More than a century after Latter-day Saints trekked across the Mormon Trail, Church members continue to celebrate this pioneer experience as an identity-defining touchstone of their American-born religion. Latter-day Saints commemorate their pioneer past in folklore, art, museums, and monuments, as well as with annual plays, pageants, and parades throughout the West.

While several studies have recounted the Mormon Exodus, this work is the first to examine the historical development, geographic distribution, and cultural function of Latter-day Saint remembrances of their pioneer past. It shows how Mormon culture has responded to the challenges of rapid global growth and increased contact with the world while maintaining its distinct identity through the use of special holiday customs.

This project suggests a new area of scholarly inquiry—the study of sacred migrations or “trek studies”—as a useful tool in understanding the history and identity-forming processes undergone by many peoples.