Come Come Ye Saints

So Saturday was July 24th, a big holiday of sorts in my church-its a celebration of the day our pioneer ancestors reached the Salt Lake Utah Valley after traveling through the American Frontier in search of releif from Persecution they faced in the Eastern US.  They were driven first from their homes in Kirtland, Ohio- to Missouri, then persecution grew there and they were driven out to the neighboring clay county and settled into a barren swamp land on the edge of the Mississippi.  In this nook of the river, they tamed the swamps and defeated the Mosquitoes and suffered Malaria but succesfully turned the town into a thriving city where they build the 2nd Temple of the Latterdays.  Before it was finnished the prophet Joseph Smith was martyrd in Carthage Jail, and soon after the persecution grew and again the saints were driven out-in the dead of Winter.  The made a temporary home in Farr West-and then in the spring commenced the Journey westward into the unknown and unsettled wilderness.  They forged rivers, climbed mountains, blazed trails-and on July 24th 1847 Brigham Young made it to the Salt Lake valley and declared "This is the place."  There pioneers again succesfully tamed formerly uninhabitable climate and beat all the odds with guidance and faith in their Father in Heaven and Saviour Jesus Christ.

I've mentioned before that this legacy of faith is part of my history-I am blessed to have a long list of pioneer ancestors who's example continues to strengthen me in my trials.  One such ancestor, is William Clayton.  On Sunday, in honor of our pioneers, we sang (about 3 times between different meetings) the Hymn "Come Come Ye saints"  William Clayton, the author of that song.

Theres a verse in the song that goes "Why should we mourn, or think our lot is hard?  Tis not so, All is right.  Why should we think to earn a great reward, if we now shun the fight?  Gird up your loins; fresh courage take; Our god will never us forsake, and soon we'll have this tale to tell, all is well, all is well."   And I had always admired his faith, but yesterday I was struggling-I had just finnished speaking with my branch president in private about some trials I'm facing at the moment, and one of the last things I said to him before I went to the next meeting where this hymn was the opening hymn was "Its just hard"  And so when we sang "Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard" I just thought "Because it is hard-what was Greatgreatgreatgreat uncle Bill thinking?"  But then he beautifully penned the inspiring words-"why should we think to earn a great reward if we now shun the fight?"  And it hit me at home-how do I expect to enjoy the blessings God has promised me if I don't do the hard things he has asked me to do.  If I just give up and succumb to my trials, I'm not going to make it-so I must gird up-or suck it up, be courageous and face hard things-because God will not forsake me, he has not and he will not.  If I can just do that, and draw closer to my father-make sure that I'm doing right by him, then all is right, and though it may seem to me that not all is well, it will be.  Because Heavenly Father will strengthen me, my saviour will pilot me-and it will work for my good-because I've made covenants with him, and he doesn't abandon his children, he keeps his promises.

This life is scary and this life is hard, but in the words of the Prophet Joseph Smith, "I know in whom I trust. I stand upon the Rock, The floods cannot, no, they shall not overthrow me."