Over 72 youths and a number of adults braved the rain and mud for three days last week to trek, pushing and pulling handcarts, through Blackwater Forest.
They pulled handcarts 7 miles the first day.
On the second day, they pulled 18 miles. Most of it was done with females separated from males.
This trek culminated the study of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' history class that met daily at 5:45 a.m. before high school classes.
Youths gave up modern conveniences and comforts of home to brave the elements for three days.
While trekking, they remembered the lives of pioneers whom they studied in church history class.
They also reflected on this experience and its meaning, studying scriptures and writing in their journals.
HISTORY
In 1856, Brigham Young, an American leader in the Latter-day Saint movement, used handcarts for crossing plains.
Wagons and teams were expensive, and most converts worked in factories and were unfamiliar with hitching animals to wagons and driving them. Out of 10 handcart companies, eight reached the Salt Lake Valley with no trouble.
But two companies were not so fortunate. Caught in early blizzards in October on the plains of Wyoming, they starved and experienced frostbite.
Of the 1,000 members of these two companies, more than 200 perished.
Rescuing the others "was a remarkable effort. Supplies and teams and drivers were called for at their semi-annual meeting, called General Conference, and immediately were sent out to rescue the pioneers on the plains of Wyoming," a news release states. "In spite of their efforts, they were delayed by the same blizzards raging on the plains.
"The hapless converts were down to just 4 ounces of flour to eat per day. When they saw the rescuers finally arrive with clothes and food, they cried with joy. But it took them many more days of travel before they reached their destination.
"The Willie Company took a short cut by crossing Rocky Ridge, a rough, fissured steep grade strewn with boulders. A storm was raging and it took them 18 hours in the dark to cross. Their journey began in July and did not end until December, when they were taken into homes of their fellow Saints."
IN PREPARATION
Northwest Florida youngsters prepared months for a similar journey, learning to set up tents, walking distances to get in shape, gathering supplies they would need, sewing sunbonnets and pioneer clothes, and making some of the handcarts.
Ohio Amish people made the handcarts' wheels.
At the end of their journey, they held a testimony meeting where they shared their thoughts on their experiences and of those hardy, suffering pioneers whose trek lasted for 1,000 miles.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: LDS youths reflect on journey to commemorate pioneers' suffering