Today we celebrate and honor the pioneers who made the long trek west to the Salt Lake Valley. This is an important day for my church and for all who are a part of the pioneer legacy. Their journey was not easy. It came with great sacrifice and firm faith. These pioneers left the comforts of their homes and filled their wagons/handcarts with very few possessions. They put their trust in the Lord and crossed the prairie plains in severe weather conditions. Many died and lost loved ones along the way. Food was limited and so was warm shelter. Some men, women, and children made the journey alone without any of their family members along their side. Many of the pioneers had left their country and came over sea. Amidst the struggle, pain, hunger, fatigue, and limited provisions, the pioneers pushed onward and did not lose hope. These brave men and women settled the Salt Lake Valley of Utah. We will forever be grateful to them for their faith and courage; but most importantly, we will follow in their footsteps of being strong and firm believers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We too can continue the legacy and be a modern pioneer today.
“We are all needed to finish the work that was begun by those pioneering Saints . . .The Lord isn’t asking us to load up a handcart; He’s asking us to
fortify our faith. He isn’t asking us to walk across a continent; He’s
asking us to walk across the street to visit our neighbor. He isn’t
asking us to give all of our worldly possessions to build a temple; He’s
asking us to … attend regularly the temples already built. He isn’t
asking us to die a martyr’s death; He’s asking us to live a disciple’s
life," Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the October 2008 general conference.
Below is a link to a short video commemorating the lives of those faithful pioneers:
https://www.lds.org/youth/article/be-part-of-the-pioneer-legacy?lang=eng
