Pioneer Day

July 24th is celebrated as Pioneer Day in Utah.  Maybe even locations in Idaho, and Arizona.  The reason this day is celebrated is this marks when the first group of Mormon Pioneers reached the Valley of the Great Salt Lake. That is why I'm not sure if the largely Mormon communities in locations like Arizona or Idaho also celebrate this event.

As many may know the Saints were pushed out of Nauvoo Illinois and eventually over several months made their way across the plains through Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming and finally ended at the Salt Lake Valley.  Brigham Young as he saw the valley on the rise just before descending into the valley "This is the Right Place, carry on".  He'd seen it in vision and knew this was the place that the Saints would be able to prosper and thrive.

Strangely the route they was used matched much of what could be the Oregon trail and/or the California trail. 
It appears that the Oregon trail was used slightly earlier then when the Mormons first crossed in 1847.  One way or the other this trek that they took was thousands of miles and not all that easy.  Whether is was undertaken by wagon train or hand carts it was long, exhausting and perilous.  There were presumed threats of Indians attacking, disease and sickness that could be had, issues with wild animals, and then the age old lack of food and water since the journey was taking so long.  All this made sure that those that arrived at the final destination were hardy folks.  The faint in heart, the sickly and invalid did not usually make it the whole way on the journey.

There is very good movie that was made recently that highlights the hardships of taking this crossing and exemplifies why we celebrate Pioneer Day.  17 Miracles is an amazing film about the hand cart companies that came across to Salt Lake in part as a solution to the lack of funds available to members of said companies.

Though it includes some information from multiple hand cart companies and is not necessarily in chronological order it is one of the best films I have seen that show the overall sacrifice that was necessary to make the trek west.
Yes the movie can be said to have a bit of a LDS slant since it does cover the Mormon Pioneers nevertheless, you can get a sense of what life was like back then.  We may not complain of sitting in a car for hours to get to our destination.  How about 3-4 days to cover the same distance with no good source of water or food the whole distance.

 This whole topic of the Pioneers basically covering  the 1840's through to the 1880's is very fascinating.  The beginnings of new technologies.  The vast logistics involved.  The crossing of a vast unknown continent etc.





One of the best book over all that explains in a more or less easy fashion not boring with to many details but, not lacking on content is the following book.  It covers all the essential elements of the Pioneer experience and has it broken down into sections like - Making camp, on the trail etc.  Very much worth the money. It works well for adults and children.


  Want to see some programming on the commemoration of Pioneer day?  I've included some links below to great content including the Annual presentation by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  Can not get much better then that.

We all Share Pioneer Legacy - Elder Uchtdorf

http://www.lds.org/pages/modern-day-pioneers?lang=eng


2012 Pioneer Day Concert - Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Friends

http://www.lds.org/broadcasts/watch/pioneer-day-concert/2012/07?lang=eng&vid=1747398845001

 

Celebrate the Pioneers in your past or those that are current pioneers.  There may be more out there then you think.

Buaidh - NO - Bas