Hi, My name is Dallas Griffin. I was asked to talk about my experience on the Pioneer Trek.
I trekked for James Briggs. James Briggs was 11 years old at the time he immigrated to Utah. I
would like to tell you a little about James. His family saved for 16 years to be able to afford to
come to Utah. In May of 1956 his family sailed on the ship “Horizon”. His family included his
mother and father and 7 children from ages 19 down to 8 months old.
James and his family traveled from Boston to Iowa where they spent three weeks making
handcarts, sewing tents and doing other preparation for the trek.
James and his older siblings took turns pushing and pulling the handcarts. They also took turns
carrying their baby sister Emma. They sometimes carried her under their clothing to keep her
warm.
Crossing the North Platte River on October 19 was very difficult. May people became ill and
weak due to exposure to the cold river . Rescuers found James' family on October 28 and helped
them through Devil's Gate where another bad storm stopped them again.
On November 3, James mother awoke to find James' father had died during the night.
The ground was frozen so bad they had a difficult time burying his father along with the others
who had died. Just three weeks later James' brother Thomas died on November 11 – the same day
Ephraim Hanks arrived with much needed Buffalo meat.
On November 29, the day before the family arrived in Salt Lake City, his sister Mary died.
Things continued to be difficult for the James' family even after arrived in SLC. James mother
remarried and had a baby who died at the age of two. Just two months after the baby died his
mother was stung on the neck by a scorpion at night and died.
James had many hardships in his life but continued to be faithful and attained the office of seventy
in the Priesthood.
As I trekked I thought about James and all the other faithful members of the Church. Our trek was
difficult for us but compared to what the saints endured it was rather easy.
I would like to tell you a little about our trek experience. I was put into Lee and Patti Tippetts
family. We had 5 sisters and 3 other brothers and an Auntie. When we got there I didn't know the
kids very well. It didn't take long for all of us to become friends.
On the first day we trekked about 8 miles. We all took turns pulling and pushing the handcart. It
was pretty difficult to trek for that long. Toward the end of the day we were told about one sister
who felt she could not endure another minute of trekking. She sat down on a rock and cried. Her
family had to leave her. One of her daughters stayed behind with her mother trying to coax her
along. She found some food that was left along the trail and took it to her mother. It was what she
needed to lift her spirits and continue on the trek. They caught up with the family and she
continued on to Salt Lake City. To simulate that story our families found costco apple pies on the
trail late in the afternoon. We didn't have napkins, silverware or anything to dish the pies with but
we all we able to get a handful of pie and it sure tasted good.
That night they had a great idea. A dance after we trekked 8 miles. It was fun even though our feet
hurt. I got to dance with a really cute Auntie. We did the Virginia Reel.
We had a fireside in the evening with our family and then we went to bed. There were no
complaints.
The next morning we got up to loud noises and a message that our oxen were all gone. We were
sent out as a family to find the oxen. We had a morning devotional but no luck finding the oxen.
Because no families found the oxen our handcarts were loaded with our all of our tents and
sleeping bags that would have been in the wagons making the handcarts over flowing with gear.
We had to trek that way for awhile. This made it heavier and we dreaded the day ahead with all
the gear.
A short time later they stopped and told us about the saints losing their oxen and having to carry
100 lbs extra and we were able to understand their pain. They let us unload all the gear and put it
in trucks so that we didn't have to cart it all day long.
Later we stopped in Wyoming at a fort to buy some provisions. When we got there we didn't have
enough money to get a whole lot of food so we were still hungry. Then they told us that it was
time to keep moving. When everyone was ready to go and started moving they stopped us. They
told us about Fort Laramie and then gave us lunch. We were so thankful for lunch that day.
We trekked a while to what was supposed to be a bridge crossing. It was steep and difficult,
probably the hardest part of the trek. When we got there we were told there was a toll. None of us
had enough money to cross the bridge so we had to go back and cross the river at another point
without a bridge. Shortly after there was an announcement that the men were needed to serve in
the war. All the men left and all the women were required to pull the handcarts without the
assistance of the men.
The men went up the hill and had a devotional and then we had to watch the women come up the
hill. It was really hard to watch the women struggle up the hill. We weren't allowed to help until
they were up the hardest part of the hill. It helped us to appreciate women more. Both the
devotional and watching how strong the women are.
We had dinner and a testimony meeting and went to bed. Again, there were no complaints.
The last day we were told the story of Ephraim Hanks who brought much needed Buffalo meat to
the pioneers.
There were so many mini devotionals along the way it is hard to remember them all. I learned a
lot. It was fun. But I wouldn't do it again.
I quickly gained 10 new friends and we quickly learned to work together.
Bear Testimony...
