Marsena Cannon — Divine Protection during the 1850 Trek

During the 1850 journey from Iowa to the Salt Lake Valley, Marsena Cannon traveled in the Wilford Woodruff Company. The company faced significant hardships, including a severe outbreak of cholera that claimed many lives along the Platte River. Cannon, traveling with his wife Elizabeth and their children, was part of a group that sought divine intervention through the power of prayer and the administration of the priesthood. While many in nearby camps and even within the company suffered from the 'destroying angel' of disease, the Cannon family was remarkably preserved and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley without loss of life, an outcome they attributed to divine protection and the leadership of Wilford Woodruff.