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The movement of the Martin Handcart Company to Utah was depicted in a play produced by the West Jordan Stake in the year 2000.
The Trek
"By the early 1850's leaders of the Church were considering economic ways to move thousands of European converts to Zion. Most were poor and lacked sufficient funds to purchase a wagon, team of oxen, and the required provisions for the long trip from Iowa to Salt Lake. In 1855 Brigham Young proposed the concept of handcarts. Each cart would carry only the necessary provisions needed for a family, which was no more than 17 pounds per person. Several families would share a tent. Since handcarts travel faster than slow oxen, it was felt that handcart companies could travel to Salt Lake with fewer provisions and at a faster pace than wagon trains." -- West Jordan Utah Stake Presidency
The Play
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The play begins with criticisms of the two handcart companies by members of a Sunday School class in Cedar City and Francis Webster's testimony to them that he was "thankful that I was privileged to come in the Martin Hand Cart Company." The play continues with Francis Webster talking with two of his grand children, Billy/Dick Leigh (referred to as Richard in the play) and Amy Jane (Jen) Leigh. As Francis and the two children discuss the handcart trek, the play depicts the events.
| The Mormon Trail was produced as a teaching play rather than as a historical account of the two handcart companies. It was produced to teach the members of the West Jordan Stake about the hardships and sacrifices made by the handcart pioneers, thus helping members of the Stake realize they can, with the help of God, solve their problems and find success in their lives. Through the pioneers as role models we view object lessons and learn how gospel principles can help us overcome our trials, our "snow storms", "starvation", and even death. The play was produced as a Stake effort and was not endorsed or approved by the general Church. |
The Video
Video copies of the play on DVD (122 minutes) are available for the cost of reproduction and shipping. The cast and supporting staff spent thousands of hours producing the play, and I helped shoot the video and then spent several hundred hours editing the tapes and creating the finished video.
I became involved with the play (I live in a different Stake) because the central character in the play is my great grandfather, Francis Webster. I have been given permission by the West Jordan Stake to make the play available to anyone who would like to view it. If you would like copies of the video, email me (using the email address given in my Profile) your name, address and the number of copies you would like, and I will send you my postal address so you can send your check. After I receive your check, I'll send the disks via First Class mail. The cost is $5.00 each, and that includes shipping. You have no obligation to buy the disks until you send me your money. Please put DVD in the subject of your email.
The following video is an overview of some of the highlights of the full video. The overview takes 29 minutes. The full video takes two hours.
I became involved with the play (I live in a different Stake) because the central character in the play is my great grandfather, Francis Webster. I have been given permission by the West Jordan Stake to make the play available to anyone who would like to view it. If you would like copies of the video, email me (using the email address given in my Profile) your name, address and the number of copies you would like, and I will send you my postal address so you can send your check. After I receive your check, I'll send the disks via First Class mail. The cost is $5.00 each, and that includes shipping. You have no obligation to buy the disks until you send me your money. Please put DVD in the subject of your email.
The following video is an overview of some of the highlights of the full video. The overview takes 29 minutes. The full video takes two hours.
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