On Aug. 2, 1856, some residents of a small Iowa town approached two young women who were traveling with the Willie Handcart Company. The two young women were the Hill sisters, ages 20 and 23. The younger of the two was named Emily.

The townspeople attempted to entice these attractive young women away from the company, using written messages that they delivered to the two sisters. Their messages promised all of the comforts and conveniences that life had to offer if they would simply abandon their trek to Zion.

Notwithstanding they were worn and weary from their 4,000 miles of travel over the past three months, which began in Liverpool, England, they resisted.

On Oct. 19, 1856, Joseph A. Young was the first rescuer to reach the Willie Handcart Company. Young had been a missionary in England and had known Emily there. Eventually recognizing that the starved figure with a gaunt face standing before him was Emily, Young burst into tears. He gave Emily an onion from his pocket and told her to eat it. Instead, she saved it and unselfishly gave it to a man, near death, lying on the ground by a fire. This man credited Emily’s act of kindness with saving his life.

Emily Hill later authored a poem which became the words to the beloved LDS hymn “As Sisters In Zion.”

Here are some verses you may not be familiar with:

2. We'll turn from our follies, our pride and our weakness,
The vain, foolish fashions of Babel despise;
We'll seek for the garments of truth and of meekness,
And learn to be useful and happy and wise.
3. We'll wear what is sensible, neat and becoming
The daughters of Zion—the angels of light;
We'll work with a will, while the angels are scanning
Our aims and our actions from morning till night.
4. We'll bring up our children to be self-sustaining;
To love and to do what is noble and right;
When we rest from our labors, these dear ones remaining,
Will bear off the kingdom and "fight the good fight."
5. Nor shall our attention be wholly restricted
To training our children or shaping our dress;
The aged, the feeble, the poor and afflicted,
Our labors shall comfort, our efforts shall bless.
6. "The Lord hath established the cities of Zion,
The poor of His people are trusting in Him,"
He makes us a source for His poor to rely on;
Oh! shall we not brighten the eyes that are dim.
7. Oh! shall we not hasten to soothe the condition
Of the humble, the needy, the honest and pure?
Oh! let us remember, whate'er our ambition—
'Tis our duty, our mission, to comfort the poor.