Mormon: Pioneer Day, NAIN and Tabernacle Choir

SATURDAY, JULY 24: Hitch up that covered wagon and step back in time with Utahns today—as Mormons, the entire State of Utah and nearby regions celebrate Pioneer Day. Officially, today commemorates the regions settled specifically by Mormon Pioneers—especially Salt Lake Valley—after followers of Brigham Young were forced from their homes in Nauvoo, Ill. (Wikipedia has details.)

Some modern-day Mormons walk portions of the trail during the week of Pioneer Day (the trail is open to the public year-round, courtesy of the National Park Service), and numerous pageants take place around Utah that dramatically illustrate the Mormon pioneer journey today, too. (Check out a virtual tour of the Mormon trail at LDS.org.) The Days of ’47 Parade begins at 9 a.m. each Pioneer Day and lasts three hours—a tradition that has been in place since 1849—and in the Spanish Fork of Utah, an area that was settled by Mormons in 1951, an elaborate Fiesta Days celebration leads up to Pioneer Day with baby contests, movie nights, golf tournaments, theatrical performances, music, quilt sales, cemetery rededications and much more, culminating with an extensive rodeo. Giddyup! (Want to get into the pioneer spirit at home? Try some of these tasty, easy recipes, including one for honey candy!)

This date in 1847 marked the moment when members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints first entered Salt Lake Valley, which would become Salt Lake City. Nearly 70,000 pioneers made the 1,300-mile trip to Salt Lake Valley, and today, Salt Lake City remains the base of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Despite the strong Mormon association, though, Pioneer Day also has roots in the contributions of other pioneers to the Utah area. Bishop Daniel Tuttle, creator of the area’s first non-Mormon schools and first public hospital, is recognized today, as are the region’s American Indians, who are recognized through an Intertribal Powwow at Liberty Park.

News on the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Non-Mormons may best recognize the famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the first large musical organization in the country to produce a recording. The enormous Mormon Tabernacle Choir remains notable in the music industry and created its own record label in 2003. (The Deseret News recently featured a full article on the Mormon Choir.) This year, the choir commemorated its own efforts in this effect, and the 2010 Pioneer Day Commemoration Concert—recorded early—was dedicated to the choir’s “pioneering efforts.”

INTERFAITH NEWS on NAIN: Also this weekend, the choir is part of the LDS church’s official welcome to the North American Interfaith Network conference being held in Salt Lake City. Here’s an LDS story on the plans.

Video on Pioneer Days from BYU

Brigham Young University produces videos on important moments in history, including this 4-minute look at the trek west and a monument to the pioneers.

 

(By ReadTheSpirit columnist Stephanie Fenton)

(NOTE: To see more short articles about upcoming holidays, festivals and anniversaries, click the “RTS Magazines” tab at the top of this page and select “Religious Holidays.”)

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