A Pioneer Woman

I have a lot of pioneer heritage in my family. Many of my ancestors came across the plains and helped to settle the state of Utah. They made great efforts in helping to pave the way for future generations to receive the Gospel. Today though I would like to talk about a modern-day pioneer my Grandma McConkie.

My Grandma was born eighty years ago in Turku, Finland. Her father was killed in the Winter War when she was very young. So my Grandma grew up with only a mother. Times were sometimes tough for my Grandma's family. There were many times when my Grandma had to go out in the forest and search for mushrooms just so her family could eat.

Yet despite living through a World War, the loss of a father, and economic hardships my Grandma always remained positive no matter what her circumstances. She was quick to share silly stories, to crack a joke, or to use her throat as a bagpipe. She was always so happy. Most of that attitude came from her love of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

As a fun loving teenager my Grandma met two young Mormon missionaries. After hearing the message of the Restored Gospel my Grandma wanted to be baptized.When my Grandma turned of age she was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She was the only person in her family who was a member at that time. She was blazing a path that no one in her family had ever been on and at that point she was doing it alone.

Luckily for my Grandma she soon had company on her journey. Not too long after joining the church my Grandma met my Grandpa who was serving as a missionary in Finland and when my Grandpa returned to Utah at the completion of his mission my Grandma followed. It wasn't too much longer that my grandparents were married. Since then they have had three children, nine grandchildren, and three great grandchildren all of whom have been raised with the Gospel.

My Grandma and Grandpa

My Grandma was truly a pioneer. Her example, her courage, and her choice to do what she knew was right has helped to change many lives and has helped her posterity to receive the Gospel. At this time there are at least twenty people who have the Gospel in their lives because of my Grandma's choice. That choice will continue to affect people for many years down the road and help to change the face of the earth.

I am very thankful for my Grandma and the choices she made in her life. Because if it wasn't for her  I wouldn't be out on a mission. Because if it wasn't for her I wouldn't have the fullness of the Gospel in my life. Because if it wasn't for her I wouldn't have even been born. Her small choice made sixty years ago in Finland has affected me in so many ways and I will always be grateful for her. I will always love my Grandma.

I am so thankful for all the pioneers that have affected me in my life. For their choice to live the Gospel even when it was hard, even when it meant losing family members, and even when it meant moving thousands of miles. If it wasn't for them no one would have the Gospel. Remember our pioneer heritage and if you don't have one try to start your one. Our choice to follow the Gospel will bless many lives.

My Grandma

Record Keeping

"There shall be a record kept among you..."

Doctrine and Covenants 21:1

Since I was six years old I have always had a journal. That journal unfortunately has mostly remained empty with only a few entries that I have made throughout the years. In fact my whole year at college before my mission has one entry that I made several weeks into the school year.

Writing in my journal has always been something that I wanted to do, but I have never made a huge priority. So when I left on my mission I made a goal to write in my journal every single day that I was out. So far since June 19, 2013 I have not yet missed a day of writing.

Keeping this daily journal for the last thirteen months has been a real blessing in my life. As the Book of Mormon prophet Alma said, "[These records] have enlarged the memory..." (Alma 37:8) As I go back and look at the events that are recorded in my journal I am able to remember events with greater clarity. I have been able to see the growth in my testimony from the first day of my mission until now. I can see how the hopelessness I felt at the beginning of my mission has now turned into a strong faith in Jesus Christ. If it wasn't for a journal I wouldn't be able to see all the small steps that led to this testimony.

I am thankful for how my journal has helped bless me, but the reason I keep a journal is not just for me. I keep a record so my posterity can be blessed. I want my children to be able to see how I have been blessed in my life. I want them to see how my testimony has grown as I have also grown. I want them to read my journal and learn that there is a God and that He does love His children.

I hope that my journals can help my children out in a similar way to how the scriptures have helped me. Because if not for the written records of the prophets in the Book of Mormon and the Bible there would be much I would be lacking in my testimony. The records of the prophets have "convince [me] of the error of [my] ways, and brought [me] to the knowledge of [my] God unto the salvation of [my] soul." (Alma 37:8).

Now I know that my journal will never take the place of the scriptures. I know that if my children are to gain a testimony of God that they will need to do it from their own experiences and as they read from the scriptures. But I hope that my record will help people to avoid the mistakes that I have made and to go looking for answers themselves. I really hope that my journal can encourage others to go to the scriptures and to read from them.

Let us all keep records as the Lord has commanded us to. So we may be an influence to the generations yet to come. So they may see that God blesses men now and will continue to bless men. As we do this we will be able to see blessings in our lives and be able to strengthen our own testimony that God truly does bless us in the details of our lives.