Trails of hope: Faith helped pioneers deal with hardships on trek west

Was it "paths of agony" or "trails of hope" for the Mormon and other pioneers in the mid-19th century?

By 21st century standards, it may seem more like the former. However, "trails of hope" looks to be an almost universal description for the Mormon pioneers themselves, who displayed tremendous faith in coming westward.

According to Melvin L. Bashore, a senior librarian in the history library of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the hope promised by a trek west far outweighed the endurance and suffering required during the journey. Indeed, the 1997 sesquicentennial theme of the Mormon pioneers was "Faith in Every Footstep."

"I certainly believe it was 'trails of hope' for the pioneers," he said. "For many it was not an unpleasant experience."

Bashore agrees those studying Utah history dwell on the rare tragedies of several handcart companies, and that's what dominates our memories.

He said most of the pioneers — some 97 percent —made it to Utah, and about 3 percent perished. The oldest pioneer was age 97, and there was a number of other senior citizens.

The LDS pioneers' motivation for going west is considered unique in the American West — it was not for gold, land or adventure — but for religious freedom.

"We ware out of the reach of our ememis, and that the countrey was well wathered with gods watter and that god had blessed us on our journey verrey mutch," Levi Jackman wrote with imperfect spelling on July 23, 1847, as a member of the original Mormon pioneer group that entered the Salt Lake Valley.

He had joined this pioneer company "to finde a location for the saints Some whair in the west."

For Latter-day Saints, the trek west offered a place of safety, and it also fulfilled prophecies made by both Joseph Smith and Brigham Young.

The diary of another pioneer, Emmeline Wells, expressed her great faith. For her, the first night on the trail was her first-ever experience with roughing it. Bashore said that even under adverse conditions, there was no rancor in her writing.

"We are all happy and contented as yet and determined to go ahead," Wells wrote on March 1, 1846, after leaving Nauvoo.

"It is that determination and optimism that mark the story and history of Mormon emigration," Bashore wrote in his "Trails of Hope" paper.

There was also a lot of monotony to pioneer treks as well as occasional adventures.

"Every days travel was about alike and as near a monotony as anything I ever saw, the roads all near alike, each camping place alike," Oliver B. Huntington, a pioneer, wrote on July 6, 1848.

A lot of scenery was also dreary.