Comments on: Does Anyone Read the “Church News”?

By: Stephen M (Ethesis)

Stephen M (Ethesis) — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 11:42:04 +0000

Does anyone else see the problem here?

The problem is that all of the hand cart re-enactments have a dramatic moment where they have the guys stand aside and watch the girls move the carts alone up a steep hill. It ties in the MB and other events for drama.

It appears that the writer had confused the manufactured moment with reality. You should take this post and the comments and mail them to the Church News.

BTW, when my daughter’s group hit the hill, the slugs they had in their group had not been participating anyway, so doing without them wasn’t any trial, and they hit the hill and crossed the peak at a run.

By: a random John

a random John — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 03:02:32 +0000

No. Nobody reads it.

By: Bookslinger

Bookslinger — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 21:55:03 +0000

Don,
I just got my Church News. I think you’re inferring too much from the caption. “Reminiscent” does not mean it is a re-enactment. It just means “causing to recollect”. Though the women of 1846-47 did not use handcarts, I think it is an appropriate or sufficient parallel to draw between the “women only” group of these handcarters and the women who crossed the plains without their husbands in 1846-47.

By: Bookslinger

Bookslinger — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 21:30:17 +0000

My view is that CN is mostly fluff-pieces, but there is at least something worthwhile and uplifting in every issue. And there is usually some news that’s actually newsworthy in every issue too.

My favorite part is reading how young the stake presidents are in the foreign stakes.

By: Amy

Amy — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 02:57:49 +0000

Having lived in Iowa City for 5 years, half a block from the Mormon Handcart Park, I finally started putting together the pioneer pieces myself. I think most Church members just hear about pioneers leaving Nauvoo and then pioneers crossing the Plains with handcarts and they assume they’re all the same group. Not so!

Of course the Nauvoo Saints left in 1846 and did not even have handcarts. And the handcart pioneers never saw Nauvoo nor had they even reached America until 1856 and later, heading straight to Iowa City where the railroad ended at the time.

This doesn’t excuse the Church News editor, but I don’t think he’s making a false statement, either. Those who organize these handcart treks often don’t have the history straight themselves. So they plan a “women’s pull” which helps the youth appreciate that part of the Nauvoo Saints’ journey west when so many men were absent. (Can you see how it can work?)

Still, the event organizers and the associate editor could do more to understand and then educate the general Church membership on these fine points!

(By the way, I noticed in the Church News articles on the Handcart Sesquicentennial events in June that they kept claiming the Handcart park was located in Coralville, Iowa. It borders Coralville, but I can guarantee you it indeed lies within Iowa City borders. I LIVED RIGHT NEXT TO IT. Not that I really cared. But you brought up the topic, so I thought I’d help you hash it out.)

By: Ryan

Ryan — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 02:55:59 +0000

More importantly, why is battalion being spelled with one “t”?