Every year, many Latter-day Saint youth put on bonnets and wide-brimmed hats and pull wooden handcarts up and down hills, reenacting treks of the Mormon pioneers.

Some stakes plan pioneer treks as part of youth conferences. In the process, youth learn that they can do hard things, but more importantly, they learn lessons about faith and the motivations of the Mormon pioneers.

If your ward or stake chooses to hold a handcart trek, be sure to review the Handcart Trek Reenactments: Guidelines for Leaders. These guidelines are provided because handcart treks usually require significantly more planning and resources than other youth conferences. Additional planning information and links can be found on the Youth Activities page for Pioneer Treks and on the page of Trek Safety Guidelines and Videos.

The new video “Pioneer Journeys—More Than a Trek” includes youth explaining what they learned from their trek experience. You may find this video helpful in a family home evening or in a lesson about faith, endurance, or sacrifice.

Learn More

• Pioneer Journeys–More Than a Trek on the Church History website
• Trek Safety Guidelines and Videos
• Handcart Trek Reenactments: Guidelines for Leaders (downloads PDF, updated January 2017)
• Journeying to Zion by Handcart: One Young Woman’s Experience
• Five Things You Might Not Know about the Handcart Rescue
• What to Expect When You Visit the Mormon Handcart Historic Sites