Gathering Zion

Gathering Zion. . , The Mormon Pioneers had an all-encompassing purpose in leaving their homelands and gathering to Utah. The pioneers sought a place where they could help build Zion, a community organized and based on religious ideals. , (caption) The majority of Mormon pioneers traeled to Utah by wagon. Howeve,r for a short period of time, some pioneers used handcarts to make the journey to Zion because they were more cost-effective than wagons and did not require the money-poor pioneers to purchase oxen or horses. , The first wagon train arrived in Salt Lake City Utah in 1847. Thousands of pioneers followed, and by 1848, between 60,000 and 70,000 Mormon pioneers had immigrated to the West., (caption) Many pioneers started their journey in Europse, crossing the ocean on a ship, riding the rails to the end of the line, and then trekking across the plains. , After reaching Salt Lake City, many settlements in Central Utah beginning with Man Mt. Pleasant Spring City, Ephraim, and Wales served as places of safety wheew the pioneers could freely practice their religion. Later, Fairview, Fountain Green, Moroni, Gunnison, Chester, and Centerfield were also settled., (caption) Families arriving in the Salt Lake Valley were redirected to outward settlements such as Manti. It was difficult for the settlers to leave behind the comforts of established cities and venture out to live in uknown conditions.