Our Heritage

One of the things I love about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is its commitment to preserving historic sites. Ours is a unique heritage, and I think it's important we treasure it.

LDS Newsroom today unveiled the first article in a multi-part summer series on LDS sites and pageants. Today's article focuses on the most well-recognized Church historic site: Temple Square in Salt Lake City. Future articles will refer to other historic sites around the United States and world, including the Mormon Miracle Pageant in my beloved hometown of Manti, Utah.

Salt Lake Temple

Why is our heritage so important? What can we learn from our ancestors?

Learning about the past helps us have appreciation for the present and hope for the future. Elder L. Tom Perry remarked: "There is something about reviewing the lessons of the past to prepare us to face the challenges of the future."

As the world grows increasingly wicked, we can find strength and solace in the examples of our pioneer forefathers, whether or not they are our direct ancestors. The ways in which early Mormon pioneers exhibited faith, patience, humility, courage, dedication and obedience are numberless. Read about some of their experiences here.

I'm grateful for the examples of my friends and family, including my pioneer ancestors. When I get discouraged, I try to think about the faith they displayed in spite of their hardships. And I am then even more grateful that we have their stories to tell today.

What about our pioneer heritage impresses you? Do you have any experiences to share? Comment below.