Pioneer Day is Coming
Dear Brothers and Sisters, It has been awhile since we last posted on the blog but wanted to catch up a bit. Pioneer Day is coming in two weeks and as we prepare to celebrate this holiday our hearts are turned to those who suffered so much in the face of adversity as they sought the right to practice Freedom of Religion. We sometimes take that freedom for granted. As I have been researching my pioneer ancestors (see blog from May on the Palmer family), I have come to more fully appreciate the freedom we enjoy. As I mentioned before, my ancestors were victims of the extermination order and the massacre at Haun’s Mill. They were forced to flee their homes and the security of being near the Prophet for guidance and assurance. They lost most, if not all, of their material possessions – both those of sentimental value and those that provided the necessities of life. They faced the harsh elements as they crossed the country and lost loved ones along the way – just to find