Remember the Pioneers

I love my pioneer heritage. I come about as close to ancestor worship as you can when I think about them and their sacrifices. When I do, it elevates my thoughts, desires and ambitions. This was also the case in The Book of Mormon. It wasn’t the exodus of pioneers from Nauvoo in this case, of course. Rather, it was THE exodus -- Moses leading the Israelites out of bondage from Egypt into the wilderness. In a number of instances, prophets in The Book of Mormon cited the people back to a remembrance of the Israelites and the challenges they overcame. This often occurred in the midst of a difficult situation, and became a spiritual “reality check” that either woke the people up or gave them courage to choose the right.

 1 Nephi 4:2 Therefore let us go up; let us be strong like unto Moses; for he truly spake unto the waters of the Red Sea and they divided hither and thither..
 
 1 Nephi 17:23 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, spake unto them, saying: Do ye believe that our fathers, who were the children of Israel, would have been led away out of the hands of the Egyptians if they had not hearkened unto the words of the Lord?
 
 Mosiah 7:19 Therefore, lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put your trust in God, in that God who was the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; and also, that God who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, and caused that they should walk through the Red Sea on dry ground
 
 Helaman 8:11 Therefore he was constrained to speak more unto them saying: Behold, my brethren, have ye not read that God gave power unto one man, even Moses, to smite upon the waters of the Red Sea, and they parted hither and thither…
12 And now behold, if God gave unto this man such power, then why should ye dispute among yourselves, and say that he hath given unto me no power whereby I may know concerning the judgments that shall come upon you except ye repent?

LESSON LEARNED: As in The Book of Mormon, an understanding and appreciation of our pioneer heritage can be a source of strength in times of weakness.

FEEDBACK: HOW HAS YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THE PIONEERS BEEN A SOURCE OF STRENGTH TO YOU?