They Walked Fearless: The Story of the Ultra-Walkers

Today is a holiday. Not all over the country like the 4th of July and not all over the world, but it's a holiday because it's Pioneer Day. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this particular day has a lot of meaning to me, but it hasn't always. I didn't really enjoy pioneer stories or songs or anything growing up. There would be times we would dress up like pioneers, but I really didn't like it. Let me tell you what changed that and how that helps me run fearless.

The pioneers were some of the first members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They were instructed by God through the prophet Joseph Smith to move west. They did that. Many times they didn't have any money so it was all by walking. Sometimes with oxen or horses, but mostly by walking, hence the song we would always sing in primary: "Pioneer children sang as they walked and walked and walked AND walked." These people didn't really run fearless, they walked fearless.

When I was on my mission in Argentina (September 2004-end of August 2006) I was in my first area in Rosario. That was the first city I was in and it happens to be the name of the mission itself. I had a few books that were approved by the church to read and one of them was called Our Heritage and it changed my whole outlook on the pioneers.

As I read that book I read about the sacrifices those pioneers made. They left their homes and went across the United States of America with their whole family in handcarts. They went through rain, snow, heat etc. Their parents died and/or their children died and/or they died themselves because they knew what they were doing had been commanded of them by the Lord. They had a testimony like I have, only stronger probably (and you can read about my testimony and what I believe on My Beliefs page.)

I remember reading about when they were traveling through the snow. There was nowhere to go for shelter, food, protection etc. and all they could do was press forward towards their destination. I remember being impacted deeply when I read that they sometimes didn't have shoes and as they would walk in the snow they would leave footprints of blood in the snow. Now that's pretty graphic and as I'm writing this it makes me a little sick, but can you believe that? Can you think of doing that? I LOVE the pioneers and I am so grateful to them.



Another story which is famous in the church is about three young men. I had heard it before, but this particular time on my mission it, like the other stories, really struck me. There was an ice cold river. It was winter-time. There were three young men who decided to carry people across instead of everyone getting wet, cold and miserable by crossing themselves. One by one the carried each pioneer in the company across the river. Because they did that later on in their lives they died because of the effects that the exposure had on them. I don't know about you, but that is INSPIRING to me.

These pioneers had gained a living testimony that what they were doing was exactly what God wanted them to do. They had read the Book of Mormon and gained unshakable testimonies of its truth. They are an example to me and as such they help me to run fearless. More than once I have been in pain thinking that a long run or a hard workout was unbearable, and more than once as I have had those thought have I thought about the pioneers and what they went through and that has helped me. Praise to the pioneers. Even though they have all passed on they help in my life to run fearless.