Good afternoon brothers and sisters. I would like to begin by reading a few stanzas of the poem Pioneers! O Pioneers! by Walt Whitman
Come my tan-faced children,
Follow well in order, get your weapons ready,
Have you your pistols? have you your sharp-edged axes?
Pioneers! O pioneers!
For we cannot tarry here,
We must march my darlings, we must bear the brunt of danger,
We the youthful sinewy races, all the rest on us depend,
Pioneers! O pioneers!
O you youths, Western youths,
So impatient, full of action, full of manly pride and friendship,
Plain I see you Western youths, see you tramping with the foremost,
Pioneers! O pioneers!
Have the elder races halted?
Do they droop and end their lesson, wearied over there beyond the seas?
We take up the task eternal, and the burden and the lesson,
Pioneers! O pioneers!
As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we take up the task eternal; to stand for truth and righteousness. Alma the elder challenged those who were about to join the church to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death. Our task in this life is to remain faithful to that which we were taught before we came to this earth. Alma also taught this life is a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God; a time to prepare for that endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection of the dead. The Lord revealed to Abraham the eternal nature of spirits. In Abraham 3 vs 24 we read and there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him; We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell; And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them. Our life here on earth is a test; will we be faithful to the Lord? Will we do all things whatsoever the Lord God shall command us?
We can find strength in learning of others’ struggles and how they responded to the Lord’s command. Many of the early Latter-Day Saints were disowned by their families after being baptized into the church. My Grandma Jensen often told the story of her great grandfather Winger; who accepted the gospel as a young medical student in Norway. “He was immediately kicked out of medical school. He was called to serve a mission and spent the next five years doing missionary work in his homeland. Much of the time he was jailed and persecuted. One Christmas Eve, his mother came to the jail to bring him their traditional Christmas Eve feast of fish cakes. She cried and begged him to give up this strange new religion or she would be unable to see him again. He refused, and his weeping mother left the jail that night, never to see him again. In between his missionary service and his jail confinements, he learned to be a cobbler and saved enough money to come to America. On board ship, he married Anna Marie Salverson. She had been born into a wealthy family, had been educated in a fine needlework school for girls, had never known a hard day’s work in her life. When she accepted the gospel, she too was disowned by her family. She obtained employment and saved enough money to come to America, walked across the plains, helped her husband pioneer and settle in Cache valley in Hyrum. Her daughters were dressed in the finest dresses because of the needlework skills of their mother. She made many alter cloths for the Logan Temple.” Both of them gave up lives of comfort and security for unknown challenges and sure struggles. They took up the task eternal, they decided they would do all things the Lord commanded them.
I appreciate the example of my great great grandfather Winger. He had a career ahead of him and a family who loved him very much. But he sacrificed his plan for the Lord’s plan. I feel I have developed many of my own plans only to find out they were not according to the Lord’s plan for me. When facing adversity, I have often asked Why? Why do I suffer with this? Why would the Lord seemingly withhold blessings? As Whitman declared, O you youths, Western youths, So impatient, full of action, full of manly pride and friendship. My step-dad who I affectionately refer to as Dad-Del often counsels me to slip on my eternal glasses and recognize the Lord is seeing the whole picture of our progression whereas we only see the present. His encouragement to trust in the Lord still helps me change my plan when the Lord reveals His.
Elder Wirthlin relates his mother’s counsel at a time when he was discouraged after losing a football game. Joseph, she said, come what may and love it. Elder Wirthlin later taught the saints, learning to endure times of disappointment, suffering, and sorrow is part of our on-the-job training. These experiences, while often difficult to bear at the time, are precisely the kinds of experiences that stretch our understanding, build our character, and increase our compassion for others.
Because Jesus Christ suffered greatly, He understands our suffering. He understands our grief. We experience hard things so that we too may have increased compassion and understanding for others.
Elder Wirthlin counsels us to remember the sublime words of the Savior to the Prophet Joseph Smith when he suffered with his companions in the smothering darkness of Liberty Jail: “My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.” With that eternal perspective, Joseph took comfort from these words, and so can we. Sometimes the very moments that seem to overcome us with suffering are those that will ultimately suffer us to overcome.
I’m sure many of the pioneers doubted their ability to continue across the plains to Zion. A sure testimony of the gospel kept them going with faith in every footstep.
Our trials are not eternal. Luckily, we are.
In Alma 36 vs 3 we read, Whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day.
For we cannot tarry here
We know this life is a part of our eternal existence. We can look forward to the day when our trials will end. Ether 12:4 wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God
All the rest on us depend
Before Helaman’s sons Nephi and Lehi went out on their missions, their father gave them this counsel:
“Behold, my sons, I desire that ye should remember to keep the commandments of God; and would that ye should declare unto the people these words. Behold, I have given unto you the names of our first parents who came out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I have done that when you remember your names ye may remember them; and when ye remember them ye may remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may know how that it is said, and also written, that they were good.
“Therefore, my sons, I would that ye should do that which is good, that it may be said of you, and also written, even as it has been said and written of them” (Helaman 5:6–7).
When Helaman spoke these words, 500 years had passed away and they were still remembering Lehi and Nephi of old and what examples they were as the first prophets in the Book of Mormon; they were still naming their children after them because of their good example and their good works. Mervyn B. Arnold, “Make Your Life a Legacy,” New Era, Jun 2007, 40–43
We too can honor the legacy of those who have gone before us. My Grandma Jensen passed away last week. She left a legacy of faithfulness despite challenges, she took up the task eternal, and decided to do all things the Lord commanded her.
Have the elder races halted?
Do they droop and end their lesson, wearied over there beyond the seas?
We take up the task eternal, and the burden and the lesson,
Pioneers! O pioneers!
I bear testimony that our Savior is aware of us especially in times of trial. I know He can and will comfort us and help us bear the burdens or mortality and that if we are faithful, we will receive eternal blessings. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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