To Be A Pioneer
Today, in our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) we celebrate July 24th as Pioneer Day. A day when men, women and children arrived in the Salt Lake Valley after months of traveling the plains by foot, pushing handcarts. They took all they had, which wasn't much, left their homes to be able to practice their religion in peace, after being driven out by mobs. Thousands of them crossed the plains (and oceans too) to come to the Salt Lake Valley, pushing handcarts; some dying along the way, full of faith in God that he would lead them to a land where they could live in peace. Their trials were many, their joys were sustained as they sacrificed time, health, and sometimes their lives to be able to worship how they may. 289 youth in the Oregon City area from our church had the opportunity to experience a tiny fraction of what they went through, for us, for all of us, last week as they ventured to Bing Canyon to push their