“Wagons, ho!” The
cry is called as the early Latter Day Saints push forward. Wagons and oxen and
people alike walk as they complete the last day of the trek to the Salt Lake
Valley. The day is July 24th, 1847. As you read this paper you will
learn the special story of this day, how it is celebrated, and other intriguing
facts. So read on to travel on your own trek.
On June 27, 1844, everything
changed. The leader of the Mormon, or LDS, church was assassinated. Within
years it was decided that the early members of this faith needed to leave their
homes again, and they left with only what they absolutely needed, making their
way across the plains towards Utah. As they made their way cross country they
faced many troubles. Rain was a large one. The Saints crossed many people and
finally they arrived in Utah on the 24th of July in 1847. They were
never chased away and the land was theirs. Everything was good and right and
peaceful.
The Saints marked
the day as an important holiday and it later became the day that Utah
officially became a state whether it was meant to happen or not. The day is
also a common birthday. But it is most known for being Utah’s birthday and
Pioneer Day for those who are of the LDS faith or live in Utah.
Pioneer Day is
celebrated in many Mormon congregations and families. Parades, carnivals,
picnics, barbeques, fireworks, reenactments of the trek across the country, all
are ways to celebrate Pioneer Day, or Days of ’47.
Approximately once
every four years a Trek is held in which the youth or ward members gather
together and create costumes and wagons and gather supplies and go on a
miniature trek that lasts a few days in which they pull hand carts and travel
like the pioneers once did, reminding them of their history and even humbling
them, showing them that they have so much.
Parades, picnics,
barbecues, costume contests, carnivals and, concerts are other common ways to
celebrate this historic day. Some families will go on personal treks while
others may not acknowledge it at all, or even realize it is a day. But as you
read this paper you are learning that it is one in fact.
Pioneer Day is
many things but boring is not one of them. As you conclude this paper you will
realize just how many little known facts there are and things that don’t fit in
anywhere else. These things will be presented as the last few ‘obstacles’
before you arrive at your own version of the Salt Lake Valley, which is most
likely where you are sitting right now.
Pioneer Day has symbols,
like many other things. An almost cliché one is a covered wagon or handcart
whereas another one that is lesser known are the beehive, Utah's state emblem.
Another fun fact,
as they could be called, is that Pioneer Day is not the day the Saints actually
originally arrived in Utah. Scouts arrived two days previously on the 22nd
of July.
“Wagons, ho!” The
cry is now useless as the Saints arrived in Utah long ago and now rest there
safe and sound. You have gone on your own personal trek as you traveled through
this paper, learning just what Pioneer Day is and was. The day is no longer
July 24th, 1847 and it is in fact just over 150 years later. But of
course, after this paper is done and read, it won’t matter anymore.
Works Cited
Maxwell, Marsha. Salt
Lake City July 24th Pioneer Day Events. 2012. Marsha
Maxwell.
About.com. 12 November
2012. <http://saltlakecity.about.com/od/arts/tp/Salt-
Lake-City-July-24th-Pioneer-Day-Events.htm>
Butters, Whitney. Utah
Pioneer Day celebrations. 24 July 2012. Whitney Butters.
Deseret
News. 12 November 2012.
<http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705387988/Utah-Pioneer-Day-celebrations.html?pg=all.>
Bruner, Rachel. What is Pioneer
Day? About.com. 12 November 2012.
Shipps, Jan. A Religious Ritual
Wrapped in a Civic Event. July 2002. Jan Shipps.
Beliefnet.com. 12
November 2012.
Leem, Susan. Pioneer Day: A
Mormon Celebration of Ancestry. 18 July 2012. 12
November 2012.
< http://www.onbeing.org/blog/pioneer-day-mormon-
celebration-ancestry/4761.>
Pioneer Day in United States.
12 November 2012.
<
http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/pioneer-day.>
so I wrote this for school on pioneer day to celebrate my early birthday. it's my birthday, a holiday in my religion (lds.mormon) and overall it's just cool. and one of the most critical kids in my class liked it (i was beyond shocked) so yeah here yah go
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