In the first post of this blog, I wrote briefly about my ancestors. Today, I'd like to expand on them.
My father's family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the mid-nineteenth century. To understand the enormity of this act, you must know a little of the climate of the times. Church members, or Mormons, were reviled at this time. Mobs drove them from their homes, burned these same homes, and persecuted those declaring their faithfulness. One ancestor was murdered during a massacre in Missouri.
My great-great grandfather William McBride and his family were baptized in Ohio. At the direction of Church President and Prophet Brigham Young, they made the arduous trek to Utah in 1849 where they settled in Santaquin, a small town south of Salt Lake City. Again, at the direction of of the Prophet, William served a mission in the Sandwich Islands. This meant leaving his wife and children to fend for themselves while he traveled, at his own expense, to live among people who spoke a different language and to teach the Gospel to them for several years.
When he returned to Utah, he received a call from the Prophet to uproot his family from their comfortable home in Santaquin to move to the Gila Valley of Arizona. There was no question that they would obey. Gila monsters and a barren desert confronted them. In spite of the conditions, the McBride family forged a new life in the unforgiving land. William and his son started a freight company to support their growing families.
They built homes and churches, tithed to the Lord, and gave thanks for His blessings. Could I have done the same? I'm grateful I don't have to answer that question. Their example stands as a testament to their faith and courage.
So, for today, I am grateful for the legacy of pioneer ancestors.
My ancestors were pioneers, too. But they weren't members of the church. My great-grandfather helped found a town near the Black Hills of South Dakota. The first two buildings they constructed were a Protestant church and a saloon. The family story is that one created the need for the other, but no one says which one came first!
ReplyDeleteBeing the first member of the church in my family, I would like my family to speak of me well in a few generations. It makes me want to be more careful in my words and actions.