The Half Penny

John Borrowman, my great-great-grandfather, is one of my ancestral heroes.  His is a tale of immense sacrifice and blessings.  John was born the oldest of seven children, and lived on a farm in Canada.  One day, the Mormon missionaries came to town and began preaching.  John was intrigued, and shortly desired to be baptized into this new American religion.  But his father William would not hear of it.  He told John that if he joined the Mormon church, he would lose his inheritance of the family farm that, as the oldest of seven children, was rightfully his.  Regardless, John joined the church and immigrated to Nauvoo, Illinois.  The Mormons was busy building the Nauvoo temple, and John joined in the construction. He later immigrated with the first company of Saints to the Salt Lake Valley, only to be detoured for a stint with the Mormon Battalion.  John eventually made it to Utah, and lived an enriched life.  When his father William died, John received a letter containing a half-penny and a note from his father, indicating this was his entire inheritance.  That half penny is enshrined in an exhibit today in the LDS pioneer museum as a testament of the sacrifices John endured for his new religion.  It is a symbol of faith for the over 5,000 members of his posterity who are grateful that he made this difficult decision.

LESSON LEARNED:  Sometimes we make painful choices in order to reach higher ground.  We may not understand the subsequent rewards of these choices, even within our lifetimes.

FEEDBACK:  Do you have an ancestor whose story of sacrifice is a source of strength to you?