It is not difficult, then, to see this young man fitting perfectly into the scene, when, on April 3, 1860, the riders of the Pony Express began their mad, daring dash between St. Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento, California. He was ideally equipped for this adventure. His career as a "Pony Rider" began when he signed in at the Salt Lake City Station located on the east side of Main Street between First and Second South Streets.
Wagons for Fleeing Saints
John Carling and his son Isaac worked at making and mending wagons for the Saints who were being driven from Nauvoo. The mob violence became so intense that the Carling family decided to leave with the main body of saints. Brigham Young sent Heber C. Kimball to inform John that if he would stay until all of the Saints had been provided with good outfits, not a hair of their heads would be harmed. They remained as requested, though some wives complained that they would all be killed.
“The morning they were to leave, they were counseled to get to the ferry boats before the mobs were astir, and upon arriving at the ferry, the captain hurried them onto the boat and admonished them to be quick because they could see the mobs coming. Some were on horses, and others were running, but all with guns in their hands, and they were cursing. As the saints left the shore, they could hear the leader of the mob ordering his men to shoot. But as the men came to the shore, they stood still. It is told by some that two shots were fired but they missed the people in the boat.”
As a President-Elect candidate, I fully support the recent National officers’ focus on sound initiatives to help the organization grow in membership and strengthen our ongoing programs. These initiatives include, among others, new advertising opportunities with Roots Tech, LDS Living Magazine, and targeted YouTube videos. Additionally, I support the continued development of our library to […]
By Anna Jean Backus The Provo Tabernacle, once known as the Provo Utah Stake Tabernacle, stood as a grand old building that made a statement in the thriving community of Provo. Its magnificent beauty was brought about by pioneers who had need for a fitting edifice to express glory unto God. It was with fortitude, […]
February 7, 2022 (Season 4, Episode 4: 67 minutes long), click here for the Utah Department of Culture & Community Engagement's fuller version with complete show notes, for this Speak Your Piece episode. American historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich's influential 2017 book A House Full of Females: Plural Marriage and Women's Rights in Early Mormonism,1835-1870 (Vintage […]
By Rickard D. Kirkham, AVP pioneer stories Many of the early saints of the Church were good and faithful people who believed in God and the ministering of angels. It was not beyond their faith to have divine personages from beyond the veil come to them in their times of need, providing comfort support knowledge, […]
podcast Content for Part 2 of 2: Concerning Utah’s statehood story, the oft heard quote comes to mind, attributed to German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, who said: “laws and sausage, if they are to be enjoyed, should never be watched made.” Lyman’s well written book argues for the opposite: knowing the stories behind political actions […]
podcast Intro: Dr. Martha Sontag Bradley Evans (University of Utah, Dean of Undergraduate Studies) introduced her book Pedestals & Podiums: Utah Women, Religious Authority & Equal Rights (Signature Books, 2005) by telling her readers how in 1977, as young mother of three, she “bumped into the women’s movement.” Which made all the difference in her […]
The guests in this Speak Your Piece episode live and work in three dispersed regions of Utah: LeeAnn Denzer in east central Utah (Ashley Valley), Diana Call in the southwest corner (Little Valley) and Jami Van Huss in northeast Utah (Cache Valley). What they have in common is a deep interest in their audiences (you […]
Past National sup President BY BOB FOLKMAN My year as president-elect of the SUP corresponded to Dick’s year as past president. To be associated with him in service to the Sons of Utah pioneers was an honor. We travelled together to many chapter meetings in two states to train and encourage local leadership. Dick was […]
By Philip Wayne Ercanbrack: Third great grand-son of Benjamin Benson My name is Benjamin Benson, I was born in 1773 in Maple, Rensselaer, New York. I was a farmer most of my life and also learned the trade of Millwright to help support our family of 12 children with my wife, Keziah Messenger. In the […]
This video shows how to navigate the menu and features of suponline.org, and shows many of the main site features.
This video shows how subscribers can manage and edit their account settings; and how to use the Chapter group features.
This video shows how site subscribers can add their pioneer stories, historic sites, and sup Chapter Eternal entries.
This video walks sup members through the process of registering as a subscriber on SUP Online.
sup is a non-partisan society. Our goal is to live our lives so as to emulate the best traits of our faithful pioneer ancestors. President Nelson recently reminded us that as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we stand for human dignity and oppose racism and prejudice in all its manifestations. […]
Our prayer is that all remains well with you and your families. As COVID-19 restrictions are being relaxed, remember to be even more careful as most of us are in the most vulnerable age group. Your National Officers will continue to follow the lead of the First Presidency and the Quorum of Twelve Apostles. We […]
Nicholas Groesbeck Morgan, Sr., 87, former national president of the Sons of Utah pioneers and the Salt Lake City Chapter, died Nov. 17, 1971 at his home in Salt Lake City, of natural causes. He was national president of sup in 1953, and contributed most generously of his time and funds in the development of […]
Charles Comstock Clayton, 81, veteran and devoted member of the Sons of the Utah pioneers, died Feb. 14 in a Salt Lake City hospital of natural causes. He was widely known and acclaimed as a supporter of cultural and civic projects. He was founder of the C. Comstock Clayton Foundation for the support of music […]