Youth trek through mud, time

While most high school youth were vacationing during spring break, about 250 from the Frisco Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Saints, including about 35 from The Colony’s First and Second wards, were trekking like the pioneers of old.

This was not star-trekking but rather pulling handcarts for three days and many miles, walking the muddy trails of Lake Ray Roberts near Pilot Point. One lost a shoe, another 6 pounds of body weight.

“The place was just one big mud hole,” said Bonnie Halladay, an adult leader from the Frisco 4th Ward.

Allen McFarland, an adult leader from The Colony wards, agreed. “There were parts where it was sandy but there was not a day we were not covered in mud,” he said.

About every four years, the LDS Church hosts this event to remind youngsters of the hardships the Mormon pioneers endured migrating from Illinois and Missouri to the Great Salt Lake Valley in Utah in the mid-1800s. Many of the youth had ancestors that sojourned across the plains, and this activity welded them a little closer to those relatives or pioneers.

The trek began when the youth arrived at the starting point March 18. They were told that before the trek began they would walk to “Nauvoo,” which was a major LDS settlement in Illinois in the 1800s. After walking three miles, the youth played some games, ate lunch, and returned to the starting point. There they were divided into “families” of about 7-10 youth and two surrogate “parents,” roles played by adult volunteers.

The families placed their belongings in the handmade handcarts and headed “west.” After another five-mile journey, the groups stopped around 7 p.m. and ate dinner. While many thought it was their campsite for the evening, they were wrong.

Before setting up camp, they had to walk another three miles or so. Early in the morning the next day, the families arrived at the first campsite, a welcome relief after more than a dozen miles of pushing and pulling the handcarts through muddy terrain.

“The first day was the longest,” McFarland said. “That was the day we walked and pulled the carts for about 15 miles. My ‘family’ was one of the last to finish. We got into camp about 2 a.m. that morning. The first day was a struggle for most families because it was all about the pulling and pushing of the carts.”

The next day was more of the same. Around noon, almost all of the men and boys were recruited to join the “Mormon Battalion.” This depicted the actual recruitment in the 1800s of hundreds of LDS men who left their families to join the US Army.

The real Mormon Battalion crossed the plains as soldiers on their way to fight against Mexico; however, their services were not needed in combat and the men were released after arriving in California. These members of the faux battalion were away for the afternoon, leaving the girls and women alone to move the handcarts.

That evening, all attended a fireside during which they shared in a program written from the journals of real Mormon pioneers. It illustrated, with words and music, the struggles and triumphs of their ancestors.

In addition, participants spent part of the day repairing a portion of the park trail that had washed out.

“The second day was a little lighter but we did service on the greenbelt on the lake,” McFarland said. “That was probably a good eight hours of service.”

During their last day, soaking rains and plunging temperatures heightened their discomfort. Around noon, the trek ended and the youth went home, cleaned up, and returned for a testimony meeting at a local meetinghouse.

“The last day was the most taxing because of the weather,” McFarland said. “(But) we had all extremes. From the first day being pretty nice, the second day being hot, to the last day being absolutely freezing, it was exhausting.

“All in all, I think it made them realize the extent of what the early pioneers had to go through, and helped them appreciate the comforts that our ancestors didn’t have and went without.”

Though it was a challenging experience, it also afforded participants the chance to build friendships with youth from other cities in the Stake.

“They had fun but they also were able to interact with other youth from the Frisco Stake, including kids from Frisco, Little Elm, and Prosper,” added McFarland.

Also, to the youths’ surprise, Dallin H. Oaks, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who was visiting the area from Salt Lake City, greeted them at the meetinghouse and congratulated them on their success.

McFarland noted that much of the event’s purpose is about the youth growing in their faith. Many of the participants said they felt gratitude and a sense of awe in experiencing the hardships that their ancestors once did.

“I benefited from Trek in five ways,” said Austin Jetton, a freshman attending Heritage High School. “First, I lost 6 pounds. I also gained a better appreciation of what the pioneers experienced. I met new people and made new friends. I learned more about the importance of teamwork, and, finally, I strengthened my testimony.”

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