What Does It Mean to Be a Pioneer? – FHE Lesson

Scripture

Dallin H. Oaks 

In every nation, in every worthy occupation and activity, members of this church face hardships, overcome obstacles, and follow the servants of the Lord Jesus Christ as valiantly as the pioneers of any age.

Hymn

Come, Come, Ye Saints, Hymn #30

1. Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear;
But with joy wend your way.
Though hard to you this journey may appear,
Grace shall be as your day.
‘Tis better far for us to strive
Our useless cares from us to drive;
Do this, and joy your hearts will swell–
All is well! All is well!

2. 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!

3. We’ll find the place which God for us prepared,
Far away in the West,
Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid;
There the Saints will be blessed.
We’ll make the air with music ring,
Shout praises to our God and King;
Above the rest these words we’ll tell–
All is well! All is well!

4. And should we die before our journey’s through,
Happy day! All is well!
We then are free from toil and sorrow, too;
With the just we shall dwell!
But if our lives are spared again
To see the Saints their rest obtain,
Oh, how we’ll make this chorus swell–
All is well! All is well!

Lesson

*Suitable for All Ages*

Begin by asking your family what a pioneer is. Go around and discuss their thoughts. Then, watch the following video. Before watching, ask everyone to pay attention to what made the people in the video a pioneer.

Ask: What made these people pioneers?

Read aloud: This week we are excited to celebrate the Mormon pioneers and the sacrifices they made to build the kingdom of God here on the Earth. One of the best ways we can honor the pioneers this week and always is by following their example and being a pioneer today. While we may not have to walk across the plains or face the same kind of persecution they did, there are many ways we can be pioneers.

Share an example of a modern-day pioneer in your life or of a time you had to stand up for the gospel. If you have pioneer heritage, share an experience or story from their lives and how it has impacted you today. Then ask your family of someone they think is a pioneer.

Read aloud: More than any other attribute, the pioneers we have been talking about followed Jesus Christ. Their testimonies of Christ were so strong, they were willing to give up everything for the gospel.

Ask: Has there been a time in your life when you gave up something for Christ? How has that decision impacted your life?

Finish the lesson by discussing how you can be pioneers today. Continue to share stories from the pioneers in your life.

Related Products

Take your family on a historical journey—by way of their taste buds! In this latest collection of recipes, the chefs at the Lion House step back in time to re-create favorite dishes enjoyed by the Presidents of the Church through the years. From Joseph Smith’s Johnny Cakes to Spencer W. Kimball’s Raspberry Cheesecake, from Lorenzo Snow’s Yorshire Pudding to Thomas S. Monson’s Swedish Meatballs, these recipes are a delight to share with family and friends.

You’ll also find a wonderful collection of old pioneer recipes, as well as a number of the Lion House’s signature dishes, the same fare (including the legendary Lion House Dinner Rolls) served at receptions and dinners and in the Lion House Pantry for several decades. Portraits of all the Church Presidents, plus photos of many of the period artifacts displayed at the Lion House, make this one-of-a-kind cookbook a fascinating stroll through history that the whole family will enjoy.

Treat

Pioneer Taffy or Homemade Butter 

Pioneer Taffy

Ingredients:

-2 cups sugar
-1 1/2 cup water
-1 cup white corn syrup
-1 teaspoon salt
-2 teaspoon glycerin (found at the pharmacy)
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients but the vanilla and butter into a heavy sauce pan. You can find glycerin at most pharmacies. It is a very important ingredient. The taffy will not turn out well without it.
2. Bring your taffy to a boil over medium high heat. Let it keep on a boiling until your candy thermometer reaches 258 degrees. This should take about 35-40 minutes.
3. I like to check the temperature of the taffy by dipping a spoon into the pan and then running cold water from the tap over the top of it. See how the taffy is kind of stiff looking…that means it is ready to go. If you cook it much past this stage you it will be really hard when you pull it. If you under cook it…you may have a sticky mess. This water trick really helps. However, you can rely on your candy thermometer as well.
4. When your taffy is cooked take it off the heat and pour in your vanilla.
5. Add your butter to the pot and give the bubbling beauty a good round of stirring. Stir until the butter is all melted.
6. Butter a large cookie sheet.
7. Pour the taffy onto the sheet.
8. Let the taffy cool for about 5 minutes, or until it is cool enough to handle. The edges will start to set up a bit faster than the middle.
9. Pinch the taffy into 12 separate pieces.
10. When the taffy is cool enough to pick up, hand out a piece to each lucky participant. Then you can start to pull the taffy. The trick is the stretch it out……
and then fold it back together. Stretch and fold, stretch and fold until your taffy turns a beautiful white color. Or if some of your pullers are 3 years old, until they get tired of pulling. It still tastes mighty good, even if you don’t pull it long enough for it to turn white.
11. Stretch the taffy into a long rope shape and set on a piece of wax paper. You can break the taffy into pieces by holding it in the palm of your hand and tapping it with the handle of a butter knife.

(Courtesy of The Lion House Cookbook)

Homemade Butter

Ingredients and materials:
-Glass jars with lids
-Heavy cream (at least 35% whipping cream)
-2 or 3 glass marbles (optional)

Directions:

Fill your jars halfway with cream. If you’re using marbles, drop them in. Put the lid on tightly and start shaking like crazy! Your butter should thicken into whipping cream first, but then you should hear sloshing again as the buttermilk forms. Keep on shaking and you’ll have butter! Put it on some homemade bread or rolls. The process should take about 10 minutes.

(Courtesy of Happy Hooligans)

Activity