The Trek

"By the early 1850's leaders of the Church were considering economic ways to move thousands of European converts to Zion. Most were poor and lacked sufficient funds to purchase a wagon, team of oxen, and the required provisions for the long trip from Iowa to Salt Lake. In 1855 Brigham Young proposed the concept of handcarts. Each cart would carry only the necessary provisions needed for a family, which was no more than 17 pounds per person. Several families would share a tent. Since handcarts travel faster than slow oxen, it was felt that handcart companies could travel to Salt Lake with fewer provisions and at a faster pace than wagon trains." -- West Jordan Utah Stake Presidency

The Play

The Mormon Trail is a play produced by the West Jordan Utah Stake that depicts the journey of the Willie and Martin handcart companies. 

The play begins with criticisms of the two handcart companies by members of a Sunday School class in Cedar City and Francis Webster's testimony to them that he was "thankful that I was privileged to come in the Martin Hand Cart Company." The play continues with Francis Webster talking with two of his grand children, Billy/Dick Leigh (referred to as Richard in the play) and Amy Jane (Jen) Leigh. As Francis and the two children discuss the handcart trek, the play depicts the events. Click here for pictures from the play.

The Video

Video copies of the play on a 1st-generation VHS tape (122 minutes) are available for the cost of reproduction and shipping. The cast and supporting staff spent thousands of man-hours producing the play, and I spent several hundred hours editing the tapes and creating the finished video.

My reason for getting involved with the play (I live in a different Stake) was to make the video available to my family. I'm taking reservations from descendants of Francis Webster for copies of the video (sorry, but I'm only able to provide copies to descendants of Francis Webster). The form given below can be used to reserve copies. When you fill out the form, please give in the Comment field your connection to Francis Webster.

The cost is $4.00 each plus $4.15 shipping. If you are a descendant of Francis Webster and would like copies of the video for yourself, your children, grand children, etc., please fill out the following form. You will be notified when the copies are available. I need at least 100 copies to be reserved before it is feasible to have the video duplicated.