PIONEER DAY 1980: PIONEERING ACHIEVEMENTS OF MORMONS ARE PRAISED
MR. CHURCH:
Mr. President, I would like to bring to the attention of the
Senate an important event for Idaho and the Rocky Mountain west--
the anniversary of the Mormon pioneers' westward trek.
On July 24~ those pioneers are officially honored and
their accomplishments celebrated. One hundred and thirty three
years ago tomorrow a group of weary travelers struggled to the
summit of a mountain overlooking what is now called the Great
Salt Lake valley. Fourteen hundred miles of blazing deserts,
snowfilled mountain passes, hunger and aching hearts prece~ded
this histoTic moment. It was here that the Mormon leader Brigham
Young declared, "It is enough. This is the right place."
With these words the westward exodus ended and the western _
settlement began,
Several thousand other saints soon followed that beginning
band of pioneers across the plains, Their exodus was precipitated
by severe relrgrous persec~tion. Intolerant mobs drove the
growing group of believers from New York to Ohio to Missouri to
Illinois, and finally to Utah.
The industrious settlers soon made the desert sands "blossom
like a rose" with abundant crops, comfortable homes, meeting halls
and an expanding school system.
From the Salt Lake valley in Utah the Mormon pioneers spread
to build nearly 600 settlements in the Mountain west. In my own
state of Idaho they founded the first permanent settlement, Franklin,
and played key, roles in establishing many other communities.
While church members commemorate the 133rd year of the arrival
of the pioneers in the Salt Lake valley, they also simultaneously
celebrate the Sesquicentennial year of the organization of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Just as the pioneers
began under humble circumstances, the church itself emerged in like
manner. The meeting to officially organize was held April 6, 1830 in
an inauspicious log cabin in Fayette, New York. Only six official
members and a few well-wishers were there. But from that nucleus
Pioneer Day pg. 2
of six, 4.5 million men, women and children of the LDS faith
now live in every state of the Union and in 90 different countries
throughout the world.
What enabled this people to withstand the raging mobs and
blazing deserts, and then the subsequent challenges that accompany
150 years of growth? Perhaps the answer can partly be found in
a statement given by their first leader, Joseph Smith:
''We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous
and in doing good to all men .... If there is anything virtuous,
lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy, we seek after these
things."
Family solidarity is often mentioned as one of the characteristics
of the Mormon religion. Interestingly enough, this solidarity
i's not limited to one ''s innnediate family, but extends to
one's ancestors. Still pioneering, the Mormon Church has developed
an extensive genealogical research program to aid family members
in researching their past.
As part o~ this effort; the church stores over one million
microfilm rolls containing genealogical records in a granite
cavehn ~bove Salt take City. Over 85 microfilm camera operators
t~avel to all parts of the world helping nations preserve their
recor·ds by photogrraphi'ng a wide variety of old, original records.
This August an historic World Conference on Records will be
I •
held in Salt Lake City, Some 10,000 people will be in attendance,
co~ing from all pa~ts of the United States and many countries
~round the world, Renowned genealogists such as Alex Haley, Lord
I
Tevoit, a member of the British House of Lords, and Milton Rubicam
will be there to instruct researchers. The purpose of the conference
is to aid those researching and writing their personal and family
histories.
The Mormons believe that learning about one's heritage
through genealogical research is an important aspect of creating
~amily unity and strength--drawing upon the past to better live
the present and build for the future.
Just as their ancestors before them were pioneers in the
Pioneer Day pg. 3
Rocky Mountain west, today it is clear that the Mormons have
distinguished themselves as pioneers in the world of genealogical
research.
I am personally grateful for this genealogical program. A
year ago last December Spencer W. Kimball, president of the LDS
Church, presented me with a 2-volume genealogical study containing
information on my ancestors. President Kimball said then:
"Genealogy is very important to us. Your genealogy in these
~ volumes will contain all of your known relatives and give you
an apprec:tat:ton for them."'
In studytng this magnificent gift of family history, Bethine
and I ~ind our appreciation for our ancestors has indeed increased.
We keep these cherished family records on permanent display in
my Washington o~f:tce.
I am honored, Nr. President, to pay tribute today to the
Mormon pioneers o~ the past and present. The pioneers of 1847
l.eave us with a legacy to b·e cherished. Their descendants continue
to honor them by t~ own achievements today. It is this people
'
and this history that I am pleased to commemorate a..1i tlds 'iii!J?.
AS W<:... p(\e..fPI~~ +o
fi o .V <:: ~ R. 'OA )' ~
**
I. A.
Remarks of Senator Frank Church
IDAHO STATE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION
Pocatello Hilton
Pocatello, Idaho
June 13, 1980
I could not speak tonight without first paying tribute to Verda
Barnes, who befriended us all. (Idaho Smith gave Verda a
beautiful tribute today-- for which I'm very grateful.)
(1) Never have I known anyone who better exemplified the
"Finest and the Best" in public service.
(2) For the many years Verda Barnes worked for me -- and for
you -- her foremost purpose was always to help those
in need of help.
(3) She gave of her time and talent unstintingly, working all
hours, day and night, to see to it that the people of
Idaho got the best care possible. (Barbecue and then
died 1n her sleep.)
--As 6ill Hall, Editorial Page Editor of the Lewiston
Tribune, wrote:
"They say Verda Barnes died in her sleep the other
night. But that's preposterous. Verda Barnes
never slept."
B. I agree. At least, I never saw her asleep at the switch!
That's for sure. And if she were stilI alive and with me
tonight, I know what her advice would be.
"First of all, speak up for all the Democrats, and
then you can talk about your own campaign."
And that's exactly what I intend to do!
1-(a)
**
Notes: (Penned by FC) Pat McDermott, Lola & John Evans, Joe & Lorraine
Williams, Marjorie Ruth Moon, Wayne & Margaret Fuller.
(Evans -- Kaiser car. Did you get a load of that!
Bethine says Patty was very generous, but she referred to
BC as my favorite roommate. Bethine wants to make it clear
that she's my only roommate!
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C. We've got a Democratic Legislature to elect ... a Legislature
that will give our great Governor the support he needs. What
better argument do we need than the shambles left by the last
Legislature, dominated by the Republicans!
(Penned note: It's time for a Democratic Legislature for a
a change!)
D. And we've got two Democraticmndidates to elect to the House of
Representatives in the Nation's Capital -- Diane Bilyeu and
Glen Nichols!
(1) You know, I've been pretty successful in passing legislation
that benefits Idaho. The Senate gives me strong support.
(2) But let me tell you: people like Mo Udall of Arizona,
Gunn McKay of Utah, Al Ullman of Oregon, and Tom Foley of
Washington, are getting tired of doing double duty,
representing their own districts and also l ooking out for
Idaho, because we have two Congressmen who can't legislate
their way o~t of a wet paper ~·
So, how about giving me some help back there in Washington?
How about giving me a couple of partners in the House of Representatives
who can effectively represent this great State?
How about electing Diane Bilyeu, whose concern would be to look
after the people of the Second District, not to wander the world
as a self-anointed Secretary of State!
And how about electing Glenn Nichols to replace Steve Symms -the
man who's yet to pass a single bill in the 8 years he's
served in Congress.
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I I. A.
Steve is having a terrible time explaining away his
do-nothing record. First, he blames it on the Democrats,
which should surprise his many Republican colleagues who
do get their bills passed. Then, he says he didn•t go
to Congress to pass bills, which makes one wonder why
he introduced 136 bills, only to strike out on every
one.
And when we elect Glenn and Diane, I suggest we follow
that victory with an appreciation dinner for all the
Congressmen from other states who pitched in to help Idaho
when we had no representation in Congress. It•s the least
we can do!
I do not intend to attack Steve Symms tonight. He appears to have
troubles enough of his own!
(1) Rather, I thought he should speak for himself. So, for your
edification, I have had clipped from Idaho newspapers, some
of the Congressman•s most memorable statements.
(2) This comes under the category of light entertainment:
On Preserving the famous California Redwoods, Symms said:
111 think we should cut trees down when they get old . ..
Statesman 1/13/78
(Judging from his voting record, he must feel the same
way about senior citizens!)
On the price of gasoline by the gallon:
111 think we•11 see prices go one way once they reach 60 or
70 cents, and that•s down ...
Statesman 2/10/74
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On paying for high-priced gas, Symms has the solution:
11 lf a low-paid worker needs gasoline to get to his job,
his employer will increase his wages to meet this new
need. 11
Congressional Record 9/26/73
(Anyone who has not yet received his special gasoline
allowance, should contact Steve Symms.)
On minimum wage laws:
11 lt's none of the government's business. 11
Statesman 11/11/72
On the resignation of Spiro Agnew:
110f course , he shouldn't resign. 11
Coeur d'Alene Press 10/5/73
On forecasting the results of the Watergate investigation,
Symms had this prediction:
11With the President's open and frank statements in Orlando,
Richard Nixon is on his way back. 11
Caldwell News Tribune 11/19/73
Ah, but there's more!
On Frank Church and the Sunshine Initiative for Idaho,
Symms said:
11Since Senator Frank Church publicly signed the initiative,
that automatically means I won't. 11
Idaho State Journal 5/27/74
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On giving home rule to the residents of the District
of Columbia, Symms explained his opposition by saying:
11They don't have to live here."
Statesman 10/13/73
On Henrv Ki~ s inopr ;
"I'm not a fan of Dr. Kissinger, as you probably know, ..
Symms said, adding a comment he was to retract before
the meeting ended, ... 'either he's stupid or I'm stupid.' 11
Daily Idahonian 11/17/74
On capital punishment:
"If we are in favor of capital punishment ... then it's
proper to having it on television ... 11
AP Dispatch 2/14/77
On the John Birch Society:
11The John Birch Society doctrine is common sense ...
American Opinion
John Birch Sentry Pub.
July-August 1976
(No wonder that the world's richest man, Bunker Hunt,
who's on the John Birch Board of Directors, is serving
on Symms' National Finance Committee.)
But the best quotation of all, I've saved for last.
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III A.
On Ethical Conduct, Symms has this to say:
"A requirement that office holders disclose personal
financial details ... is an affront to me. Perhaps
I could be involved in a financial deal in which I
wanted the banker to think I have more than I actually
am worth. "
Statesman 9/9/72
Personally, I don•t care what he•s actually worth. The
real question, for the people to decide, is whether he•s
worth being a Senator from Idaho!
(Someone should explain to Steve that such a misrepresentation
is a felony.)
For 24 years, it has been my privilege to represent this State in
the Nation•s Capital, where Idaho has only 4 of 535 votes in the
Congress.
(1) Because you have backed me and seen to my re-election in
1962, )968, and 1974, I have come to occupy a position of
much influence and strength in the U. S. Senate.
(2) For a small state like Idaho, this is critical when it
comes to protecting our vital interests in the Nation•s
Capital.
(3) And I have used my seniority for the benefit of Idaho:
--to prohibit the diversion of our water into Southern
California.
--to safeguard our unique way of life against the imposition
of Federal gun controls.
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--to replenish our rangelands and establish a flexible
grazing fee, long sought by the Idaho livestock industry.
--to preserve the family farm by updating the antiquated
Reclamation Act of 1902, and bringing it into line with
modern farming needs.
(4) I have sought to prevent our national forests from becoming
the exclusive tree farm for any one or two big lumber companies,
by writing into law the small business set-aside sales, and by
restoring oral bidding to assure small lumber towns their
share of the timber supply.
(Note: Never have I been the enemy of mining, as my opponents
make me out to be. The new wilderness: Mining boom, cobalt
and molybdenum, and more wood, not less.)
(5) I have worked earnestly to improve the conditions of life for
our senior citizens, gaining for them an annual cost-of-living
adjustment in their Social Security, and an exemption from
the capjtal gains tax when they sell their homes.
(6) Even as I preside over the Senate Foreign Relations Committee -the
first Idahoan since William E. Borah to hold the chairman-ship
of a major committee in the Congress I constantly
search for ways of serving the people of Idaho.
This year alone, I have been instrumental in securing the
purchase of lentils by Egypt, dried peas for distribution
to refugees in Thailand, Somalia, and Pakistan, and the sale
of grain to Taiwan-- which, taken together, meant $33 million
extra dollars for Idaho farmers!
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B. I mention these accomplishments for Idaho, because the outcome
of this Senatorial election will hinge on whether the people
are more interested in rhetoric or results.
Those who are interested in results know -- from 24 years of
proven service results -- that when it counts for Idaho,
Idaho can count on me!
IV. But, even as a ship needs a compass, so a Senator should have a goal.
(1) My overriding goal has been to foster and preserve the
quality of life that makes Idaho such a special place to live.
(2) Over a century ago, when my grandfather came from Maine into
the Boise Basin, he came in search of gold. The rush was
on. The names of once boisterous mining towns that flourished
and then faded still live in Idaho history: Florence, Silver
City, Atlanta, Idaho City, Rocky Bar, Placerville.
(3) But for the thousands who came seeking gold, still more made
the long journey for the land. Encouraged by the homestead
laws, ·supported by the Cava1ry, attracted by the promise of
a fresh start, the settlers sought out the fertile valleys
of the West to put down new roots.
(4) Still others came for an entirely different reason -- to
find peace in a far-away place, away from the religious
persecution that had hounded them.
When Idaho became the 43rd State in 1890, our population was 90,000,
up from 15,000 two decades before. The turn of the century was a
time of robust growth. By 1910, the State's population had soared
to 325,000.
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Then, the boom was over. During most of our lives, Idaho has
experienced a long period of only marginal growth, sustained by
a high, natural birthrate, which barely overcame the outward
migration, as more left Idaho than entered each year.
But since 1970, the tide has turned again. All at once, Idaho
has become one of the fastest growing states in the nation. We
have been discovered, as it were, and Americans are flooding into
Idaho from all parts of the country.
Again, we must ask, 11What's happened? Why do they come? 11
I think the answer lies in the slogan we've proclaimed throughout
the land: 11 Idaho is what the rest of the country would like to be."
A few years ago, I spent a week in the Sawtooth wilderness, and
encountered many campers there: college students and mountain
climbers, hikers with their back-packs and fishing poles, parents
with their kids. Around the camp fires, I remember the conversations
well. One young father, leaning back to glimpse the treetops
and the arching star-studded sky, put it this way:
11What a paradox, .. he said. 11 No amount of money could buy
what is freely given us here tonight. No king could purchase
these splendors. This is the finest vacation I could possibly
ask for my family. And the funny thing is, it happens to be
the only one I can afford ...
No, it's no~ the old lust for gold that brings people to Idaho these
days. It's something more fundamental. Idaho is still unspoiled.
Others are attracted to us not only by what we have, but by what we
don't have -- slums, smog, crime and congestion.
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Our mountain streams still run pure.
Our air can be breathed in gulps, not gasps.
Our communities are unhurried places, where neighbors are friends
and where one can walk at night safely and unafraid.
The flood of new settlers pouring into Idaho are search1ng for the
room in which to live a healthy, outdoor life. They come to escape
the asphalt jungles, the traffic jams, the endless hassle.
The question is, how will we respond to this new influx. Will we
let it ruin our towns and degrade our countryside? Idaho still has
its future lar~y before it; our State has a chance to avoid many
of the mistakes that plague most other places.
Through good farming practices, we have a chance to till the land,
and still keep it fertile and free of erosion.
Through intensive management of our forests, we have a chance to
produce both more wood -and wilderness, more jobs -and joy.
Through proper recontouring, we can mine our minerals without wrecking
our land. Idaho doesn't have to become another Appalachia.
Through the cultivation of clean industry, we can provide employment
for our growing population without polluting our rivers or poisoning
our air.
In short, we can manage the future without fouling our nest, if we but
heed the advice of Stewart Udall, former Secretary of the Interior,
who was speaking of Idaho's Hells Canyon when he said: "All of us
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will be more likely to make the right decisions if we approach
them with 1 distance in our eyes• and place the rightful claims
of the unborn alongside our own ...
By that standard, I have sought to serve Idaho. To preserve the quality
Soon the 11 River of No Return Wilderness 11 wi 11 preserve the high and
remote heartland of Idaho, protecting our watershed, wildlife habitat, and
what•s left of God•s country in this State.
The wild am scenic rivers of ~daho, the Sawtooth and Hells Canyon
National Recreation Areas, all testify that the most beautiful parts of
Idaho can be wisely managed for our own enjoyment and that of generations
to come.
So if you believe that the public lands of Idaho should remain open
and accessible for the benefit of all the people, join with me.
If you share my dream for an Idaho prosperous but unspoiled,
join with me.
If you believe the selection of a Senator for this State should be
made, not by self-styled 11 radicals11 from Virginia, who finance the
so-called 11 Anyone but Church Committee,.• nor by Texas billionaires,
but by the people of Idaho, join with me.
If you believe in government for the many, not the mighty,
join with me.
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Join your neighbors, relatives, and friends, in our common cause,
and we Democrats will win.
The battle of the networks will be over on election night, when the
voters reject ABC and choose CBS instead, which stands for:
CHURCH BEATS SYMMS.
