Mormon teens re-create forefathers' journey west

Lindsay Cork square-danced by the light of a campfire in the waning hours of 2008.

"By definition, it's not a very cool way to spend New Year's Eve," she said.

Not in the traditional sense, no.

"But you can't let it bother you," said Lindsay, a 14-year-old Mormon from Statesboro, Ga. "All of my friends are like, 'You're doing what over Christmas break?' but I know this is exactly what I want to be doing."

Really? Hiking day after day through mud and rocks and streams? Wearing an ankle-length cotton skirt, no less?

Sleeping on the ground under a makeshift tent? Bathing using the water in her canteen? Being sunburned and smelling like smoke?

"Yes. Absolutely yes," Lindsay said. "We've been told about this our whole lives."

She was talking about the founders of her faith, the Mormon pioneers who, 150 years ago, trekked west seeking religious freedom.

Her camping trip was a 22-mile trek with a group of 140 teens from Augusta and Savannah that aimed to re-create the experience of their Mormon forefathers.

Twice before, Augusta-area Mormon youths had re-enacted the historical trip, but in summer. After studying the lives of 100 pioneers who died in an early-winter storm, the teens moved their re-enactment to December, hoping to more fully experience the suffering of their forefathers.

The youths, mostly from the Evans Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, started out Dec. 29 on the trails surrounding Fort Gordon's Leitner Lake.

A mile or two away, adults staffed base camp. A doctor, nurses and emergency medical technicians, all members of the church, volunteered their time to ensure the health and safety of the teens.

They checked the teens for dehydration and attended to sprains, ignoring the "ailments" imposed by "angels" -- costumed adults who offered advice to guide the teens, who were otherwise charged with self-sufficiency.

Angels would put a boy's arm into a sling so he had to push a cart with one arm, or they would cover a girl's eyes with a bandana so she had to hike blinded.

"The big thing is teamwork. The big thing is for everybody to help everybody," said Veronica Schultz, a 14-year-old from Martinez. "You learn to take care of other people in your family."

By family, she meant the six- to eight-member groups the youths were assigned, complete with a Ma and a Pa who carried the Mormon scriptures.

"After a week, my pa was like my pa and my ma is like my ma," said Chase Fowers, 14, of Augusta. "You get close quick."

In some families, girls were given babies, "little dolls they're responsible for," church member Barry Brooks said.

"We had twins at the beginning. One died," Veronica said, meaning that an angel took one of the dolls away.

It's no mistake that the journey is difficult both physically and mentally, said Doug Lowry, the "trail boss" who oversaw it.

"On day one, they have all this enthusiasm," he said. "Day two, after sleeping on the cold ground, they're grumpy and tired. By day three, they're learning to come together. They're learning to rely on their faith alone."

On day four, students shared testimonies.

"You see their hearts laid bare and really come to understand the life change that can happen here," Mr. Lowry said. He had never participated in a trek as a teenager, but this was his third as an adult.

He said that although treks have become a Mormon tradition, they have gained popularity only since 1997, when churches nationwide staged re-enactments to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the migration west.

The Evans church, like many others across the country, organizes treks every three or four years so that incoming high school students have the opportunity to participate.

"Each group is able to experience what their pioneer ancestors felt," Mr. Lowry said. "Through the good and the bad, they all feel God with them."

In the evening, the teens gathered around burn barrels for warmth, learning the square dances of their predecessors and competing in three-legged races and a frying-pan toss. They wore similar dresses and aprons, wide-brimmed hats and suspenders, pushing the same handmade wooden carts.

"How often do you get to take away all the worldly things and learn to love the worldly things less?" said Lindsay, the girl from Statesboro.

"Back home, I'd have music in my ears and be texting.

"At first it's a thing you miss, but then you totally forget about it. You realize these clothes don't even have pockets for phones, and maybe there's a reason why."

Reach Kelly Jasper at (706) 823-3552 or kelly.jasper@augustachronicle.com.