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Mormon teens learn about heritage with trek into Pachaug State Forest

Local teenagers recently took a trip back in time.  Dressed in pioneer attire, the group of about 100 teens spent three days pulling handcarts through Pachaug State Forest on July 19-21. They slept outside. There were no phones, no Internet, no newspapers, no connection to the outside world.

The group of Mormons, ages 12-18, were participating in the Providence Rhode Island Stake Trek 2012. The group included teens from all over Rhode Island and Eastern Connecticut. The trek, which is held every four years, gives youth an opportunity to re-enact the historic handcart migration of the 1850s.

The members of "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" in those days were fleeing religious persecution at the time and headed to Salt Lake City, Utah.  Without money for horses, they purchased wooden handcarts and pulled their belongings across miles of rugged terrain to the Mormon settlement in the Great Salt Lake Basin

Our youth got a taste of that original trek by also pulling wooden hand carts through water and up hills and over rocks. There were adults to help but the youth had to solve the problems of their journey just like the early pioneers.  

Treks such as this one are held around the world. The purpose is to teach Mormon youth about their heritage and to strengthen their relationships with Christ.  

One youth said this about his TREK experience

"It kind of boiled down to my relationship with God and why my ancestors went through what they did, and where I play a part in history.   It's really a time where you can think about who you are and why you're here, and what you're doing, and what impact you can make in the world. So that was what I thought about as I pushed myself to the limits."

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Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
Richard Waselik May 19, 2013 at 05:57 am
There is no "suckles away". The money is deposited by those that use it. The rest isRead More relentless retoric...
Daniella Ruiz May 19, 2013 at 05:44 am
another 'not for profit' that suckles away at the very core of peoples generosity?? better toRead More 'retire' the banking/WS thieves that casually gore the system with relentless greed, schemes and secrecy.
Ivy's Simply Homemade
nascarblue May 17, 2013 at 08:05 am
happy happy anniversary, i love your food, you can tell when a business takes pride in what they do.Read More wishing you many many more years, i will definatly be back, along with my friends, we love your food.
Kate May 22, 2013 at 06:57 pm
That's wonderful Naty! If we can get enough people like yourself, who care, we really might be ableRead More to save Cohanzie!
Naty Bush May 22, 2013 at 05:12 pm
I'll try my best to get others to go!
Kate May 19, 2013 at 02:05 pm
Oh, and please spread the word, and bring a friend to the meeting! :)
Liz May 12, 2013 at 09:06 pm
Mr. Steiner wants to build 72 three story homes on 32 acres in addition to the 60 condos in the twoRead More large buildings. That is more than two individual units per acre or if you include the 60 condos - that is MORE than 4 units per acre! The area around the property for new building is zoned 3 acres per unit. The average of currently built housing abutting the property is about one acre per unit. That is not in keeping with the neighborhood character.
Daniella Ruiz May 12, 2013 at 05:36 pm
Mr Steiner may be the last hope for this decrepit place. The neighbors need to move along, or buyRead More the place themselves. Change might help the stonewalling attitude that has become evident in nearly the entire town, revolving around exclusive entitled old farts with nothing better to do than remember their glory days of Seaside. Its gone, & it's not going to revert back to a pasture either. (too many complaints about that cow smell and so forth). My advice is to listen carefully and try to work something out, get over your own selfish grandious dreams of Pelham Manor style estates and do SOMETHING before it simply falls apart like Norwich Hospital, the countless thread/manufacturing mills, and every other historic building that has been left to rot.
Daniella Ruiz May 14, 2013 at 08:53 am
mary m>> common sense? heee hee. in this day and age? lawyers have made every attempt toRead More eradicate that concept from our every life activity. write it into some law, that can be thence used as future gurantee of use of, by and for their own existence? it's like job security for that entire group, keep the general public at a disadvantage, unable to apply common sense (whats left of it they havent entombed in laws) and uneasy about acting on their own. John Y has the right attitude, heave the cra.pp on the peoples lawn, and hope it doesn't lay there for days as well!
John Yannacci, Sr. May 13, 2013 at 10:09 am
Mary May, I don't know the legality of posting signs on telephone poles. But, take a ride aroundRead More Waterford on Saturday mornings and you'll see signs on anything that is verticle. Take a ride around the same neighborhoods on Wednesday and half the signs will still be there. I wonder if the folks who have had the same yard sale sign at the corner of Great Neck and Rope Ferry Rds. for two and a half weeks wonder why cars are still stopping at their house every Saturday morning.
Mary May May 13, 2013 at 09:53 am
Um I believe it is ILLEGAl to post ANY sign on a telephone pole ANYWAY but free standing signsRead More should be removed after sale is over ! Really a state law just COMMON SENSE we have lost along the way !