Fireworks & Pioneers

Last Friday was the 24th of July, which is a holiday here in Utah. It's the day we celebrate the Pioneers arriving in the Salt Lake Valley, and Brigham Young declaring "This is the place." Our pioneer heritage is a pretty big deal here. So as I'm watching the fireworks friday night, my mind suddenly flashes to the pioneers and I found myself wondering what they would have thought of the fireworks, and then I began to wonder what they would have thought of a lot of things. I can only imagine what a sacrifice it was for them to leave most of their belongings behind and literally take off walking through tall grass, mud, rivers, snow, sagebrush, etc. to get to the Utah valley. I wonder what they would say to the fact that we can fly that distance in 3-4 hours. We can load all our possessions in a van and drive it across that distance in a few days. The sickness and diseases that left so many of them in shallow graves can most likely be cured with our modern medicines, and we usually spend around $2000 to bury our dead in a nice casket. In crossing that distance we usually have a cell phone to keep in constant contact with our loved ones, and a text message or email from them is seconds away. The fact that most of them usually wore out their only pair of walking shoes makes me think twice about all the pairs I have sitting in my closet. I'm not living on 1/2 cup of flour a day, and when there's three feet of snow outside I'm not laying next to my kids in a canvas tent with a buffalo hide across us for warmth, praying we make it through the night.

Then I think about the modern world we are living in now. I don't think I need to begin to list the challenges we face and the differences between our world and theirs. For all the conveniences we have, I wonder if it makes up for the turmoil and despair going on in so many places around the world. Someday I will meet my pioneer ancestors. Someday I will be able to tell them of the respect and admiration I have for them because of their faith and willingness to do what they did. I think it will be a great conversation to have with them about the differences in the way we have both lived and talk to them about their adventures and mine. But the question I will most be looking forward to asking is would they have rather lived then or now? Would they trade the trials they had then for the conveniences we have now?? And would I trade the trials we have now for the lack of convenience they had then? I don't know. I think they will probably say they are grateful they lived when they did, and I will probably say I'm grateful that I am living when I do, but I think it's a question worth asking, and I will be curious to see what they have to say???