Bring Them to Zion: The 1856 Handcart Emigration Organization, Leadership, and Issues

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Don H Smith Mark C Austin

Bring Them to Zion

The 1856 Handcart Emigration Organization, Leadership, and Issues

Don H Smith, Mark C Austin

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English

Greg Kofford Books, Inc.
22 July 2025

History of the Americas; Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900; Christian Churches & denominations

Bring Them to Zion: The 1856 Handcart Emigration Organization, Leadership, and Issues offers a deeply researched and meticulously documented account of one of the most ambitious and controversial episodes in Latter-day Saint pioneer history. Drawing on original sources and archival materials, the authors reconstruct the organizational challenges and decision-making processes that led to the infamous 1856 handcart migration. This emigration effort, driven by faith and constrained by logistics, sought to bring impoverished European converts across the American plains with minimal resources-relying on handcarts instead of ox-drawn wagons. The book details how unforeseen weather, financial limitations, logistical miscalculations, and divided leadership all coalesced into tragedy for many participants.

Going beyond recounting events, Bring Them to Zion examines the motivations, planning, and execution behind the handcart experiment; explores the differences and cooperation between Church leaders in Utah, Europe, and the eastern United States; and investigates the internal politics and systemic missteps that affected thousands of emigrants. The narrative sheds new light on Brigham Young's vision, the administrative roles of Franklin D. Richards and other key figures, and the broader context of mid-nineteenth-century transatlantic and frontier migration. This work is essential reading for anyone interested in Mormon history, American religious movements, or the broader story of westward expansion.

By: Don H Smith, Mark C Austin
Imprint: Greg Kofford Books, Inc.
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 21mm
Weight: 485g
ISBN: 9781589588066
ISBN 10: 1589588061
Pages: 362
Publication Date: 22 July 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

A native Utahn, Don H Smith's early life experiences cultivated a keen interest in history. Following a Latter-day Saint mission to Norway and careers in education and dentistry/orthodontics, his marriage to a descendant of James G. Willie ignited a lifelong dedication to researching the Willie Handcart Company. For fifty years he has delved into archival records, visited historical sites globally, and meticulously reconstructed handcarts to bring this history to life. He is a frequent presenter and published authority on the handcart emigration. After serving two years in Army Military Intelligence, Mark C. Austin spent over three decades as a department manager at Hughes Aircraft Company and Sperry - L3. As the great-great-grandson of James G. Willie, captain of the Willie Handcart Company, Mark has a deep personal connection to this history. He and his wife further immersed themselves in this legacy by serving two years as Latter-day Saint missionaries at the Mormon Handcart Historic Sites in Wyoming, specifically at Sixth Crossing, the rescue site of the Willie Handcart Company.