This is the Naked Mormon History Tour travel log.

Entry number two for March 22nd, 2017.

I'm trying to articulate and just think through everything that I've seen in the past couple of hours,

because I'm sitting here in the parking lot of Martin's Cove. And of course, this was the

Martin Willie Handcart Company. That's what the Martin is in reference to. Edward Martin. He was

the leader or captain of the Hancart Company.

But they were trapped by a massive snowstorm and a culmination of many terrible events

led to the death of, well, more than 50 Mormons on just this plot of land where I'm sitting right now.

You know, it's really hard to express this because Mormons will call this hallowed ground and a sacred experience to come here. And I look at it

from more of a historical perspective because it's really profound to stand in the place where

so many people gave everything they had and more to the point that they gave their lives

to be a part of this

handcar company just so they could make the journey out to Salt Lake at the command of Brigham

Young of one incredibly wealthy businessman who had a dream about a place where the Mormons, the Saints could live,

where they wouldn't be bothered. But the Martin Willie Handcart companies, they departed

winter quarters much later in the year than most other companies did. And that was one more

factor that caused them to get caught by multiple blizzards,

and what caused many of them to perish, and their rationing of food.

They sometimes were unable to even get a hold of firewood to burn. They were burning sagebrush, because it's the only thing out here.

But Martin's Cove offered a brief respite for them. They were burning sagebrush because it's the only thing out here.

But Martin's Cove offered a brief respite for them.

They had to cross the Sweetwater crossing here, and now they call it the veil crossing.

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