Happy Pioneer Day

It is the 24th of July!

Pioneer Day here in Utah!

Today I enjoyed watching the fireworks as Shay and I traveled home from his folks' home in Woodland Hills. This year has been a bit different than most Pioneer Days for me. You see, last Sunday (July17th) Shay and I were asked to speak in our church on the LDS "pioneer spirit." When Shay informed me of the topic I said. "WHAT? The pioneer what?" Then it occurred to me that the 24th of July (Pioneer Day) was this Sunday?!?!? I was left to question why we were having to speak on the subject of pioneers a week early. With some wonderful reassurance from my amazing husband about how easy it would be, I embarked on my talk. The subject made me ask a few question... questions such as, "Why is it so important that we look back on the experiences and examples of the pioneers? Why do we make such a big deal here in Utah and throughout the LDS religion about the 24th of July?

As I thought and researched I came across the best answer by Elder Russel Ballard in the April 1999 conference: "Their journey parallels our own. There are lessons of love, courage, commitment, devotion, endurance, and most of all faith."

Prior to this talk I had never thought of my life paralleling the pioneers. Since that time I have not stopped finding examples of how they do. It has been such a journey for me as I prepared this talk.
During the preparation process of my talk my gratitude for those who sacrificed everything to come out west deepen! Surprisingly, though, it was the examples of the pioneers who accepted the call to rescue others that really touched my heart the deepest. The faithful saints who stepped up during the winter months and literally gave their best in order to help rescue foreigners and strangers; people to them who were poor, ill feed, ill dressed, frozen, probably didn't smell well and in some cases didn't even speak their own language. They not only helped rescue them but they brought them into their homes and followed the following counsel from their leader Brigham Young:

"......I wish for the sisters to prepare to give those who have just arrived a mouthful of something to eat, to wash them and nurse them. Some you will find with their feet frozen to their ankles, some are frozen to their knees and some have their hands frosted. We want you to rescue them as your own children, and to have the same feelings for them."

.....and they did just that!

How grateful I am for their examples and the opportunity to think deeper on these things as I prepared my talk.

Today I am so grateful to have a day that we can celebrate their lives! Not just by get family together for a wonderful B-Que and fireworks but by remembering their wonderful Christlike examples and try ever harder to be like them.

I loved the following quotes by President Hinckley! I used them in my talk:

"Stories of the beleaguered Saints and their suffering and death will be repeated again and again. Stories of their rescue need to be repeated again and again. They speak of the very essence of the Gospel of Jesus Christ." President Hinckley, Oct. 1996 Conference.

"I will never get over being thankful to them. I hope you never get over being thankful to them. I hope that we will always remember them. Let us read again and again, and read to our children and our children's children, the accounts of those who suffered so much." President Hinckley. July 1999


Stealing a quote of a tombstone I found in a Nauvoo pioneer grave site:

(Ancestor's name)....."who's faith and love for the Lord Jesus Christ has formed the foundation of our faith."

I hope to have the privilege of thanking my ancestors (and all pioneers) some day for doing just what it states on that tombstone for me and my family!

I hope we all take the chance to remember!

Happy Pioneer Day everyone!