Step into the dusty footsteps of faith-filled pioneers in this powerful episode of Faithfully Explore!. From wagons and handcarts to songs, miracles, and courage, we follow the journey of the Latter-day Saints across the American frontier. Through storytelling, games, movement, and interfaith connections, kids and families will explore what it means to walk your beliefs… even when the trail is tough.
Length
🕛 36 mins
Host
🎙️ Laura Menousek
Release Date
July 23, 2025
What’s Inside This Episode
Grab your imaginary bonnet and pull your handcart through history in this story-rich, movement-filled episode of Faithfully Explore! As we journey alongside the pioneers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, kids and families will:
From barefoot children to miracle birds, this episode shows how faith, courage, and community can light the way even across a dusty, difficult trail.
For Parents and Educators
Suggested Uses
Family Listening and Conversation
Play the episode while driving or folding laundry together. Pause after the Belief Backpack segment and ask, “What does faith in action look like in our family?”
Sunday School or Primary Lesson
Use the Handcart Hustle movement break to energize the class. Then reflect together on what it means to keep going when things get hard and how teamwork helps lighten the load.
History and Social Studies Integration
Pair this episode with lessons on westward expansion or religious freedom. Let students map the Mormon Trail and compare it with the Exodus or the Hijra.
Creative Journaling and Imagination Prompts
After the guided imagination scene, invite children to draw themselves on the trail. What did they pack in their wagon? What moment felt the hardest? When did they feel proud?
Movement and SEL Routines
Incorporate the Handcart Hustle as a brain break in classrooms. Use the squats, rain sounds, and jigs as a playful way to practice perseverance and reset during transitions.
Group Game Time
Play Trail Tale or True with a class or family. Invite kids to invent their own silly or surprising “pioneer facts” and quiz each other.
Extension Activities
Printable Tracker
Download the Faith in Action Adventure Tracker below to help children name a belief, pick a matching action, and reflect on the impact of living it out. Use it at home, in a classroom, or during family night.
Pioneer Day Celebration
Host a pretend Pioneer Day. Set up a mini handcart relay, eat trail snacks, and share stories of historical or personal journeys of faith.
Friendship Bridge Discussion
Use this episode as a springboard to talk about shared experiences across faiths. What do the Latter-day Saints, Jews, Muslims, and Bahá’ís all have in common in their stories of leaving, walking, and believing?
Bonus Tip: Build a Belief Backpack Display
Create a visual display with pouches or pockets labeled Courage, Faith in Action, and Teamwork. Each week, add drawings or stories showing how your group has practiced those values.
Printable Activities
Faith in Action Adventure
Download Faith in Action Adventure, a printable for kids ages 5–12 that helps them choose a belief, take action, and reflect through fun games, drawing prompts, and values-based activities.
Books to Explore Together
Note: This section contains affiliate links. If you click and buy, we may earn a small commission—at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting Faithfully Explore!
Agnes’s Rescue: The True Story of an Immigrant Girl
By Katrina E. Hall
Based on a remarkable true story, Agnes’s Rescue follows a young Scottish girl who courageously joins the Latter-day Saint pioneers on their journey to Zion. After leaving everything behind in her homeland, Agnes faces harsh terrain, freezing rivers, and heartbreaking loss as she travels with the ill-fated Willie Handcart Company. Told through the eyes of a child and brought to life with rich historical detail, this moving story honors the strength and faith of early immigrants who paid a high price for their beliefs. A compelling read for older children, teens, and families wanting to better understand the human side of pioneer sacrifice.
Pioneer Day: A Journey Worth Remembering
By Katrina Hallenback, illustrated by Duane Hallenback
Celebrate faith, courage, and community in this heartfelt tribute to the Latter-day Saint pioneers. Pioneer Day: A Journey Worth Remembering invites young readers to explore the true story behind Utah’s beloved July 24 holiday. With warm illustrations and accessible storytelling, the book brings to life the sacrifices and hope that fueled a thousand-mile journey toward freedom. Perfect for family reading or Primary lessons, this beautifully crafted picture book helps children understand why Pioneer Day isn’t just history it’s a legacy of belief, resilience, and togetherness.
A Pioneer Sampler: The Daily Life of a Pioneer Family in 1840
By Barbara Greenwood, illustrated by Heather Collins
Step back into the 1840s and experience pioneer life through the eyes of the fictional Robertson family in this richly detailed and highly interactive book. A Pioneer Sampler blends historical fiction, hands-on activities, and fascinating facts to bring daily pioneer living to life churning butter, making candles, planting crops, and surviving on the frontier. While not LDS-specific, it offers a vivid and accessible window into the world many early Latter-day Saint pioneers lived in. Perfect for homeschoolers, classrooms, or curious readers ages 8 and up who love learning by doing.
I Walked to Zion
By Susan Arrington Madsen
Step into the shoes of real pioneer children in this moving collection of first-person accounts from the Mormon Trail. I Walked to Zion shares the true experiences of 12 young Latter-day Saints who crossed plains, rivers, and mountains on foot, filled with faith and determination. Their voices reveal what it was like to leave home behind, sleep under the stars, and press forward through hardship. With each story comes a powerful reminder that even the youngest pioneers helped shape a legacy of courage. Perfect for middle grade readers, family study, or anyone seeking to connect with the pioneer spirit.
In Their Own Words: Pioneer Women of Faith
By Sandra Rast and Julie Rogers
This heartfelt hardcover celebrates the voices of early Latter-day Saint women by weaving together their powerful firsthand accounts of sacrifice, courage, and unwavering faith. In Their Own Words: Pioneer Women of Faith shares vivid personal stories of trials, triumphs, and spiritual resilience as these sisters journeyed westward and helped build a new community. Beautifully illustrated by Sandra Rast and Julie Rogers, this book invites young readers and families to listen, learn, and be inspired by the strength of these pioneer women—whose words still echo across generations
The Price We Paid: The Extraordinary Story of the Willie and Martin Handcart Pioneers
By Andrew D. Olsen
This deeply researched and emotionally powerful book tells the unforgettable true story of the Willie and Martin handcart companies, two groups of Latter-day Saint pioneers, who faced devastating trials on their journey west. The Price We Paid brings to light personal accounts, journal entries, and historical records that honor the faith, sacrifice, and suffering of these men, women, and children. Andrew D. Olsen paints a vivid picture of their journey, not just as a chapter in history, but as a testament to spiritual conviction and human endurance. A must-read for adults, educators, and anyone seeking a profound understanding of the cost and courage of the pioneer trail.
Belief Backpack Quick Facts
From today’s journey, we’re adding three new treasures to our Belief Backpack:
1. Courage to Keep Going
Even when their shoes wore out, when rivers froze, when they were tired or scared or sad, the pioneers kept walking forward.
Repeat after me: “I can do hard things.”
This treasure reminds us that we, too, can take brave steps—whether it’s tackling a tough homework problem or standing up for a friend—especially when the journey feels uphill.
2. Faith in Action
Latter-day Saint pioneers didn’t just think about their beliefs—they walked them, mile after mile.
Repeat after me: “What I believe shapes what I do.”
This backpack gem shows us that faith or values aren’t just something we say—they guide the way we live, love, and help others each day.
3. Helping Hands Make the Trail Easier
Pioneers shared loads, carried siblings, sang songs to lift spirits, and never walked alone.
Repeat after me: “We go farther when we go together.”
This reminder invites us to be a friend who lightens someone else’s trail—offering kindness, encouragement, or even just a smile.
Did You Know? Karma Edition
Some pioneer children lived in dugouts—homes carved right into the side of a hill!
These cozy, cave-like houses kept them warm in the winter and cool in the summer until their families could build log cabins.
Young Latter-day Saints used to carry their scriptures in leather satchels called “scripture bags.”
Many still do today! Some even decorate them with their favorite colors or favorite verses.
There are now Latter-day Saint temples on every continent except Antarctica.
From Brazil to Ghana to the Philippines, members gather in temples to worship and make special promises to God.
Pioneer girls often wore dresses made from flour sacks.
When money was tight, families got creative using fabric from flour bags or old quilts to make clothing.
Modern-day Latter-day Saint missionaries come from all over the world and serve in over 150 countries.
Some even learn new languages before they go, like Japanese, Portuguese, or Swahili.
The Book of Mormon has been translated into over 110 languages.
That way, people around the world can read it in their own mother tongue.
The Salt Lake City Pioneer Day parade is one of the biggest parades in the United States.
It includes floats, horses, marching bands, and kids dressed just like early pioneers.
Pioneer Day often includes a treat called “pioneer taffy.”
It’s a chewy candy made by hand, and sometimes kids get to pull and twist the sticky taffy themselves.
Early LDS pioneers made ink for writing by mixing crushed berries with water.
They used feathers or homemade pens to write letters and keep journals of their journey.
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💬 Join the Conversation
- What would you pack in your own handcart if you were going on a journey of faith?
- Have you ever had to do something really hard because you believed it was right? What helped you keep going?
- Which part of the pioneer story surprised you the most?
- If you could ask a pioneer kid one question, what would it be?
- How do you think it would feel to walk 1,000 miles without shoes?
- What belief do you care about and how might you put it into action this week?
- Which Belief Backpack treasure- Courage, Faith in Action, or Teamwork- do you want to practice today?
- Have you ever helped someone carry a heavy load, either with your hands or your heart?
- What other journeys of faith (from other religions or your own family) remind you of the pioneers’ story?
Let us know what you think.