So writes Valborg Rasmussen of her departure to America in 1888 when she was only 13 years old. I Sailed to Zion: True Stories of Young Pioneers Who Crossed the Oceans contains 24 first-person accounts of children and adolescents who left their homes to sail to America.

These young people experienced many adventures on the high seas: from seasickness and separation from loved ones to raging storms and burials at sea, from the simple pleasures of playing marbles or eating a well-cooked custard to the profound joy of seeing land as their journey came to an end. Whether alone or with family, these young pioneers were motivated by the quiet burnings of the Spirit whispering the gospel was true as they sailed to Zion.