Pioneer Day Family Hike (Local mini-Pilgrimage)

July 23, 2015 by

Ensign Peak, Salt Lake City, Utah (source: http://tinyurl.com/pkja58a)

Ensign Peak, Salt Lake City, Utah (source: http://tinyurl.com/pkja58a)

Last year the Mormon Society of St. James hosted a local “mini-pilgrimage” in Utah, hiking the last section of the Dominguez-Escalante trail, ending at the commemorative cross in Spanish Fork canyon, the farthest point north that the Spanish company ventured in 1776.

A few members of the Mormon Society of St. James at the Dominguez-Escalante Cross in Spanish Fork Canyon, 2014

A few members of the Mormon Society of St. James at the Dominguez-Escalante Cross in Spanish Fork Canyon, 2014

It was a perfect choice for kids and both pilgrims and micro-pilgrims had a great time. The MSSJ has done much more substantial pilgrimages in the past, beginning with walking the Way of St. James in Spain in 2013, St. Olav’s Way in Norway in 2014, and the North Downs Way (Canterbury) and St. David’s Way in 2015.

The St. David’s Way walk just last month was an example of the type of local mini-pilgrimage that the MSSJ hopes will begin to spring up in all areas, in addition to the annual mega pilgrimage (Switzerland on the Via Francigena in 2016). BCC and the Mormon Society of St. James would like to invite all who are interested to participate in another local mini-pilgrimage this Saturday, July 25, 2015 in Salt Lake City, Utah. We will be hiking from the Salt Lake Temple (depart from the temple at 7:00 a.m.) to the summit of Ensign Peak to commemorate Pioneer Day. At 2.3 miles each direction, the hike (http://tinyurl.com/nzssvej) is perfect for families with kids. We hope to see you there!

Filed Under: Admin, Announcements, Mormon
«
»

Comments

  1. Ardis says:
    July 23, 2015 at 12:10 pm

    My stake does this every year — we’re the Ensign Stake, after all — so you’ll probably see a lot of us going or coming whether any of them have heard of MSSJ or not. But maybe that’s part of the brotherhood of a pilgrimage: you may be on your own in one sense, but you’re part of a broader, older community with similar purpose. Cheers!

  2. Brian Fa says:
    July 23, 2015 at 12:41 pm

    Ardis, I didn’t know you are in my stake! That is a good hike our stake does isn’t it.

  3. john f. says:
    July 23, 2015 at 12:45 pm

    “you may be on your own in one sense, but you’re part of a broader, older community with similar purpose” — yes!

  4. Steve Evans says:
    July 23, 2015 at 1:32 pm

    Some great reading on Ensign Peak, from Ronald Walker: https://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V26N04_89.pdf

  5. Steve Evans says:
    July 23, 2015 at 1:37 pm

    Ensign Peak has been a site of endowment, but it was also a site of great evil.

    One of the most unique events held at Ensign Peak in the early twentieth century involved the Ku Klux Klan. During the 1920s this organization expanded into the western states. In the fall of 1924 they concentrated their efforts in Salt Lake County. By the end of the year, they had succeeded in establishing a statewide administrative structure that touched most of the communities within the state. In 1925, the rapid expansion of the Klan created a public backlash in Utah and throughout much of the nation. The Klan responded with a series of public demonstrations to regain their momentum. Marches were held in Washington, DC; Salt Lake City; and other major cities. In February 1925, the Klan launched their Utah offensive with a parade through the business district of Salt Lake City. They followed up with a second demonstration on April 6, during the Church’s semiannual general conference. Defying increasing community opposition, members of the Klan marched up Ensign Peak and burned several large crosses at the summit. To ensure the success of this effort, hooded Klansmen blocked access to the summit. This resulted in a public assembly at the foot of Ensign Peak that numbered in the thousands; some of those gathered were members of the Klan, and others were simply onlookers who were curious over the actions of this controversial group. While the Klan considered the event a success, it frightened the community, causing the Klan to continue to lose influence in Utah.

    This article is worth reading: https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/salt-lake-city/3-ensign-peak-historical-preview

  6. Tod Robbins says:
    July 23, 2015 at 3:18 pm

    Steve,

    I had never heard of the Ku Klux Klan incident. Insane! One more good to reason to walk in peace to the peak.

%d bloggers like this: