I spoke in Declo 3rd Ward this morning on stake assignment. A woman played "Come Come Ye Saints" on a violin built in the 1700's that had come across the plains with an ancestor, This unique violin had the carving of a man's bearded head at the end of the strings. He looked down the bridge as if watching over the strings being played. On the back of the violin was an intricate carving of the city in Europe in which it was built. Words were carved around the perimeter of the violin. It was a work of art in many ways.
On the front of the ward' s program it asked "What lessons can we learn from the Pioneers?" It was a good prelude to what I had to say.
We'd returned from a 4 day trek in Wyoming last night so I had some personal experiences to share in regards to Pioneer Day. I admit I started out on the trek a little skeptical at the thought of "pretending" we were pioneers with our ward dressing up in dresses and hats bought at the DI or dug out of boxes other wards had used. I was also hesitant to be ma and pa to pretend children while carrying around dolls for babies.
I felt a little embarrassed too that our little camp of 85 people was followed by a refrigerated semi trailer filled with hamburgers, sausage, hot dogs, sandwich meats, watermelon, cantaloupe, honey dew melon and key lime pie while taking field trips to commemorate places where people dying of starvation were only allotted 4 ounces of flour per day in freezing conditions.
Lesson 1: I had visited these sights a few years ago with Dad, Mom and Peter. I can attest that despite whether we were dressed up in pioneer garb or not, had a full belly or hungry there is a spirit at these sights that leaves me heart broken. I've often felt these sights; including the Carthage jail, the war memorials in DC, and German concentration camps should have little sound proof booths next to them where we can step inside and sob until we have cleansed our soul of the hurt and sorrow these people experienced in their trials.
Lesson 2: On one occasion before a river crossing we were asked to pick up a stone while we were seated listening to the sister missionary telling of their hardships. Jessica assumed that the object lesson would be for her to keep the stone as a souvenir of the Trek. She searched around until she had found a remarkable green colored rock with a white stripe running through it and showed it to me. It was an interesting little rock. To her surprise and dismay the missionary told us these rocks represented our sins and burdens we carry and as we passed over the river to through it in symbolically representing repentance and letting our sins be washed away.
Sitting there on our plastic buckets in the hot sun I thought how our sins and weaknesses, like this rock, are sometimes our prized possessions we don't want to get rid of. When I think of sins I think of a snake pit or something dark and evil when in reality sin is bright and attractive and something very enjoyable and exciting. It so that it keeps our attention and we turn to it often to relieve the pain of facing reality. But like a carnival ride it ends and we must get off the ride and either pay for another if we want the fun to continue. I think she wanted us to understand that the Savior through repentance can give us a permanent peace with out the negative side effects of sin. It is only through the Savior can we find relief from the underlying suffering we are going through.
Lesson 3: We came back to an air conditioned house, a green lawn and a full fridge but I didn't feel guilty or more appreciative of my material goods. I think if my reliance on the Savior is at the same level as the saints who were holed up in Martin's Cove in freezing, starving conditions there is a peace that surpasseth understanding regardless the outward cirumstances. I don't think we have to be driven to the plains to come close to the Savior.
"In every condition-in sickness, in health, in poverty's vale or abounding in wealth, at home or abroad, on the land or the sea-as thy days may deman, so thy succor shall be." (How Firm a Foundation, pg 85)
I am thankful I went on the Trek. The Mormon Mecca of our time.
Sincerely, Paula
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