This Is The Right Place

More than 160 years ago, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were driven from their homes in Illinois. They left with a hope of some place better, and with their prophet, Brigham Young, having a vision on the place were they could find it.

After more than a year, and advanced party of these weary travelers arrived in the Great Salt Lake Basin. Brigham, when he came through the pass, stopped and for a few minutes was perfectly still, staring out over the valley, caught up in a vision of what it would one day become. After the vision passed, he turned to the driver and said "This is the right place, drive on". Thus, the start of the population of the Salt Lake valley began.


Shortly after leaving Illinois, the government asked for help. They were fighting the Mexican war, and needed soldiers to fight in Southern California. Seeing an opportunity to get men to the west with assistance from the government, and to get much needed pay to the men's families trying to make their way to Salt Lake, Brother Brigham asked for volunteers. A large company of men, along with a few woman and children, agreed to go. Thus was formed the Mormon Battalion.

Theirs was not an easy march. Open desert were they sometimes walked for two or three days without water or food. In the end, they walked almost 2,000 miles before reaching their final destination. To this day it is one of the longest military marches in history. So long in fact, that the war was over by the time they arrived. These faithful men, who had followed the counsel of their prophet, had made it to the west coast without ever firing a shot.


Many would come later. Some would come in hand-cart companies. Groups who were too poor to afford oxen and wagons would push their personal belongings themselves over the 1,100 mile journey. Some would not make it to the end. Those who did, were ever grateful for their blessings.


Before the advent of the trans-continental railroad, one of the last great travelers through the area was the Pony Express. A brave group of souls whose job it was to carry mail from the east coast to the west. They rode long hours, changed horses frequently, and made the arduous journey in only a few days, linking this once fragmented country.


This truly was "the right place".