Primary Children, Community Celebrate “Visions of New Horizons” in Days of ’47 Youth Parade

Contributed By Valerie Johnson, Church News staff writer

  • 23 July 2017

Members of the South Jordan Daybreak Stake march in the Days of ’47 Youth Parade in Salt Lake City on Saturday, July 22, 2017.  Photo by Laura Seitz, Deseret News.

“I wanted to get kids involved to show them that by following the prophet, your future is better.” —Crystal Saddler of the South Jordan Utah Daybreak Stake

Finding a way to involve over a thousand children in a parade float can be a bit of a challenge for any float committee chairman. But Crystal Saddler of the South Jordan Utah Daybreak Stake was determined to make sure that the Primary kids of her stake would be able to remember their experience of being a part of the the annual Days of ’47 Union Pacific Youth Parade.

“I wanted kids to feel like they were a part of our stake float,” she said. While the children are able to walk with the float during the youth parade, Saddler wanted them to remember their experience as something more than walking in a parade. “We wanted the kids to have ownership and be a part of the float,” she said.

The committee tossed around ideas like gathering hearts or stars to represent the children of the Primary. But then they decided to collect photos of each Primary child in the stake. When the photos were collected, they were formed into a picture mosaic of President Thomas S. Monson, which hung on the back of the float. The float, which features President Brigham Young wearing sunglasses, was designed around the motto “Future’s So Bright.”

Lily Okland, left, and Olivia Brown of the Parleys Stake march in the Days of ’47 Youth Parade in Salt Lake City on Saturday, July 22, 2017. Photo by Laura Seitz, Deseret News.

Sisilia Vaiangina marches with the South Salt Lake Tongan South Stake in the Days of ’47 Youth Parade in Salt Lake City on Saturday, July 22, 2017. Photo by Laura Seitz, Deseret News.

“I wanted to get kids involved to show them that by following the prophet, your future is better,” Saddler said.

Twenty stakes were involved in the youth parade held Saturday morning, July 22. Each found ways to involve the Primary kids in the floats or parade. For instance, those in the Bountiful Utah East Stake, which had the theme “Shoot for the Stars: A Vision of My Future Self,” wore bright yellow shirts with different careers written on them. Ryan Bradley, who is fascinated by the study of ancient life, proudly showed what he had written. “My shirt says what I want to be when I grow up: a paleontologist,” he said.

Joining the parade were school bands, community organizations, parade royalty, dignitaries including Sister Joy D. Jones, Primary General President, police officers, and other individual performers. Hundreds of community members lined the street along 500 South to watch the parade. Each float was inspired by this year’s Days of ’47 theme, “Pioneers—Visions of a New Horizon.”

“Your Future Is as Bright as Your Faith” was the theme of Greta Mortensen’s stake float. Primary children of the Salt Lake Olympus Stake got to wear sailor hats and wave sticks with ribbons or sea life on the ends.

“I guess if you have a lot of faith, then you have a really bright future. The more faith you have, the brighter your future will be,” Greta said. She said that the early Mormon pioneers “had to trust that there wouldn’t be too much snow to walk in and that they’d be safe, and that they won’t die pretty much. They were putting all their faith in the Lord to carry them to a place they’ve never been to and some of them had never heard of.”

Sister Joy D. Jones, 13th Primary General President, rides in the Days of ’47 Youth Parade in Salt Lake City on Saturday, July 22, 2017. Photo by Laura Seitz, Deseret News.

Members of the Taylorsville North Central Stake march in the Days of ’47 Youth Parade in Salt Lake City on Saturday, July 22, 2017. Photo by Laura Seitz, Deseret News.

A float from the South Jordan Daybreak Stake joins the Days of ’47 Youth Parade in Salt Lake City on Saturday, July 22, 2017. Photo by Laura Seitz, Deseret News.

Members of the Fonua/Kioa family march in the Days of ’47 Youth Parade in Salt Lake City on Saturday, July 22, 2017. Photo by Laura Seitz, Deseret News.

Members of the Taylorsville North Central Stake march in the Days of ’47 Youth Parade in Salt Lake City on Saturday, July 22, 2017. Photo by Laura Seitz, Deseret News.

Jason Martens and his mother, Erika, dress as characters from the book Ox-Cart Man with the Kearns Western Hills Stake in the Days of ’47 Youth Parade in Salt Lake City on Saturday, July 22, 2017. Photo by Laura Seitz, Deseret News.

Members of the Parleys Stake march in the Days of ’47 Youth Parade in Salt Lake City on Saturday, July 22, 2017. Photo by Laura Seitz, Deseret News.

Members of the Fonua/Kioa family march in the Days of ’47 Youth Parade in Salt Lake City on Saturday, July 22, 2017. Photo by Laura Seitz, Deseret News.

Joe Petersen of the Herriman Rose Canyon Stake walks in the Days of ’47 Youth Parade in Salt Lake City on Saturday, July 22, 2017. Photo by Laura Seitz, Deseret News.

Salt Lake East Millcreek North Stake members march in the Days of ’47 Youth Parade in Salt Lake City on Saturday, July 22, 2017. Photo by Laura Seitz, Deseret News.

The Olympus Stake float moves along 500 South in the Days of ’47 Youth Parade in Salt Lake City on Saturday, July 22, 2017. Photo by Laura Seitz, Deseret News.

 

A replica of the Salt Lake Temple swings from a float in the Days of ’47 Youth Parade in Salt Lake City on Saturday, July 22, 2017. Photo by Laura Seitz, Deseret News.

Christopher Chevalier dances while marching with the Herriman South Stake in the Days of ’47 Youth Parade in Salt Lake City on Saturday, July 22, 2017. Photo by Laura Seitz, Deseret News.

Members of the South Jordan Daybreak Stake march in the Days of ’47 Youth Parade in Salt Lake City on Saturday, July 22, 2017. Photo by Laura Seitz, Deseret News.

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