The dates of July 24, 1847, and July 20, 1969, may seem worlds apart. Each, however, is connected to, and demonstrates the need for, a certain kind of pioneering spirit.
Those familiar with the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the state of Utah know the basics of the pioneer legacy and celebrate it each year on Pioneer Day. This past week also has seen much focus on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, which culminated with astronauts walking on the lunar surface.
Each accomplishment was achieved against great odds, requiring people to rally and unite around a common goal. Each provides insights into a selfless pioneering leadership style that would improve communities, states and nations.
For Brigham Young and his weary band of pioneers, the success of making it to the valley of the Great Salt Lake was not the end, but merely the beginning. Once they arrived there was no time to rest. A city needed to be planned, shelter established and crops planted. Thousands more displaced church members were scattered across the American plains in various states of distress, and they needed to be brought in. The first pioneers to enter the valley didn’t pause long to celebrate their achievement — they didn’t have time for that.
They were vastly different in drive and determination from others during the mid-1800s who raced to the gold mines of California or the rich forests of Oregon. The Utah pioneers weren’t in pursuit of their own enrichment alone — they felt a responsibility toward those who would come after. Because of that mindset, they passed on a spirit of cooperation, not competition, and of shared responsibility, not selfishness, in the companies that crossed the plains and the generations that would follow.
The efforts of the Apollo program have been well-chronicled over several weeks now. One aspect that hasn’t received the recognition it should is the selfless effort of the more than 400,000 women and men who worked on the project in a wide array of roles and responsibilities. These women and men didn’t get to ride in the ticker tape parade after the mission was successful. Their names never were printed in the paper. Yet they all were critical to one of the great achievements in history.
They passed on a spirit of cooperation, not competition, and of shared responsibility, not selfishness, in the companies that crossed the plains and the generations that would follow.
Also often overlooked are the many discoveries and technologies that resulted from space exploration, whether in the fields of medicine or communication, that show how space pioneers did more than just enrich themselves.
The pioneers of the American west and the pioneers of the Apollo program both embodied the spirit of a quote President Ronald Reagan had on small plaque on his desk in the White House: “There is no limit to what a man (or woman) can accomplish as long as he doesn’t mind who gets the credit.”
That is the pioneering spirit.
Pioneers of 1847 and 1969 lived well the axiom of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." Leaving a trail for those that follow is the hallmark of true pioneers.
American pioneers, whether seeking religious freedom, pushing through the limits of space and gravity or in any of a variety of other pursuits, have sacrificed much to challenge boundaries, break barriers, innovate and improve the world.
Their common attribute was a desire to help and lift others to new heights. Their examples should inspire each of us to do the same in our everyday pursuits.