Pioneer Day

Our Pioneer Journey to the Promised Land

25 May 2025

Fairmont Branch, Minnesota

 

Since I was a young child I've loved pioneer stories. It didn't matter if they were Mormon Pioneers, or another part of the westward expansion; pilgrims from England, Lehi and his family, or Israelites following Moses. I enjoyed all their stories. I tried to put myself in their place and wondered how I would feel, what I would do, if I were journeying to an unknown land. Many years ago in Washington state we endured a prolonged power outage. When it was over and the power was restored Steve gave me a Pioneerhood Award for Valiant Endurance. In the following years we have had other occasions when my pioneering skills were tested.

 

As I've matured I've realized that my beloved stories are a type, an analogy, a metaphor for my own mortal journey to a promised land. I left my known heavenly home, and am now traveling through the wilderness facing challenges of various kinds, with the goal of reaching the Celestial Kingdom, an eternal Promised Land.

 

What do we learn from these journeys, some of them recorded in scripture?

 

Out of the many, I've chosen four lessons to look at today.

 

Lesson #1 Organization is important.

An old African proverb says, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." We want to go far, all the way to the Celestial Kingdom, it's important to be with the group who is going there.

When Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, arrived on the scene and saw the Israelites lined up day and night to have an audience with the prophet he counseled Moses, "The thing that thou doest is not good. Thou wilt surely wear away. . . . Teach them ordinances and laws, and sh[ow] them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. . . . Provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. And let them judge the people at all seasons;" (Ex. 18:17-22)

 

Brigham Young acted similarly when organizing the saints for crossing the plains to Utah.

 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is organized in a similar way today. Can you imagine waiting in line to be interviewed for a temple recommend with Pres. Nelson? Or to ask him for help with a financial problem? Or to request of him a priesthood blessing? It might be years before we could see him.

 

The church is well organized into Areas, Regions, Stakes, Ward or Branches, Quorums and Relief Societies, and ministering assignments. We follow the teachings and counsel of the prophet, and he leads and guides us as a whole, but the day to day journey is handled at a close to the people level.

The Lord said, "Behold, mine house is a house of order, . . . and not a house of confusion." (D&C132:8) By staying close to and within the organization of the church we receive blessings of strength and help for our journey.

 

Lesson #2 We are led by and can trust the prophet.

 

A prophet is a see-er, a watchman on the tower, a man to whom the Lord reveals His secrets. (See Amos 3:7) Sheri Dew wrote a whole book about how prophets "see around corners" and know what's coming. Since our mortal vision is best in hindsight we can look to the past for an example of the vision of prophets. In 1995 when President Gordon B. Hinckley read The Family: A Proclamation to the World, many wondered why it was needed, didn't everyone believe all those common-sense statements? Well, here we are a generation later and common sense seems to be in short supply, Satan seems to be winning, and people are very confused. We don't have to be though, we have the word of the Lord through His prophet, a strong bit of the iron rod to cling to as the mists of darkness swirl around us.

Elder Yoon Hwan Choi of the Seventy said, ". . . let us obey the leaders of the church and be like Adam, who didn't always have to know the reason why, but was just happy to be obedient." (Oct 2009)

We thank thee of God for a Prophet! Take it from an older, experienced pioneer--we can trust the prophet, he knows the way!

Lesson #3 Complaining doesn't do any good and mostly just makes the journey more miserable.

 

Up until they landed in the Promised Land, Laman and Lemuel did everything that was asked of them. They left their home in Jerusalem, they went back to get the plates, they went back to get Ishmael's family, they helped build a ship, they gathered supplies, got on the ship and set sail with the rest of the family. But they whined and complained and made trouble the entire time! They were a weighty drag on the whole expedition. I think when Nephi says, "Oh wretched man that I am, . . . because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me." he just might be thinking of the times he wanted to clobber his own brothers because they were such an impediment to peace. I know that I am often more like Laman and Lemuel than Nephi, which is why I'm so grateful for daily repentance and a patient and merciful Heavenly Father.

 

The Israelites complained and made trouble, and were punished by having to wander for FORTY years in the wilderness, until all the complainers had died, before they could enter the promised land.

The Lord commands us to "be of good cheer, for I will lead you along." (D&C 78:18)  Joseph Smith wrote the saints from Liberty Jail, ". . . let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power, and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance to see the salvation of God and for his arm to be revealed." (D&C 123:17)

We sing Come, Come Ye Saints, and Count Your Blessings. We can surely help each other with grace and humor to keep progressing forward.

 

Lesson #4 Never Give Up!

 

Can you picture yourself part of a handcart company, walking day after day, sunshine or rain, cold or heat? It's tiresome but we're moving forward toward Zion. Then an accident or an illness occurs and a loved one dies; we bury that person beside the trail, and then what? What are the options? We can keep going, on to Zion, or we can sit down and give up. A brief pause is all we get on the journey before the company leaves us behind. Remember we want to go far so we need to go together.

 

No analogy is perfect, but I can testify that whatever challenge we face we must keep pressing forward. We cannot sit down and wait until we aren't facing any challenges. Life doesn't work that way. We have to keep going to reach our Promised Land. We must endure faithfully and obediently to the end.

Two years ago, I had just conducted the first Stake Choir rehearsal the day before we found out James had taken his life. At the time I was asked if I wanted to cancel the choir. For me this was a Rocky Ridge moment. The terrain was steep, and I was weary, but I felt I had to keep going no matter what.

One of the hymns we sang was God So Loved the World. I considered that an offering of my testimony of the tender mercy of Our Father in Heaven to send His Beloved Son to rescue us from despair and death. It was a sacred, spiritual experience to lead that choir during that challenging time.

 

Brothers and Sisters, we are organized so we can keep track of and help each other on our journey. We are led by and can trust our prophet. We must be cheerful and not complain, doing all in our power to keep moving forward. And we must never give up!  

 

I know God lives, because I have come to know Him in my extremities. I know Jesus Christ is my Savior because I have felt Him lift me up when I most needed saving. I know Russell M. Nelson is the chief apostle and prophet of God today because I have studied his talks and felt the witness of the Spirit that he is the Lord's anointed servant. May we be faithful pioneers and help each other along our life's journey until we are all reunited in the Promised Land of the Celestial Kingdom.

 

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.