I’m a Pioneer

As Latter-day Saints prepare to celebrate the 175th anniversary of Pioneer Day on July 24th this year, LDS Living recognizes that in addition to the sacrifices of the early pioneers, there are many modern-day pioneers across the globe who have built the Church in their nations or in their families. In this new series of articles, we wish to recognize these present-day pioneers and remember all who have helped make The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints what it is today.
June 09, 2023 05:00 AM MDT
In 1967, Isaac Thomas walked onto the Missouri Valley College campus on fraternity pledge night. As one of only 32 black students at the school, he stood out starkly, but, being an outgoing young man fresh from an all-black high school, Thomas didn’t think anything of it. He had never come face to face with the violence and hatred racism breeds—until that night.
26 Min Read
July 23, 2022 06:00 AM MDT
My grandparents were forced to live in prison camps during Word War II. When they were released, they found their way to Utah where a new community awaited them.
7 Min Read
July 22, 2022 08:00 AM MDT
The first Spanish-speaking branch was organized in 1923. By 1946, the branch's women were setting an example for the world.
2 Min Read
July 21, 2022 12:00 PM MDT
One man is adding a recovered addict, a mental health hero, and an LBGTQ+ mediator to his list of pioneers to honor this year.
11 Min Read
July 20, 2022 10:57 AM MDT
Nowah's family was one of two families who made up the first group of Latter-day Saints in Togo. His wife Stephanie grew up in Boston and is also a pioneer in her own right.
6 Min Read
July 16, 2022 02:40 PM MDT
Harry’s search resulted in being baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on July 5, 1971, at the age of 56.
9 Min Read
July 15, 2022 05:00 AM MDT
The missionaries who left a pamphlet with nine women in a sewing circle in Bergen, Norway, couldn't have imagined its reach.
5 Min Read
July 13, 2022 06:00 AM MDT
This Pioneer Day, it is our hope that we can celebrate every kind of pioneer and remember the sacrifices that have been made by so many to make The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints what it is today.
6 Min Read
By  'Ofa Fotu
July 11, 2022 05:00 AM MDT
I asked my dad about his motives of baptism. I expected a personal miracle. ... What I got was a simple statement: “Because the Church school had more food.”
6 Min Read
December 21, 2021 05:00 AM MST
Fatima Dedrickson still remembers her first day on the campus of Brigham Young University. Every person she passed was staring at her.
7 Min Read
June 07, 2021 01:00 PM MDT
How did Betty Zermariam of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, meet her husband in Japan, join the Church, and become a spiritual, cultural, and temporal ambassador for her country? Perhaps Betty offers the best explanation: “God’s hand is in it.”
10 Min Read
Fun
July 23, 2020 11:30 AM MDT
A Latter-day Saint History video briefly highlights how one member of the Willie handcart company was from India. Here is a little bit more about her in celebration of Pioneer Day.
2 Min Read
November 13, 2019 09:24 AM MST
Emily Hill would go through more challenges than her 20-year-old self setting sail to join the Saints ever thought she would. But those experiences helped her write prose that would inspire millions.
5 Min Read
July 24, 2019 09:00 AM MDT
Most of us have heard of Ephraim Hanks, Porter Rockwell, Eliza R. Snow, and many other high-profile pioneers who accomplished notable events during the early years of the Church. But there are also others who were influential members of the Church who impacted the Latter-day Saints as well as the outside world. Here are just a few significant pioneers that you may never have heard of before.
7 Min Read
June 22, 2019 02:19 PM MDT
Olga Campora was a young college student living in Czechoslovakia behind the Iron Curtain when she joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was introduced to the Church by a man named Otakar Vojkuvka, who opened her heart to religion by first teaching her principles of yoga. After joining the Church, Olga felt a desire to share the joy she found with others, and for a decade, she joined Vojkuvka in sharing the gospel through yoga.
7 Min Read
July 21, 2018 09:06 AM MDT
This ill-fated adventure would be a singular event in Mormon history because it would be the only known shipwreck that claimed the lives of multiple Mormon pioneers on their way to Zion.
8 Min Read