Faith, Obedience, Sacrifice, Charity

Today's training was especially great for us as it was presented by Jenny Lund, an old dutch oven competition friend, who is the Director of Church History Sites.  Her training was wonderful and we learned much.

Most visitors have no understanding of what happened here.  Of why it happened and why it's important.  Our opportunity is to share this, and to do so in a way that it comes to life for them.   Faith, obedience, sacrifice and charity are the messages that are seen over and over again in the lives of the handcart pioneers and the experiences and the stories we share illustrate this for our visitors.  A typical year has around 50,000 visitors from May-September, with nearly 50% being visitors other than youth trek groups.

Many of the pioneers were wonderful journal keepers.  This seems so amazing to me.  I do a terrible job of journal writing.  I often wonder what kept them recording their daily activities and experiences so faithfully.  From those first hand accounts we have accurate detail and understanding, through their eyes and experiences, of this place and what truly happened here 156 years ago.  How grateful we are for the valiant people they were and the faithful lives they lived.