Pioneers and Proud of It!

pi-o-neer, n: one who goes before, as into the wilderness, preparing the way for others to follow; as, pioneers of civilization, of reform, or in science; also an early settler; a colonist; as, the American pioneers.

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One of the many things that I am thankful for is that I never made one of those phony pioneer treks that today's Mormon youth get to are forced to undergo. I imagine they vary according to area, but every participant I've spoken with has recalled the experience with the sort of descriptives one would naturally apply to a bunch of overdressed, sweaty adolescents pushing handcarts in the blazing heat.

A friend of mine, who acted as a youth leader on one of these ordeals, claimed that his ward dressed up like the Utah pioneers, went to a local (D.C. area) park or field and slogged around in circles for an entire week. -- Sort of the antithesis of an actual pioneer journey. Although it could be the ultimate paradigm for the Mormon experience.

There are all kinds of ways that people set off for new territory, not all of them hot and sweaty. And there are all kinds of reasons people choose to get out of town, not all of them altruistic. -- Maybe a man's just robbed a bank, or he's committed murder, or he wants to marry 50 women, for example.

But, in general I think pioneers are honest and brave and true. Especially those who lead themselves and others to a better world.

For example, the ExMormon pioneers who celebrated Pioneer Day last night at the Hotel Utah Saloon in San Francisco.

Westward ho! Sans handcarts and stupid costumes.

But there were some pretty cool pioneers who celebrated in Utah saloons too. Also a group of 500 pioneers who gathered near Temple Square to resign en masse from the LDS Church!

Cheers to the real pioneers everywhere. Also to the real world.

Utah Pie And Beer Day

To: Abbottsville Fourth Ward
From: Donna Banta
Subject: Ex-Mormon Pioneers

I logged onto Facebook this morning to discover that I have five -- count them -- five friends who were born today! Wow, that's unusual, I thought to myself. Maybe there is something to this astrology stuff. Then I remembered that today is Utah Pioneer Day, the day that Brigham Young led the saints into the Salt Lake Valley, the "Fourth of July" for Mormons.

I immediately became suspicious. One of the birthday boys was my good friend, Elder Price! Another was a guy named Paternoster -- a likely relation to everyone's favorite stake president.

But then another was my friend Marilyn, who really was born on July 24. Only she lives in worldly Park City, where they call it "Utah Pie and Beer Day."

That's the holiday the San Francisco Ex-Mormons celebrate every year too.

Tonight at the Hotel Utah Saloon in San Francisco

It was way better than that cheesy parade.

Eat your heart out Abbottsville Fourth!