Sunday Sharing

Today (July 24th) in Utah we celebrate Pioneer Day.  It is a celebration of the day the first group Mormon pioneers (who settled Utah) reached the Salt Lake Valley.  Early pioneers were driven west as they moved from settlement to settlement seeking religious freedom to worship how they pleased, yet not being allowed this freedom, they were driven from their homes by angry mobs over and over again.  Finally, they chose to flee to the west, to the (then) uninhabited mountain desert of Utah.  No one had yet settled here, and it was long passed over by other western moving pioneers because of the harshness of the climate and land.  The now thriving communities of the Salt Lake Valley are a testament to the strength and dedication of the early pioneers who settled this area.  Literally, they were refugees, and through their faith, they found freedom.

Our family went yesterday to see the film 17 Miracles.   It's a film about one of the pioneer handcart companies that left late in the season and encountered sickness, weather, and other difficulties along their journey west.  Many died, and all experienced pain and difficulties which tested their faith in God.  Yet, as with all the early pioneers, God showed his tender mercies to them through the challenges they faced, and they experienced miracles which strengthened their faith.

As a mother, I often wonder how my children view things like this.  Do they see the miracles?  Do they know that God is still a God of miracles?

That evening they didn't stop talking about the movie and about miracles.


"Can God really do that?"


"How did God just make food appear?"


They all shared bits and pieces of what stood out to them, and their amazement at the miracles of the early pioneers.  In my mind, I was thinking of our day, and the miracles we know, even today.

The conversation waned a little as the girls ran outside with their friends.  I was left alone with Nate in the kitchen.


He commented about some of the miracles we had seen in our own family, and for the next few minutes as we talked about miracles, I knew he got it.  I also knew that the tragedies that have accompanied the miracles weren't lost on him, but in tragedies, we have seen the hand of God.

We live in a mortal world filled with the potential for hurt and loss.  It isn't always easy to see that in the hurt and pain of mortal choice and conditions, God's hand can still guide and comfort us.

All I know is this:  Every time there is loss, every time there is confusion, every time there is pain, I feel peace, not in the pain, but through the pain.  And I know it doesn't always take tragedy to build faith, but for me, challenges have transformed my faith to Faith.

Later that night in our family scripture study I asked our children, "What is the difference between faith and faith in Jesus Christ?"  


Again, in their answers, I knew they knew.  Gabby said, "If you have faith, you believe something, like 'I can ride a bike.'  If you have faith in Jesus Christ, you know He can help you with anything."

Wow.  How did she know?

He comforts.

He teaches.

He heals, both body and spirit.

So we talked about pioneers, and modern day pioneers.

Pioneer:  to be the first to open or prepare; to take part in the beginning of; to lead the way.


There's a children's primary song in our church about pioneers that goes like this:

You don't have to push a handcart,
Or leave your family dear
Or walk a thousand miles or more
To be a pioneer.


You do have to have great courage
Strength to conquer fear
And work with might for a cause that's right
To be a pioneer.
(Ruth Muir Gardner)


We honor the early pioneers by being modern day pioneers.

"It is good to look to the past to gain an appreciation for the present and perspective for the future. It is good to look upon the virtues of those who have gone before, to gain strength for whatever lies ahead. 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 each of us. For each of us is a pioneer in his own life, often in his own family and many of us pioneer daily in seeking to do God’s will and lift and serve those around us."  (Gordon B. Hinckley)


More than anything, I wish for my children to recognize the hand of God in their lives, that they know He is a living God.  I hope for them to know that just as miracles have taken place, they do and will continue to take place as He loves us and guides our lives.