Sunday, July 22, 2007

To Be A Pioneer


This may surprise some of you, but I am completely and totally enthralled by the Mormon Pioneer story. Any song, story, film, or talk dealing with the pioneers can reduce me to tears. Many of my children refuse to sit next to me in Sacrament meeting on Pioneer Day. When the story of Mary Goble Pay is retold, I begin to cry at the Platte River, and by the time her mother dies between the Little and Big Mountains at the entrance of the Salt Lake Valley, my eyes and nose are red and blotchy and my sobs and sniffles are so loud and wet they can be heard throughout the chapel.

I'm a convert, and have no Mormon Pioneer ancestors, so I don't know what it is about their story that has grasped my heart so strongly. I suppose it's the epic, archetypal, "Hero's Journey" that I relate to. I won't go back to Joseph Campbell and try to compare his elements of a hero's journey with our pioneers, but I do want to name some of the facets of the Mormons' trek that resonate with me.

First, the journey starts with the death of their Prophet and all of their hopes and dreams for a new Zion of peace and safety. The pioneers are willing to enter an unknown wilderness because of their faith and belief in something outside of themselves.

Next, they are cast out of their homes and must divest themselves of treasured possessions. This is just wrenching for me. It symbolizes the worldly things we must cast aside as we take our spiritual journey. I suppose I must find this difficult in my own life, as the tale of pianos and china left by the side of the trail holds such pathos for me.

The tales of selfless sacrifice along the way are an important element of the story. Some of these have been embellished to the point of legend, but are important to us as a people. These include Mary Fielding Smith's determination to beat the captain of her wagon train to the valley (and the anointing of her ailing ox); Robert Parker who went back to find his young son carrying his wife's red shawl; and the young men who carried some of the Martin Handcart Company over their last crossing of the Sweetwater and suffered the effects the rest of their lives. These stories highlight our better nature and remind us of the courage and cooperation we must maintain as we help each other toward our goal of eternal life.

I love these stories of bravery and faith. They strengthen me and encourage me to continue my journey. I've got a journey coming up ahead of me in the next few months that may be as difficult as that faced by the pioneers. I hope I'll be found as courageous as they were.

5 comments:

Téa said...

I was invited to give my first Sacrament Meeting talk on the Sunday celebrating Pioneer Day, roughly 5 months after my baptism.

The family that introduced me to the Gospel bought me a copy of "I Walked to Zion: True Stories of Young Pioneers on the Mormon Trail" to help me prepare. Amazing stories, all of them.

I love these stories of bravery and faith. They strengthen me and encourage me to continue my journey. I've got a journey coming up ahead of me in the next few months that may be as difficult as that faced by the pioneers. I hope I'll be found as courageous as they were.

*This* is inspiring to me.

Bored in Vernal said...

Thanks, Téa. Details later.

GeckoMan said...

I too am a convert to the church and the pioneer stories resonate strongly in me as well.

So you're embarking on a pioneer journey of your own. . . Godspeed. Six years ago in Cincinnati I decided to resign from a stable job, uproot my family, fill the wagon (U-haul van) and hit the trail to the west to literally follow a dream. We drove first to Nauvoo and followed the Mormon trail to a new home. These are dear memories our family will never forget. The dream did not materialize, but that's okay; I'm glad we we took the leap of faith.

At that time I began a poem, 'Face Towards Zion,' which took me another five years of journey to complete to my satisfaction. It has became a mantra to me. Please see it and my further comments in my blog.

m_and_m said...

This was a very inspiring post. I love the fact that the pioneer stories are yours, regardless of physical ancestry. The spiritual legacy is so powerful.

One of our favorite videos is the Sesquicentennial celebration that the Church did in 1997. My kids love it, and I cry pretty much every time I watch it.

And their story is indeed a powerful inspiration given what adventure you have revealed. Wow.

Anonymous said...

OMGosh! You like Mary Goble Pay? And Her journey?! That's is awesome! XD She is my great great great great grandmother! I am a descendant of one of her sons. She is my hero, and I'm thrilled you like her! The segment in "I Walked to Zion" is only a small bit of her diary, it continues even after she gets married. You can see the fullest version here:
http://mldb.byu.edu/mgpay.htm