Knowing it can always get worse, I try to be grateful for whatever good I have.
I also believe in faith. Faith in a loving and kind Heavenly Father who will always care about me. Faith that my worth will never be diminished. Faith that God knows how I feel and that I can depend on him to help me through it all. I believe that God not only suffered for me, but that He will make everything up to me in His own time and His own way. That gives me the peace I need to feel like justice will win out in the end.
That is why I could eventually forgive my captors. That is not to say that I want to ever see them again, or that I would ever invite them to Sunday dinner! Believe me, I don’t! Every life that they have ever touched, they did their best to destroy. But that is not for me to judge. I don’t have to spend even a second of my life worrying about what happens to Brian David Mitchell or Wanda Barzee.
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The morning after I was rescued, I was able to write a message to the world. I don’t have it anymore, and I don’t remember every word, but this is essentially what it said:
I want to thank everyone for what they did for me. I consider myself the luckiest girl in the world. I am so grateful for everyone who prayed for me. I am so grateful for everyone who searched for me, or followed my story, or did everything they could to try to bring me home. Your efforts all made a difference and I want to tell you thank you.
Even now, after all these years, I still feel the same way. So I’ll say it again. To all of you who helped me or prayed for me or tried to bring me home: Thank you. I will always be grateful. I love you for what you’ve done.
Epilogue
Elizabeth Smart is now a nationally recognized advocate for children’s rights. She is president of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, which advocates for change related to child abduction and recovery programs and legislation. As well as being involved in the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, Elizabeth has helped promote the National AMBER Alert, the Adam Walsh Child Protection & Safety Act, and other safety legislation to help prevent abductions. She also helped to develop a survivors’ guide titled You’re Not Alone: The Journey from Abduction to Empowerment to encourage children who have gone through similar experiences to not give up and know that there is life after tragic events.
Elizabeth met her future husband while serving her LDS mission in Paris, France. Elizabeth describes Matthew Gilmour, who was a fellow missionary from Scotland, as the nicest, most genuine, and most honest person that she has ever met.
On February 18, 2012, they were married in the Hawaiian LDS temple, starting their very happy lives together.
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On May 21, 2010, Wanda Barzee was sentenced to fifteen years in federal prison for her role in the kidnapping and sexual assault of Elizabeth Smart, as well as one to fifteen years at the Utah State Prison for the attempted kidnapping of Smart’s then fifteen-year-old cousin. The sentences are to run concurrently.
On May 15, 2011, having been convicted of kidnapping Elizabeth Smart at knifepoint, holding her hostage for nine months, and subjecting her to horrific abuse, Brian David Mitchell was sentenced to life in federal prison.
Under the federal system, he has no chance of parole.
About the Author
ELIZABETH ANN SMART is an American activist and president of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation. She first gained widespread attention at age fourteen when she was kidnapped from her home and rescued nine months later.