Plowing Lessons

Technique & Style

Figurative, Painting

Figures

Native Americans, Peter Shirts

Notes

“Our family has a heritage of forgiveness and charity, taught and demonstrated by my second-great-grandfather Peter Shirts, who, after having his life threatened by Indians, came to feed and teach them. This occurred in 1865 on the Paria River in southern Utah. Brigham Young sent Peter, known as ‘Daniel Boone of the Desert,’ to raise a crop. He succeeded, and, wanting to reap the harvest, he stayed too late in the season to return home. He built a cabin front against the mountain by a spring of water and stored his crop in a granary dug into the mountain. During the winter, Indians laid siege, but Peter was secure. When they asked for food, he bargained that if he fed them, they must pull his plow in the spring. When a search party finally arrived, hoping to find Peter’s bones, they found him plowing instead, with Indians pulling his plow.” —Linda Curley Christensen

Exhibition History:

• “Our Heritage of Faith,” Church History Museum online exhibition, 2005

Church Name

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints