What We Leave Behind

One of the reasons that we revere the Pioneers is the way that they helped and served each other as they crossed the plains.  They often made great sacrifices for each other as they tried to care for the poor and needy and help all to reach the Valley.  Elder Marcus Nash wrote the following in this month’s Ensign article as he quoted another historian, “Few California or Oregon emigrants gave a thought to people coming after them. … Not so the Mormons. The first thought of the pioneer company was to note good campgrounds, wood, water, grass, to measure distances and set up mileposts. They and succeeding companies bent their backs to build bridges and dig down the steep approaches of fords. They made rafts and ferry boats and left them for the use of later companies” (Pioneers: An Anchor for Today, Ensign July 2015).  The Pioneers thought not just of themselves but of other Church members who would be coming after them.  They were bridge builders who cared not just for their own crossing but for the crossing of all those who would come behind.  It seems that this kind of behavior was even mandated by the Lord for the Pioneers: “Let each company prepare houses, and fields for raising grain, for those who are to remain behind this season; and this is the will of the Lord concerning his people” (D&C 136:9).  In addition to the Pioneers, I think the writers of the Book of Mormon are examples of those who sacrificed for future generations.

                Moroni is certainly one who spent his life serving those whom he would never see in mortality and who would come to earth thousands of years after his death.  He was alone for at least 35 years after his people were destroyed and yet he continued to write for future generations.  He recorded, “Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not.  But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing” (Mormon 8:35).  He engraved his words on the plates—despite feeling nearly overcome by his weakness—and poured over the records of Ether and abridged that, and then left many of the words of the Savior and his father for us to read.  He knew that no one in his lifetime would benefit from his work, but he was selfless enough to spend his time preparing the records for us who would come after him.  His father Mormon was the same way.  He certainly knew that no one in his own time would benefit from his abridgment of the plates.  But, “according to the will of God”, he made the record and by so doing greatly blessed our generation (3 Nephi 5:14).  In reality all of the Book of Mormon writers likewise were very concerned about future generations and made great sacrifices in order to preserve their record for those who would come behind.  Jacob wrote specifically of “the difficulty of engraving our words upon plates” and yet he still did it, saying it “will give our children, and also our beloved brethren” knowledge (Jacob 4:1-2).                  The question for us, then, is what are we doing for those who will come behind?  What bridge will we make so that future travelers will have an easier time crossing?