As a Mormon, I’ve always looked to my pioneer ancestors as guiding stars, their lives a template for courage, conviction, and sacrifice. As a child, I admired their bravery in journeying to Utah, often leaving everything familiar behind. In my 20s, I grappled with learning how young some of the women were when they married and learned what patriarchy is capable of. Now, in my 30s, my admiration has evolved; I see clearly the immense sacrifices they made to protect and honor their families in the face of the Edmunds-Tucker Act of 1887, which harshly targeted Mormon polygamists. These Mormons were faced with pressure from the federal government to either abandon all but one wife or face jailtime.
The actions of two ancestors in particular have deeply resonated with me, because both responded differently to persecution yet both driven by love and dedication to their families.
William Rufus Rogers Stowell
William Rufus Rogers Stowell became disillusioned with the United States, because he did not like the two choices presented to him. Instead of accepting the lesser of two evils, he chose freedom over persecution. In 1889, he and his wives emigrated to Colonia Juárez, Mexico, where they lived in peace, free from the oppression that existed in the United States.
(William is 2nd from the left inn front of the carriage)
John Henry Bott
In contrast, John Henry Bott was unwilling to leave, despite the same relentless persecution. His steadfastness came at a high price, scattering his family, and plunging him into debt.
Evan Crystal Sharley
Today, as a transgender woman, I find myself facing a similar crossroads, as the United States and Idaho have become increasingly hostile towards people like me. Reflecting on the lives of my ancestors, I see clearly that my ancestors have presented two paths: Endurance amid persecution and seeking peace and freedom elsewhere.
If I stay in Idaho, as John Henry Bott did in Utah, I must live in a state of constant vigilance, wary of vigilantes intent on harming me, laws that criminalize my very identity, and a political climate growing ever darker.
Yet, like William Rufus Rogers Stowell, I can choose freedom. Oregon represents for me what Mexico represented for him – a place to build a life where I am free from harassment and persecution, a place where I can find happiness, community, and peace.
Having been given this wisdom by my ancestors, my path forward is clear, and just as they made courageous choices for their families, so will I. Though Idaho raised me, Oregon calls me to a brighter, freer future.
