Ever wondered who wrote the hymn "As Sisters in Zion"? Read the story below to find out.
My second great-grandmother Julia Hill and her sister Emily were baptized as teens in England, and then their parents, Thomas and Elizabeth Hill, disowned them. Nevertheless, Julia and Emily earned their own passage to America and sailed from Liverpool on the ship Thornton. Also on board this ship was Captain James G. Willie, who led the fourth handcart company west.
Once 23-year-old Julia and 20-year-old Emily arrived in Iowa, they joined the Willie handcart company. Early winter snowstorms caused everyone to suffer from hunger and exposure. On Rocky Ridge in Wyoming, many starved or froze to death. Those who survived were comforted in their suffering by their testimonies of Jesus Christ. But I believe what saved Julia and Emily, in addition to their testimonies, was their love for each other as sisters.
--Debbie J Christensen
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