Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young
Chapter 15: The Settlement in the West

This chapter deals with the saints being driven from Illinois and across the plains, their difficulties there, their willingness to continue to support their country with the Mormom Battalion, the blessings from God, and how faith in God helped them to surmount their challenges. (You may easily combine any of the lesson approaches listed below.)

Approach 1
Compare the crossing of the plains to the march of Israel in Moses' times or the voyage through the wilderness by Nephi and his family. You might draw a graph on the board with headings for each of these groups and have the class help you list the major trials and blessings each group received.

Then compare all these to our own wildernesses, the trials, the dark days that are often a part of mortal life. This is a type, a recurring pattern, and we can apply it directly to our own lives. Note what helps us get through successfully and the dangers as well.

If you will keep the commandments, including asking God for blessings, and then wait and watch, you will see miracles in your own life as real as the seagulls that saved the pioneers' crops from the plague of crickets.

Relevant Scriptures: 1 Nephi 11 the vision of the tree of life: hold to the iron rod (the word of God, study the scriptures, listen to the prophets, pray, etc) and you'll make it through. 1 Nephi 16:28-29 The Liahona. Revelation and blessings work according to the faith and dillegence we pay to God's commandments. 1 Nephi 16:16 Seeking, obtaining, and following God's councils will lead you through "the more fertile parts of the wilderness."  1 Nephi 17:13 Christ will "be your light in the wilderness" and prepare the way before you "inasmuch as ye shall keep [his] commandments." Alma 37:41 Lehi's family sometimes "were slothful, and forgot to exercise their faith and diigence and ... they did not progress in their journey." Isaiah 48: 18, 1 Nephi 20:18 "O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments--then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea."

Approach 2
Why do we view trials and tribulations as bad? Because they're uncomfortable and hard, sometimes discouraging. But can you see the great blessings that follow when we persevere in faith? God told Adam that the earth would be cursed "for his sake" (Genesis 3:17) You probably always focussed on the "cursed" part, but doesn't it really say that this curse, this need to work and sweat and struggle throughout our mortal lives, is a blessing? That it's in our best interest? (see 2 Nephi 26:24 "He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him.")

How can we view our trials and wildernesses as blessings? How can we find peace in tribulation? (John 16:33 "These things I have spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.")

Approach 3
Ask the class what (else) we can learn from the pioneers. Prepare a few ideas just in case, but help guide discussion toward the most edifying ideas brought up.

Approach 4
Especially if your sunday school class is on Job, note that Job helped the poor and comforted those who were discouraged--in other words, while he enjoyed riches and blessings, he lived the gospel faithfully, so that when the trials came, his faith was strong and he was not shaken. If you feel you've got it easy these days, what are you doing about it? "Where much is given, much is expected." And hey, these are the last days, right? These are the times when the most valiant spirits have been sent to earth--does it show or are we taking it too easy?