Pioneer
- A member of the Church (1840s - 1880s) who traveled West across the United States via a horse, wagon, and/or handcart to avoid religious persecution.
The pioneers were the original members of the Church and were some of the strongest and most faithful. Uprooting their lives and families, they followed the Church as it tried to build headquarters in many different places (examples include Kirtland, Ohio; Nauvoo, Illinois; Omaha, Nebraska; and Salt Lake City, Utah). The reason for the constant moving was because they would become too strong in the respective area and the local population would drive them out with force; the strongest example of this is how Missouri Governor Lilburn W. Boggs signed an extermination order against the Mormons. Many pioneers died through persecution, sickness, and hardship. Most pioneers came from England, New York, and the surrounding areas.
The story of the pioneers can be found here (http://www.lds.org/gospellibrary/pioneer/pioneerstory.htm).