Young men and women from the New Orleans Louisiana Stake participated in a "trek into the past" recently. After being organized into companies, the youth boarded specially reserved streetcars and began retracing the path of nearly 18,000 Mormon pioneers who passed through New Orleans between 1840 and 1855.
Along the streetcar line, youth leaders pointed out places linked to early missionary efforts in New Orleans and shared stories about the first missionary to New Orleans - Elder Harrison Sagers who was sent to the area by Joseph Smith.After disembarking from the streetcar, the youth and their leaders were met by Church members who explained the carefully orchestrated movement of immigrant Saints through the port. They then moved into the French Quarter, for a series of planned presentations relating to the pioneers.
Church members in New Orleans will also participate in future sesquicentennial activities. They have received confirmation and certification that New Orleans city officials have designated July 24, 1997, as "Mormon Immigrant Day."
