History Applied to the Present

On the Oregon Trail, travelers moving west had to carefully pack their wagons so they could make it safely. If they packed too much in their wagons, they would need to discard some of their belongings on the side of the road. If they chose not to discard anything, their wagon would break down, possibly leaving them vulnerable in hostile territory, or at the very least leaving them alone to slowly die. The best thing they could have done was to not pack too much in the first place.

This can relate to us today in this materialistic world. The temptation is to gather as many belongings as we can, thinking this is what will bring us real happiness. However, when things get tough, those material posessions are what weigh us down further. If we live life now with as little as possible in our "wagons," we will make it safely to our destination: paradise!