Brigham Young was the modern Moses, and he prepared and organized the saints to move West the same way Moses prepared his people to move from Egypt to Mount Sinai. Both of these groups left their homes because of persecution and oppression. Similarly, both groups traversed mountains, desserts, and valleys before they could reach their destinations, which were untamed and uncultivated. The exoduses of both of these groups of people are similar. In being similar they express God’s everlasting existence in the lives of men as they experience trails and persecution.  

            Both of them were supported by the hand of the lord. It was said of the Israelites that they were guided by the lord by day by a cloud and by night by a pillar of fire. It was in this same way that the pioneers of the church were led through their travels West, by the holy spirit of the lord. Another parallel between ancient exodus and modern exodus is found in the Lords remarks regarding the deliverance of his people. For the people of Moses he said : “Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place” (Ex. 13:3). For the saints under the leadership of Brigham Young, the lord said: “For I, the Lord, have put forth my hand to exert the powers of heaven; ye cannot see it now, yet a little while and ye shall see it, and know that I am” (D&C 84:119).

            Heavenly Father is  very much in every part of our lives, and this was proven to the pioneers of the church when they were rescued from their misery by the hand of the lord, as well as to the Israelites when they were fed and helped in all their other afflictions through their travel through the desert. The parallels found in ancient exodus and modern exodus tells us that God “keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations” (Deut. 7:9). 8 It reminds us modern saints to keep our baptismal covenants with Heavenly Father, and that we should be faithful members and that it is our responsibility to keep the faith going in our generation.

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