Tribute to Utah Pioneers

 July is a month to remember our Freedoms.  The Fourth of July we celebrate as a Nation our Independence.  The 24th of July Utah celebrates the Mormon Pioneers and their sacrifices for the right to practice religion without persecution. It was in July that the first pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley and found a place to settle.

This painting of Joseph Smith is by Utah artist Liz Lemon Swindle.  It shows Joseph in Liberty Jail where he was imprisoned in a cellar so small he could not even stand up.  Having visited the jail myself I can tell you my heart aches thinking of the time he spent in those conditions.

 This painting is by Sandra B. Rast.  It shows the sacrifice of young boys who were willing to safely carry some of the pioneers through icy waters to safety on the opposite shore.

These young men later died from their exposure to the cold wet weather.

I have had people come into the gallery and cry in front of both of these pictures.  It is a tribute to the Prophet Joseph Smith and to the pioneers for the dedication to God and their determination to practice their religion.