(An account written by John O. Tolman about Judson Tolman and Sarah Lucretia Holbrook as they were preparing to leave Nauvoo, Illinois with the Saints in February of 1846.)
A few months ago, I discovered a most intriguing event that took place in Nauvoo, Illinois which had a profound influence upon my second great grandparents, Judson and Sarah Lucretia Tolman. Judson Tolman was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on January 12, 1845 in Iowa. Within a year, he moved to Nauvoo where he met Sarah Lucretia Holbrook and later married her on the first anniversary of his baptism, January 12, 1846. Judson was 19 years old and Sarah was not quite 14 years of age. Their marriage took place during the time the saints were preparing to move West in the spring due to increased threats and persecution from non-Mormons and harassment from federal marshals to arrest Brigham Young and other church leaders.
On December 10, 1845, the Nauvoo Temple was opened for the saints to receive their temple ordinances, and the church leaders worked night and day to endow as many members as possible before their exodus to the West. On January 29, 1846 Brigham Young received a letter from Samuel Brannan in Washington, D.C. that confirmed a report that the federal government was going to prevent the Mormons from leaving Nauvoo. This discouraging news caused Brigham to assemble the captains of hundreds and the captains of fifties to a meeting on February 2 where he announced that they must prepare quickly to leave Nauvoo and to be ready to go on four hours notice. He further stated that no more ordinance work would be done in the temple (History of the Church 7:577-579).
The next day, February 3, 1846, President Young went to the temple and found a great number of saints gathered to receive their endowments. Brigham told them to go home and make preparations to leave Nauvoo; but they would not disperse. Brigham relented and reopened the temple and later recorded in his journal that 295 people received their ordinances on that day (History of the Church 7:579). Two of that number were Judson and Sarah Lucretia Tolman! Can you imagine the gratitude and joy that young couple must have felt knowing that they had entered into sacred covenants with the Lord that would comfort and sustain them both temporally and spiritually to endure the many trials that would come to these faithful pioneers before they would reach the Great Salt Lake Valley on September 20, 1848.
They would experience the birth and death of their first child, a baby girl; the birth of a second daughter at Winter Quarters who would be only 4 months old as they made the long trek to the Valley. At times they encountered severe weather conditions, sicknesses, loss of friends and animals, lack of food and proper shelter, Indian problems, and separation when Judson was called to other duties by the Brethren. How grateful I am for their sacrifice and obedience to the covenants they had made in the Nauvoo Temple on that fateful day of February 3, 1846. (Excerpt from from Judson Tolman, Pioneer, Lumberman, Patriarch by E. Dennis Tolman Second Edition, page 136.)
Visit FamilySearch to learn more about Judson Tolman, Sarah Lucretia Holbrook, and other ancestors. Also visit the Thomas Tolman Family Organization to find out how you can get more involved in family history.