Today is the 24th of July, the day members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints celebrate their pioneer heritage.
At age 19 I had the opportunity to take a month long tour across the United States to study the American Heritage, American Literature and Church History sites. It was AWESOME--one of our stops was the Winter Quarters Temple and Visitors Center.
At age 19 I had the opportunity to take a month long tour across the United States to study the American Heritage, American Literature and Church History sites. It was AWESOME--one of our stops was the Winter Quarters Temple and Visitors Center.
This temple is unique because the grounds encompass a cemetery. The juxtaposition of the Lord's house where families are sealed for eternity and the cemetery where families are separated for time is inspiring.I didn't appreciate this fully at 19.
And I didn't really 'get it' at 25 when I lived in Iowa and would come to this temple.
At 26. . .I get it.
My Dad told me that when he saw Blaine and I kneeling across from one another to bury Shiloh that he was overcome with an image of the pioneers crossing the plains, burying their babies in the ground.
[This] statue stands in the center of the cemetery. It signifies the couple pressing on through hard trials. The cemetery here in Winters Quarters is a children's cemetery. Many families suffered the loss of a child or children. (http://www.mormonchic.com/gospel/ch_tour_winter_qtrs.asp)
Today, I am grateful for my pioneers. It is a happy day.
And all is well. . .
5 comments:
It was awesome. So many things I learned then mean more to me now. Interesting how that works.
It was a cool place. Of course, I wasn't there when the temple was there, but it was still awesome to see.
Glad to hear you're back daily blogging - like I said before - you're better reading than a novel from the library! You've got one fan rooting for ya! I'm grateful for your blog - see my first of 40!
One of Dallin and my dreams is to go back east and make our way west, hitting all the church history sites on the way. I remember the day I walked down Parley Street and thought of all the pioneers as they walked down that same street, gazing back at their beloved temple and realizing they were leaving it all behind. I doubt any of them realized the losses they would face or the hardships and trials that would come across their paths, but I don't think any of them would have traded their experience for anything. What a beautiful heritage we all have to look back on and draw strength from. Thank you for the reminder.
Ditto. I love pioneer stories and pioneer songs which we got to hear today at church. I love our pioneer heritage. It strengthens me.
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