In the year 1844, Joseph Smith, the Prophet of the LDS church, was martyred and gave his life for his testimony.
Because of this and other events, the Mormon people were forced to leave their homes and settle west.
Many people on this journey passed away due to cold, hunger, fatigue, and other problems associated with the long journey.
Members of the church want to remember these fallen and often forgotten heroes of their faith.
Many artists have portrayed these events through art.
Some of these paintings include young men carrying cold and hungry people over cold wintry rivers, pioneers digging very shallow graves in the snow, or pioneers pushing handcarts or riding in wagons with oxen pulling them along their journey.
There are even paintings showing angels helping push handcarts with these pioneers, which many pioneers said had happened to them.
These types of pictures remind members of the Mormon faith that there is always someone watching over them too in their time of need.
Members of the church feel a great gratitude to those who have passed on and have given their lives for the faith.
They hope to instill gratitude for sacrifice for those who died upon the long trail west.
This type of pioneer art would be specific only to members of the Mormon faith and can often been seen in church hallways and walls of members of the church.
Many parents will place these types of paintings on their walls to remind their children of their shared heritage.