Day 205-Pioneer Day

I read a story recently that really touched me. This story is found in a book called Love Life and See a Good Day, that will be coming out sometime this fall from Deseret Book.

There was a man come from England to join the Saints in the Salt Lake Valley. He brought with him his wife and young son. On the way across the plains, his wife and child became ill. His wife died, and they buried her in an unmarked grave. The company moved on and the next day, this pioneer lost his boy. He walked back to where his wife was buried, unburied her, laid their child in her arms and buried them both together.

His journal is empty for weeks. When he finally did write, he just said, "We kept moving."

I think that that is really the motto of early Saints. They kept moving. They were persecuted, forced from their homes, and giving to much mocking and scorn. But they were strong. They kept moving.

I'm an grateful for the strength those early Saints had, and am proud to have them as part of my heritage.