We had our requisite pioneer talk this past Sunday. Certainly not as boring as the four five-minute reports about the recent girls and boys camps, but predictable and boring nonetheless. Luckily for me, Gospel Doctrine had some uplifting moments and I hadn’t decided to be perturbed and pack up right after Sacrament. I am not sure if it all balanced out or not, but I did feel uplifted at some points yesterday and I did get to take the Sacrament, so I am not about to write it off yet.
Anyhow, on to my point. The main speaker said, among other tidbits, at one point that we should be grateful for the pioneers of southern Alberta.
Why?
I am not related to any of them (well, not outside of marriages within my wife’s family). They didn’t really help establish Church doctrine or practise. The Church in southern Alberta has not made me the person I am today.
In actuality, I am more grateful for the pioneers in Regina than I am for the ones in southern Alberta. It’s those pioneers who directly influenced my life.
The first LDS meetinghouse I ever attended was one built by the Regina pioneers. My parents joined the church partly because they were befriended by Regina pioneers (or their children). I was taught in Primary by Regina pioneers (and their descendants). I was there when two Regina branches became two Regina wards nearly thirty years ago. My own parents were pioneers.
The list, of course, goes on.
Can’t say a single one of those things about southern Alberta. Nope. I am about as grateful for southern Alberta pioneers as I am for Ontario pioneers (well, maybe less, since John Taylor was from Ontario). I definitely see no reason why I should be grateful for them.
I should clarify too, that these southern Alberta pioneer relationships are from my mother’s second marriage, and my cousin being married to someone who’s family comes from southern Alberta. My pioneer ancestors weren’t LDS. But they settled Canada and I am darn proud to be realted to them.
Actually I enjoyed a few of the talks, myself, the spiritual aspect of them and even the key talk was spiritual, but I too was a bit bothered by the focus on strictly SZ Mormon pioneers. Not all of us are from that stock, and not that there is anything wrong with that, of course, but just because our ancestors didn’t cross the plains to Utah and we aren’t the 8th descendent of John Taylor, or whoever, doesn’t mean we don’t have a valiant heritage, whether LDS or not.
whoops I mean SA, not SZ, as in Southern Alberta
Kim,
I could understand if you didn’t like Southern Alberta; but really – Saskatchewan? :>)
Pioneers are those who lay the groudwork for future generations. I am always grateful for those who laid the foundation for who I am and where I live – relative or not.
New Canadian, or old Canadian, we can all be pioneers. Hale to the pioneer!