A Lesson from the Last Wagon
Vaughn J. Featherstone said the following in a BYU devotional he gave in 1981:
"Around the time of the centennial, President J. Reuben Clark, who was in the First Presidency, gave one of the greatest pioneer talks ever delivered, I suppose, in the history of the Church. He entitled it "To Them of the Last Wagon." Let me give you a small quote from that. He said: But back in the last wagon, not always could they see the brethren way out in front and the blue heaven was often shut out from their sight by heavy, dense clouds of the dust of the earth. Yet day after day, they of the last wagon pressed forward, worn and tired, footsore, sometimes almost disheartened, born up by their faith that God loved them, that the Restored Gospel was true, and that the Lord led and directed the brethren out in front. Now here is a great principle. I believe that as we consider some of these other journeyings, we find that there is a faith, a purging, and a need to feel close to the Brethren and not compromise the standards. Only God knows the sufferings of every soul who crossed or attempted to cross the plains. Surely these magnificent and faithful souls have stories to tell that would melt the hardest heart. Women nursing newborn babies..., children walking until their poor little feet would blister and bleed, fathers and mothers working together in a state of exhaustion, but always, always pushing onward."
"Around the time of the centennial, President J. Reuben Clark, who was in the First Presidency, gave one of the greatest pioneer talks ever delivered, I suppose, in the history of the Church. He entitled it "To Them of the Last Wagon." Let me give you a small quote from that. He said: But back in the last wagon, not always could they see the brethren way out in front and the blue heaven was often shut out from their sight by heavy, dense clouds of the dust of the earth. Yet day after day, they of the last wagon pressed forward, worn and tired, footsore, sometimes almost disheartened, born up by their faith that God loved them, that the Restored Gospel was true, and that the Lord led and directed the brethren out in front. Now here is a great principle. I believe that as we consider some of these other journeyings, we find that there is a faith, a purging, and a need to feel close to the Brethren and not compromise the standards. Only God knows the sufferings of every soul who crossed or attempted to cross the plains. Surely these magnificent and faithful souls have stories to tell that would melt the hardest heart. Women nursing newborn babies..., children walking until their poor little feet would blister and bleed, fathers and mothers working together in a state of exhaustion, but always, always pushing onward."
THOUGHT FROM THE STAKE: There is lesson to be learned from that last wagon, drowning in dust, unable to see the brethren out front, but still pressing on with faith. The last wagon was usually the one with problems - a sick parent, or broken wheel along the trail - trials that could potentially discourage. Yet, they pressed onward, always walking. It is a perfect example of continuing on in our everyday lives, clinging to principles even when things seem difficult and the clarity of conviction has been blurred by discouragement. Indeed, a profound lesson in not casting away confidence in those truths which originally sustained faith, simply because things have gotten difficult.
