IOWA CITY, Iowa — Gordon B. Hinckley, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, will speak this weekend at an event commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Mormon handcart pioneers' inaugural journeys to the Salt Lake Valley.
The Mormon Handcart Trek Sesquicentennial remembers the Church members who journeyed from Iowa City to Salt Lake City using handcarts — three-by-four-foot wagons pulled or pushed by hand. Some 3,000 Mormons from England, Wales and other countries made the trek from 1856 to 1860.
The three-day commemorative event begins today with a symposium at the University of Iowa. Events throughout the weekend include pioneer exhibits, performances and activities.
The commemoration will conclude with President Hinckley speaking Sunday evening.
The handcart pioneers and other pioneers who helped establish Salt Lake City have since become a defining part of Mormon history, providing examples of faith, effort and vision for those who came later.