Mormon Life - Pioneer Day tag

Potterpalooza and Pioneer Trek: The Power of Stories for Building Communities

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 16:14:00 -0600

source: motleyvision.org/ldscinema/

Mormon Life says: This seemed like an interesting correlation: after attending a Harry Potter event, the writer found it interesting how both groups - Harry Potter fans and pioneer trek participants - go to such extents to remember a story. I recently had the opportunity to do something I’ve never done before and may never do again: attend the midnight screening of a popular film, opening night. See, my sister somehow won two tickets to an event called “Potterpalooza” at a local theater. As you can probably guess, this was basically a big pre-screening party for the latest and last installment in the Harry Potter franchise. However, my sister had to go to her ward’s Girls’ Camp (as an advisor) and couldn’t make it. Her husband, while not particularly a Potter fan, decided to go and invited me because we basically enjoy doing anything together, and he couldn’t think of anyone else who would want the tickets more. So the two of us ended up meeting at Jordan Commons in Sandy, UT around 11:00 that night (we couldn’t make it earlier) for the big event.

{A&E} Listen to This: Video/Song Tribute to the Pioneers

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:02:00 -0600

by Kate Ensign-Lewis
source: MormonLife.com

Most of us have heard the story of the rescuers who carried beleaguered handcart Saints across the Sweetwater River. It’s a beautiful story. It has been a favorite of general authorities for years. This video shares that story with a song complementing it (sung by LDS artist Wayne Burton, with Rebecca Lopez, and orchestrated by Kenneth Cope). The song really is beautiful. It’s perfect for this time of year when we remember the pioneers and their examples.

I’d like to make a note about the story, which some of you may know isn’t historically accurate: First of all, I love reading about Mormon Myths. I recently got to indulge my interest when I wrote on the topic for the July/August issue (see articles here and here). Some of these stories may not have actually happened, but they are still important because they are true to our culture’s values. They illustrate things we believe deeply—that good will be rewarded and evil will be punished, that God is watching out for us, that the unexplainable can be explained. So, when I ran across this beautiful video and heard the story at the beginning, I felt that familiar interest again.

The Sweetwater Rescue as many of us have heard it is not strictly true—among other things, more than just three braved the waters. (Click here to read an excellent article on the subject.) And while they didn’t carry every member of the company across, the heroism is not diminished, and the familiar story we share still communicates an important lesson: when we lose ourselves in the service of our fellow beings, we find all the life and blessings we could ever desire.

I love the way this video communicates that. So, in this season where we traditionally turn our hearts to pioneers, I hope you enjoy what this video says about selflessness and love.

Blessed Honored Pioneer

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:03:00 -0600

by S. Michael Wilcox
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: As I think of Pioneer Day, I remember my traditional walk every time I leave Nauvoo. I undergo a traditional ritual every time I leave Nauvoo. It is a walk from the blacksmith shop down the “trail of tears” to the Mississippi River. I walk slowly, looking frequently behind me to the lovely city and the temple reigning above it and let the land speak. What fears and regrets, hopes and anticipations passed down the road to the river in wagon after wagon? A chorus of emotion still echoes through the dust and around the once abandoned buildings. There was no “Come, Come, Ye Saints” to cheer and strengthen in those early months. I have a journal account of the day by day progress across the plains written by an ancestor. Her entries tersely record what was on the minds of so many as they struggled across the plains towards that final descent into the Salt Lake Valley.

“June 23rd. A little child died with the measles this evening in the wagon next behind us. “

“June 27th. Passed five fresh graves yesterday after crossing a creek.”

“June 28th. Rained this morning. Cold and uncomfortable. Several quite unwell in our camp. Passed the fifteenth new made grave.”

“July 3rd. A child died and was buried yesterday. Another this morning, making six persons out of our camp. We have passed 33 graves besides.”

They passed the landmarks that are so familiar to us, but not to them, for the great Westward migrations of the 1800’s were just beginning. The Platte, the Sweetwater, Independence Rock, Devil’s Gate, South Pass, Big Mountain—the names continue on and on as long and tiring as the plodding march of oxen and the singing creak of the wheels. Still, the tiny mounds of soil or piles of rocks weighed in their minds more forcefully than mountain ranges or river fords.

To read the full article, click here.

Photo Gallery: 2011 Days of '47 parade

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:56:00 -0600

source: ldschurchnews.com

The glitter of the floats were reflected in the eyes of the spectators July 25 as the Days of '47 parade strolled down the streets and painted wild fantasies, including an animal tabernacle choir, bees who drove cars and spaceships, and even a friendly shark who sported flotation wings.

Following this year's theme of "Press Forward Pioneers," onlookers gazed in amazement as thousands of gallons of glitter took on the form of a magical wonderland of sea creatures who "sailed forward," and penguin missionaries who "press forward unto every nation."

The parade included 50 floats, 20 of them sponsored by LDS wards and stakes, who started working on them as early as January.

Pioneer Day, The Sweetwater Rescue, and the Role of History in Mormonism

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:28:00 -0600

source: juvenileinstructor.org

Mormon Life says: In light of our somewhat recent Mormon myths article, as well as Pioneer Day, this article was interesting. While I generally like to challenge–if not completely burst–historical myths, both in and outside the classroom, I sincerely hesitated to write and publish this post on Pioneer Day. I don’t like being an iconoclast for iconoclasm’s sake. But in hearing the story discussed below several times over the last week (including in the ward I am currently attending, in the classroom, in the Ensign, and even on the internet), I thought this was an issue that needed to be addressed. Thus, I hope that the discussion is more sophisticated than merely degenerating into “average Mormons don’t know diddley squat about history.” That would, indeed, be missing the point.

Everyone knows the traditional story of the Sweetwater Rescue–and I imagine that most readers of this blog know the problems with it. In November, 1846, the beleaguered Martin Handcart Company reached the Sweetwater River in Wyoming. Plagued by a late start, they faced terrible weather conditions that slowed them down and made the trek nearly unbearable. Brigham Young, when hearing of their plight, sent out rescuers to help them finish the final leg of their migration. The rest of the story is the stuff of legend.

Pioneer Day Quiz

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:24:00 -0600

source: heraldextra.com

Mormon Life says: We're publishing this a little late, but it's still fun trivia. 1. When did the Mormon exodus West begin?

2. When did the advance party of Mormon pioneers arrive in the Salt Lake Valley?

3. When did the full first company of Mormon pioneers arrive in the Salt Lake Valley?

4. Were there African-Americans with the first group of Pioneers in Utah?

Mormon Tabernacle Choir brings 'Wonderful World' of tribute songs

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:01:00 -0600

source: deseretnews.com

Mormon Life says: This is a rundown of the Choir's Pioneer Day Commemoration Concert, for those who were unable to see it. From the days of the Mormon Battalion through every war and every peace since, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have shown their love and dedication to the United States of America with a passionate and devoted spirit. Many have served and sacrificed in countless ways as "builders of the nation."

That spirit and dedication was honored in story at song at the annual Pioneer Day Commemoration Concert presented Friday night in the Conference Center by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square under the direction of Mack Wilberg and with honored guests Brian Stokes Mitchell and Linda Eder.

The multimedia presentation "For Those Who Follow: A Tribute to Our Armed Forces" demonstrated the common bonds between pioneers and soldiers; the sharing of faith and fortitude, struggles and fears; and the building of hope for the future.

Pioneer Day 2011

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 11:40:00 -0600

by Marianne Monson
source: MormonLife.com

If you have ever watched a child listen breathlessly to the ending of a fairy tale, you know that stories are amazingly powerful. Stories have the ability to transport us, teach us, entertain and inspire us. Humans have been telling stories for thousands of years, and every culture has its own stories that are distinctly important to its people. As such stories are told and retold, it is as if we as listeners are being gathered around a fire—we are welcomed into an intimate circle united with a common history. When we tell the stories of our culture, we learn something about ourselves: where we have come from, where we fit in a larger sense, what we stand for and who we are.

As members of a religious culture, there are many shared stories that hold meaning for us. Most of these stories are found in the scriptures. But others are drawn from the early history of the church. Pioneer stories have important meaning for the family descendants of pioneers, certainly, but in a larger sense they also belong to every member of the Church, regardless of how recently they have arrived.

A staggering 70,000 people joined the Church and crossed the plains during the twenty years of the “pioneer” movement. These members came primarily from the eastern U.S. states and Europe. They gathered and walked a pioneer trail that stretched 1,300 miles from the swamp lands of Missouri and Illinois, across the plains of Nebraska, over the mountains of Wyoming and into the valley of Salt Lake City, Utah, in what would become the largest religious overland migration in the history of the world.

Coming with wagons, oxen, handcarts, and trail-worn shoes, these pioneers were unique. They came speaking Spanish, English, Welsh, French, Russian, German and many other languages. They gathered with an immense variety of customs, life experiences and economic circumstances.

There were impoverished victims of the Irish potato famine who had watched their crops fail and friends and family members die of starvation. There were members of the English aristocracy, like Maria Susannah Merrick Maddison, who found comfort in the Church’s doctrine of salvation for children when her own baby died before it could be baptized. There were teenagers like Christian Hans Monson, who first heard the gospel in Norway where baptism and proselytizing was illegal—and was disowned by his family before his emigration.

Considering all the ways they differed, it is astounding that they found success. But in spite of all that divided them, they were united by their newly-found faith and their desire to create a community where they could worship peacefully. These unifying goals enabled them to overcome the overwhelming differences and successfully build a place of safety together.

The sacrifices and struggles of these pioneers are part of our culture’s sacred stories. They belong to every member of the Church, whether he was baptized last week or decades ago, whether she is the first member in her family or traces her history back through generations. As we tell and listen to pioneer stories, we are welcomed into a circle by the fire. We become part of this collective history and learn more about who we as members of this religious culture truly are.

Perhaps in a larger sense, little has changed in the past one hundred and fifty years. Yes, there are differences. We have traded sunbonnets and sego lily bulbs for cell phones and the trappings of the modern world. We are a great deal more numerous, and we reach to nearly every corner of the globe. Today we speak an even larger number of languages—we could add Swahili, Portuguese, Estonian, Arabic, Korean and Maori to that list. And we still come from a dazzling diversity of life experiences, economic situations and backgrounds.

Yet most importantly, what unites us continues to be much more important than what separates us. We are still united by our faith, by our devotion to God and by our desire to build communities and strong families where we can worship in peace. This is a part of our history as well as our future. It is a part of who we are. And these goals are attainable because the early pioneers laid a firm foundation upon which future generations could build.

So this July 24th, gather your family or friends and tell some of these stories. Tell them around the dinner table, in the office or riding in the car. Tell them to remind us all that we are a part of a larger culture, working toward a common goal. Tell them as stories that belong to every one of us, and as you listen, imagine the crackling of a fire as the glowing embers float up into a star-laden sky.

--
Marianne Monson is the author of The Enchanted Tunnels Series as well as The Mima Journals.

Pioneer Rodeo: President Monson

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 10:45:00 -0600

source: ldschurchnews.com

President Thomas S. Monson watches the bareback riding during the Days of '47 Rodeo on July 18 in West Valley City, Utah. The annual rodeo has been a Pioneer Days staple in Utah since 1949.

Photo Gallery: 1947 centennial Pioneer Day parade

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 10:32:00 -0600

source: sltrib.com

Mormon Life says: Oh my, I love these vintage photos of the Pioneer Day parade! The Salt Lake Tribune occasionally presents images from its archives in a special series called A Look Back. This collection shows historical images of the centennial Days of '47 parade in downtown Salt Lake City from July, 1947.

Mormon Battalion is still leading the Pioneer Day parade

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 10:29:00 -0600

source: sltrib.com

The Mormon Battalion marched in the first Pioneer Day Parade, and 162 years later the Mormon Battalion Association will carry the colors in Monday’s Days of ’47 Parade.

"The parade itself is one of the longest-running in the country, and the Mormon Battalion has been part of it since the beginning," said Jodene Smith, the co-chairman of the event. Records are incomplete, but "other than the war years, I would imagine, they have always been a staple at the Pioneer Day parade. They would have to be the oldest entry."

There will be 115 entries in this year’s parade, up from 109 a year ago, with fewer horses, but more floats, Smith said.

{Lifestyle} A New Meaning for the 24th of July

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:01:00 -0600

by Ashley Bardsley
source: MormonLife.com

On the 24th of July I usually look forward to playing outside, popsicles, and water activities. This year I will be sure to take time to really think about what the day means.

Let me explain.

A couple weeks ago I found myself in the middle of a crazy workday. Some things went down and I got offended, upset, and really tired. It was one of the few days I can remember where I just felt down. Looking back now I think it is a little comical how one thing really altered my mood as much as it did. I just wanted to get home, put the PJs on, and watch Anne of Green Gables. I’m sure we have all had these days.

Instead I walked in my front door, pulled the vanilla ice-cream out to thaw and made myself an incredible root beer float (RBF). I called my husband up and RBF in hand, walked to the car and met him at the movie theater. As we have already established, a good movie can really just make you feel better, no?

I took fellow LDS Living blogger and long-time pal Ashley Jones’ advice and saw 17 Miracles.

I tell you what, about five minutes into the movie my heart began to change. Watching stories I had just read about being reenacted before me was an interesting experience. I knew the trek was difficult, I knew there were miracles along the way, but I didn’t realize just how required those miracles were for survival.

The movie ended. I wiped my tears and stayed sitting as I recounted how upset I had been just a couple of hours earlier because of something so insignificant. I had food, shelter, happiness, and a good job. Why was I so upset?

Unfortunately, sometimes it really does take seeing someone who has it a lot worse than you to pick up your spirits. This 24th of July I will be giving thanks for those who struggled so much for what they truly believed in.

--
Ashley Bardsley is a contributing writer for LDS Living. The few things she enjoys more than traveling the world as an event coordinator include making and eating cupcakes, sleeping in and watching Saved by the Bell reruns with her husband.