In 2006, Latter-day Saints again celebrated their pioneer legacy, this time by observing the 150th anniversary of the beginning of handcart travel in the Mormon migration to Utah.

Photo by Tom Smart/Deseret Morning News

At This Is The Place Heritage Park in Salt Lake City, Journey's End Monument, scuplted by Stan Watts, depicts handcart pioneer family giving thanks. As the handcart sesquicentennial year draws to a close, this Church News issue focuses on the sacrifice of the pioneers and its application to modern-day challenges.

Copyright David Meikle, courtesy Museum of Utah Art History

The good weather at the beginning of the handcart trek out of Council Bluffs, Iowa, depicted in painting by David Meikle, would later give way to early winter storms that brought tragedy on the trail to Salt Lake City.

Church-sponsored and other events in late May and early June in Wyoming, Nebraska and Iowa climaxed with an address by President Gordon B. Hinckley carried over the Church satellite system from Iowa City, Iowa, the point where in 1856 the first handcart companies were outfitted and from where they embarked.

Later events would include a re-enactment in Salt Lake City of the entrance of the first handcart companies into the valley; a fireside; a history symposium; a symphonic tribute; a specially produced documentary presented over PBS stations; and commemorative events at the Church history site at Martin's Cove, Wyo.

In keeping with a tradition that extends back to 1991, the Church News is devoting a portion of it's year-end issue to a specially chosen theme, this year focusing on the topic of sacrifice as it pertains to and as it is exemplified by the handcart chapter in Church history.

The theme has been divided into these three sub-topics:

• The sacrifice of gathering to Zion. As the handcart pioneers showed their commitment by making the sacrifices necessary to gather to Zion in both a physical and a spiritual sense, people today continue to make such sacrifices in terms of accepting the gospel and joining the Church as well as in living Zion principles once they have made that commitment.

• The sacrifice of rescuing those in urgent need. This, of course, pertains to the heroism of those who, at immense personal hardship, went out to rescue the members of the Willie and Martin handcart companies who were stranded and suffering in early snowstorms on the high plains of Wyoming. A modern-day application is the rescue of those whose faith is flagging and who are falling by the wayside in terms of gospel commitment. It might also apply to rescuing those who are caught up by spiritual Babylon and who thus need the message of the restored gospel.

• The sacrifice of welcome. This is an allusion to the kindness of the settlers in the communities of Utah Territory who welcomed not only the Willie and Martin people but members of the other handcart companies and saw to it that they were well cared for and comfortably settled in their new home. In a modern-day parallel, Church members today have been admonished by President Gordon B. Hinckley to see that new converts have a friend, a responsibility and nurturing with the good word of God.

Consistent with past special issues, distinguished guest writers have been invited to explore these sub-topics in essays and anecdotes. These are found on pages 3-7 and 10-12. The Viewpoint and vignette on page 16 deal with the theme as well.

E-mail to:rscott@desnews.com