If you've ever lived in Utah, you probably already know all about Pioneer Day: getting the day off from work, parades, barbecues, and another excuse to light off some fireworks illegally smuggled in from Wyoming. It’s an official state holiday celebrating the arrival of the Mormon pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley on July 24th, 1847.
However, the meaning of the holiday goes far beyond that single day of arrival. It’s a tribute to the faith, sacrifice, and determination of the Saints who made the journey, and to the legacy they left for all who follow.
In this post, we’ll revisit how the pioneers reached the valley, what they did when they first arrived, and why the spirit of pioneering still matters today.
The First Mormon Pioneers
At the October 1845 General Conference in Nauvoo, Brigham Young announced that the Saints would be going west the following spring. With the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith the previous year and increasing hostility in Illinois, and despite the nearing completion of the Nauvoo temple, Church leaders had been preparing for such a move for well over a year.
Interpretations of prophecy shaped the Saints' vision of their future destination. In 1842, Joseph Smith foretold that “the Saints would continue to suffer much affliction and would be driven to the Rocky Mountains ... and become a mighty people in the midst of the Rocky Mountains.” Likewise, Isaiah’s declaration that “the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains ... and all nations shall flow unto it” resonated deeply, encouraging Saints to see their western journey as the fulfillment of scripture.
Though plans originally called for departure in April 1846, mounting persecution accelerated the timetable. On February 4, the first wagons quietly crossed the icy Mississippi River, and over subsequent weeks, thousands more followed across the bleak Iowa plains.
By late summer, many had crossed into what is now Nebraska and established a temporary settlement known as Winter Quarters. At its peak during the winter of 1846–47, some 3,500 to 4,000 Saints gathered there, with over 500 log cabins and about 80 sod homes constructed by December. Tragically, disease, malnutrition, and exposure took a toll; at least 600 died during that winter alone, roughly half of them children.
On April 5, 1847, the first organized pioneer company of 143 men, three women, and two children set out from Winter Quarters under Brigham Young’s leadership. Their mission: to scout a new homeland in the West and lay the groundwork for future migration and settlement.
This is the Place
As Brigham Young and the vanguard company journeyed through western Wyoming in late June 1847, they encountered the legendary mountain man Jim Bridger, asking his advice about areas of potential settlement, including the Salt Lake Valley. On June 28, near the Little Sandy River, Bridger sketched the terrain on the ground and conveyed his cautious insights into the Great Basin they were approaching, including doubts about the valley’s capacity to sustain large-scale agriculture. Despite Bridger's reservations, the Saints pressed on in hope and faith.
When the company neared the Salt Lake Valley, Brigham fell ill with mountain fever and was largely confined to a wagon. On July 24, 1847, Wilford Woodruff drove his wagon through what is now called Emigration Canyon, allowing Brigham to sit up and catch his first glimpse of the valley below. Woodruff later described the moment:
“He was enwrapped in vision for several minutes. He had seen the valley before in vision, and upon this occasion he saw the future glory of Zion ... When the vision had passed, he said, ‘It is enough. This is the right place. Drive on.’” What’s often left unsaid is that even as Brigham Young declared the Salt Lake Valley “the right place,” a small group of pioneers had already arrived and begun settling it. On July 21-22, scouts Erastus Snow and Orson Pratt led an advance party into the valley, and, confident this was the correct place as discussed previously with Brigham Young, they broke ground, dug irrigation ditches, and planted early crops like potatoes and turnips. Their efforts meant that when the rest of the vanguard company arrived, they were greeted not just by empty wilderness, but by small signs of hope already taking root in the fertile soil.
Also among the advance party was Green Flake, an enslaved Latter-day Saint convert from North Carolina. Baptized in Nauvoo and closely associated with the Prophet Joseph Smith’s household, Green was one of the few Black pioneers in the original company. As part of the advance party, he drove a wagon into the valley and helped prepare the way for the main group. A faithful member of the Church throughout his life, Green Flake later settled in Salt Lake City and continued to bear witness of the Restoration until his passing in 1903.
Within days of their arrival, Brigham Young, still weak, walked with other members of the Quorum of the Twelve to identify the location for a future temple. At one point, he planted his cane firmly in the ground and declared, “Here we will build the temple of our God." A stake was placed to mark the spot, and surrounding city plans were drawn up with the temple as their focal point. Today, the Salt Lake Temple sits on the location marked 178 years ago.
The next year, in 1848, there were no formal Pioneer Day celebrations; crop failures, harsh weather, and the Saints’ struggle for survival left little room for festivity. But in 1849, as the growing community found more stability, they marked the July 24 anniversary with a formal commemoration. Brigham Young presided over a procession from his home to a bowery on Temple Square, where congregations gathered for devotional services, patriotic addresses, and music. The event concluded with a communal feast of thanksgiving, establishing a tradition of celebration that has continued ever since.
The Pioneering Spirit: Then and Now
Time and time again, Church leaders have emphasized that the spirit of pioneering is not limited to the 19th century. It lives on in all who choose faith over fear. For example, President M. Russell Ballard taught: “You may not face physical trials like the pioneers, but you do face spiritual and emotional challenges. The Lord will help you.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf declared: “You are pioneers just as much as Brigham Young and his fellow Saints were.”
And Elder Ulisses Soares recently testified: “Like the pioneers, we too are invited to consecrate our lives to building the Lord’s kingdom.”
Pioneer Day calls us to remember those who left everything in search of a new home far away in the West. But it also invites us to participate in the same spirit of faith. Whether we're facing personal trials, navigating change, or helping build Zion in our families and communities, we are modern pioneers: carrying forward a legacy of courage, covenant-keeping, and consecration. As a well-loved Primary song teaches, “You don’t have to push a handcart, leave your fam’ly dear, or walk a thousand miles or more to be a Pioneer!”
Happy Pioneer Day!
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