Pioneer Day History And Why We Celebrate It

Why do we celebrate Pioneer Day? Good question! Many outside the LDS church aren’t aware of the terrible treatment the early Saints endured. When the Church was brand new and Joseph Smith was still alive, being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was difficult. The Saints in other lands were bullied, beaten, and murdered. So Joseph Smith, and later Brigham Young encouraged the members of the church to gather together, they called it Zion.

Gather Together

It was a protective move as much as a supportive one. But the atrocities followed the Saints wherever they went. They tried living in Kirtland Ohio, but were forcefully driven out and found temporary refuge in Illinois and Missouri. One of the worst tragedies was yet to come.

On October 30, 1838, as part of the escalating violence that drove early Saints out of the state of Missouri, a company of rogue militiamen attacked the Saints at Hawn’s Mill.1 While women and most children from the settlement hid in the woods, a group of Latter-day Saint men and boys sought shelter in the blacksmith’s shop.

The attackers surrounded the shop and shot repeatedly through the gaps between the roughly hewn log walls, killing both those inside the shop and those who attempted to surrender. After the initial attack, they dragged out several young boys who had hidden under the blacksmith’s bellows and shot them execution style. Seventeen Latter-day Saints were killed and another 12 to 15 were wounded.

This quote is from Church History online. I had relatives who were at Haun’s Mill and were murdered that day.

The Prophet Martyered

Sadly it wasn’t long before the prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were martyred in Carthage Jail. They had been arrested on false charges and were murdered by a mob with painted faces. I’ve been to Carthage Jail. The room they died in has a holy feeling. There is no doubt, when you feel the Spirit in that place, that good men gave their lives for what they believed in.

The persecution of the Saints didn’t stop with the death of Joseph and Hyrum. In fact, many were motivated to step up their disgusting behavior. After both of those tragic events and many more, the leaders of the church decided the Saints weren’t safe in Illinois and Missouri any longer.

So they prepared to go west to find an uncharted territory where they could worship in peace. It was clear that the US wasn’t a safe place anymore. Members of the church were being robbed, beaten, raped, and tormented at every turn. Many were driven from their homes in the middle of the night while the mob looted and burned everything they had.

Go West Young Man!

Despite the efforts of the Church’s leaders, the Saints were driven out of their beautiful city Nauvoo during a frigid winter. Their temple was burned to the ground. Women and children were forced to walk across the frozen Mississippi River with only what they could carry. 

In fact, there was a Mormon Extermination Order signed by Governor Boggs just before the Haun’s Mill massacre, that gave people the legal right to shoot any member of the church on sight.

That order was not rescinded till June 25, 1976. It’s totally disgusting in my opinion that something so heinous was allowed to happen in the United States. My ancestors were among those tormented by these mobs. 

In April of 1847, Brigham Young led a group of Saints from Far West Missouri across the Rocky Mountains. They were looking for a new home for the members of the church. A place where they would be able to create a community in peace, where there was no corrupt government determined to wipe them out. It was a long and hard trip that stretched over a thousand miles.

This is the right place

Then on July 24, 1847, an ill and exhausted Brigham Young entered the Salt Lake Valley with the first group of Pioneers. The wagon teams and people were spent. But Brigham Young sat up in the wagon and declared that “this is the right place” that God had shown him in revelation. And I’m sure there was great rejoicing.

The saints had arrived in their new home, their haven of safety. After seventeen years of persecution and suffering the Saints were finally in a safe place. It was outside the US, in Utah territory, desolate and lonely. But it was safe and the answer to many prayers.

That wonderful day, July 24, is now a holiday in Utah and one celebrated around the world by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It has been dubbed Pioneer Day because we celebrate the Pioneers and their great sacrifices to bring their families to Salt Lake where they could thrive in peace. 

Celebrations

There are all kinds of celebrations for Pioneer Day. Around the world, members of the church gather with music, food, and fun.

We hold pageants, parades, commemoration concerts, reenactments of the trek west, and other Pioneer-themed activities. When I was a kid, we dressed up as Pioneers for our celebrations. It was fun.

In Utah, businesses close, and everyone lights fireworks on a much-anticipated state-wide holiday. It is a celebration that rivals the 4th of July for patriotism and pyrotechnics. There is also “The Days of 47 Rodeo” which is Utah’s longest-standing tradition to celebrate Pioneer Day.

I often reflect on the sacrifices of the early Saints and their difficult journey west. I’ve heard many stories of their faith and dedication on the journey. There were many miracles and the hand of God was with them. I wonder how well I would have done on that trip.  But more than anything I am grateful for their examples. 

They endured terrible persecution and even though I know they were traumatized, they kept moving forward. The Saints chose to keep trying, to work together to create a beautiful oasis in the desert. As I drive down the streets of Salt Lake City, I am amazed at how this once desolate place has blossomed. You’d never know, looking around, how many tears and prayers were prayed to get to this valley. I’m honored to be descended from such strong and faithful people. They have left a truly beautiful Pioneer legacy.