New Primary song authors want children to see themselves as pioneers – Church News

As a child, Jean Pinborough never thought of herself or her family as pioneers.

As a child, Pinborough recalled wearing aprons and bonnets and pulling wagons around the meetinghouse with other Primary children to commemorate the Latter-day Saints’ early journey west. She thought that was what it meant to be a pioneer.

Pinborough’s parents, Horace and Shirley Underwood, had joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when she was three years old after Shirley let missionaries into their home despite warnings from neighbors.

As Jean and her three siblings grew older, the family remained devoted members of their ward in Midland, Texas, and helped build the first meetinghouse in the area. Years later, the same neighbor who had warned Shirley Underwood not to talk to missionaries joined the church with her entire family because Underwood shared the gospel with her.

As an adult, Pinborough realized that he and his family were truly pioneers.

“Being a pioneer means opening new doors and walking down unknown paths,” she said. “Starting a new and good path, whether it’s being the first in your family to be baptized, going to the temple, serving a mission, or going to college, requires not only work and prayer, but also faith.”

In 2019, Pinborough worked as the editor-in-chief of The Friend magazine and occasionally wrote songs for the children’s publication. When she was planning the Pioneer Day content for the July 2020 issue, she wanted songs that reflected church planters around the world.

“I wanted to make the connection in the kids’ minds that the pioneers were far away in the U.S. state of Utah, and it wasn’t just people who went to Utah and built a temple,” she said. “I wanted people to understand that they can be involved in the work no matter where they are.”

There, she wrote the lyrics for “I Am a Pioneer Too,” which was published in the July 2020 Friend and recently added to “Hymns—For Home and Church.”

Michael F. Moody wrote this song, which was meaningful to him after he and his wife, Maria Moody, served missions and other church missions in the Caribbean, Middle East, Pacific Islands, and Africa.

“Our hearts are deeply touched by the faithfulness and dedication of today’s pioneers,” he said. “In my musical environment, I tried to capture the spirit of those pioneers.”

pioneers of the past

In a recent Church News video, Elder Gerald Caussé of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles referred to Utah’s early pioneers as “spiritual ancestors” and spoke of the pioneers in his own family, including his parents.

“This is exactly why I wrote this song,” Pinborough remembers thinking while watching a video of the elder Korth paying homage to his pioneer ancestors with a piano arrangement of “Come Come Ye Saints.”

“Our origin stories are so important,” she continued. “To know who we are, we need to understand where we come from.”

Pinborough pointed to research showing that children who know their family stories are more resilient. She hopes to instill that resilience in her children by helping them get to know their “spiritual ancestors,” as Elder Coase calls them.

In the first verse of “I’m a Pioneer Too,” the children sing, “When times were tough, they worked and prayed. Their courage got them through.” Pinborough hopes this line will resonate with children.

“I think it’s really important for kids to understand, ‘Yes, sometimes it’s hard for me too. I need to work and pray.'”

In his songs, Pinborough paid tribute to pioneers around the world. The final verse says, “From Sweden to Samoa, Kenya to Peru, brave pioneers around the world are still spreading God’s gospel in truth.”

“No matter where you are or where you are, you have spiritual ancestors in your country,” she said.

Raising her two children herself, Pinborough has told them stories of both her husband’s ancestors who helped build the Salt Lake Temple and her mother who had the courage to let missionaries into her home.

modern pioneers

In addition to connecting with their spiritual ancestors, Pinborough hopes singing “I’m a Pioneer Too” will help children identify themselves as pioneers.

She sees the song’s chorus as a call to action. The children sing, “The Lord needs pioneers today. There are many things I can do. I will work and pray and follow the Lord. I am a pioneer too!”

“I hope kids hear that and think, ‘Oh my God, how can I follow Jesus and bless the world?'” Pinborough said, adding, “The way kids today need to be pioneers is, you know, very unique to each child.”

Pinborough said his favorite example of a modern-day pioneer is BYU Pathways Worldwide students, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college.

“Even if it’s not building a temple, they’re going to do what they need to do in the world as part of following Jesus Christ,” she said. “It might solve the food problem in your area.”

Ms Pinborough acknowledged that her life had its fair share of challenges, but said she felt God delivered and supported her during those difficult times.

“Following these paths is not always easy. Like all pioneers, we will face unexpected obstacles that we must overcome,” she said. “But the Lord comforts us and gives us peace as we grow in our faith and do our best to follow Him.”