Joseph Elder joined the church in the Midwest in 1855 when he was 20 yrs old. He was ordained an Elder the next year and at his ordination, and expressed,
“I esteem it as a high and holy privilege to be an elder of the Church, and I am determined by the help of God to perform every duty and bear every burden that God, through his holy priesthood, is willing to lay on my shoulders.”
Joseph was called upon to help gather several herd of cattle for the Willie and Martin handcart companies to take as stock and food. His work with cattle was a challenge but he determined to do his duty as called upon, even though he felt like some of them were determined to kill them! After a long day of herding, he retired to bed, only to be awoken to hear the news that he was needed to help the Willie company across the plains. “They proposed my starting with the present handcart company on the morrow and drive a wagon team until they overtook us on the plains. Short notice. However, I determined to start for Utah.” He would go where he was needed.
Two major events caused hardships. A bad storm pounded with lightning and thunder – and then a herd of buffalo stampeded near their camp. When morning came, they found half of their oxen gone – apparently joining the stampeding animals. These oxen provided the power to pull the Willie company’s small complement of wagons, which carried most of the food, tents and other heavy items. For two days they searched and in the end, had to go on without them. Joseph and another man were left to keep looking for them – they went back 50 miles and had no luck. Joseph met up with a small group of saints led by Elder Franklin D Richards. Joseph had been promised in Florence, that if he would help the saints along, when this group met them, he could accompany them on into Salt Lake. Seeing the need of the saints, Elder Richards asked Joseph if he would remain with the saints in the Willie company for the rest of the journey. Surely some disappointment, but his journal entry just said,
“I chose to remain with the handcart company and assist them all that I could.”
On Oct 19, after issuing the last ration of flour, the Willie company had only a 1 day supply of crackers remaining. That day they traveled 16 miles to reach the next place they could camp. The people were so weak. The first snowstorm of that early season began blowing that afternoon. The squall lasted less than an hour, but in the weakened state of the saints, it seemed insurmountable.
About noon, the sun broke through and they were able to continue on. After going a short distance, Joseph recorded, “Lo and behold, we saw a wagon coming, and it was close. Such a shout as was raised in camp I never before heard. What made them shout? It was that the Spirit of the Lord bore testimony that they were saviors come to (our) relief, and truly it was. These saviors were 4 men from the first group of rescuers sent by Brigham Young. They had gone ahead of the main group – to help find and give hope to the late travelers. Though they didn’t have much to give them, they let them know that the wagons were 1-2 days behind them. They then went on to search for the Martin company.
The Willie Saints continued their march and finally reached camp at dark. Five people had died that day. Snow continued to fall that night and they awoke to 6-8” of snow on the ground.
Captain Willie asked Joseph to accompany him to find the rescuers and urge them forward. “We started ahead in search of our brethren. We rode 12 miles to the base of Rocky Ridge, where we expected to find them but they were not there. We ascended the Rocky Ridge. The snow and an awful cold wind blew in our faces all day. We crossed the Rocky Ridge and upon the west bank of the North Fork of the Sweetwater we found a friendly guidepost which pointed us to their camp down upon the Sweetwater in amongst the willows. When they saw us, they raised a shout and ran out to meet us. Great was their joy to hear from us, for they had long been in search of us. They could scarcely give us time to tell our story they were so anxious to hear all about us.”
Early the next morning, the rescuers started tward the Willie company’s camp. When they arrived later that day, they were greeted with shouts and cheers. Women embraced and kissed them and even the men wept. The rescuers distributed lifesaving food, clothing, and bedding. The Willie Saints knelt in the snow and gave thanks to God. The next day, Oct 22, the rescuers divided. Several men and 6 wagons stayed with the Willie company and the rest continued on to find the Martin company. The Willie company labored 10 or 11 miles and camped near the base of Rocky Ridge.
When they arose on Oct 23rd, they faced the hardest day of their journey. They had to climb Rocky Ridge and travel about 16 miles to reach the next camp. They had to do it in another snowstorm with freezing wind. “That was an awful day. Many can never forget the scenes they witnessed that day – men, women, and children weakened down by cold and hunger, weeping, crying and some even dying by the roadside. It was very late before we all got into camp. Oh how my heart did quake and shudder at the awful scenes which surrounded me. The last wagons rolled into camp at 5:00 am having been on the trail for 20 hours. Thirteen people died from this ordeal. They resumed their journey the next day, Oct 25th, 250 miles from Salt Lake – traveling still through snowstorms and cold. By Nov 2nd, enough wagons had arrived that all the company could ride in them the rest of the way.
A week later, Nov 9th, the Willie company entered the Salt Lake Valley. “At last we emerged from amongst the mountains, and the beautiful valley with all its loveliness spread itself out before our view. My heart was filled with joy and gratitude. The lovely city of G. S. Lake lay about 5 miles distant in full view. We entered it. The houses at first looked odd, being built of adobes or sundried brick. Truly it is unlike anything I ever before had seen. The journey was over at last, and the people were soon distributed amongst the several wards, and I put up with my old friend Wm. Kimball.”
Two weeks later, Joseph Elder heard Brigham Young make another call for rescuers to help the Martin company. They had fallen 3 weeks behind the Willie company and their condition was even worse. Again, showing his courage and commitment, Joseph volunteered to help, and he started east that very day. After a week in “snow that sometimes would almost blind us and our teams,” he arrived back in Salt Lake City with the Martin Company saints, on Nov 30th. He said,
“I returned home feeling first rate glad that I had gone,”
When he was ordained a Seventy, leaders asked about the service he had given. William Kimball answered in his behalf,
“He said that I had not only been a talker but an actor, that I had imparted freely of all that I had, both money, property, time and talent to the emigration and that every word and action proved that I was determined to do the will of God and do all that I was able to help build up the kingdom of God in these last days.”
Joseph married Margaret Joiner in 1858 and had 7 children. He settled into the occupation of Carpenter. He served a mission back to his Illinois where he was able to see his mother and other family members. Later, he served another mission to England.
Joseph Elder was a man of commitment in the Lord’s service. Determined to “perform every duty and bear every burden that God through his holy priesthood is willing to lay on my shoulders.” , Joseph served when he was needed, where he was needed and how he was needed.