Episode 123: The Sail before the Trail—The 19th Century Latter-day Saint Gathering to America (Fred E. Woods)

Y Religion

BYU Religious Education

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4.8 • 1.7K Ratings

🗓️ 1 March 2025

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Prior to their exodus west, nearly 90,000 converts journeyed across the seas to join the saints in America. In this episode Fred E. Woods, professor of Church history and doctrine, details the faith and immigration experiences of these saints as he discusses his recent publication Ports to Posts: Latter-day Saints Gathering in the Nineteenth Century. Professor Woods explores the port of Liverpool, England, the main point of embarkment for many converts, examines sailing conditions across the Atlantic for converts and non-converts alike, and details the arrival of these early pioneers into American harbors and the various posts they made contact with along the way. In addition to exploring how these converts gathered unto Zion, Professor Woods shares why so many members left their homelands to “be gathered in unto one place” (Doctrine & Covenants 29:7).

Publications:

Ports to Posts: Latter-day Saint Gathering in the Nineteenth Century (University of Nebraska Press, 2025)

Saints by Sea—Latter-day Saint Immigration to America website

“The Saints of Las Vegas” (Y Religion, episode 82, 2023)

Bright Lights in the Desert: The Latter-day Saints of Las Vegas (University of Nevada Press, 2023)

The Latter-day Saint Image in the British Mind (Greg Kofford Books, 2022)

“The Ascension of Abraham: A Mortal Model for the Climb to Exaltation” (Religious Educator, 23.2, 2022)

“Conversions, Arrests, and Friendships: A Story of Two Icelandic Police Officers” (Religious Educator, 20.1, 2019)

Saints of Tonga: A Century of Island Faith (Religious Studies Center, 2019)

Kalaupapa: The Mormon Experience in an Exiled Community (Religious Studies Center, 2017)

Sacred and Historical Places Hawai’i: A Guide to LDS Historic Sites in Hawai’i with Mary Jane Woodger and Riley Moffat (Mormon Historic Sites Foundation, 2016)

“Launching Mormonism in the South Pacific: The Voyage of the Timoleon” in The Growth and Development of Mormon Missionary Work (Religious Studies Center, 2012)

Click here to learn more about Fred E. Woods

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello by religion friends. John Hilton here. Our episode today is being released on March 1st, 2025.
0:07.9	A significant date because 30 years ago, in February of 1995, BYU religion professor Fred E. Woods
0:16.2	began research on a topic that would captivate him for the next three decades.
0:21.5	And today, the book he started writing all those years ago is finally being released.
0:26.9	It's titled Ports to Posts, Latter-day Saints Gathering in the 19th Century.
0:33.6	What topic could possibly hold someone's attention for three decades?
0:38.3	It turns out it's a topic I had never thought very much about before, but after listening to this episode, I can't stop thinking about it.
0:45.3	Dr. Woods has spent decades studying what he calls the Sail Before the Trail,
0:51.3	the lesser known but vital portion of the Latter-day Saint immigration by sea to America
0:56.0	during the 19th century. He includes not only the voyages, but also information about the ports they passed through,
1:04.0	and the posts they arrived at, as well as the consecrated LDS agents who assisted them along their journey to Zion. As part of his research, he created a BYU website where you can search for individual Latter-day Saints and learn about their voyages.
1:18.6	Right after listening to this episode, I went to the site and typed in the name Hugh Hilton, my first Hilton ancestor to join the church.
1:25.6	Within five seconds, I discovered that he set sail for America in January 1851,
1:31.3	and I was able to read first-hand accounts from people who were on the ship with him.
1:36.3	It was incredible.
1:38.3	Throughout his research, Dr. Woods has gathered personal accounts from saints who crossed the ocean
1:42.3	and what motivated them to do so.
1:44.6	She talks about how it was difficult to make the journey.
1:48.0	She said not with standing but with the fire of Israel's God burning in my bosom.
1:54.0	I forsook my home for the gospel's sake.
1:57.0	The stories of these saints, their faith in Jesus Christ, and willingness to sacrifice for Him are powerful.
2:02.6	And in this episode, we get to learn from them.
	...

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