Every third week in July, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints celebrates Pioneer Day, which is a commemoration of Mormon ancestors who arrived across the Plains and into the Salt Lake, Utah Valley in 1847.

As the church has grown throughout the years, this celebration has extended to many parts of the world in honor of those church members who left Nauvoo, Illinois, to escape religious persecution.

At the time, Utah was (and still is in many places) a desolate and undesirable place. The displaced Mormon’s took refuge there, and began to build an inspiring and prosperous community.

“They left family and friends,” says the church’s official website, www.lds.org, in reference to the pioneer legacy. “They pulled handcarts across the plains; they grew a city out of a desert. Most important, the pioneers left a legacy of perseverance, faith, and sacrifice.”

So, LDS members across the globe celebrated this past weekend, and in particular, hundreds of Clark County members gathered at Camas High School for a fried chicken lunch, games, craft events, and history lessons to celebrate their history.

 

Max Whittle and Andrew Wight participate in a tug-of-war competition.

 

Dozens of kids participated in candle-making.

 

Stuart Weiss, Hunter Gurney and Andrew Wight get ready for tug-of-war.