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If Orson Pratt had a Facebook.

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If Joseph Smith had a Facebook.

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Erastus Snow

Born: November 9, 1818

Died: May 27, 1888

A member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Snow played a large part in the Mormon migration.

Snow joined the church in the early 1830s, like his brother, Zerubbabel Snow. He was taught by Orson Pratt, who would later join him on the 1847 trek to the Salt Lake Valley. The two were the first to enter the valley.

After the journey, Snow was ordained one of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1849. He became a powerful figure in the church. 

Not much is known about him, but what is shows a man of great authority in the LDS church. He was a leader in the Mormon colonization of the Southwestern states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. Snow was also the first to baptize Icelanders to the church and began the publication of a Danish church periodical.

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Orson Pratt

Born: September 19, 1811

Died: October 3, 1881

Pratt first got into the church due to his older brother, Parley P. Pratt, and was even baptized by him. He was ordained as a High Priest in 1832, and eventually became one of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (a governing body of the church) in 1835. Soon later, he found himself conflicting with some of the church's ideas and was excommunicated. However, Pratt found himself able to accept these ideas and was reinstated back into the church, once again becoming a part of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

After Joseph Smith's death, Pratt became a member of the company traveling to the Great Basin in 1847. On July 21, 1847, he and another scout, Erastus Scout, were the first to enter Salt Lake Valley of that company.

By the time of his death in 1881, Pratt had seven wives and forty-five children, although one of the practices he had disagreed with the church over earlier in his life was polygamy. He had a strong interest in astronomy and mathematics, even publishing books about the topics. Even after his death, Pratt's studies and ideas had influence in the LDS Church. 

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Dear Diary,

It's been so long, walking out here in the heat. It's exhausting, and to add onto that, I barely know where we are.

It's going to be worth it, though. We'll live away from all of the riots, all of suffering. We'll finally be starting anew, where we can be closer to the Lord.

Other than the heat, the only terrible thing about this trail is that my sister is dead. She died yesterday. I'm horribly upset, and so is Mother—I can hear her crying from inside the wagon—but I know that my sister is in a better place now. She isn't suffering anymore.

I can't wait until we arrive at the Salt Lake. Back in Illinois, my family was bordering on debt. It was a miracle that we were able to save enough to leave! But now, in a new land, we will be able to restart our lives with new meaning. Away from debt, we'll now have more time to dedicate our lives to Jesus—after all, he did help us get to where we are now.

Next, for the trail itself. It's a rather boring ride: all we do is walk and sometimes chat—not that there's many people to chat with, anyway. We've had to lighten our wagon as the oxen have gotten weaker, so out go my precious books and Mother's fine china. It's a disappointment, but maybe we'll be able to find it in the future. Other than that, though, there hasn't been much going on. We've had plenty food—probably more than enough to last us the journey—and again, there's mostly walking. When we decide to rest, though, then it's great fun. I can play with the other children in my company and reread what books I have left. Hopefully, a bookstore will open in the Salt Lake Valley. It's my tenth time reading these and I've practically memorized them! There may be children in this company, but there aren't many, so it's hard to find books I haven't read. Also, Mother doesn't allow me to read her books, because she says that I'm not grown up enough. I hope that after this journey, she'll change her mind!

Anyway, so long, diary. I'm going to go out for a walk.

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Mormon Trail Infographic.

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If Brigham Young had a Facebook.

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Joseph Smith

Born: December 23, 1805

Died: June 27, 1844

Joseph Smith was the founder of the Church of the Latter-day Saints (Mormonism) and a religious leader.

It started in 1823, when Smith claimed he was visited by an angel whilst praying, who had told him the location of different artifacts, including a book bound with golden plates. After years of failing to retrieve them, he was finally able to and published the transcript of the book, which became known as the Book of Mormon.

Smith spent much of his life traveling from city to city, trying to spread Mormonism. Usually, he was kicked out of said cities due to opposition or law enforcement. Eventually, he settled in Nauvoo, Illinois. There, Smith established a government and was mayor. The years from 1839-1842 passed without much incident; however, in the last two years of Smith's life, the tables had turned and there was much opposition aganist the LDS Church.

By 1844, a rift had developed between Smith and his associates. They disagreed about the economy and the fact that Smith had tried to propose to their spouses. Soon, Smith had them excommunicated. But these opposers formed a competing church and filed lawsuits against Smith. Smith and his brother, Hyrum, were held in custody.  On June 27, 1844, in the Carthage Jail where the two were being held, a mob broke in and shot both to death.

Even though he was somewhat infamous for his ideas, he managed to gather a large following. Today, there is a building in Brigham Young University (BYU) named after him and the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Brigham Young

Born: June 1, 1801

Died: August 29,1877

Brigham Young was a leader in the early days of the Mormon movement and is extremely renowned for it.

After reading the Book of Mormon and being drawn to its ideas, Young officially joined the The Church of the Latter-day Saints in 1832. He joined a Mormon-established community in Kirtland, Ohio, and assumed a leadership role in the church soon after.

When Joseph Smith died in 1844, the church was divided between Sidney Rigdon, senior surviving member of the First Presidency, and Brigham Young. After repeated conflict, Young organized a party of his followers to leave and venture to the Salt Lake Valley in present-day Utah (although it was part of Mexico back then). After settling there, Young made a new First Presidency and was declared president of the church on December 27, 1847. He was also appointed governor of the Utah Territory. 

Young served as president of the church for 29 years—until his death. The legacy he left behind is memorialized in Brigham Young University and multiple memorials. But even though he may be considered a great man, there are some contradictions. He was a polygamist—he had a stunning 55 wives and 56 children at the time of his death. Not to mention the various controversies surrounding him: regarding black people and the Priesthood, the Mountain Meadows massacre, and more.

When Young died, he left behind a legacy of legendary achievements, controversies, and politics. For Mormons—and even some non-Mormons—he will be a household name for years to come.

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Mormon Pioneer Trail sign, Big Mountain, UT

23 July 2011

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Mormon Trail Map