Adam Patterson Hunter Made a Promise

After the Hunter family was reunited in 1851 at St. Louis, Missouri. They were anxious to leave because the plans for the Salt Lake Temple had been completed. Work would begin soon. Unfortunately, Adam came down with cholera. Elizabeth's mother and brother did also, both of whom died. The disease was raging all up and down the Missouri and Mississippi River communities. People were dying from the illness they knew little about and its unknown cause.

The Hunter family's goal was to travel to Zion in Salt Lake City. But, how could they make the journey without their father and protector? Adam tried to get better and did everything he could, including having the elders give him a Priesthood blessing. Adam prayed to Heavenly Father, pleading that he be spared from this dreaded sickness. He trusted in the Lord and made a promise. 'If Heavenly Father would heal him, he would serve the Lord where ever needed all his life.' He had great faith.

Miraculously, Adam Hunter was made well. The family purchased the needed supplies for their trek to Zion and to keep them fed for a year. They left the end of May 1852 with a small company. The journey was long and hard. The group made it to the Red Quarry Canyon just east of the Salt Lake Valley on Sunday, August 19. True to his word, Adam, found work the very next day helping in the quarry. He donated his team of oxen to haul the stone from the mountain to the temple site. Adam managed the Little Cottonwood Quarry when it was decided the sandstone was insufficient to support the temple.

From 1852 to 1878, twenty-six years, Adam worked at building the temple. He longed for the day when it would be completed. It was not to be. This faithful servant donated his skills and services to the building of the Salt Lake Temple for the remainder of his life. How blessed we are to be the posterity of this righteous saint.