During the pandemic, I’ve often thought of people in past generations who have gone through difficult, long-lasting trials and journeys. The “Mormon pioneers” have been among the people who have come to mind. Cast out from place to place, they were compelled to walk across the barren plains of then unsettled territory in the United States to find a new place to settle. July 24, 1847 was the day that the main company arrived in the Salt Lake Valley. In Utah, Pioneer Day is celebrated every year to mark this day. But members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints all over the world celebrate Pioneer Day in different ways, and also sometimes celebrate their own pioneers in their respective lands, areas, or families.

COVID-19 has changed a lot of things, but it has also allowed for resources to reach across the globe. For example, BYU Women’s Conference this year was all virtual, and you can get access to 35 different presentations for six months. And there are free presentations available as well at the following links.

• The Church News 
• BYU Women’s Conference YouTube channel 
• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints YouTube channel
• sesiones complementarias (en español)
• sessões gratuitas (em português)

RootsTech (the “world’s largest celebration of family” [genealogy, family history, family connection] even before 2021) reached 1.5 million people in 240 countries. Because of this impact, the 2022 conference will all be virtual.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can find online resources to celebrate Pioneer Day no matter where they are in the world. For example, an Evening from the Pioneer Museum will be held this week on July 22 from the Museum on Facebook Live: By Trail, Sail, and Rail: Pioneer Journeys to Zion.

You can also find links to many Pioneer Day Concerts from past years here.

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Today is Pioneer Day. July 24, 1847 was the day that Mormon pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley (Utah, USA) after being persecuted and pushed west of the boundaries of what was then the United States of America. (Utah didn’t become a state until 1897.)

But celebrating Mormon pioneers doesn’t just look back at this one story of early pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley. There are Mormon pioneer stories from around the globe, some of which are gathered at history.lds.org in the Pioneers in Every Land. (You can also see Pioneers in Every Land videos in the LDS Media Library.) The Church has also organized content to feature stories of Mormon women. Of course, there are thousands, millions more stories that could be shared.

If you are a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, what Mormon pioneer stories inspire you (both early LDS pioneer stories, family stories, or stories from pioneers of other countries)?

If you are not a Mormon, and are curious about Mormon pioneer stories, you can search on LDS.org or on history.lds.org for pioneer stories.

I love the stories from Mormon pioneers in various nations that were captured for a film called “Ensign to the Nations” many years ago. This still remains one of my favorite LDS Church videos.

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In honor of those sacrifices, every year the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square holds a Pioneer Day Concert, often renamed as simply an evening celebrating music. This year’s guest artist was Alex Boyé, and included music from Moana and Pete’s Dragon, Broadway musicals, and Disney’s The Lion King. The concert also featured African-American spirituals, music from the great Nat King Cole, and an organ performance backed by the Orchestra that received one of the two standing ovations of the evening.

In other words, this is anything but a Mormon music concert. It’s a concert that all can enjoy!

You can enjoy the concert in its entirety via a link at LDS.org, or in the embedded video below.

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From the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s website:

“The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square will present their annual concert held in conjunction with community-wide Pioneer Day celebrations. This year’s concert will feature up-and-coming Latter-day Saint artists Lindsey Stirling and Nathan Pacheco.”

You can watch the Pioneer Day concert live on the internet on Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. MDT.

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Counterparts

©1984 by Susan Noyes Anderson

Great Grandma walked across the plains,
her blue dress grey with travel stains.
She bore the hardship, for she knew
her faith in the Lord would see her through.
Her once pink hands were calloused now,
and she had said good-bye somehow
to husband dear and children lost,
praying the end would be worth the cost.

I walk the darkened city street,
my hurried footsteps keeping beat
with a trembling heart, but I swallow my fear,
reminding myself that the Lord is near.
I wear my travel stains deep inside,
where I battle iniquity’s rising tide,
praying husband and children will not be lost;
and that the end will be worth the cost.

We all must walk these earthly miles;
different times bring different trials.

The post Counterparts: Our Pioneer Heritage (Poetry) appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Last year, we asked how Mormon women celebrate Pioneer Day. We compiled answers from several women, which can be found below. We invite other Mormon women (and men!) to share how they celebrate the holiday in the comments section.

Brenda:

We sometimes will have a Family Home Evening lesson about the Pioneers and how their sacrifices have blessed our family.

Last year, I had two Sister Missionaries over for dinner who were both from Tonga. I was interested in how or if they celebrated Pioneer day in their wards and stakes in Tonga. I was very surprised when they said, “Oh yes! We dress up in pioneer clothing, clog and dance, play music and remind ourselves what a blessing it was that the missionaries were sent to Tonga.”

I’d like to see pictures of those ward and stake parties!

Michelle:

We don’t have any particular traditions, except we usually celebrate with some simple fireworks, often with neighbors. We also try to have a lesson about the pioneers, and/or our own ancestors (every family has stories to tell!).

My most memorable Pioneer Day was after doing a 2-day, 25-mile trek when I lived on the East coast. It was so hard, but so rewarding, and helped me ponder more about how hard it must have been to trek across the barren West, often with little more than the faith that burned in their hearts.

There were some beautiful pieces of art in the international art competition display last year that touched me…that expressed how the celebration of the pioneers really isn’t just for those who live in Utah, or for those who have ancestors who were early members of the Mormon Church. The pioneers really can be an inspiration to anyone who is facing their own wildernesses in their lives. I love studying their stories and learning from their examples.

Makakona:

My husband is of good ol’ pioneer stock [his ancestors were Mormons, too, for generations back] and i am a convert. We discuss both types of pioneers with our kids.

We’re not great about any traditions, though. We just attend whatever the stake [a group of local ward congregations] puts on for us and we dress up. I’ve been piecing pioneer dress-up costumes together for my girls bit by bit each year. They’re excited to now have skirts to go with their bonnets and aprons!

Tiffany:

At my house, we only eat homemade food that day and go the whole day without using electricity (except the air conditioner which my DH won’t allow to be turned off). It can be a challenge but it’s fun.

The post Ask a Mormon Woman: How Do You Celebrate Pioneer Day? appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

In English

In Spanish

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