17 Days Until Trek - Trail Romance


How do you picture the history of Latter-day Saints on the trail? Do trials and suffering come to mind? Do you ever think of romance and excitement? The teenage trail experience could be awesome in lots of ways. 

“Weeks and months spent in close quarters permitted people to get well acquainted. For teenagers who were not cripplingly burdened by camp chores, driving teams, inclement weather, illness, and caring for young siblings, the novelty of the surroundings lent an air of romance. Kezia Carroll recalled: ‘The thrill of the pleasant hours spent together and … nice little conversations … helped to shorten the journey.’ Many wrote of laughing, joking, gathering flowers, picking berries, and other pleasant activities. A few deemed it novel and romantic to travel in wagons. Riding double on horseback, singing, dancing, and conversing by the moonlight were considered thrilling, especially with the addition of bouquets of sweet-scented wild flowers. Such pleasant activities lightened the trials and helped to shorten the journey – psychologically at least.”

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

Image created through AI. What prompts would you have given to capture this selection?

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