How grateful I am that I know my ancestor’s names. Tonight Vance and I were watching the movie, “Ephraim’s Rescue” and all of a sudden my third great grandmothers name, Elizabeth Simpson Bradshaw was mentioned and then they proceed to act out her story. It was amazing. The feeling I had while watching this person portray my ancestor and show her faith and knowledge that God lives and keeps His promises made me glad to be related to her. I loved Elizabeth’s comment when her son, Richard Paul who was six years old at the time asked who was going to help them cross the river and her reply was, “God helps those who first help themselves.” Then to see Elizabeth’s faith in action as she started crossing the river even though it was deeper than she was tall was inspiring. Her history mentions as she started across the river she was carried some distance down stream and it looked like death was inevitable for both her and her son, but she continued to struggle and finally reached the opposite side. Exhausted she raised her arm to the square to bear witness that God had protected and saved both her and her son. During the movie I could feel of her testimony and faith. She had been given a blessing and promised that all of her children would reach Zion and wanted to acknowledge the Lord’s hand in saving them. Elizabeth is a great example and someone that I can gain strength from when I am faced with difficult times and decisions.
At 48 Elizabeth was widowed twice
and because of her strong desire to follow the Prophet she gathered her five
children ranging in age from six to nineteen and prepared to board the ship
Horizon and sail to America. While
waiting in the harbor Elizabeth’s two brothers came aboard to make a final
effort to persuade her to remain in England where they offered to take care of
her and her children financially. They told her that they would never want for
anything money could buy since they were financially wealthy as their father’s
family had invented the grandfather clock and owned and operated large
factories that manufactured time clocks. Elizabeth’s reply was “I am going to
Zion. The gospel is true, and
Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God.” She then began the six week long journey by
sea, a train ride from New York to Iowa and 1300 miles by handcart to Utah.
Another incident that shows
Elizabeth’s faith was when her 17-year-old son Samuel was brought into camp and
pronounced dead, and to all appearances it was true. But Elizabeth’s faith remained strong as she insisted that
all of her children would reach Zion. So she asked the Elders to anoint him
with oil and administer to him and they did. He recovered.
Years later Elizabeth’s children
said, their mother never complained and instead would say, “The Lord knows
best.”
There was one detail wrong in the movie. Elizabeth carried Richard Paul across
the North Branch of the Platt River on her shoulders October 19, 1856. It was winter and extremely cold at that
time where in the movie they portrayed it during a warmer period. The Platte River is the same river that
Elizabeth’s daughter, 19 year old Sarah Ann Haigh (my great great grandmother) made
32 trips across the river carrying 16 people on her back. Sarah Ann said, when
she came out “her wet skirt would freeze so that icicles jingled as she walked.” Unlike her mother Elizabeth who was a
very small dainty woman, Sarah Ann was only five feet tall herself but the
short heavy type who after reaching the Salt Lake Valley said when talking
about how small their food portions were, “Even that didn’t make me thin.” Towards
the end while in desperate conditions Sarah Ann said to herself, “Could this be
the end? Would the Lord lead us over that long hard road, just to let the whole
company perish in the storm and cold?” That was not the end. Sarah was soon to meet Franklin
Standley, one of her rescuers.
Several months later they married on April 5, 1857 in Brigham Young’s
office.
I am proud to be a descendant of
both of these women. For their
courage, strength of character, desire to be of service to others, and faith in
the Lord Jesus Christ, I am truly grateful.
