pioneer spirit

yesterday we celebrated Pioneer Day here in Utah and i started the holiday by running in my first 5K which happened to be the first annual Temple to Temple 5K. as the temple and pioneers were the setting for this run, the focus was on family history and they suggested running for an ancestor. my mom's side of the family has a rich pioneer heritage and i enjoyed the chance to feel a connection with the pioneers and learn more about my ancestors in keeping with the spirit of the run.

the first presidency message was also on pioneers and having the pioneer spirit. one part of that talk stood out to me.

"The unsatisfied yearnings of the soul will not be met by a never-ending quest for joy amidst the thrills of sensation and vice."

this what my addiction tries to cheat me to believe, that i can satisfy my feelings or that i can escape from those feelings. it will never satisfy the yearnings of my soul. the only things that can satisfy my yearnings are truth and light and love.

i yearn to be in a relationship progressing towards a temple marriage and when the time is right to be married and start a family
i yearn to exercise my priesthood in blessing the lives of others
i yearn to finish school, get my degree and find a fulfilling career that will allow me to provide for a family
i yearn to be a better friend
i yearn recover from this addiction and be a support to help others recover
i yearn to replace my criticism with better expressing my love and appreciation
i yearn to be a better disciple of Jesus Christ

i also recently 'liked' all the first presidency and quorum of the twelve apostles facebook profiles as well as the official LDS and mormon.org profiles. if you have a facebook and haven't liked their pages yet i highly recommend it.

the mormon.org profile had a message relating to the pioneer spirit that i really enjoyed.

"True change often involves blazing new trails and entering new and unfamiliar territory.Although it can initially be uncomfortable, pioneering uncharted territory by creating life-changing habits can make you feel more fulfilled as a person.
In your quest for personal improvement, never give up hope. Keep moving in the right direction, and God will bless your righteous efforts."

i love that it relates being pioneers to making the lifestyle changes in our habits to bring our lives more in harmony with the principles of the gospel and that is what i feel recovery is all about. it's about recognizing that change is possible and making efforts to create our life and develop habits in harmony with the teachings of the gospel. and there is no righteous effort that God does not recognize. yes change is hard, and yes it will be uncomfortable, but oh will it be worth it! 

the dictionary defines a pioneer as "one who goes before to prepare or open up the way for others to follow". the pioneers weren't just the first group of saints to enter the salt lake region because being a pioneer isn't about being the first. being a pioneer is about taking the journey. every single person who endured the trials and hardships and sufferings and losses and struggles to travel west qualified themselves as pioneers because they went through that trial and endured the journey and prepared the way for others. how much stronger was the faith and deeper the conversion of those early saints who made that trek.

whether you're the only member of the church in your family or if all your ancestors have been members since the church was founded, we can still be pioneers today as we seek to keep that pioneer spirit by choosing to commit ourselves to making the journey, to pattern our lives after the Saviors, to make and keep sacred covenants and to continually travel along the road of recovery so that we might help to make the trail safe for those who will follow us.