Franklin D. Richards: The Apostle Who Endorsed the Late Departure and Then Raced to Bring Help

Franklin Dewey Richards (April 2, 1821 – December 9, 1899) was an Apostle and president of the European Mission when the handcart plan was launched. In December 1855, he published Brigham Young's letter endorsing handcart emigration in the *Millennial Star* along with his own editorial support.

In early September 1856, Richards passed the Willie and Martin Companies on the trail as he and 12 returning missionaries hurried west ahead of them. He knew they were dangerously late. He pressed on to Salt Lake City, arriving on October 4 — and immediately reported the companies' position and peril to Brigham Young.

Young's response was immediate and electrifying. Two days later, at October General Conference, he stood before the congregation and issued the famous rescue call: 'I will tell you all that your faith, religion, and profession of religion, will never save one soul of you in the celestial kingdom of our God, unless you carry out just such principles as I am now teaching you. Go and bring in those people now on the plains.'

Within hours, rescue teams were organized. Within days, wagons loaded with supplies were rolling east into the Wyoming winter. It was one of the largest rescue operations in the history of the American West.

Franklin D. Richards helped compile the Pearl of Great Price while serving in England, served as Church Historian for the last decade of his life, and became president of the Quorum of the Twelve. His son George F. Richards and grandson LeGrand Richards also served in the Twelve — three generations of apostolic service.

On October 5, 1856, the day after reporting the companies' peril to Church leadership, Franklin D. Richards addressed the General Conference congregation, emphasizing that the handcart experiment had been popular in Europe and that he and the returning missionaries had 'invited them to come and share' the hardships in the valleys. Richards noted that he had felt compelled to prophesy good concerning the companies throughout his journey, despite warnings from 'Gentiles' at Florence that the season was too late.

Fuller account of this event (in the witness’s own words):

I have been absent from this place about three years and a half, and have been engaged in the ministry in the British Isles, and have had the privilege of presiding over the European Mission for the last two years. During that time, the work of the Lord has been steadily progressing, and the Saints have been gathering to Zion. The hand-cart movement has been a subject of great interest to the Saints in Europe, and they have looked forward to it as a means of gathering, which has been a source of great joy to them. We have had a great many people who have been very anxious to come to this place, and we have done all we could to facilitate their gathering. We have had a great many difficulties to contend with, but the Lord has been with us, and we have been enabled to accomplish a great work. When we left Florence, we felt that the Lord would bless the companies that were on the plains, and we felt that they would be able to reach this place in safety. We have felt to prophesy good concerning them, and we have felt that the Lord would be with them, and that they would be able to overcome all the difficulties that they might have to contend with. We have felt that the Lord would provide for them, and that they would be able to reach this place in safety. We have felt that the Lord would be with them, and that they would be able to overcome all the difficulties that they might have to contend with. We have felt that the Lord would provide for them, and that they would be able to reach this place in safety. We have felt that the Lord would be with them, and that they would be able to overcome all the difficulties that they might have to contend with. We have felt that the Lord would provide for them, and that they would be able to reach this place in safety. We have felt that the Lord would be with them, and that they would be able to overcome all the difficulties that they might have to contend with. We have felt that the Lord would provide for them, and that they would be able to reach this place in safety. We have felt that the Lord would be with them, and that they would be able to overcome all the difficulties that they might have to contend with. We have felt that the Lord would provide for them, and that they would be able to reach this place in safety. We have felt that the Lord would be with them, and that they would be able to overcome all the difficulties that they might have to contend with. We have felt that the Lord would provide for them, and that they would be able to reach this place in safety. We have felt that the Lord would be with them, and that they would be able to overcome all the difficulties that they might have to contend with. We have felt that the Lord would provide for them, and that they would be able to reach this place in safety.