1 Day Until Trek - Reverence for Pioneer Heritage

For over 175 years, Latter-day Saints have remembered and commemorated the story of pioneers gathering to Zion in the American West. That is part of what we are doing on Trek, as well. In pulling and pushing handcarts in the wilds lands of Utah, we remember and honor them. But we must not lose sight of why they sacrificed. They gathered to Zion because they were disciples of Jesus Christ and had made covenants to follow Him. They heeded the call of modern-day prophets to gather to a central place to build a heavenly community and create a godly people. That is why they risked their lives and the lives of loved ones to make that arduous trek. As the Latter-day Saint pioneers did a long time ago, so can we. We can be disciples of Jesus Christ, strive to live the covenants we've made with Him, and gather together as a people under the guidance and leadership of God's living prophets. May Trek be a memorable part of your covenant journey.

"The crossing of the plains turned into a great event, not only in the lives of most pioneers, but in the minds of their descendants. It became the final test of faith and obedience. Contemporary [Latter-day Saints] revere their heritage of faithful ancestors and talk with pride of those who 'crossed the plains' for the sake of religious freedom. Even modern [Latter-day Saints] who have no pioneer ancestors vicariously share this heritage, and stories about pioneers trailing clouds of glory surround these Saints."

Selection from Stanley B. and Violet T. Kimball's 2011 book, Villages on Wheels: A Social History of the Gathering to Zion.

AI-image critique. That's a really big handcart or really little kids. And everyone looks so uniform and a little bit scary. Still, you get the idea. These are modern day youth participating in Trek.