Winter quarters

by Conrey Bryson

Winter quarters [Hardcover]

179 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Colette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This books was not quite what I expected. It is a history of the significance Winter Quarters in LDS and frontier history. I was expecting a more detailed account of the experiences of the Mormons setting up and living in Winter Quarters 1846-1848. There is a lot of great background information, but I did get confused at times. Bryson tends to go back and forth in time while talking about events and people. There were many instances when I was reading along and suddenly the dates were completely off. I had to go back and figure out where he had changed to talking about a different year. Toward the end, Bryson tends to wax nostalgic about the land, and gives more significance to the local area than to the people who inhabited it. Overall, I do think this is a good, scholarly work that has left the door open for a lot more to be done. I have not done any research on what has been written since this book was published 30 years ago. I found having a solid background in LDS history helped me put some of Bryson's comments and asides into the bigger context. Arrington's Great Basin Kingdom sheds light on the economic reasons for the handcart and down and back companies, as well as the cash flow problems in Deseret that influenced how emigration was conducted in Florence.

Update on 2/9/16:
As I have started reading some pioneer accounts and diaries I have found the foundation I got from Winter Quarters to be quite good. I have also come across the complete transcripts of many of the quotes. I have felt grateful several times that I already have the background for the Mormon trek across Iowa. This almost makes me want to change the rating to 4 stars, but I base my stars on how much I enjoyed reading the book.

[Phillip · Rating 4 out of 5]

This history provided much more than I had anticipated. I was expecting a narrative of the people and their challenges in creating and living in a temporary community, built as a way station for Latter-day Saints preparing to forge forward into unknown destinations to the west of them. Integrally tied to these details are the grueling trek from Nauvoo across Iowa, the selection of the site for wintering, and the planning for the move beyond. Key to the decision to set up Winter Quarters was the creation of the Mormon Battalion, and good accounting is give to how that came about as well as some of the results. In the midst of an environment where both faith and apostasy are incubated, the reader is able to watch as Brigham Young grows into his new responsibility as leader for a church and it's people. Conrey Bryson presents his material in an organized format and with clear prose. He gives abundant insight to what some call the Mormon Valley Forge.