As the church grows throughout the world, more and more of its members lack the three hundred (or whatever it is) generation link to the plain crossing pioneers. They might wonder how pioneer day affects them. Of course, learning about the faith-building experiences of others can help us resolve to strengthen our testimonies and press forward with faith. But what can we modern day pioneers do?
You see, I am one of those pioneers. As I’ve mentioned before, I am a convert, the first generation in my family. I was blessed not to have strong opposition from my parents when I joined the church, but they weren’t overly thrilled with my decision. Still, as we share stories from my husband’s pioneer heritage, I have also made sure that I have passed on the story of my conversion to my children. For now, of course, they get the simplified version – that Mommy never knew she had a Heavenly Father that loved her, and that when she found out, it brought her happiness and joy. As they grow older, I’ll share more details.
As I type this, I realized once again that there is another pioneer story missing from our litany. My father-in-law is also a convert, and I have never heard the story of his conversion. My husband has never, to my knowledge, shared that story with our children. And so we will have to make sure we not only ask to hear that tale, but also encourage my father-in-law to put it in writing.
We learn so much from the trials the early Latter-day Saints experienced by reading their letters and their journals. How important, then, will our own journals be to our descendants? I encourage you who are converts to share the story of your conversion with your children, perhaps in a Family Home Evening, perhaps in a bedtime story. At the same time, those of you who grew up in the church still had to “discover” your testimony. This, too, is an important story to share with your children, who are also growing up in the church. It will help them to realize that they will have to seek after confirmation that the gospel is true, and encourage them to take that step (or, rather, those many small steps).
Some of us have pioneer ancestors from hundreds of years ago. Some of us are pioneers. Some of us fall midway in between; our LDS ancestors never crossed the plains, but still stood strong enough in their testimonies to bring us into the church. Share these stories with your children, and encourage them to seek out and strengthen their own testimonies.
Related Articles:
RS/EQ: Questioning Your Testimony
Visiting Teaching: Strengthening Your Testimony of Jesus Christ