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The Mormon Trail: The History and Legacy of the Trail that Brought the Mormons to Utah
*Includes pictures
*Includes excerpts of contemporary accounts
*Includes a bibliography for further reading
Among all the various figures in 19th century America who left controversial legacies, it is hard to find one as influential as Joseph Smith (1805-1844), the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Mormonism, and the Latter-Day Saint movement. Revered as a prophet on the level of Moses by some, reviled as a perpetrator of large-scale fraud by others, what everyone can agree on is that Joseph Smith founded a religious movement that played a crucial role in the settlement of the West, especially in Utah.
Smith’s dream of Zion would lead the way for the trials and the tribulations of the Mormons for the rest of the 19th century, including countless conflicts with local authorities and the U.S. government. Smith himself would be a casualty of the clashing, murdered by a mob in 1844 after being imprisoned in Carthage, Illinois near the settlement of Nauvoo, which Smith had painstakingly tried to create as a commune for his people.
Smith’s death was one of the catalysts for the Mormons’ great migration to Utah, and today that state and the Mormons are virtually synonymous. To this day, Mormons still form a majority of the population, and members of the Church have prominent political and economic roles. Both of Utah’s U.S. Senators, Mike Lee and Mitt Romney, are Mormons, as is Governor Gary Herbert. The story of the Mormon pioneers and the trail they trod is one of the great stories of the westward expansion of the United States. Frenchman Hyppolite Taine wrote of the migration in romantic terms in the 1860 “Since the exodus of the Israelites there is no example of so great a religious emigration executed across such great spaces in spite of such obstacles, by so great a number of men, with so much order, obedience, courage, patience, and devotion..But the mainsprings of this great will was faith. Without it men would not have done such things. These exiles thought that they were founding the city of God, the metropolis of mankind. They considered themselves the renovators of the world. Let us remember our youth, and with what force an idea...merely by the fact that it seems good and true to us hurls us forward despite natural egotism, daily weakness, habits that we have contracted, surrounding prejudices, and accumulated obstacles! We don’t know of what we are capable.”
Stanley Kimball pointed out the “curious fact” that the Mormons, “who did not want to go west in the first place, were among the most successful in doing so.” He noted, “Mormons, in as much as they did not go west for a new identity, missionary work, adventure, furs, land, health, or gold, but were driven beyond the frontier for their religious beliefs, were not typical westering Americans. While their trail experience was similar to other westering Americans, their motivation was different. It hardly seems necessary to document such a well known fact, but it will be helpful, in this respect, to refer to the city of Nauvoo, Illinois, itself. It was not a typical frontier community, nor did it resemble other frontier communities peopled by those pushing west. Nauvoo, rather, resembled an established New England city. It contained the many brick and substantial frame homes of people intending to remain, not the temporary log cabins of people on the move. The pioneer group was not concerned with just getting themselves safely settled, but with making the road easier for others of their faith to follow. Furthermore, the Mormons moved as villages on wheels, transplanting an entire people, rather than isolated, unrelated groups as was the case with the Oregon and California migrations..."
*Includes excerpts of contemporary accounts
*Includes a bibliography for further reading
Among all the various figures in 19th century America who left controversial legacies, it is hard to find one as influential as Joseph Smith (1805-1844), the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Mormonism, and the Latter-Day Saint movement. Revered as a prophet on the level of Moses by some, reviled as a perpetrator of large-scale fraud by others, what everyone can agree on is that Joseph Smith founded a religious movement that played a crucial role in the settlement of the West, especially in Utah.
Smith’s dream of Zion would lead the way for the trials and the tribulations of the Mormons for the rest of the 19th century, including countless conflicts with local authorities and the U.S. government. Smith himself would be a casualty of the clashing, murdered by a mob in 1844 after being imprisoned in Carthage, Illinois near the settlement of Nauvoo, which Smith had painstakingly tried to create as a commune for his people.
Smith’s death was one of the catalysts for the Mormons’ great migration to Utah, and today that state and the Mormons are virtually synonymous. To this day, Mormons still form a majority of the population, and members of the Church have prominent political and economic roles. Both of Utah’s U.S. Senators, Mike Lee and Mitt Romney, are Mormons, as is Governor Gary Herbert. The story of the Mormon pioneers and the trail they trod is one of the great stories of the westward expansion of the United States. Frenchman Hyppolite Taine wrote of the migration in romantic terms in the 1860 “Since the exodus of the Israelites there is no example of so great a religious emigration executed across such great spaces in spite of such obstacles, by so great a number of men, with so much order, obedience, courage, patience, and devotion..But the mainsprings of this great will was faith. Without it men would not have done such things. These exiles thought that they were founding the city of God, the metropolis of mankind. They considered themselves the renovators of the world. Let us remember our youth, and with what force an idea...merely by the fact that it seems good and true to us hurls us forward despite natural egotism, daily weakness, habits that we have contracted, surrounding prejudices, and accumulated obstacles! We don’t know of what we are capable.”
Stanley Kimball pointed out the “curious fact” that the Mormons, “who did not want to go west in the first place, were among the most successful in doing so.” He noted, “Mormons, in as much as they did not go west for a new identity, missionary work, adventure, furs, land, health, or gold, but were driven beyond the frontier for their religious beliefs, were not typical westering Americans. While their trail experience was similar to other westering Americans, their motivation was different. It hardly seems necessary to document such a well known fact, but it will be helpful, in this respect, to refer to the city of Nauvoo, Illinois, itself. It was not a typical frontier community, nor did it resemble other frontier communities peopled by those pushing west. Nauvoo, rather, resembled an established New England city. It contained the many brick and substantial frame homes of people intending to remain, not the temporary log cabins of people on the move. The pioneer group was not concerned with just getting themselves safely settled, but with making the road easier for others of their faith to follow. Furthermore, the Mormons moved as villages on wheels, transplanting an entire people, rather than isolated, unrelated groups as was the case with the Oregon and California migrations..."
- GenresHistory
64 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 29, 2020
40 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 8, 2022
A VERY brief secular view of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, from the time of it's founding and migration west until landing in the Salt Lake valley. Many volumes could be and have been written of the church and the Mormon Trail. This book condenses it into under 70 pages leaving out most of the details of the church's history. It does, however provide a good overview for those short on time who wish for an introduction.
There are some parts the book with questionable veracity such as the the actions of the Danites . It is likely that accusations of unnecessary violence documented against of some Mormon militia groups such as the Danites were made falsely or were exaggerated in order to justify the atrocities committed against Mormon settlers by those same Missourians which occurred during the same time period.
Also, even though Joseph Smith was sometimes autocratic and there were some hot tempered disputes and quarrels between him and some of the other church leadership, Joseph Smith was never abusive in his leadership style as the author alleges and there is little evidence to suggest that he ever was. I would also note that there are other criticisms the author could have justly made against Joseph, but never does.
For a more thorough biography on Joseph Smith, I highly recommend "Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling" by Robert L. Bushman. The book is fascinating and does not gloss over the more controversial details regarding Joseph's life. However, the book is fair, detailed, and factual.
There are some parts the book with questionable veracity such as the the actions of the Danites . It is likely that accusations of unnecessary violence documented against of some Mormon militia groups such as the Danites were made falsely or were exaggerated in order to justify the atrocities committed against Mormon settlers by those same Missourians which occurred during the same time period.
Also, even though Joseph Smith was sometimes autocratic and there were some hot tempered disputes and quarrels between him and some of the other church leadership, Joseph Smith was never abusive in his leadership style as the author alleges and there is little evidence to suggest that he ever was. I would also note that there are other criticisms the author could have justly made against Joseph, but never does.
For a more thorough biography on Joseph Smith, I highly recommend "Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling" by Robert L. Bushman. The book is fascinating and does not gloss over the more controversial details regarding Joseph's life. However, the book is fair, detailed, and factual.
September 13, 2020
Very informative.
Anyone wanting an unbiased history of the Mormon religion should read this book. All of the facts included in this book can be easily verified. An entertaining book to read.
Anyone wanting an unbiased history of the Mormon religion should read this book. All of the facts included in this book can be easily verified. An entertaining book to read.
March 14, 2021
Lame. As interesting as an encyclopedia account. Complete waste of my time.
April 17, 2022
Good history reading.
I'm not interested in their religious believes but as a pioneer group that faced
the hardships of the Oregon/ Morman trail. Very well organized group.
I'm not interested in their religious believes but as a pioneer group that faced
the hardships of the Oregon/ Morman trail. Very well organized group.
June 8, 2022
It was interesting to be able to read another viewpoint of an event that I thought I knew much about.
December 16, 2022
Not sure what the point is. Build faith? Point out how weird Mormons are? Documentary? Okay to read but I love stories about the Mormon people.
January 19, 2023
Good for what it is. Concise, factual, unbiased. Not fun, but informative.
July 21, 2024
This was a beautiful read. I loved listening to it the week of July 24th. I’m very grateful for my pioneer ancestors.
May 12, 2022
Recently, I picked up a paperback that talked about Nauvoo, Illinois, and the problems they experienced with the early Mormons. The booklet was about the town, not the inhabitants, and I was curious about the issues the religious Mormons had with their neighbors. This book tells the story. I thought the telling was reasonably even-handed.
Before picking up this book, I didn't know much about the Mormons and Joseph Smith. It may seem strange that people would have sightings and conversations with God. However, when this took place (the 1830s), there was a movement sweeping America with people wanting to create Utopia. When the Mormons could not complete the system they wanted, they realized they had to move West to empty land.
From the descriptions, the Mormons were very organized. Considering how little was known about the lands westward, they achieved much.
Before picking up this book, I didn't know much about the Mormons and Joseph Smith. It may seem strange that people would have sightings and conversations with God. However, when this took place (the 1830s), there was a movement sweeping America with people wanting to create Utopia. When the Mormons could not complete the system they wanted, they realized they had to move West to empty land.
From the descriptions, the Mormons were very organized. Considering how little was known about the lands westward, they achieved much.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews