Go As Pioneers

The word pioneer only appears once in scripture, and that is in the section organizing the early Saints in their trek westward from Winter Quarters: “Let each company, with their captains and presidents, decide how many can go next spring; then choose out a sufficient number of able-bodied and expert men, to take teams, seeds, and farming utensils, to go as pioneers to prepare for putting in spring crops” (D&C 136:7).  Here those who were to lead the way in the spring of 1847 to head first to the Rocky Mountains and plant crops were considered pioneers.  It was this group who would forge the trail, helping prepare the way for those who would later travel the same trail, making great sacrifices to serve those coming behind them.  This would at least be in part an effort of love to be able to help those who would come later and in particular who would need food.  This kind of service and sacrifice for those coming after us is at the core of what we understand a pioneer to be. 

               Looking at the rest of this revelation given to Brigham Young, I think we see that the essence of being a pioneer is indeed love and service.  The Lord’s requirements for His traveling Saints shows that it wasn’t enough for an individual to make the journey—they were to love and take care of each other and help all to make the journey.  For example, the Lord commanded, “Let each company bear an equal proportion, according to the dividend of their property, in taking the poor, the widows, the fatherless, and the families of those who have gone into the army, that the cries of the widow and the fatherless come not up into the ears of the Lord against this people” (D&C 136:8).  A true pioneer cares for those in need, particularly the widows and orphans—just as James taught about those with “pure religion”—ensuring that all the travelers could make the journey successfully (James 1:27).  The Lord asked that they be as concerned with the success of the whole body of Saints as with their own travels, requiring that “every man use all his influence and property to remove this people” (D&C 136:10).  These pioneers were also required in daily activities to treat others with respect and love: “ Seek ye; and keep all your pledges one with another; and covet not that which is thy brother’s….  Cease to contend one with another; cease to speak evil one of another” (D&C 136:20, 23).  To be a true pioneer included treating others as the Savior would want us to treat them; to the Saints the trek across the wilderness was not a lawless venture where the strongest survived but a united effort of love and devotion to the Lord and each other to build up Zion.  The legacy of that first company of Saints is one of service and love that blessed not only those who immediately followed them but all the generations that came after.  We now seek to likewise “go as pioneers” to whatever tasks the Lord has called us, trying to love and serve as they did: “Ev’ry day some burden lifted, Ev’ry day some heart to cheer, Ev’ry day some hope the brighter, Blessed, honored Pioneer!”