Our Ongoing Legacy of Pioneers

In July of 1847, the first company of pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley after having trekked across the American West in search of a new home where the Saints could worship the Lord free of persecution. Many members in North America can trace their heritage back to these pioneer ancestors. But for most members of the Church worldwide, their pioneer heritage began elsewhere, either with recent ancestors who joined the Church or perhaps even with themselves as they became the first person in their family, community, or nation to embrace the gospel.

This month, as we celebrate our pioneer ancestry, you could ask yourself: Where did my legacy of faith begin? What sacrifices did the pioneers in my ancestry make to dedicate their lives to the Church? How can I honor and share their legacy? What can I do to help others understand and honor their own pioneer ancestry?

*Woman Holding Book of Mormon and Basket of Flowers,* by Jubal Aviles Saenz

*Building Now for Eternity,* by Sylvia Huege de Serville

*Awake, Awake, Put on Thy Beautiful Garments,* by Natalie Ann Hunsaker

* Joseph William Billy Johnson: Holiness to the Lord, by Emmalee Rose Glauser Powell

*Family Reading,* by Jose Manuel Valencia Arellano

*A Stop along the Way,* by Carmelo Juan Cuyutupa Cannares