Ephraim Hanks is my 4x Great Grandfather. The new movie “Ephraim’s Rescue” shows the wintery harrowing rescue of the Martin Handcart Company.  A divine messenger asked him to help the handcart company and he went straight away to Brigham Young. 

This is the rest of the story the movie doesn’t tell . . . the Read family from England joined the church, left their home and the two oldest children, crossed the ocean, joined the Martin Handcart Company to walk with the Saints to Salt Lake City. Walter, the youngest boy, wandered off from the trail and Brother Read stayed back to look for him while his wife and two daughters continued west with the handcart company. 

Ephraim was carrying mail from Salt Lake City to the East and Elizabeth Read would ask him for word about her husband and son.  He knew the family and when he came through the storm with strips of buffalo for the starving company Thisbe Read ran up to him for a slice meat. Reads did not lose appendages from frost bite, but were weak and suffered greatly.  The families’ were taken into the homes of the Saints to be cared for. 

The Reads were invited to stay at Ephraim Hanks home. Eventually years later Ephraim marries the youngest Read daughter Thisbe.  That is the true love story of my great grandpa Ephraim Hanks rescuing my great grandma Thisbe Read.