"In all of United States history, few people have suffered for their religious convictions as did the early Latter-day Saints. Because of the rapid growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and what many contemporary religionists viewed as the heretical doctrine of living prophets and modern revelation, many outsiders viewed Latter-day Saints with suspicion and contempt. During the first two decades of the Church's existence, Latter-day Saints repeatedly experienced the cycle of migration, settlement (including purchasing the lands they settled in), and expulsion. Within the span of 17 years, the fast-growing body of Latter-day Saints moved en masse from the Finger Lakes region of western New York state (1830-1831), to Kirtland, Ohio (1831-1838), Jackson County, Missouri (1831-1839) and Commerce/Nauvoo, Illinois (1839-1848), where their prophet, Joseph Smith, was murdered by a mob. In the dead of winter 1846, the Latter-day Saints once again abandoned their homes and began the long, hard trek to the Rocky Mountains, where they would at last find welcome refuge." (
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At the west end of Parley Street, where it meets the Mississippi River, stands a monument to the citizens of Nauvoo, who were forced out of their homes, in the dead of winter in 1846. The monument consists of statues of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, the first and second Prophets of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, respectively. They are standing, looking west, with Joseph Smith rasing his left hand westward, while Brigham Young holds the map of the Great Basin and the route to the Rockies.
The marker on the base of the monument reads:
EYES WESTWARD
"To Your Tents O Isreal"
On the anniversary of the 200th year celebration of the birth of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and the 175th anniversary of the establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, this monument of His prophets Joseph Smith and Brigham Young has been erected.
In Nauvoo the saints heard the rallying ancient cry, "To your tents, O Isreal", in sublime faith and trust, such as history scarcely records, they obeyed, ready to follow their leader where ever he might direct their pilgrim feet. The scenes of wagons, impossible to fully comprehend the hardships those sweet early saints endured.
The first wagons left Nauvoo on February 4, 1846. This early departure, brought on by increased mobocracy subjected them to gale-force winds, torrential rain, snow, subfreezing temperatures and axle-deep mud. Most of the Saints were poorly prepared for this epic journey. Many were city dwellers from the eastern United States and England, skilled in many crafts, but unaccostomed to the feeding and harnessing of horses, oxen and mules, driving wagons and herding livestock. Through much work, sacrifice and prayer and under the inspiration of Heaven and their inspired leaders, these faithful Saints completed their journey west and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847.
To those early pioneers whom we love, honor and cherish; may your names be forever remembered.