Exodus Reenactment

The first Saturday in February is always the Exodus re-enactment ending at the Mississippi River at the end of Parley Street.  With the pandemic, that was impossible.  We couldn't have hundreds of people gathering here when we are not even open.

So the next best thing was to do it on a smaller version with just the senior missionaries.

There was someone there from the area public relations who was making a recording of us walking toward the river.

It was pretty cold outside so we had Tom ride in the back of the Bowman's wagon.

I recall doing this last year but this year I really felt a bit how those early saints must have felt leaving their homes and traveling to an unknown place in the cold.

I love this photo of the Rizleys

The Ballards let us while we walked beside our wagon.

The teams are so huge!  I've always been a bit leary of horses but these guys are so large that they are a bit scary to me.

I wrapped myself in a shawl to cover my jacket and look more realistic.  It also hid my ear muffs.

Not all the seniors participated and none of the young sisters.

I suppose in 1946, the early saints were just as cold as we were on this day.  Probably colder.

At one point I found a blanket in the wagon and put it around Tom.  That made him a little warmer and hid his modern clothing.

The hymn, Come, Come, Ye Saints played in my head as I thought about this event.

I'm sure most of them walked rather than rode on a wagon.  They had to be so cold.  We were cold and we had warm jackets.  We didn't have to think about pitching a tent or finding a place to camp that night.

Of course most of them traveled by ox team rather than horses.

I don't know if I could have done it.  Leave my home and take only what I could pack.  I admire them so much and I'm very grateful I didn't have to do what they did.