The Gathering Continues Throughout the World
Not only is there a physical gathering to promised lands, but there is also a spiritual gathering. When we are baptized and confirmed as members of the Church, we have been gathered spiritually. Elder Bruce R. McConkie emphasized this when he stated: “The spiritual gathering takes precedence over the temporal. … Men can be saved wherever they live, but they cannot be saved, regardless of their abode, unless they accept the gospel and come unto Christ” (A New Witness for the Articles of Faith [1985], 567).
The Purpose of Gathering
Joseph Smith taught, “What was the object of gathering the Jews, or the people of God in any age of the world?…The main object was to build unto the Lord a house whereby He could reveal unto His people the ordinances of His house and the glories of His kingdom” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith, [1976], 307–308). The temple helps us understand that sacred ordinances and covenants bind our earthly families together for eternity and bind us individually to our Heavenly Father and into the family of God. The temple is a bold and tangible reminder of who we are as God’s people, recalling to our minds and souls the covenants and promises we have made with Him. Within the temple, we are qualified to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit and the love of our Saviour and Heavenly Father. There is confirmation that our efforts to serve and build are acceptable, and we find comfort and peace not found in worldly settings. The temple and its blessings are a gift from God for our efforts to endure and be pioneers.
Pioneers Come to Canada
A wealthy Utah magnate, Jesse Knight, invested in land in southern Alberta and established a sugar beet factory in Raymond, Alberta, in 1912. Raymond is considered the last community settled by members called to do so by Church leaders in Utah. Magrath was once known as the irrigation capital of Canada, and because of its beautiful trees and grass, it is still known as The Garden City. Taber, founded in 1902, was situated along the Canadian Pacific Railway line and is now the largest of the Alberta towns originally settled by Utah Latter-day Saints. It is famous for its sugar factory, corn, and potatoes.
The following communities were founded by pioneers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Alberta. In a third wave of pioneering, some of these settlements were settled by members already living in Southern Alberta:
1887 — Cardston
1888 — Aetna
1890 — Mountain View
1891 — Beazer
1893 — Leavitt
1897 — Kimball
1898 — Caldwell, Magrath, Stirling, Taylorville
1901 — Orton, Raymond
1902 — Frankburg, Taber
1908 — Glenwood
1910 — Hillspring
The following communities were founded by LDS Church members or missionaries:
1889 — Jefferson
1900 — Woolford
1913 — Del Bonita
It is extraordinary what the Latter-day Saint pioneers in Southern Alberta accomplished in the very early years of the 20th century. Leaving homes and comforts in Utah or Idaho, they came by calling and assignment to this dry land of wind and cold and tamed it into a productive and rich farming area. We are grateful for their contributions to the growth and economy of this region. The families who came here were true pioneers, and many, many of us living in Alberta are their proud descendants.
Other Pioneers Come From Afar
I am reminded of the pioneers I have known personally, having grown up in Raymond, Alberta. Many new citizens came to this community from distant lands in Europe following World War II. They left everything behind to migrate here from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Hungary, Germany, Ukraine, and other countries. I knew many Japanese families who were displaced from their homes on the Canadian west coast during the war and were sent to Southern Alberta. They are very intelligent, industrious, and hard-working people. These two groups are also pioneers here, and we are grateful for their contributions to Alberta and to Canada. We celebrate them.
There were indigenous peoples in this land before the coming of the pioneers. They themselves were once pioneers here, even centuries before the establishment of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. They have carefully and diligently maintained their own customs, traditions, and languages, despite also suffering oppression and hardship. We recognize them as contributing positively to the cultural diversity both here and throughout Canada.
Every Convert to the Church is a Pioneer
As a young man, I served a full-time mission for 30 months for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Philippines from 1963 to 1965. The Church was newly established, and at the beginning of my missionary service, there was only one Filipino branch, comprising about 45 members, and two small branches for US military servicemen at Clark Field and Subic Bay. Including the missionaries, there were fewer than 100 members of the church in the entire country. As the church grew, some outstanding church leaders emerged from among the first new converts, becoming stake presidents, mission leaders, and temple presidents and matrons, as well as a General Authority.
I am grateful to have been a pioneer missionary among the Filipino people and to see them become pioneer members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in their own country. The church has grown there to a membership of 882,461 today. Currently, 14 temples are operational, under construction, or have been announced. There are 26 missions, 131 Stakes, and 56 Districts (Newsroom, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Apr 5, 2025).
Only the USA, Mexico, and Brazil have more members. This has happened during my lifetime, and as President Nelson has recently said, “Do you see what is happening right before our eyes? I pray that we will not miss the majesty of this moment! The Lord is indeed hastening His work.” (Ensign, Nov. 2024, 121)
Let us continue to be pioneers in our own right, and let us remember, recognize, and be grateful for all pioneers, both past and present. Let us continue to live by their examples of great faith and endurance, always moving forward, and maintain the pioneer spirit in our hearts.