Pioneer Day Talk

Hello Brothers and Sisters happy pioneer day! My name is Sister Campbell for those of you who I haven't had the chance to meet. I'm from Holladay, Utah and I'm one of 5 kids. I've been out on my mission  for a little over one month and I'm just so happy to be here. I couldn't have asked for a better first area than Oviedo this ward is amazing and such a blessing in my life! 

Now being from Utah pioneer Day is a BIG holiday it honestly competes with the fourth of July because the majority of the state celebrates it hahahah. and I was a little bummed because for some reason I was under the silly impression that it was only a Utah holiday so to say I was excited to hear it was a widely celebrated holiday is an understatement.

 

Now before I get into anything I want to give a quick summary about who the pioneers were and why they are so very important. The pioneers that we are celebrating today are the early saints of the church who left behind their homes in search of a place where they could worship freely and not be persecuted. They traveled on foot all the way across the country to Utah with only the clothes on their backs and a fierce faith in God. The faced insurmountable challenges and hardships throughout their journey but they never faltered and kept going because they had unwavering faith that God would deliver them. Even when it was imaginably hard the pioneers kept going because they had fully put their trust in the Lord. 

As I was pondering about what I could talk about that relates what the pioneers went through back in the 1800s to latter day saints today I decided to talk about some of my favorite qualities the pioneers had and how we can embody those traits to help us weather the day to day storms of life that we all face.

The first quality I want to talk about is faith. The pioneers are some of the greatest examples of faith we've ever witnessed. And this wouldn't be a pioneer day talk without a classic pioneer story so I want to share a story about my 5th great grandmother olive hale. 

Her and her family were the first of my ancestors to be baptized into the church of jesus christ of latter day saints. The first thing the hale family did after being baptized was travel all the way to Missouri to be with the other saints who shared their beliefs. And along their journey they lost almost all of their possessions due to the violent mobs that were terrorizing the members of the church.

 After making it to Missouri, Olive and her husband came down with malaria, and eventually ended up dying, leaving behind 4 orphaned children. Her dying wish was for her oldest son, who was 16 years old at the time to take all her children across the plains to be able to worship freely with the other Saints. 

And that is exactly what he did. They arrived in the Salt Lake Valley not too long after and established a new life founded on the Gospel of jesus christ there.

 I think of the amount of faith Olive must've had to first of all leave all of her earthly possessions behind for the gospel and second of all the faith she must've  had while on her literal deathbed to tell her firstborn son to take her children across the plains not knowing what was going to happen to them. Olive had so much faith in Jesus christ and that this was His work that she was willing to risk it all. Now this is just one story out of hundreds about faithful pioneers but it teaches truth and principles that we can apply to our lives today.

 Now I'm sure having blind faith in the gospel was something that did not come naturally to these early saints, especially considering all of the hardship they were going through. But because they consciously made an effort to CHOOSE faith and submit to the Lords will they saw blessings an miracles that affect the lives of saints hundreds of years later. 

What we learn from the pioneers is to have faith over fear, 

In the October 2010 General Conference, Richard C Edgley said this about faith "I wish to suggest a single choice—a choice of peace and protection and a choice that is appropriate for all. That choice is faith. Be aware that faith is not a free gift given without thought, desire, or effort… so i say, Choose faith over doubt, choose faith over fear, choose faith over the unknown and the unseen, and choose faith over pessimism."

 Just like the pioneers we all go through countless trials in our lives and sometimes it's hard to see the good that come from them  but in ether 12:6 Moroni teaches this "And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith" . 

Sometimes it is not until after we show blind faith that we gain that witness and see the blessings and rewards. The times that it is hardest to have faith is when it's most important to have faith. It is when we have everything betting against us and we choose to have faith when we grow closest to our Savior.

The next quality i want to address that the pioneers possessed was enduring joy.  Despite their difficult circumstances the pioneers chose to have joy.

 To endure means to put up with something trying or painful and joy is a condition of great happiness. It seems ironic that these two words are so often paired together because they seem so different but I think the opposition is what makes it so beautiful and is something we can all relate to and apply to our lives.  

The thing that the two words have in common is christ. Through Christ's atonement  we can find joy in any circumstance. When the pioneers were trekking across the plains they had every reason to be honestly a little bit miserable but instead they were thankful. They spent their free time singing, dancing, playing games and praising the Lord. 

They knew that their circumstances were not ideal but instead of being negative, they were grateful because they knew God had something greater in store for them and they also knew they had a Savior who had already felt and overcome every hardship they faced. They endured their trials with JOY. 

In the 2019 October General Conference Todd. L Budge gave a talk and in it it reads “president russell M nelson taught, “the joy the savior offers is constant, assuring that our affliction shall be but a small moment and be consecrated to our gain. Our trials and afflictions can make space for greater joy. The good news of the gospel is not the promise of a life free of sorrow and tribulations but a life full of purpose and meaning- a life where our sorrows and afflictions can be “swallowed up in the joy of Christ”. The savior declared, In the world ye shall have tribulation but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world. His gospel is a message of hope. Sorrow coupled with hope in jesus christ holds the promise of enduring joy”. 

    

 Now elder Budge teaches that enduring through hard things with the joy that comes from the savior, gives us the opportunity to experience a life full of purpose and meaning. 

I'm sure traveling across the plains was full of suffering we  even imagine, but the beautiful thing is, this gospel and the fruits that we enjoy today from it means that Saints suffering was not in vain and their afflictions were consecrated not only for their gain but for the gain of generations to come. We learn from the pioneers the blessings and happiness that comes from enduring joy.

What faith and enduring joy have in common is the most important thing that we learn from the pioneers which is trusting in jesus christ. 

In the april 2017 general conference bonnie h cordon said this about trusting our Savior"Jesus Christ has overcome the world. And because of Him, because of His infinite Atonement, we all have great cause to trust, knowing that ultimately all will be well"

 we Trust that he knows us and loves us. We Trust that he paid the price for our sins so that we never have to be alone,  we trust that he will deliver us, and we trust that his arms are already extended to us all we have to do is turn to him. 

 

I want to close with this quote by gordon b hinkley, "It is good to reflect upon the work of those who labored so hard and gained so little in this world, but out of whose dreams and early plans, so well nurtured, has come a great harvest of which we are the beneficiaries. Their tremendous example can become a compelling motivation for us all, for each of us is a pioneer in his own life, often in his own family, and many of us pioneer daily in trying to establish a gospel foothold in distant parts of the world."

It is because of pioneers that I stand before you today testifying that this is Jesus Christ's church. I am humbled and honored to have the opportunity to share the gospel that they fought so hard to protect and establish. This gospel is everything to me and I am forever grateful. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ amen