That Pioneer Spirit
by Jeanne Peugh, Director
As we close out July, we remember the pioneer spirit that trudged across the center of this country in the last half of the 1800s to bring peace to battle-worn members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and forge new possibilities for this great nation in the West. We celebrate their triumph, their success, their tenacity, and their faith. They physically accomplished what we can scarcely imagine. However, theirs was not just a physical effort, but a spiritual one as well, for as they trekked across miles they also trekked across time.
Family Search, a collective database of ancestral information, has the names of 1.1 billion individuals. This is not just a random collection of names, but rather a linked ancestral pedigree of the human family. At the start of this dispensation, church members delved into their records and histories to begin gathering information on their ancestors for the performance of the work for the dead. Their great legacy has laid the groundwork of this database. Almost anyone can work their lines back a few generations and tap into this great reservoir of family history, finding ancestors five, six, and more generations back past what they previously knew. In addition, these facts often come with life histories, journal notes, and family stories, that can fill with faith and courage for these troubled times of today.
These pioneers of old, like us today, reach into the past to prepare for the future, drawing power from those before us to strengthen those who will come after us. It is our duty and joy to be a part of it!
Akron Ohio Stake News 