Friday...is there any possible way to describe what this day means to me? Perhaps not. After a long week of school work and waiting for the weekend, I finally have my night and two days of rest and relaxation. It's so nice to come home and think, "I don't have anything to turn in tomorrow. I don't have to do any homework, no essays, no studying. I can relax and sit back, enjoy a book, write in my blog, go to my cast party...."
The cast party...It's here! The cast party, my last chance to see everyone together again. I'm going to miss the play. The last entry I started with the idea of writing just what this play has meant to me, but I had to stop before I had the chance. Well, I don't want to get into detail of how it affected my personal life, but I will mention what it has done for my faith and belief in the Gospel and those who have gone before me in defending the faith.


It's a clear nght out on the plains by the Arkansas River. Along the waters, the fires of the Mormon Battalion are scattered, reflecting the random pattern of stars above them. A young man sitting beside one fire stares up at the stars, wondering, "Are they out there, looking at these same stars at this same moment?" While he is sitting, pondering this question, one of his companions begins singing,

"Why should we mourn,
or think our lot is hard?
'Tis not so, all is right."

One by one, the men sitting around the fire join in,

"Why should we think
to earn a great reward
if we now shun the fight?"

Campfire by campfire, the chorus swells as the song sweeps through the rest of the camp,

"Gird up your loins,
Fresh courage take,
Our God will never us forsake.
And soon we'll have
This tale to tell
All is well
All is well."

Few eyes are dry this night as the men, young and old, think of their families somewhere out on the plains and wonder, "Are they out there, looking at these same stars at this same moment?"


This is my heritage, the Mormon Battalion, the saints crossing the plains. My ancestor, David Pulsipher, if this story were fact, could have been that boy. My family, the family of John Pulsipher, was out there. Zerah and John, as far as I know, were involved in all the major events of early Latter-Day Saint history: Kirtland, Far West, Nauvoo. There example, the way they kept their faith despite all the persecutions and diffuculties, has inspired me.
And, to bring this full circle, I was glad to pay them my respects by being a member of the Mormon Battalion in the play. As an honor to David, I used his name for my character. Being in the play, I spent much of my time reflecting on the experiences of David while he was in the Battalion. That is how I came up with the little story I wrote. Well, time to "gird up my loins" and do the work of my generation. Write me if you've got comments.