lack of faith. I think this still happens today. Anyway, it was worth reading.

[Maren · Rating 5 out of 5]

My great-great grandmother was a member of the Martin handcart company, so I have a special interest in this subject. I have read many books on the pioneers, but this has to be the gold standard of all historical accounts of these pioneers. The documentation is exhaustive and there was so much here that I have never heard or read. I came away with a new respect for Captain Martin, and a deeper respect for Brigham Young. I personally owe so much to my great-great grandmother and I was thrilled to read such a detailed record of these faithful and brave saints.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read most of this book before trek, but just finally finished it. I've heard some of these stories and quotes and anecdotes for many years, but this book really helped sow all the little pieces into a comprehensive story. I now have a much better understanding of the situations that led to the 1856 struggles of these two famous handcart companies, the journeys each company undertook both before and after the storms and rescues, the different situations and experiences separating the two companies, and the end results of the rescue efforts. The faith and examples we learn from the pioneers is inspiring to me, even though some of the stories are quite tragic. I'm very glad I read it!! I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to better understand this piece of history or desiring to read great stories of faith thru trial.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m having a hard time rating this book because on the story and faith of these saints? 5 stars. On the writing? 2 stars. So I’m going for a solid 3.5.

I learned a lot from this book and it caused me to reflect often on my own faith. On trials. On whether I’ve chosen to let my faith refine or reverse my faith. It’s truly amazing how these saints preserved and for the vast majority, still praised God. Through their CONTINUED trials, were most often grateful for the relationship they had developed with the Lord.

That said, this is a LONG book. It’s very fact based (almost textbook-esque) and at times makes a very emotional and hard story into basic facts which almost distances you from what is happening. It felt tedious and repetitive many times.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story itself was interesting and there was a lot of good facts but the author repeated himself too much. Mentioning the same people and their background or, in some cases, quotes, multiple times. It just did't flow very well.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars. Incredible stories of the Martin and Willie handcart pioneers. Definitely made the experience more personal. Loved reading this in preparation for pioneer trek at Martin’s Cove. Still can’t believe people actually migrated to Salt Lake City by walking across the country!

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. What a amazing hard experience the handcart companies had! Such faith in God with no malice towards those leaders who encouraged them to go at the lateness of the season! Having grown up in Wyo close the the Martin Cove area I found it inspiring and moving. Glad I read it!

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints my entire life. I've grown up listening and singing pioneer songs, celebrating the 24th of July and being taught that had it not been for the courage and endurance of those early saints to get to Zion, the church would not be what it is today.

In spite of that lifetime of exposure, I can honestly say that I did not know the story of the Willie and Martin Handcart companies. I knew that they got caught in an early snow storm and I knew that a lot of people died, but I didn't get it. I didn't get the why and, most importantly, the who.


Andrew Olson explains upfront that it is a misconception most people have that the Willie and Martin Handcart companies are one in the same. They are not. Their tragedies were the result of the same early storm and much of the same mistakes in decision making, but they were in two separate places along the trail and had two different experiences and rescues. For that reason, he tells the stories individually, the Willie being the first half of the book and the Martin finishing the second half.

They are similar in that most of the members of the companies had similar backgrounds. Poor European converts and returning missionaries all eager to reach Utah and convinced that their faith will see them there. It was hard for me, emotionally, to finish the Willie story and begin again with the Martin. Instead of interweaving the timeline, he starts and finishes each one to completion. So many names and wretched history after another made it difficult for individual names and experiences to stick. Still, some did. I read this in preparation for a Youth Pioneer Trek and was so much better prepared from doing so. It opened my eyes to why their stories have needed to stay relevant for the past hundred and fifty years. It opened my eyes to be able to understand the current day parallels that motivate wards and stakes to put on these elaborate and painstaking Treks.

There are few books I would classify as life-changing, but, for me, this is one of them. I am humbled and grateful to better know my own history.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh good gravy!!! Grab like 5 boxes of tissue before you read this!!!!

But you cannot go through life as LDS and NOT read this book! It is a must! You absolutely have to know what the Utah Pioneers went through to make our life as members of the church easy today. In comparison to thier struggles, I just can't complain about the things I endure.

This is the story of the Willie and Martin Handcart Companies. As a convert to the church, I don't think, I ever really knew what that meant, until I read this book. Their faith and testimonies to the truthfulness of the Church is AMAZING! I cannot imagine having that much faith and that much will to be in Zion! They are truly remarkable people. The ones who died and the ones who lived...I get choked up just thinking about this book.

If we are friends, and you read this book, ask me what happens to the young beautiful couple who wouldn't get married until they reached Salt Lake to be sealed in the Temple, when you are done with the book. I don't want to spoil it here! But it's an amazing ending! The book doesn't have the ending to thier journey, but some people know the story. I do! I cry with joy every time I think about them!

If you aren't a member of the Church, read it anyways. It is historical and these people are real. Their descendents live on today enjoying the blessings of thier fruit!

[Timotgw · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book as an assignment. It was, at the time, a good source of anger, misunderstanding, frustration, questions, and inspiring stories of faith. Unlike many who have read the book, I would not call this the most faith inspiring book. Reading this book did cause me to reflect on many things, included was the true nature of revelation, and how communication of these revelations may not be as easy for some as it was for Joseph. It also called into question the nature of success and failure all together. I suppose my opulent, and idol life has tainted my view of what is really important, what the Lord sees as success. It was and is difficult to see some of these trials as triumphs of spirit. Overall the Book is a good history, in view that it only follows two of the many companies of pioneers. Many of the stories told are heartbreaking and solemn, many were inspiring and amazing. there are many stories not told about the company, but the ones that were gave me an arsenal of examples of faith, power, perseverance, understanding, and amazing grace. Although there were visible miracles that were amazing and inspiring, as I read, I felt that there were many miracles unseen. In short, I feel that if the Lord had not been with this people they would not have survived at all. I would recommend this book, but with warning, it is not for the faint of heart.

[Becky Keeley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided to read this after attending a YW/YM activity to introduce them to going on the "handcart trek" in Wyoming this summer. The teacher said it was the best book on the subject of the Willie and Martin company she has read in quite awhile.

I loved this book about the Willie/Martin Handcart pioneers! The author really did his research. He set the stage for the handcarts with all the planning and 19th century logistics in getting the thousands of British Saints and Scandinavian saints to Zion. He gives a little background in some of these Saints lives in Britain and then he gives information about their lives after their harrowing experiences. "Zion" didn't mean everyone lived happily ever after. Many still struggled making ends meet and they had lasting effects, both physically and emotionally from the frozen limbs and near starvation. He also includes some of these pioneers who later left the Church, usually one doesn't hear about that. It was real-- not a bunch of idealized stories that are so a part of Mormon culture.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I’ve had this on my TBR list for years, and finally started reading it in honor of Pioneer Day. I have ancestors that were part of the Willie Handcart Company and was grateful for the time I had to read about their experiences. This book is told as a collection of individual stories, with historical information in between for context. It covers stories of conversion, their journey from Europe (mostly England) to Utah, and what happened to them after they arrived in Zion. Some of my favorite stories include Ann Rowley, Levi Savage, Amy Loader, and Ephraim Hanks. This book is continuously inspiring and heartbreaking thanks to the many stories of faith, sacrifice, and miracles. Truly the price they paid bore dividends in both compensating spiritual power for themselves and their posterity. I am a benefactor of that legacy of faith and feel so grateful for their courage and sacrifice. “We came through with the absolute knowledge that God lives, for we became acquainted with Him in our extremities.”

-Ann Rowley - “Ann and her husband, William, belonged to the United Brethren, a religious group that had broken off from the Wesleyans. After hearing Wilford Woodruff preach a ‘new gospel message,’ the Rowleys and all but one of the 600 members of the congregation were baptized. ‘We had only to hear him once and William and I knew with all our hearts that he was offering us a priceless treasure,’ Ann wrote. Further showing the power of the gospel message, Ann said the Church of England sent a constable to one of the meetings to arrest Elder Woodruff. Instead, the officer was converted. The Church of England then sent tow spies to attended the meetings and report back. ‘They too were converted,’ Ann wrote, ‘so the church dared not send anyone else.’” p. 41

-Ann Rowley – “Night was coming and there was no food for the evening meal. I asked God's help as I always did. I got on my knees, remembering two hard sea biscuits that…had been left over from the sea voyage. They were not large, and were so hard they couldn't be broken. Surely, that was not enough to feed 8 people, but 5 loaves and 2 fishes were not enough to feed 5,000 people either, but through a miracle, Jesus had done it. So, with God's help, nothing is impossible. I found the biscuits and put them in a Dutch oven and covered them with water and asked for God's blessing. Then I put the lid on the pan and set it on the Coles. When I took off the lid a little later, I found the pan filled with food. I kneeled with my family and thanked God for His goodness that night. My family had sufficient food.” p. 113

-Louisa Mellor – “My mother, still being weak, finally gave up and said she could go no further. The company could not wait for her, so she bade my father goodbye and kissed each one of the children Godspeed. Then my mother sat down on a boulder and wept. I told my 14 year old sister Elizabeth to take good care of the twins and the rest of the family, and that I would stay with mother. I went a few yards away and prayed with faith that God would help us, that he would protect us from devouring wolves and ask that he would let us reach camp. As I was going back to where Mother was sitting, I found a pie in the road. I picked it up and gave it to mother to eat. After resting a while, we started on our journey thanking God for the blessings.” p. 310

-Elizabeth Jackson – “It will be readily perceived that under such adverse circumstances I had become despondent. I was six or seven thousand miles from my native land, in a wild, rocky, mountain country, in a destitute condition, the ground covered with snow, the waters covered with ice, and I with three fatherless children with scarcely nothing to protect them from the merciless storms. When I retired to bed that night being the 27th of October, I had a stunning revelation in my dream. My husband stood by me and said. ‘Cheer up, Elizabeth, deliverance is at hand.’” p. 336

-Miracle of saving Mary Goble’s feet p. 439

-William Goble – “Like many others, William Goble became discouraged during his first months in Zion. In this case, the discouragement was so severe in the summer of 1857 that he told his children he would take them home to England as soon as he earned enough money. Those plans changed, however, through the influence of his deceased wife. One day he came home and told his children, ‘I have seen your mother today, and she wants us to stay here. Everything will be all right.’” p. 440

-Susanna Stone – “Only once did my courage fail. One cold, dreary afternoon, my feet having been frosted, I felt I could go no further, and withdrew from the company and sat down to await the end, being somewhat in a stupor. After a time, I was aroused by a voice which seemed as audible as anything could be, and which spoke to my very soul of the promises and blessings I had received, and which should surely be fulfilled, and that I had a mission to perform in Zion. I received strength and was filled with the Spirit of the Lord, and arose and travelled on with a light heart. As I reached camp, I found a search party ready to go back to find me dead or alive. I had no relatives but many dear and beloved devoted friends and we did all we could to aid and encourage each other.” p. 472

-Major problems for the Willie and Martin Handcart Company : late start in the season, early and intense snow storms, companies were composed of disproportionate number of old, children, and sick, slower and more taxing handcart traveling, less supplies allowed on handcarts (weight limit), leaders in Salt Lake didn’t know they were coming (so resting towns weren’t stocked with supplies as they were for previous companies), some rescuers initially turned back because of faulty information
-of the 70,000 members that came to Utah by overland trail, approximately 3,000 came by handcart (the rest by wagons)

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before reading this book and visiting Martin's Cove a couple of months ago I didn't realize how little I actually knew about the Handcart Pioneers. I enjoyed how the book was set up with the first part about the Willie Company and the second part of the book was about the Martin Company. This helped me to keep track of the time frame and experiences unique to each company. That being said both companies experienced many of the same trials. So at times the second part felt to be repetitive, because I felt like I had just read about it, but it was actually the other company I had read about. I enjoyed how the author also tried to show multiple viewpoints, but never placed blame on anyone in particular. I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys reading about the LDS Church History. It definitely gives you a greater respect for the pioneers who paved the path.

[Kim Rasband · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this after going on a handcart trek with our stake youth to Martins Cove and Rocky Ridge this summer. It was such a fantastic companion to that experience! I can't recommend the book highly enough. It was well-documented and researched and extremely engaging to read. One of my favorite things about it is the accounts of the lives of the handcart pioneers after their arrival in the Salt Lake valley. I loved learning about how these incredible men and women lived out their mortal lives after such an difficult and defining experience.

You will need tissues close by but I enjoyed every minute spent reading this book.

[Claudine Cable · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soooo much information. I really liked that about the book, but some may feel it is too much. Well written, well documented. I liked the way the book was organized. It was especially meaningful to me to find two of these pioneers with direct links to my ancestors. The experiences depicted give me strength to face and deal with my own trials and tribulations that are trivial compared to those of these people. Their experiences, both of the immigrants and the rescuers, inspire me to better actions.

[Annalise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am preparing to go on a Pioneer handcart trek with the youth in our stake, and this book has been absolutely amazing at helping me understand what the Saints of the Willie and Martin handcart companies went through. It clearly gives the history of what happened, and how the tragedy all unfolded. It also tells many personal stories of faith and conviction. Highly recommended for anyone preparing to go on Trek, or just wanting to learn more about the pioneers.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring and uplifting. I love to see the reality of how people react to trials, how people are allowed to serve them, and how it affects all of them. People can do more than they think they can.
I have never read a better account of this history, even handed, detailed, and showing each perspective. It dispelled many of the misconceptions I had from years of glossed over talks and such.
I wonder how I would handle this?

[Amyjo Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read a few books about the Willie/Martin Handcart companies and this is by far my favorite! I especially love the 2nd half of the book tells you about the pioneers after they got to Utah. Who they married, what they did with their life and how the trek affected them! So amazing, love it!

[Nic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartbreaking story sharing the details of the handcarts. Depressing to read but powerful.

[Mandy Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Most of them, until they were herded from their crowded immigrant ship . . . and dumped here at the brink of the West, had never pitched a tent, slept on the ground, cooked outdoors, built a campfire. They had not even the rudimentary skills that make frontiersmen. But as it turned out, they had some of the stuff that makes heroes."

❤️ Wow. I loved absolutely everything about this book. It made me feel, and hurt, and touched me deeply. The author was so good at making this book more of a story told by survivors then a list of facts and events. He did a great job at answering the hard questions and giving many points of view. These early saints came alive to me and their stories of faith have strengthened my own. I cannot wait to buy a copy and keep in on my shelf to read over and over again.

“In many ways, the trail that the Willie and Martin handcart pioneers walked was a type, or metaphor, of mortality. Along the path to Zion, they were sometimes mocked and ridiculed. Sometimes they had to cross rivers that threatened to sweep them away. Some of those crossings were through icy waters that left them frozen and numb. Along the path there was also sand, sometimes for long distances, making progress slow and grinding. When the elements were at their worst and the Saints were at their weakest, they had to face Rocky Ridge. Toward the end, they had to go through mountains that had several feet of fresh snow. Indeed this was a trail of tears. But the experiences of the Willie and Martin handcart pioneers show that faith and hope will triumph over the worst days on the trail. Faith and hope kept these Saints stepping forward when their strength was gone. Heaven-sent rescuers helped sustain their hope when despair began to take them off the path. And when they felt alone, when they felt that they could bear no more, a divine hand was stretched out to steady them and guide them home.”

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful! A must-read for anyone going on a Trek activity reenactment or just wanting to know more about these handcart companies and their ordeals.

It seems carefully researched, factually correct, and retold in an organized and interesting way. I learned the answer to MANY questions. Some of which were:

Why did they leave so late in the season? #lifewithhumansonearth
#peoplemakemistakes
#rockandahardplace

Why didn’t the Lord stop the storms?
#prayersareansweredinmanydifferentways

Why are Mormons from Utah obsessed with pioneers?
#theyaretheirgrandmasandgrandpas

Did ALL of the pioneers that made it to UT stay in the church?
#nolifewasstillhardandpeoplestillhuman

The author uses many quotes and first hand accounts. They did not shy away from hard questions or water-down their suffering. I found it extremely informative, interesting, and it filled in many gaps in my understanding from disjointed stories in childhood lessons and partial re-tellings throughout the years. The book chronicles the history and contrasts the experiences nicely.

What the book did not have was infographics. I would have loved maps and timelines and other charts. So I found a great companion to this book in Tragedy and Triumph By Howard K and Cory W Bangerter. It has great maps and a side by side timeline of the parties involved.

All in all, a great book! A riveting tale of everyday people called to withstand severe situations and in the process, become inspiring tales of persistent faith.

Indecently, my husband picked up my copy before I could finish it and we had to share it for a while. That was interesting too...

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally engrossing! The Price We Paid is an in-depth historical account of the travels and travails of the Willie and Martin handcart companies, and to a much lesser extent, of the Hodgetts and Hunt wagon companies that traveled more or less along with them. Being of pioneer ancestry, I have long heard the stories of the handcart pioneers, some from my own ancestors who crossed the plains headed west. Like most LDS, stories of the Willie and Martin handcart companies are commonly told and re-told, and their memories are preserved in hymns sung by adults and children alike. I grew up with them, but never have I been exposed to such an in-depth examination as this. It was truly awe-inspiring, often heartbreaking, and frequently thought-provoking. I found myself reading a bit and then pondering what I had read for days, which is why it took me many months to finish.

Olsen could have taken many different approaches to telling their story, and in the end, though it sometimes required returning to re-read earlier portions, I liked how he handled it. His was a chronological treatment, generally, which required that he move back and forth among the different people, groups, and families that he explored in depth. The first half of the book deals primarily with the Willie company, and the second half with the Martin company. He concludes with sort of a “what happened to them” section which allows us a brief glimpse into what happened with most of the people and families after they reached Salt Lake.

It is also an honest and even-handed account, which I appreciated. Olsen doesn’t shy from exploring the failures of leadership (and their consequences) while at the same time heralding the faith of the pioneers in following through despite the shortcomings of some of their leaders. Neither does he shy from the few pioneers who were not as steadfast and whose faith and commitment flagged from time to time. Among the most inspiring aspects to me was how the wives and children stepped up in support of their husbands and fathers, not alone in spiritual and emotional supports, but in many cases, ultimately in physically hauling the handcarts when the men died or simply couldn’t carry on any more. As the song says, “for some must push and some must pull…” and sometimes who does which changes with the circumstances. There are obvious corollaries with our time – women (and sometimes children) who must support their families when their husbands can’t or won’t, for example. Truly their testimonies are written in the blood, sweat, and tears left behind on the plains and mountains they trod.

There is so much of worth, so much which was inspiring, so much that lingers in my head and heart from reading this account that it is impossible to highlight it all. Two examples, one of a traveler and one of a rescuer, will have to suffice.

The singular account of Levi Savage’s love and commitment to helping the saints despite his serious misgivings about leaving so late in the year stands out in my mind as an example of faith, commitment, and love.. After expressing his very realistic concerns to people who knew far less of the threats of that country in that season of the year than he Levi was “rebuked by the other elders for want of faith.” His very commitment to the gospel was questioned, and he was publicly identified as a malcontent, and one with a spirit of dissension. Despite these accusations, which must have been terribly painful to hear from those he considered his brethren, when the company determined to move on anyway, Levi Savage made the following statement: “Brothers and sisters, what I have said I know to be true; but seeing you are to go forward, I will go with you, will help you all I can, will work with you, will rest with you, will suffer with you, and, if necessary, I will die with you. May God in his mercy bless and preserve us.” What an amazing example of loyalty, forgiveness, and love!

Ephraim Hanks was one of the first to go looking for the woe begotten handcart pioneers, and left immediately upon hearing he was needed. Living away from Salt Lake City at the time, Ephraim heard a voice in the night telling him he was needed. He went the next day to SLC, and while others were saying they would go just as soon as they had put their affairs in order, Ephraim “spoke at once, saying ‘I am ready now!’”

En route, he was stopped in his tracks for three days by a blinding snowstorm. Referring to those storms, this experienced frontiersman said, “In all my travels in the Rocky Mountains both before and afterwards, I have seen no worse.” Nevertheless, being deeply worried about the Martin handcart company, he moved on despite the conditions, this time on horseback, leaving his wagon behind. Shortly afterwards, while camped, he prayed for a buffalo to be sent to him and then looked around (another model for us!) and saw a buffalo within 50 yards of his camp, which he killed and butchered. The next morning he did the same with another. Those buffalo provided meat for his supper, and for the many in the Martin company he found starving. Incredibly rare to find game under those conditions!

Upon finding the handcart company, he distributed the meat he had brought, and then set about ministering to the need of the people in other ways. His accounts, and those of members of the company, describe his priesthood blessings to some who were near death and in one case perhaps already dead. He performed rough frontier surgery, for which no anesthetic was available, amputating limbs, during which many said they felt no pain whatsoever after his prayers that they would be so blessed. Of those experiences Ephraim wrote, “The greater portion of my time was devoted to waiting on the sick. ‘Come to me,’ ‘help me,’ ‘please administer to my sick wife,’ or ‘my dying child,’ were some of the requests that were being made of me almost hourly….I spent days going from tent to tent administering to the sick. Truly the Lord was with me and others of His servants who labored faithfully together with me in that day of trial and suffering.”

This review can only touch lightly on the learning and inspiration to be obtained from reading about, and studying, the experiences of the handcart pioneers. This book is one to which I will return again and again. I cannot recommend it highly enough. I would give it ten stars if I could!

[Janene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the book to read to learn more about the experiences of these handcart pioneers! I don't want the fluffy historical fiction here. I want the journal entries and the eye-witness accounts. I want the stubborn bravery of the man who held his miserable post somewhere in the middle of a Wyoming winter because it was the right thing to do, the humility of families who gave up their resources to help others, the heroism of the rescue parties. I want to read the expressions of faith and conviction, written in the very moment of their extremity and desperation. Maybe I can't feel a lot of joy in reading those things, I feel somber. I also feel inspired.

It's been a bit since I finished it, but I just felt like it truly was a book that immersed me in as much as there is to know about this event in my church's history. It takes you all the way to England and the decisions that were made there, it takes you to the Iowa and the decisions that were made there. It takes you through the miserable and at times miraculous results of those choices, freezing river crossings, exposure to the elements, shallow graves, and somehow finding miracles, finding coves of protection. It takes you even beyond that, to the Salt Lake valley and to the future lives of these individuals and what this journey would come to mean for them and their posterity.

Heroes I hope to meet someday: Levi Savage, Sarah Ann Haigh, Susanna Stone Lloyd, Mary Hurren, the entire Loader family.

[Suzanne Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very long book. I loved every minute of reading it, but it took me almost 6 months.

Many of the stories are familiar. It is well documented and researched. I appreciated that it took into account criticisms and how they were addressed. It would be difficult to deny that God’s hand was with the Martin and Willie Handcart companies in their extremities.

I loved learning more about the Loader family, especially Patience and her mother Amy. They both lived in Pleasant Grove for a long time which increased my connection with them. I am also eager to go to the American Fork Cemetary to look for the grave of George Cunningham.

I could not help feeling inspired. The four stars is due to the nature of how the book is organized. The reader is introduced to many families and characters before going through each handcart company’s experience. It was hard for me to remember who was who.

[Michael Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Certainly an extraordinary story! Their suffering was tremendous and unimaginable, but their endurance and hope was exemplary.

“Despite the hardships of the journey, John Jacques did not retract his original feeling that the handcart plan was inspired. Therein is perhaps an important lesson from the handcart experience: just because an idea is inspired does not mean the Lord will automatically ensure its success. Even inspired ideas usually depend on wise human judgement, often refined through counsel, to succeed.”

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We suffered beyond anything you can imagine, and many died of exposure and starvation. But we came through with the absolute knowledge that God lives, for we became acquainted with Him in our extremities.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."--Francis Webster

[Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thinking this book was only for those wanting to visit Wyoming, I was not looking forward to start. But in only the first few chapters, I was already engrossed in these people's lives. I felt their hardship and pain, was inspired by their unbending faith. Half was through I slowed my reading pace, preferring to savor the moments I had with the people of the handcart companies.
Well written, well researched and documented. Inspring.