What is a pioneer?

I have always heard the term pioneer and envisioned dusty trails, bonnets, dresses and wagon trains. I always admired my pioneer ancestors and everything they so willingly gave up to stay true to the Gospel. I have some awesome ancestors, even one raised from the dead. I come from good folk.
Today as I sat in church I thought about the pioneers a little differently. I thought of our sweet Emma, who in her own way is a pioneer. She has created a trail for our family to follow to return to Heaven some day. If we do what is right here we will soon make it back to the peace and sanctity that we have been promised.
Then as we sang the closing hymn the 2nd verse hit me so hard. The words go as follows:
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!
Our family is simply writing the next chapter in our tale. It is a hard, sad chapter. But we our promised so many things if we just keep going. I can't imagine all that the pioneers went through. Many of them buried there babies on the trail never to visit them again. When they got to the Salt Lake Valley all they found was a desolate wasteland. I am sure they were thinking what have we gotten ourselves into? Eventually through their hard work and faith everything blossomed and life got better.
I can learn a lot from the pioneers strength and dedication. I hope someday when my grandkids and great-grandkids tell stories of their crazy Grandma Rasmussen that they can see the strength and rely on my stories to help them on their own pioneer journey back Home.