Battalion's contribution was large

In the United States' territorial expansion during the 19th century, the Louisiana Purchase, the vast area gained through the Mexican War and the discovery of gold in California, all helped in pushing the young country's border farther west until it finally reached the Pacific Ocean. Thousands of men, women and children endured hardships and braved harsh conditions to settle this new land.

One group that has never been recognized for its contributions to settling the West is the Mormon Battalion. Although the men and women of the battalion were as important as any other group of people to the history of the western United States, their story has been all but forgotten.

For that reason, the U.S. Mormon Battalion was founded in 1954 to rekindle interest in the original battalion. "Theirs is a story that needs to be told," said Robert Paul, chairman of the organization.

The U.S. Mormon Battalion will present a musical and spoken-word tribute on Saturday evening in the Salt Lake Tabernacle that will recount the story of the 500 men and 32 women of the battalion, who pioneered a new trail from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to San Diego, Calif. "They blazed a wagon route that became the southern route to California," Paul said. "They took part in the conquest of California and in setting it up as a state."

Called "They, The Builders of the Nation," the program will feature the Southern Utah Heritage Choir from St. George. Mellissa Garff Ballard will narrate. She'll be joined by D. Guy Dickson and Elder Robert C. Oaks, of the LDS Church.

The program will also pay tribute to the more than 200 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who boarded the ship Brooklyn in New York City to undertake a nearly eight-month voyage around the Horn to California. "Under Brigham Young's authority, 238 Saints took the ship in February 1846 and headed for California," Paul said. "They landed where San Francisco is today."

Those early settlers started the first newspaper in San Francisco, the California Star. It was the first to publish the news that gold had been discovered at Sutter's Mill in the nearby Sacramento Valley.

Also in 1846, the Mexican War erupted. The U.S. Army was in dire need of reinforcing its ranks, so President James Polk issued an order authorizing a battalion of 500 Mormons to help fight the war. "This was the first time that soldiers were recruited from a religious group," Paul said.